Florida
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
The Florida high school football rankings have updated as the month of October rolls along.
Miami Northwestern picked up a crosstown win over Columbus to kick off the weekend on Thursday. Friday saw ranked wins by Venice, Miami Central and Niceville.
The On3 Massey Ratings — which were officially used during the BCS era and have generated college high school sports team rankings since 1995 — rank sports teams by analyzing game outcomes, strength of schedule and margin of victory.
CLICK HERE to watch high school games on NFHS Network now!
Below is the updated Florida On3 Massey Ratings top 25, as of Oct. 21.
IMG is fresh off of a pair of bye weeks, plenty rested for its matchup with East St. Louis — the No. 1 team in Illinois. The Ascenders last played on Oct. 4, when they beat No. 2 Venice 21-16.
Venice is 7-1 on the year, its lone loss coming at the start of the month in a failed comeback big against IMG Academy. Since then, the Indians have bounced back with wins over Riverview and No. 21 Clearwater Central Catholic. This Friday, they will host Sarasota as 41-point favorites.
Miami Central is 6-1 coming off of its crosstown victory over No. 8 Miami Norland last Friday. The Rockets downed the Vikings 22-14. This week, Central will head to Stranahan. In addition to their win over Norland, the Rockets’ resume is highlighted by victories against No. 10 American Heritage and No. 14 Northwestern.
Chaminade-Madonna blew out Avant Garde 56-0 on Friday, making it seven straight wins for the Lions since they opened the year with losses to St. John Bosco (Calif.) and Blanche Ely. They will close out the regular season with Cardinal Gibbons this Friday.
St. Thomas Aquinas is 7-2 on the year with losses to Las Vegas Bishop Gorman (Nev.) and No. 4 Chaminade-Madonna. The Raiders bounced back from that Chaminade loss over the weekend with a 44-6 win against Monarch. They will look to start a winning streak this Friday on the road at No. 10 American Heritage.
Lakeland last played on Oct. 4 when it beat Sebring 38-7. Wins against No. 3 Miami Central and No. 16 Lake Mary highlight the Dreadnaughts’ perfect resume this year. Lakeland will look to resume action this Friday against Kathleen.
Armwood is still perfect following a 62-3 blowout of Steinbrenner last week. The Hawks’ signature win came on Sept. 6 against No. 18 Tampa Bay Tech. They play no further ranked teams in the regular season, but will close against Wharton and Riverview.
Norland fell 22-14 to No. 3 Miami Central last week, its second loss of the season (joining a loss to No. 4 Chaminade-Madonna). The Vikings had previously rattled off three consecutive wins over Archbishop McCarthy, No. 12 Cocoa and No. 10 American Heritage. They will look to bounce back this Thursday against Plantation.
Jones beat Lake Wales 31-19 last week to stay undefeated in 2024. The Tigers will look to keep that perfect record alive this weekend as huge favorites over Lake Region.
American Heritage may be 4-4 on the season, but the Patriots have faced a brutal schedule. Losses have come to Milton (Ga.), No. 4 Chaminade-Madonna, No. 3 Miami Central and No. 8 Norland. On the flip side, they have accumulated wins against Western, No. 19 Naples, Plantation and Archbishop McCarthy. On deck is No. 5 St. Thomas Aquinas.
11. Nease
12. Cocoa (+1)
13. Raines (+2)
14. Northwestern (+6)
15. Gadsden County (-1)
16. Lake Mary (+8)
17. Niceville (+5)
18. Tampa Bay Tech (+5)
19. Naples
20. St. Augustine (NR)
21. Clearwater Central Catholic (-9)
22. Columbus (-1)
23. The Bolles School (NR)
24. Lincoln (-7)
25. A. Crawford Mosley (NR)
Dropped from rankings: Sanford Seminole, Cardinal Newman, Manatee
Florida
Alligator breaks into Florida home, takes a dip in pool before capture
TAMPA, Fla. (CBS12) — Florida police thought they were responding to a home intruder, but instead they were met with a huge gator.
The Tampa Police Department said a little after 3 a.m. on March 29, officers responded to a residence only to find that an alligator had broken into the home and let itself in for a swim in the homes pool.
