FHSAA football districts shuffle Orlando area programs

The Florida High School Athletic Association’s football landscape changed drastically Friday morning with the release of tentative classification and district pairings for the next two seasons.

Apopka moves away from a powerful district and region that includes Sanford Seminole and Lake Mary.

Kissimmee Osceola, Oviedo, Edgewater and Jones each slide into new-look districts that vary in terms of degree of difficulty.

The change comes two years after a Metro and Suburban classification plan narrowly gained 9-7 approval by the old FHSAA board of directors before the start of the 2022 season.

The re-implementation of the previously used classification plan, based solely on student enrollment as it had been up until 2021, went into effect early this month.

A new FHSAA board made up primarily of governor-appointed members, including Orlando area representatives Trevor Berryhill of The Master’s Academy and South Sumter principal Allen Shirley, passed this year’s change for all team sports by a 9-4 vote.

The eight football classifications, down from nine the past two years, are a throwback to what had been the status quo from 2005-21.

A possible ninth Open Division playoff bracket is still under consideration. That proposal, which was tabled by the board in a Dec. 12 virtual meeting, would pull the top eight teams among all classes based on MaxPreps rankings into a separate elite postseason tournament. Discussion is expected to continue about that option.

FHSAA scraps Metro-Suburban but tables Open Division talk

The classification and district alignment released Friday could see minor changes. Schools have until Jan. 12 to appeal their placement.

Remaining fall sports classifications will be released at some point in January.

What’s new

Apopka moves into a Class 7A Region 2 district that includes East Ridge, Ocoee, West Orange and Ocala West Port. It’s a notable change for the Blue Darters, who could see a state championship rematch with Venice at some point in the regional tournament.

Venice defeated Apopka 35-7 in the large-class state final in 2021 and finished runners-up to Lakeland in Class 4 Suburban the past two seasons.

Evans drops in classification to 6A Region 1 and joins a district that includes Wekiva, Lake Howell and Oviedo, which is coming off back-to-back championships. Those teams are in a region that features likely favorite Jacksonville Mandarin, last season’s 4M state runners-up.

Class 6A Region 2, paced by state semifinalist Tampa Plant, includes districts headlined by 2020 state finalists Kissimmee Osceola and Lake Minneola.

Osceola adds District 5 games vs. Melbourne, Viera and Freedom while keeping intact its local rivalry vs. St. Cloud. Lake Minneola and Groveland South Lake retain Ocala Forest as a district opponent while adding Davenport and Horizon.

Edgewater should see limited resistance in a 5A district that includes East River, Lake Buena Vista, Lyman and Winter Springs. But the Eagles are slotted in the same region as Lakeland and Tampa Bay Tech.

Jones enters new terrain in a 4A district vs. Auburndale, Lake Region and Lake Wales, which is 36-4 the past three seasons. The Tigers split games against Lake Wales when they last played in 2011 and ’12.

Bishop Moore is back to being matched in a 3A district with familiar foes: Port Orange Atlantic, Eustis, Mount Dora and Tavares.

Private school rivals Orlando Christian Prep, Foundation Academy and The First Academy will slug it out in a 1A district alongside new additions Holy Trinity and Central Catholic out of Melbourne. All of those teams won at least six games last season.

Up in the air

Unless something changes when it comes to enrollment numbers for Lake Nona, the Lions will clash with former head coach Anthony Paradiso the next two years in a 7A district that includes underdogs Celebration, Cypress Creek and Harmony.

Paradiso coached 11 seasons at Lake Nona before taking over at Toho in 2022.

Innovation High, the new relief school for Lake Nona, was not included in the initial classification plan. The school announced the hiring of Leroy Kinard as its first head coach in a social media post this week. Kinard coached for 16 seasons at The First Academy through the end of 2022.

Umatilla was slotted in a 2A district, but second-year coach Eric Samuels confirmed to the Orlando Sentinel this week that the Bulldogs will instead play in the independent Sunshine State Athletic Association.

Listed as independents are Kissimmee neighbors Gateway, Liberty and Poinciana. Gateway and Liberty played in districts during the last classification cycle. Poinciana was planning to return to district play in time for 2024 before the FHSAA board approved the new eight-class plan.

The Geneva School, located in Casselberry, will not play 11-man football this fall despite being included as an independent in Friday’s release. David Langdon, who started that program in the fall, told the Sentinel they will play at least one more season of 8-man football.

By the numbers

A total of 39 schools that currently compete under the FHSAA umbrella reached state championship games over the past four years. Those teams are noted alongside their expected classification for the upcoming 2024 and 2025 seasons.

Student enrollment numbers per classification based on what schools reported in October are included in parentheses.

• 7A (2,512-4,627): Apopka, Columbus (Miami), Seminole (Sanford), Venice.

• 6A (2,136-2,512): Homestead, Lake Minneola, Mandarin (Jacksonville), Osceola (Kissimmee).

• 5A (1,823-2,135): Edgewater (Orlando), Lakeland, Mainland (Daytona Beach), St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale), Tampa Bay Tech.

• 4A (1,543-1,822): American Heritage (Plantation), Jesuit (Tampa), Lake Wales, Norland (Miami), Pine Forest (Pensacola), Rickards (Tallahassee), St. Augustine.

• 3A (1,167-1,542): Central (Miami), Merritt Island.

