FLORIDA POWER 25: Week 2 Shakes Up the Statewide Picture Ahead of a Loaded Week 3 – FloridaHSFootball.com

Two weeks of regular-season football have begun to reshape the Florida Power 25.

St. Thomas Aquinas handled DeSoto (Texas). Cardinal Newman edged Cardinal Mooney in a matchup of defending state champions. American Heritage bounced back with a win over East St. Louis. Vero Beach strengthened its résumé against Atlantic, while The First Academy continued its rise by beating Edgewater.

And just outside the Power 25, Columbus produced one of the biggest wins of the young season by stunning Bishop Gorman (Nev.) 33-28.

Each result gives the Enhanced Florida Power Rankings Index more current-season information to evaluate.

The FPRI 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.

Preseason games and Kickoff Classics do not count.

The preseason rating simply provided each team with a starting point before regular-season results were available. That influence will continue declining as the season progresses.

Here is where the statewide picture stands entering Week 3.

IMG Academy National Still Sets the Standard

IMG Academy National remains No. 1 after beating Cornerstone Christian (Texas) 59-10.

St. Thomas Aquinas moves into the No. 2 spot following a 38-14 victory over DeSoto (Texas), adding another nationally relevant result to the Raiders’ early résumé.

West Boca Raton sits No. 3 despite being open in Week 2, while Raines remains firmly among Florida’s elite after beating Baldwin 52-14.

Lakeland rounds out the Top 5 after an open week.

The top of the rankings will not stay quiet for long. Three of those five teams face notable Week 3 opponents, including two marquee in-state matchups.

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 a 33-28 victory over Bishop Gorman. The Explorers remain outside the Power 25, but another result of that magnitude would have major statewide implications.

Venice at Lakeland — Friday, 7:30 p.m., Bryant Stadium

Lakeland hosts No. 10 Venice in a direct Top 10 matchup between programs with state championship expectations.

St. Louis (Hawaii) vs. IMG Academy National — Saturday, 3 p.m., Saddleback College Stadium

IMG Academy National adds another nationally relevant opponent in a neutral-site game in California.

West Boca Raton travels to Spanish River, while Raines visits Ed White.

Crusaders Strengthen Their Place Among Florida’s Elite

Cardinal Newman climbs to No. 6 after edging Cardinal Mooney 47-46 in one of Week 2’s best games.

The matchup featured defending state champions and gave the Crusaders another significant result as they continue establishing themselves among Florida’s highest-rated teams.

Cardinal Mooney remains inside the Power 25 despite the loss.

That distinction matters. The FPRI evaluates the complete body of work, so a one-point loss to another highly rated opponent is not treated the same as a decisive defeat against a lower-rated team.

WEEK 3 GAMES TO WATCH

John Carroll at Cardinal Newman — Friday, 7 p.m., Sam Budnyk Stadium

Cardinal Newman returns home and immediately gets another quality opponent after its dramatic win in Sarasota.

Cardinal Mooney at True North — Friday, 7 p.m., Tropical Park

Cardinal Mooney gets an immediate opportunity to respond against another well-regarded South Florida program.

Lake Mary sits No. 7 after surviving Oviedo 24-23 in its regular-season opener.

Miami Northwestern is No. 8 following a 42-0 shutout of Miami Jackson.

Buchholz moves to No. 9 after overwhelming Gainesville 43-6, while Venice climbs to No. 10 following a 64-8 victory over SmartEn Sports Academy.

This part of the rankings illustrates why the Power 25 cannot be read as a standings table. Teams move relative to one another as new results, opponent performance and schedule strength enter the system.

WEEK 3 GAMES TO WATCH

Osceola at Lake Mary — Friday, 7 p.m., Doug Peters Field at Don T. Reynolds Stadium

Lake Mary gets another Central Florida test after escaping Oviedo by one point.

Buchholz at Eastside — Friday, 7:30 p.m., Citizens Field

Buchholz stays in Gainesville for another city matchup following its dominant Week 2 performance.

Venice at Lakeland — Friday, 7:30 p.m., Bryant Stadium

Venice has an immediate opportunity to make one of the biggest statewide statements of Week 3.

Miami Northwestern travels to Hialeah.

American Heritage moves to No. 11 after beating East St. Louis (Ill.) 35-28.

The Patriots did not get an easy rebound assignment after their Week 1 loss to West Boca Raton. Instead, they faced another nationally recognized opponent and came away with a meaningful victory.

St. Augustine remains near the top of the statewide picture after beating Nease 28-22.

Vero Beach climbs to No. 13 following a 45-30 victory over Atlantic.

Cardinal Mooney remains inside the Top 15 after its one-point loss to Cardinal Newman, while Miami Central continues to hold a prominent position in the rankings.

WEEK 3 GAMES TO WATCH

American Heritage at Chaminade-Madonna — Friday, 6:30 p.m.

American Heritage gets another major test against a Chaminade-Madonna team looking to bounce back from a 24-7 loss to Sierra Canyon.

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 on Florida’s Week 3 schedule.

