[ad_1]
Two weeks of regular-season football have begun reshaping the classification races in the Florida Power Rankings Index.
Cardinal Newman edged Cardinal Mooney in a thriller between defending state champions. Columbus stunned Bishop Gorman. Pensacola Catholic knocked off Pace. The First Academy beat Edgewater, Vanguard took down Miami Norland and American Heritage bounced back with a win over East St. Louis.
Each result gives the FPRI more current-season information to evaluate.
The system continues to phase out its preseason foundation as 2026 results, scoring performance, opponent quality and strength of schedule take on greater weight. Results involving out-of-state opponents also factor into the evaluation of Florida teams that played them.
One distinction remains important: preseason games and Kickoff Classics do not count.
The preseason rating gave each team a starting point before regular-season results were available. That influence will continue declining as the season progresses.
There is a reason the late Joe Pinkos, whose work we admired and deeply respected, traditionally waited several weeks before releasing his rankings. Early-season samples are small.
The FPRI takes a different approach, publishing from the beginning while gradually replacing its preseason baseline with current-season results.
Here is where each classification stands entering Week 3.
Florida Classification Rankings — Top 10
See where every team stands within its own classification, powered by the Florida Power Rankings Index.
Last updated September 3, 2026 at 8:48 AM
Rating
91.29
SOS
-30.30
Record
1-0
Central Florida
Rating
85.42
SOS
-2.70
Record
2-0
Southwest Florida
Rating
83.44
SOS
1.60
Record
2-0
Space & Treasure Coast
Rating
79.71
SOS
25.50
Record
2-0
Central Florida
Rating
74.25
SOS
32.00
Record
2-0
South Florida
Rating
74.10
SOS
24.80
Record
2-0
Central Florida
Rating
73.71
SOS
35.40
Record
0-1
South Florida
Rating
73.23
SOS
15.30
Record
1-1
Central Florida
Rating
70.07
SOS
-17.50
Record
2-0
South Florida
Rating
69.68
SOS
-1.00
Record
2-0
South Florida
Rating
99.72
SOS
30.70
Record
2-0
South Florida
Rating
96.91
SOS
8.70
Record
1-0
South Florida
Rating
92.78
SOS
-42.30
Record
1-0
Tampa Bay
Rating
88.68
SOS
-14.70
Record
2-0
North Central Florida
Rating
76.24
SOS
-37.50
Record
2-0
Northeast Florida
Rating
76.20
SOS
3.60
Record
2-0
Tampa Bay
Rating
75.45
SOS
23.30
Record
1-1
Tampa Bay
Rating
75.02
SOS
-21.00
Record
2-0
Tampa Bay
Rating
73.94
SOS
-0.60
Record
2-0
Tampa Bay
Rating
67.46
SOS
4.90
Record
1-1
South Florida
Rating
90.58
SOS
-33.00
Record
2-0
South Florida
Rating
85.28
SOS
41.80
Record
1-1
South Florida
Rating
85.22
SOS
-14.60
Record
2-0
Northeast Florida
Rating
77.38
SOS
23.50
Record
0-1
Central Florida
Rating
73.92
SOS
-1.70
Record
1-0
Tampa Bay
Rating
68.76
SOS
20.00
Record
1-1
South Florida
Rating
68.68
SOS
-16.40
Record
2-0
North Central Florida
Rating
67.88
SOS
0.10
Record
2-0
Tampa Bay
Rating
66.75
SOS
-2.90
Record
1-1
Southwest Florida