See also: Treasure Coast hospitals see more e-bike injuries amid increased accidents
Body camera video shows officers walking up to the home, when all of a sudden there is a loud bang followed by a hissing sound.
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With help from an alligator trapper, the alligator was safely removed.
Florida
Florida cities rank among best coastal small towns in United States
Stuart ranked No. 2 for best coastal small town in the United States.
Stuart ranked No. 2 in the USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards for best coastal small town.
The Treasure Coast city has been recognized as one of the best coastal small towns in the USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards for several years. Stuart was ranked No. 2 in 2023, No. 1 in 2024 and No. 2 in 2025.
Stuart was praised for its access to the St. Lucie River; its parks, such as Flagler and Shepard; its museums, such as Stuart Heritage Museum and Road to Victory Military Museum and its restaurant-lined downtown.
Florida secured two spots on the top 10 list, with Stuart at No. 2 and Cedar Key at No. 10.
These rankings are determined by a panel of industry experts, invited weekly by USA Today 10BEST, who nominate their favorite points of interest and attractions across different areas. 10BEST editors then vet the nominations before selecting a final set of nominees to be presented to the voting public for four weeks.
Best coastal small towns in the United States
These are the top 10 best coastal small towns in the United States, according to the USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards:
- 1. Pismo Beach, California
- 2. Stuart, Florida
- 3. Morro Bay, California
- 4. Avalon, California
- 5. Castine, Maine
- 6. Cape May, New Jersey
- 7. Gulf Shores, Alabama
- 8. Beaufort, North Carolina
- 9. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
- 10. Cedar Key, Florida
Olivia Franklin is TCPalm’s trending reporter. You can contact her at olivia.franklin@tcpalm.com, 317-627-8048 or follow her on X @Livvvvv_5.
Florida
Florida Lottery Mega Millions, Fantasy 5 results for April 7, 2026
The Florida Lottery offers several draw games for those hoping to win one of the available jackpots.
Here’s a look at the winning numbers for games played on Tuesday, April 7, 2026.
Winning Mega Millions numbers from April 7 drawing
05-15-22-33-37, Mega Ball: 02
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Fantasy 5 numbers from April 7 drawing
Midday: 06-20-26-27-33
Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from April 7 drawing
Morning: 09
Matinee: 15
Afternoon: 04
Evening: 15
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots: What to know in case you win
Here’s what to know in case you win the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot.
Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
Winning Pick 2 numbers from April 7 drawing
Midday: 2-8, FB: 9
Evening: 8-2, FB: 8
Check Pick 2 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 7 drawing
Midday: 5-2-2, FB: 9
Evening: 3-7-5, FB: 8
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from April 7 drawing
Midday: 8-7-2-5, FB: 9
Evening: 6-6-2-6, FB: 8
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 5 numbers from April 7 drawing
Midday: 7-1-7-3-0, FB: 9
Evening: 6-3-2-2-7, FB: 8
Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Where can you buy Florida Lottery tickets?
Tickets can be purchased in person at any authorized retailer throughout Florida, including gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. To find a retailer near you, go to Find Florida Lottery Retailers.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize
- Prizes of $599 or less: Claim at any authorized Florida Lottery retailer or Florida Lottery district office.
- Prizes for $600 to $1 million: Must be claimed in person at any Florida Lottery district office for games that do not offer an annual payment option.
- Prizes greater than $1 million and all prizes with an annual payment option: Must be claimed at Florida Lottery headquarters, except Mega Millions and Powerball prizes, which can be claimed at any Florida Lottery district office.
You also can claim your winnings by mail if the prize is $250,000 or less. Mail your ticket to the Florida Lottery with the required documentation.
Florida law requires public disclosure of winners
If you’re a winner, Florida law mandates the following information is public record:
- Full name
- City of residence
- Game won
- Date won
- Amount won
- Name and location of the retailer where the winning ticket was purchased.
When are the Florida Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 11 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Florida Lotto: 11:15 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
- Jackpot Triple Play: 11:15 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Fantasy 5: Daily at 1:05 p.m. and 11:15 p.m.
- Cash Pop: Daily at 8:45 a.m., 11:45 a.m., 2:45 p.m., 6:45 p.m. and 11:45 p.m.
- Pick 2, 3, 4, 5: Daily at 1:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Florida digital producer. You can send feedback using this form.
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