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Seminole football tops final Orlando Sentinel Super 16 rankings

j.c. carnahan, orlando sentinel
·4 min read

Sanford Seminole faced one of the toughest schedules among Orlando area football teams this fall.

The ‘Noles, a Florida High School Athletic Association district champion, reached the Class 4 Metro Region 1 championship game under first-year coach Karl Calhoun Jr. and close out the 2023 season at No. 1 in the Sentinel Super 16 rankings.

“We grew as individuals and fought through adversity,” Calhoun said of his team following a 28-24 playoff loss vs. state finalist Jacksonville Mandarin. “We worked hard, but it’s only Year One. We’ve got a lot of special things coming. Just be ready for Sanford.”

Lake Mary, which opened the season with eight consecutive wins, ranks No. 2, followed by Jones, Edgewater and DeLand.

No. 4 Edgewater extended its regular-season win streak to 28 in a row over the past three years to enter the playoffs at 10-0.

No. 3 Jones and No. 5 DeLand saw their seasons end in separate state semifinals last week. Those losses shut the Orlando area out of the state finals for the first time since 2018 and third time since 2011.

The nine FHSAA state championship games will be played Thursday, Friday and Saturday in Tallahassee.

Sentinel Super 16 rankings consist of schools in Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Lake and southwest Volusia counties. Team win-loss records are included in parentheses.

Sentinel Super 16

1. Seminole (10-3): Senior-laden Class 4M region finalist defeated Apopka twice and registered wins vs. Lake Mary, DeLand, Evans and Vero Beach. Preseason: No. 2.

2. Lake Mary (10-2): Strong junior class helped 4M region semifinalist notch regular-season wins vs. Apopka, Dr. Phillips, Oviedo, Evans, Mandarin and Daytona Beach Mainland. Preseason: No. 7.

3. Jones (10-4): Top six tacklers were seniors for Tigers, who defeated Dr. Phillips, Oviedo, Wekiva and Boone before snapping Edgewater’s unbeaten streak on way to 3M state semifinals. Preseason: No. 1.

4. Edgewater (11-1): Second consecutive undefeated regular season included wins against Jones, Apopka, Bishop Moore, Ocoee and Wekiva. Eagles held opponents to 11 points per game. Preseason: No. 4.

5. DeLand (11-3): Reached Class 4S state semifinals while scoring 39.5 points per game. Bulldogs won region title at Treasure Coast and prevailed twice vs. Orange City University and Port Orange Spruce Creek. Preseason: No. 6.

6. Lake Minneola (9-4): Class 4S region finalist averaged 42 points per game behind balanced offense. Scored wins against Wekiva, Haines City and Wiregrass Ranch. Preseason: No. 8.

7. Apopka (8-4): Blue Darters ended season in 4M region semifinals after getting wins against Dr. Phillips, Olympia, Ocoee, Wekiva and two victories vs. Evans. Preseason: No. 3.

8. Winter Park (9-1): District champions held opponents to 12.5 points per game and went undefeated in regular season with wins over Ocoee, Evans and Boone. Preseason: No. 14.

9. Dr. Phillips (7-5): Juniors filled out skill positions on offense. Panthers defeated Olympia in playoffs to reach 4M region semifinals after winning vs. Ocoee and Boone. Preseason: No. 16.

10. Olympia (8-3): Led by deep senior class, Titans secured district championship with regular-season wins against Dr. Phillips and Ocoee. Preseason: No. 9.

11. Orange City University (10-2): First-year coach Justin Roberts led Class 4S region semifinal team loaded with underclassmen to wins vs. Oviedo and Spruce Creek. Preseason: Not ranked.

12. Oviedo (8-3): Seniors at skill positions on offense helped Lions get quality win vs. Palm Bay Heritage and repeat as district champions. Preseason: No. 13.

13. Bishop Moore (9-4): Nine-game win streak, which included victories vs. Orlando Christian Prep and Jacksonville schools Ed White and Riverside, ended in 2M region finals. Preseason: No. 17.

14. Leesburg (10-2): Yellow Jackets improved on two-win season under new coach Stephen Moffett by holding opponents to 13 points per game en route to 3S region semifinals. Preseason: Not ranked.

15. Ocoee (4-6): Juniors and sophomores played big roles under new coach Buck Gurley. Knights won early-season outings vs. Wekiva and Evans. Preseason: No. 12.

16. Wekiva (4-6): Mustangs leaned on seniors in opening win at Olympia. Team later underwent coaching change in final weeks. Preseason: No. 10.

Next in line: 17. Evans (5-6), 18. Boone (5-6), 19. Eustis (7-4), 20. Orlando Christian Prep (10-2).

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