Rating
66.71
SOS
-1.50
Record
1-1
Tampa Bay
Rating
95.29
SOS
-17.80
Record
2-0
Northeast Florida
Rating
83.21
SOS
17.10
Record
1-1
Southwest Florida
Rating
83.07
SOS
8.10
Record
1-0
South Florida
Rating
66.59
SOS
-34.80
Record
2-0
South Florida
Rating
66.40
SOS
-18.00
Record
2-0
Space & Treasure Coast
Rating
66.09
SOS
-36.20
Record
1-0
Northeast Florida
Rating
64.55
SOS
3.40
Record
1-0
North Central Florida
Rating
64.17
SOS
-0.50
Record
1-1
Space & Treasure Coast
Rating
60.51
SOS
10.50
Record
1-1
South Florida
Rating
60.33
SOS
-18.30
Record
2-0
North Central Florida
Rating
91.37
SOS
-15.00
Record
2-0
South Florida
Rating
77.25
SOS
21.30
Record
1-1
South Florida
Rating
76.06
SOS
-17.40
Record
2-0
Central Florida
Rating
75.98
SOS
3.30
Record
2-0
Tampa Bay
Rating
74.25
SOS
-0.10
Record
2-0
North Central Florida
Rating
73.98
SOS
-2.70
Record
1-1
Northeast Florida
Rating
71.63
SOS
-11.80
Record
2-0
Panhandle
Rating
70.37
SOS
-15.50
Record
2-0
South Florida
Rating
67.98
SOS
37.50
Record
0-1
Space & Treasure Coast
Rating
65.00
SOS
-36.00
Record
2-0
Tampa Bay
Rating
79.98
SOS
-33.20
Record
2-0
North Central Florida
Rating
79.44
SOS
-2.00
Record
2-0
Tampa Bay
Rating
70.72
SOS
-22.00
Record
2-0
Tampa Bay
Rating
68.10
SOS
-16.20
Record
2-0
Panhandle
Rating
63.74
SOS
-14.00
Record
2-0
South Florida
Rating
63.22
SOS
12.90
Record
1-1
Panhandle
Rating
61.25
SOS
16.40
Record
1-1
Northeast Florida
Rating
60.54
SOS
32.50
Record
0-1
South Florida
Rating
60.52
SOS
-33.20
Record
2-0
Space & Treasure Coast
Rating
58.91
SOS
4.30
Record
2-0
Space & Treasure Coast
Rating
62.31
SOS
-29.20
Record
3-0
Southwest Florida
Rating
58.48
SOS
-7.30
Record
3-0
Tampa Bay
Rating
58.22
SOS
8.80
Record
2-1
Panhandle
Rating
56.43
SOS
-31.10
Record
3-0
Tampa Bay
Rating
54.54
SOS
-37.10
Record
2-0
Panhandle
Rating
52.38
SOS
-10.00
Record
2-1
Northeast Florida
Rating
51.75
SOS
-9.00
Record
3-0
Northeast Florida
Rating
51.23
SOS
-1.90
Record
2-1
South Florida
Rating
50.36
SOS
-25.00
Record
2-0
Northeast Florida
Rating
49.14
SOS
5.50
Record
1-1
Northeast Florida
Rating
71.48
SOS
-19.10
Record
3-0
South Florida
Rating
60.92
SOS
-8.80
Record
2-0-1
Northeast Florida
Rating
58.18
SOS
-6.70
Record
3-0
South Florida
Rating
57.34
SOS
-7.30
Record
2-1
South Florida
Rating
57.08
SOS
-22.70
Record
3-0
Space & Treasure Coast
Rating
56.90
SOS
-31.00
Record
3-0
Tampa Bay
Rating
54.70
SOS
14.50
Record
2-1
Space & Treasure Coast
Rating
51.61
SOS
-37.90
Record
2-0
Panhandle
Rating
50.66
SOS
7.70
Record
2-1
Northeast Florida
Rating
49.51
SOS
-10.10
Record
2-1
North Central Florida
Rating
65.93
SOS
-39.80
Record
3-0
Space & Treasure Coast
Rating
65.27
SOS
-13.40
Record
2-0
Tampa Bay
Rating
59.94
SOS
-12.10
Record
2-1
Central Florida
Rating
55.59
Record
0-0
Northeast Florida
Rating
53.89
SOS
-4.50
Record
2-1
Southwest Florida
Rating
52.45
SOS
2.20
Record
2-1
Tampa Bay
Rating
46.16
SOS
-37.30
Record
2-0
North Central Florida
Rating
44.92
SOS
-12.80
Record
1-1
Tampa Bay
Rating
44.04
SOS
-26.10
Record