• 2A (644-1,166): Berkeley Prep (Tampa), Bolles (Jacksonville), Bradford (Starke), Cardinal Gibbons (Fort Lauderdale), Cardinal Mooney (Sarasota), Cocoa, Florida High (Tallahassee).

• 1A (61-643): Central Catholic (Clearwater), Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood), First Baptist (Naples), Trinity Catholic (Ocala), Trinity Christian (Jacksonville), University Christian (Jacksonville).

• 1R (111-558): Baker, Hawthorne, Madison County, Northview (Bratt).

Classes and districts

Preliminary classifications and districts for regions involving Orlando area programs are listed below.

7A Region 1

District 1

Atlantic Coast (Jacksonville)

Creekside (St. Johns)

Sandalwood (Jacksonville)

District 2

DeLand

Flagler Palm Coast

Spruce Creek (Port Orange)

University (Orange City)

District 3

Hagerty (Oviedo)

Lake Brantley

Lake Mary

Seminole (Sanford)

District 4

Colonial (Orlando)

Oak Ridge (Orlando)

Timber Creek (Orlando)

University (Orlando)

Winter Park

7A Region 2

District 5

Apopka

East Ridge (Clermont)

Ocoee

West Orange (Winter Garden)

West Port (Ocala)

District 6

George Jenkins (Lakeland)

Haines City

Ridge Community (Davenport)

Winter Haven

District 7

Alonso (Tampa)

Newsome (Lithia)

Plant City

Strawberry Crest (Dover)

Sumner (Riverview)

District 8

Lehigh (Lehigh Acres)

North Port

Riverview (Sarasota)

Sarasota

Venice

7A Region 3

District 9

Boone (Orlando)

Dr. Phillips (Orlando)

Olympia (Orlando)

Windermere High

District 10

Celebration

Cypress Creek (Orlando)

Harmony

Lake Nona (Orlando)

Tohopekaliga (Kissimmee)

District 11

Centennial (Port St. Lucie)

Fort Pierce Central

Treasure Coast (Port St. Lucie)

Vero Beach

District 12

Jupiter

Palm Beach Central (Wellington)

Palm Beach Lakes (West Palm Beach)

Wellington

6A Region 1

District 1

Crestview

Navarre

Pace

Tate (Cantonment)

District 2

First Coast (Jacksonville)

Fletcher (Neptune Beach)

Mandarin (Jacksonville)

Oakleaf (Orange Park)

District 3

Bartram Trail (St. Johns)

Buchholz (Gainesville)

Nease (Ponte Vedra)

Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine)

District 4

Evans (Orlando)

Lake Howell (Winter Park)

Oviedo

Wekiva (Apopka)

6A Region 2

District 5

Freedom (Orlando)

Melbourne

Osceola (Kissimmee)

St. Cloud

Viera (Melbourne)

District 6

Davenport

Forest (Ocala)

Horizon (Winter Garden)

Lake Minneola

South Lake (Groveland)

District 7

Bartow

Bloomingdale (Valrico)

Durant (Plant City)

Riverview (Riverview)

District 8

Armwood (Seffner)

Plant (Tampa)

Sickles (Tampa)

Wharton (Tampa)

5A Region 2

District 5

East River (Orlando)

Edgewater (Orlando)

Lake Buena Vista (Orlando)

Lyman (Longwood)

Winter Springs

District 6

Kathleen (Lakeland)

Lake Gibson (Lakeland)

Lakeland

Sebring

District 7

Cypress Creek (Wesley Chapel)

Gaither (Tampa)

Springstead (Spring Hill)

Wesley Chapel

District 8

East Bay (Gibsonton)

Leto (Tampa)

Spoto (Riverview)

Tampa Bay Tech

4A Region 2

District 5

Gainesville

Lecanto

Leesburg

Vanguard (Ocala)

District 6

Deltona

New Smyrna Beach

Pine Ridge (Deltona)

Rockledge

Seabreeze (Daytona Beach)

District 7

Auburndale

Jones (Orlando)

Lake Region (Eagle Lake)

Lake Wales

District 8

Fivay (Hudson)

Freedom (Tampa)

Pasco (Dade City)

Zephyrhills

3A Region 2

District 5

Dunnellon

Eastside (Gainesville)

North Marion (Citra)

Santa Fe (Alachua)

District 6

Atlantic (Port Orange)

Bishop Moore (Orlando)

Eustis

Mount Dora

Tavares

District 7

Central (Brooksville)

Citrus (Inverness)

Crystal River

Hernando (Brooksville)

Weeki Wachee

District 8

Eau Gallie (Melbourne)

Merritt Island

Palm Bay (Melbourne)

Satellite (Satellite Beach)

Titusville

1A Region 2

District 5

Father Lopez (Daytona Beach)

Halifax Academy (Daytona Beach)

Taylor (Pierson)

Trinity Catholic (Ocala)

District 6

First Academy (Orlando)

Foundation Academy (Winter Garden)

Holy Trinity (Melbourne)

Melbourne Central Catholic

Orlando Christian Prep

District 7

Frostproof

Lakeland Christian

Victory Christian (Lakeland)

District 8

Bishop McLaughlin (Spring Hill)

Cambridge (Tampa)

Carrollwood (Tampa)

Zephyrhills Christian

This article originally appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email J.C. Carnahan at jcarnahan@orlandosentinel.com.