The Indians have already strengthened their early résumé. Now they get an opportunity against a St. Frances program with national significance.

St. Augustine at Menendez — Friday, 7 p.m., Veterans Stadium

St. Augustine takes its unbeaten start into another St. Johns County matchup.

Hawthorne remains firmly inside the Power 25 after grinding out an 8-0 victory over Newberry.

West Orange continues one of the strongest early-season climbs in Florida after routing Horizon 53-0.

Carrollwood Day also keeps moving after shutting out River Ridge 45-0.

Jones remains inside the statewide rankings following an open Week 2.

The four programs have taken different paths, but each enters Week 3 with an opportunity to strengthen its position.

WEEK 3 GAMES TO WATCH

Hernando at Hawthorne — Friday, 7:30 p.m., Annie Mae Phillips Stadium

Hawthorne looks to stay unbeaten after winning two very different games to open the season.

Wekiva at West Orange — Friday, 7 p.m., Raymond Screws Field

West Orange gets another opportunity to build on one of the fastest-rising résumés in Florida.

Northside Christian at Carrollwood Day — Friday, 7 p.m., Wagner Athletic Complex

Carrollwood Day has dominated through two weeks and gets another home test.

Jones at Evans — Saturday, 3 p.m., Trojan Field

Jones returns from its open week against an Evans team coming off a convincing win over Boone.

Chaminade-Madonna remains inside the Power 25 despite falling 24-7 to Sierra Canyon (Calif.).

Mandarin continues its strong start after shutting out Atlantic Coast 50-0.

Tampa Bay Tech keeps climbing following a 35-10 victory over Sumner.

The First Academy remains one of the biggest early-season stories in Florida after following its opening-week rout of Dr. Phillips with a 21-14 win over Edgewater.

Clearwater Central Catholic rises after beating Port Charlotte 43-24, while Armwood holds the final Power 25 spot following a 38-14 loss to Don Bosco Prep (N.J.).

This is the portion of the rankings most likely to change dramatically from week to week.

WEEK 3 GAMES TO WATCH

American Heritage at Chaminade-Madonna — Friday, 6:30 p.m.

The Lions get another high-level opponent and an immediate chance to answer their Week 2 loss.

Jefferson at Tampa Bay Tech — Friday, 7:30 p.m., Titan Stadium

Tampa Bay Tech gets another Tampa-area matchup after climbing quickly through the first two weeks.

The First Academy at Port Charlotte — Friday, 7:30 p.m., Pirates Cove

The First Academy takes its 2-0 start on the road after opening with victories over Dr. Phillips and Edgewater.

Armwood at Plant City — Friday, 7:30 p.m., Raider Stadium

Armwood gets its first opportunity to respond after the loss to Don Bosco Prep.

Mandarin and Clearwater Central Catholic are open in Week 3.

No team outside the Florida Power 25 made more noise in Week 2 than Columbus.

The Explorers stunned Bishop Gorman 33-28 and made one of the largest jumps anywhere in the FPRI.

The win immediately changed the statewide conversation around Columbus.

Now the Explorers get another enormous opportunity.

Columbus at St. Thomas Aquinas — Friday, 7 p.m., Brian Piccolo Stadium

A week after beating Bishop Gorman, Columbus travels to face the No. 2 team in the Florida Power 25.

There may not be another team outside the rankings with a better opportunity to force its way into the Top 25 this week.

Columbus at St. Thomas Aquinas

Columbus follows its upset of Bishop Gorman with another elite test, this time on the road against St. Thomas Aquinas.

Venice at Lakeland

A direct Top 10 matchup between two programs with championship expectations.

American Heritage at Chaminade-Madonna

American Heritage enters off a major win over East St. Louis. Chaminade-Madonna is trying to rebound from a loss to Sierra Canyon.

St. Frances Academy (Md.) at Vero Beach

Vero Beach gets one of the most nationally significant games involving a Florida program in Week 3.

John Carroll at Cardinal Newman

Cardinal Newman puts its early-season momentum on the line immediately after beating Cardinal Mooney.

The First Academy at Port Charlotte

The First Academy has already produced two major cross-classification wins and now gets another difficult road test.

The statewide picture is becoming clearer, but two weeks remain a small sample.

The FPRI is not a subjective media poll, and the Florida Power 25 should not be treated like one.

A team can win and move down. A team can move during an open week. A one-loss team can remain ahead of an unbeaten team if the complete résumé supports it.

Opponent performance and strength of schedule matter, including the performance of out-of-state teams Florida programs have played.

Preseason games do not count.

The preseason rating simply established the initial baseline before current-season results existed. That influence will continue fading as additional 2026 regular-season games are completed.

There is a reason the late Joe Pinkos, whose work we admired and deeply respected, traditionally waited several weeks before releasing his rankings.

More games create more evidence.

The FPRI takes a different approach, publishing from the beginning while gradually replacing its preseason foundation with current-season results.

Week 3 should provide another major step in that process.

The Florida Power 25 is the statewide centerpiece 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 classification rankings, 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/