3-0
Tampa Bay
Rating
43.02
SOS
39.30
Record
0-2
Southwest Florida
FHSAA Independent League A Power 10
Rating
62.70
SOS
15.60
Record
1-1
Central Florida
Rating
53.96
SOS
-13.80
Record
2-0
Central Florida
Rating
46.70
SOS
-9.30
Record
1-1
Central Florida
Rating
43.67
SOS
-0.20
Record
1-0
Southwest Florida
Rating
38.54
SOS
-38.60
Record
2-0
South Florida
Rating
33.09
SOS
39.80
Record
0-1
South Florida
Rating
32.72
SOS
-16.50
Record
2-0
South Florida
Rating
31.32
SOS
-37.40
Record
2-0
South Florida
Rating
29.86
SOS
35.80
Record
1-1
South Florida
Rating
26.11
SOS
-13.00
Record
1-1
Central Florida
FHSAA Independent League B Power 10
Rating
55.05
SOS
-9.90
Record
1-1
Central Florida
Rating
53.77
SOS
-15.50
Record
2-0
Panhandle
Rating
53.43
SOS
-35.10
Record
2-0
Central Florida
Rating
50.41
SOS
-1.40
Record
1-1
Central Florida
Rating
50.15
SOS
-6.00
Record
1-1
Central Florida
Rating
50.08
SOS
-38.70
Record
2-0
North Central Florida
Rating
45.15
SOS
-1.80
Record
1-1
Southwest Florida
Rating
42.92
SOS
0.30
Record
1-0
Central Florida
Rating
42.61
SOS
20.80
Record
1-1
Tampa Bay
Rating
42.32
SOS
23.40
Record
1-1
Space & Treasure Coast
Rating
103.16
SOS
32.10
Record
2-0
Southwest Florida
Rating
55.75
SOS
-2.30
Record
1-1
Southwest Florida
Rating
43.53
SOS
21.30
Record
1-1
Central Florida
Rating
40.95
SOS
-4.30
Record
0-2
South Florida
Rating
40.38
SOS
29.80
Record
0-0
South Florida
Rating
40.23
SOS
-32.90
Record
1-0
South Florida
Rating
39.75
SOS
1.80
Record
1-1
Tampa Bay
Rating
39.25
SOS
-26.30
Record
2-0
South Florida
Rating
33.14
SOS
-33.90
Record
2-0
South Florida
Rating
28.53
SOS
-33.00
Record
2-0
Northeast Florida
Lake Mary Holds the Top Spot as Columbus Surges
Lake Mary remains the team to catch in Class 6A after escaping Oviedo with a 24-23 victory in its regular-season opener.
Venice continued its strong start with a 64-8 win over SmartEn Sports Academy, while Vero Beach strengthened its résumé by beating Atlantic 45-30. West Orange rolled past Horizon 53-0, and Seminole stayed unbeaten with a 24-7 victory over Lake Howell.
No Class 6A team made a bigger Week 2 statement than Columbus.
The Explorers stunned Bishop Gorman (Nev.) 33-28, producing one of the most significant wins by a Florida program through the first two weeks. The victory sent Columbus surging in both the classification and statewide rankings.
Edgewater moved in the opposite direction after The First Academy handed the Eagles a 21-14 loss.
WEEK 3 GAMES TO WATCH
Venice at Lakeland — Friday, 7:30 p.m., Bryant Stadium
Two of Florida’s premier programs meet in one of the best games on the statewide schedule. Venice gets a major road test against a Lakeland team sitting near the top of Class 5A and the Florida Power 25.
St. Frances Academy (Md.) at Vero Beach — Friday, 7 p.m., Citrus Bowl at Billy Livings Field
Vero Beach faces one of the biggest national tests of Week 3. A strong showing against St. Frances would add another significant piece to the Indians’ early-season résumé.
Columbus at St. Thomas Aquinas — Friday, 7 p.m., Brian Piccolo Stadium
A week after beating Bishop Gorman, Columbus goes directly into another marquee matchup. This time the Explorers travel to face one of Florida’s highest-rated teams.
Lake Mary also hosts Osceola, West Orange hosts Wekiva and Seminole hosts Eau Gallie.
St. Thomas Aquinas Remains the Standard
St. Thomas Aquinas strengthened its position near the top of the classification with a 38-14 victory over DeSoto (Texas).
West Boca Raton remained idle in Week 2, while Lakeland continues to hold a prominent place among Florida’s highest-rated programs.
Buchholz overwhelmed Gainesville 43-6, and Tampa Bay Tech continued its strong start with a 35-10 victory over Sumner.
Armwood absorbed one of the classification’s biggest setbacks when Don Bosco Prep (N.J.) defeated the Hawks 38-14.
Pace also took a significant hit after Pensacola Catholic turned a projected loss into a convincing 51-33 victory.
Two weeks into the season, Class 5A already looks as deep as advertised.
WEEK 3 GAMES TO WATCH
Columbus at St. Thomas Aquinas — Friday, 7 p.m., Brian Piccolo Stadium
The Raiders host a Columbus team coming off one of the biggest wins in program history. It is a major test for St. Thomas Aquinas and another opportunity for the Explorers to shake up the statewide picture.
Venice at Lakeland — Friday, 7:30 p.m., Bryant Stadium
Lakeland faces its first major measuring stick of the season against a Venice team already positioned among Florida’s elite.
Buchholz at Eastside — Friday, 7:30 p.m., Citizens Field
Buchholz stays in Gainesville for another city matchup after dominating Gainesville High in Week 2.
West Boca Raton travels to Spanish River, while Tampa Bay Tech hosts Jefferson.
Northwestern Leads as American Heritage Bounces Back
Miami Northwestern remains one of the teams setting the pace in Class 4A after shutting out Miami Jackson 42-0.
American Heritage answered its Week 1 loss to West Boca Raton with one of the better bounce-back wins of Week 2, beating East St. Louis (Ill.) 35-28.
St. Augustine remained unbeaten with a 28-22 victory over Nease, while Columbia continued its impressive start by defeating Lakewood 24-6. The Tigers have now followed a Week 1 win over Bolles with another meaningful result.
Miami Norland suffered one of the classification’s most notable setbacks when Vanguard beat the Vikings 21-6 in Ocala.
The preseason order has already started changing, and Week 3 brings several more games capable of moving the board.
WEEK 3 GAMES TO WATCH
American Heritage at Chaminade-Madonna — Friday, 6:30 p.m.
American Heritage gets another high-level test after beating East St. Louis. Chaminade-Madonna enters looking to respond after a 24-7 loss to Sierra Canyon.
Madison County at Columbia — Friday, 7:30 p.m., Tiger Stadium
Columbia has opened with wins over Bolles and Lakewood. Madison County gives the Tigers another strong North Florida measuring stick.
Vanguard at Jesuit — Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Vanguard carries momentum into Tampa after its win over Miami Norland, while Jesuit gets an opportunity to strengthen its own early-season profile.
St. Augustine also travels to Menendez, while Jones visits Evans on Saturday.
Raines Continues to Set the Pace
Raines remains the standard in Class 3A after beating Baldwin 52-14.
The Vikings continue to sit among the highest-rated programs in Florida and have created early separation inside the classification.
Cardinal Mooney remains firmly in the championship conversation despite suffering a 47-46 loss to Cardinal Newman in one of Week 2’s best games.
Merritt Island continues its climb after following its Week 1 win over Cocoa with a 35-7 victory over Melbourne.
Bishop Kenny also strengthened its early résumé with a 28-21 win over Ponte Vedra.
Raines has established itself at the top, but the chase group continues to change quickly.
WEEK 3 GAMES TO WATCH
Raines at Ed White — Friday, 6:30 p.m., Commander Stadium
Raines gets another Northeast Florida test against a Class 4A opponent as the Vikings look to maintain their early separation at the top of Class 3A.
Cardinal Mooney at True North — Friday, 7 p.m., Tropical Park
Cardinal Mooney gets an immediate opportunity to respond after its one-point loss to Cardinal Newman. True North provides another quality South Florida test for the Cougars.
Merritt Island at Ponte Vedra — Friday, 7 p.m., Shark Tank
Merritt Island has been one of the early risers in Class 3A and now goes on the road against a Class 5A opponent looking to rebound from a Week 2 loss to Bishop Kenny.
Bishop Kenny at Bartram Trail — Friday, 7 p.m., Bear Stadium
Bishop Kenny follows its win over Ponte Vedra with another Class 5A opponent, giving the Crusaders a chance to continue building their early résumé.
Eau Gallie at Seminole — Friday, 7 p.m., Thomas E. Whigham Stadium
Eau Gallie gets one of the toughest cross-classification assignments of the week against a Seminole team that has opened the season strongly in Class 6A.
Cardinal Newman Takes Center Stage
Cardinal Newman produced one of Week 2’s biggest wins, edging Cardinal Mooney 47-46 in a matchup of defending state champions.
The victory strengthened the Crusaders’ position in Class 2A while also pushing them higher in the statewide conversation.
The First Academy continued its impressive start by beating Edgewater 21-14. The Royals have now followed their opening-week rout of Dr. Phillips with another victory over a Class 6A opponent.
Clearwater Central Catholic defeated Port Charlotte 43-24, while Bradford stayed unbeaten with a 16-9 win over Baker County.
Bolles bounced back from its Week 1 loss to Columbia by defeating Archbishop McCarthy 21-14.
Chaminade-Madonna went the other direction after Sierra Canyon (Calif.) handed the Lions a 24-7 loss.
Pensacola Catholic also made a major move after beating Pace 51-33.
WEEK 3 GAMES TO WATCH
John Carroll at Cardinal Newman — Friday, 7 p.m., Sam Budnyk Stadium
Cardinal Newman comes home after its dramatic victory over Cardinal Mooney and immediately gets another quality opponent.
American Heritage at Chaminade-Madonna — Friday, 6:30 p.m.
The Lions get another elite opponent as they try to rebound from their loss to Sierra Canyon.
Cocoa at Newberry — Friday, 7:30 p.m., Panther Stadium
Cocoa gets another early-season road test against a Newberry team coming off a hard-fought loss to Hawthorne.
The First Academy at Port Charlotte — Friday, 7:30 p.m., Pirates Cove
The Royals have already beaten Dr. Phillips and Edgewater. Port Charlotte offers another opportunity to build on one of the strongest starts in the classification.
Hawthorne Holds the Lead as the Chase Develops
Hawthorne remained unbeaten with an 8-0 victory over Newberry.
The result looked nothing like the Hornets’ overtime win over Bishop Moore in Week 1, but Hawthorne again found a way to finish on top.
Carrollwood Day continued its dominant start by shutting out River Ridge 45-0.
Lakeland Christian remains one of the classification’s early risers, while Madison County strengthened its position with a 34-6 victory over Gadsden County.
The group behind Hawthorne is beginning to take shape, but two weeks remain far too early to create much separation.
WEEK 3 GAMES TO WATCH
Madison County at Columbia — Friday, 7:30 p.m., Tiger Stadium
Madison County gets one of the biggest opportunities available to any Class 1A team this week against a Columbia program that has started 2-0.
Hernando at Hawthorne — Friday, 7:30 p.m., Annie Mae Phillips Stadium
Hawthorne looks to stay unbeaten against another cross-classification opponent.
Northside Christian at Carrollwood Day — Friday, 7 p.m., Wagner Athletic Complex
Carrollwood Day has been dominant through two weeks and gets another chance to build on its start.
Fort Meade at Lakeland Christian — Friday, 7:30 p.m., Viking Stadium
Lakeland Christian faces another test as the Vikings try to establish themselves among the primary Class 1A contenders.
Week 2 Turns the Race Upside Down
Few classification races experienced more Week 2 turbulence than SSAA 11-Man.
Aucilla Christian took the biggest hit, falling 54-7 to Holmes County after entering the week among the classification’s top teams.
Out-of-Door continued moving in the opposite direction, beating Cambridge Christian 48-6 and adding another decisive victory to its early résumé.
Jupiter Christian also suffered a surprising setback when Dwyer beat the Eagles 15-9.
Seffner Christian remained one of the classification’s strongest early performers with a 49-20 victory over Indian Rocks Christian.
With several contenders already carrying dramatically different results from one week to the next, SSAA 11-Man remains one of the least settled races in the FPRI.
WEEK 3 GAME TO WATCH
Maclay at Aucilla Christian — Friday, 7 p.m., Warrior Field
Aucilla gets an immediate opportunity to respond after the Holmes County loss. Maclay provides another direct SSAA test with the potential to reshape the upper half of the rankings.
American Heritage Delray, West Nassau Continue to Build
American Heritage (Delray Beach) remains one of the strongest teams in SSAA Atlantic after routing Somerset Charter (Silver Palms) 56-12.
West Nassau also strengthened its early résumé with a 55-6 victory over KIPP Bold City.
Satellite stayed unbeaten with a 56-0 win over Legacy Charter.
Several other teams experienced the opposite side of early-season volatility.
Dixie County edged Trenton 20-19, Suwannee beat Lafayette 38-6 and Hardee overwhelmed LaBelle 46-0.
Those results illustrate how quickly this classification can change when teams regularly face opponents from outside their own grouping.
WEEK 3 GAME TO WATCH
St. Joseph at Franklin County — Friday, 6 p.m., Seahawk Stadium
Franklin County gets an intriguing crossover test against St. Joseph out of the SSAA 11-Man ranks. The Seahawks enter Week 3 at 3-0 after wins over Vernon, North Florida Christian and Sneads, while St. Joseph gives Franklin County another opportunity to strengthen its early résumé against an opponent from elsewhere in the SSAA structure.
SSAA Atlantic should become considerably clearer as more teams reach three completed games and strength-of-schedule data begins to build.
Merritt Island Christian and Shorecrest Prep Keep Rolling
The SSAA 8-Man race is beginning to develop its own separation.
Merritt Island Christian followed its Week 1 forfeit victory with a 39-0 shutout of Bell Creek.
Shorecrest Prep remained unbeaten after blanking Donahue Academy 44-0.
Bradenton Christian suffered one of Week 2’s bigger surprises when Lakeside Christian pulled out a 20-18 victory.
Real Life Christian beat Hernando Christian 32-14, while Countryside Christian opened the week with a 21-18 victory over Academy at the Lakes.
With only 24 eight-man programs in the statewide FPRI, every result carries significant weight as the classification begins sorting itself out.
WEEK 3 GAME TO WATCH
Shorecrest Prep at Countryside Christian
Both teams have already produced meaningful early-season results, making this one of the better direct measuring sticks available in SSAA 8-Man.
The wide range of schedules in eight-man football makes head-to-head matchups between contenders especially valuable.
Innovation Knocks Off No. 1 Windermere
Innovation delivered the biggest result of Week 2 in Independent League A, knocking off classification leader Windermere 29-26.
The Bulls entered the matchup as one of Windermere’s closest challengers and came away with the head-to-head victory, adding a significant early-season result to their résumé. Windermere remains atop the FPRI entering Week 3, but Innovation’s win immediately adds another layer to what is developing into a competitive race.
Elsewhere, Fort Lauderdale beat South Broward 32-20, while Cooper City continued its strong start with a 42-6 victory over Stoneman Douglas.
With Independent League A teams regularly facing opponents from outside the league, strength of schedule will continue to play a significant role in how quickly the rankings move.
WEEK 3 GAME TO WATCH
Windermere at Edgewater — Friday, 7 p.m., Frank E. Lough Stadium
Windermere gets an immediate opportunity to respond against a Class 6A opponent also looking to bounce back after a Week 2 loss to The First Academy.
A road win would give the Wolverines an important response following the loss to Innovation while adding another significant result to their early-season résumé.
Week 2 Creates More Questions Behind the Leaders
Independent League B remains one of the more fluid classification races after several significant Week 2 results.
Santa Fe Catholic stunned Mount Dora Christian 16-15, handing the Bulldogs an early setback after they entered the season as one of the classification’s leading teams.
Foundation Academy produced another important result by shutting out Lake Highland Prep 27-0.
The Masters Academy continued its strong start with a 38-28 victory over Father Lopez, while Oak Hall beat Bishop Snyder 36-6.
Those results have tightened a race that already looked competitive entering the season.
WEEK 3 GAMES TO WATCH
Sarasota Christian at Southwest Florida Christian — Friday, 7 p.m., SFCA Park
Southwest Florida Christian gets an SSAA opponent in another useful cross-association measuring stick.
Providence at Eagle’s View — Friday, 7 p.m., Normandy Athletic Association Field
Providence has another opportunity to add a quality result outside its own league.
Independent League B remains far from settled, and another weekend of cross-classification games should provide more separation.
IMG Academy National Remains in Its Own Category
The standalone Independent rankings remain unlike any other grouping in the FPRI.
IMG Academy National continues to sit atop the statewide rankings after beating Cornerstone Christian (Texas) 59-10.
The Ascenders play a schedule built largely around nationally significant opponents rather than a traditional Florida classification race, making their results more relevant to the statewide and national picture.
IMG Academy Junior National also remains part of the Independent group, while the teams underneath continue to establish their own early-season profiles.
WEEK 3 GAME TO WATCH
St. Louis (Hawaii) vs. IMG Academy National — Saturday, 3 p.m., Saddleback College Stadium
The neutral-site matchup in California gives IMG Academy National another nationally relevant opponent and another significant out-of-state data point.
Several games stand out as potential ranking movers across the classifications:
Columbus at St. Thomas Aquinas
Venice at Lakeland
American Heritage at Chaminade-Madonna
St. Frances Academy (Md.) at Vero Beach
Madison County at Columbia
Vanguard at Jesuit
Maclay at Aucilla Christian
Windermere at Edgewater
Shorecrest Prep at Countryside Christian
Those games stretch across the FHSAA classifications, SSAA, independent leagues and eight-man football and should provide some of the most useful head-to-head data of Week 3.
The classification rankings are beginning to develop, but the sample remains small.
The FPRI is not a standings table or a subjective media poll. Teams are evaluated on their complete body of work, including results, scoring performance, opponent quality and strength of schedule.
That means a team can win and still move down. A team can move during an open week. A one-loss team can remain ahead of an unbeaten team if the overall résumé supports it.
Out-of-state opponents matter, too, because their results help provide context for the strength of schedules played by Florida programs.
Preseason games do not count.
The preseason rating simply provided an initial baseline. Its influence will continue fading as additional 2026 regular-season results enter the system.
Week 3 gives the FPRI another substantial collection of data — and several of the games on the schedule could produce significant movement by the time the next rankings are released.
The classification rankings are part of FloridaHSFootball.com’s Enhanced Florida Power Rankings Index, which ranks all 587 football teams in Florida — 563 11-man teams and 24 8-man teams — while also powering the Florida Power 25, eight regional rankings, strength-of-schedule analysis and weekly game forecasts.
As more games are played, current performance and opponent strength will continue replacing preseason information within the ratings.
Explore the complete Florida Power Rankings Index →
https://floridahsfootball.com/rankings/
[ad_2]
Source link
