Connect with us

Florida

Top 25 Central Florida High School Football Rankings (12/9/2024)

Published

on

Top 25 Central Florida High School Football Rankings (12/9/2024)


Central Florida high school football teams – all from different counties – will have four chances to win a state championship this week when the FHSAA holds its title games at Florida International University in Miami.

We took a look at schools in seven area counties (Orange, Osceola, Lake, Seminole, Volusia, Brevard and Indian River) and came up with the SBLive Top 25 Central Florida football rankings.

The rankings are based on regular season records, head-to-head matchups, district finishes, and playoff seeding and results. The Top 25 will change week to week until state champions are announced.

Last week: 1

Advertisement

The Tigers remain on the prowl for a first-ever state championship after ousting Naples, 18-7, in a Class 4A state semifinal. They face their toughest test, yet, on Friday when they play state power American Heritage Plantation (11-2), which beat St. Augustine, 38-28, in the other semifinal.

Last week: 2

The two-time defending state champ Tigers have been talking three-peat all season and now they’re one victory away from reaching that goal. Cocoa beat previously unbeaten Sarasota Cardinal Mooney, 31-21, last week in a Class 2A state semifinal. Next up for the Tigers is Gadsden County out of Havana for the state title on Thursday. Gadsden (13-1) crushed Miami Booker T. Washington, 47-27, in the other semifinal.

Last week: 4

The Rams won their 10th straight game with a 24-13 victory against Central Florida foe Dr. Phillips in a Class 7A state semifinal. Lake Mary next faces state power Venice (13-1) on Saturday, Dec. 14, for the championship. Venice held off Miami Columbus, 33-27, in the other semifinal.

Advertisement

Last week: 5

The Kowboys stretched their win streak to nine with a wild 41-35 victory against host Gainesville Buchholz in a Class 6A state semifinal. In blazing to its seventh overall state championship appearance, Osceola next faces unbeaten West Boca Raton (14-0), which edged Miami Southridge, 14-11, in the other semifinal.

Last week: 3

The Panthers ended their season with a close loss to Lake Mary, which avenged a 26-21 loss on Sept. 20. They closed the year as Orange County’s second-best team.

Last week: 6

Advertisement

The Seminoles ended their season with a loss to Lake Mary in the Class 7A, Region 1 title game. Seminole won 10 games for the second consecutive season.

Last week: 7

The Eagles watched their seven-game win streak come to an end at the hands of talented Tampa Bay Tech, 28-17, in a Class 5A, Region 2 semifinal.

Last week: 8

The Commodores ran into a buzzsaw in state power Miami Northwestern in last week’s Class 3A state semifinals and fell 40-0. But Eau Gallie, which is Brevard County’s second-best team, made history with its first-ever state semifinals appearance.

Advertisement

Last week: 9

The Indians saw their eight-game win streak come to an end at the hands of Dr. Phillips, 21-14, in the Region 3 final. They trailed 21-0 at one point before coming back to make a game of it. Vero Beach beat top-seeded Palm Beach Atlantic in the region semifinals.

Last week: 10

The Warriors ended their season with a 55-26 loss to longtime power and No. 1 seed Venice (12-1) in the Class 7A, Region 2 final. It was the most wins for West Orange since 2021 when it went 11-2.

Last week: 11

Advertisement

The third-seeded Titans fell to Seminole, 24-20, in a Class 7A, Region 1 semifinal. University led 14-0 at halftime before collapsing.

Last week: 12

The No. 5 seeded Hawks ran into a buzzsaw in the Class 7A, Region 1 semifinals, falling to top-seeded Lake Mary, 52-32. Spruce Creek finished strong, however, winning three of its last four games.

Last week: 13

The Hornets pushed top-seeded Eau Gallie to the limit before falling 26-24 in the Class 3A, Region 2 final. It was the most wins for Bishop Moore since it went 10-3 in 2017.

Advertisement

Last week: 14

The Lions lost their Class 6A, Region 1 quarterfinal game to Pace, 49-21.

Last week: 15

The Wildcats, consistently one of Metro Orlando’s best teams, ended their season early with a hard-fought 31-23 loss to University High (Orange City) in a Class 7A, Region 1 quarterfinal.

Last week: 16

Advertisement

The Terriers had their win streak snapped at five with a 44-7 loss to top-seeded Eau Gallie in a Class 3A, Region 2 semifinal. It was the second loss to the Commodores this season.

Last week: 17

The Trojans, who clinched their first winning season since 2012 on Nov. 1 when they beat rival Oak Ridge, ended their season early with a 42-21 loss to Gainesville Buchholz in a Class 6A, Region 1 quarterfinal.

Last week: 18

The traditionally tough Mustangs lost an overtime heartbreaker to rival Titusville, 17-14, in a Class 3A, Region 2 quarterfinal.

Advertisement

Last week: 19

A year after advancing to the state semifinals, the Bulldogs ended their season early with a 49-14 Class 7A regional quarterfinal loss to Lake Mary, one of the best teams in Florida. The future looks promising, though, for DeLand, which features dynamic freshman Taijh Moore.

Last week: 20

The Raiders were shockingly eliminated early, falling to Zephyrhills, 35-15, in a Class 4A, Region 2 quarterfinal. Rockledge entered the game as the No. 4 seed; Zephyrhills, No. 5.

Last week: 21

Advertisement

The Barracudas ended their season early with a 52-19 Class 4A, Region 2 quarterfinal loss to Polk County power Lake Wales, which won a state championship in 2022.

Last week: 22

The defending state champ Buccaneers entered the Class 5A playoffs on a five-game win streak, but the seventh seed out of Region 1 fell to No. 2 Tallahassee Leon, 21-0, in a quarterfinal game.

Last week: 23

The Blue Darters, who are just two years removed from being a state runner-up, ended their season early with a 20-19 loss to West Orange in a Class 7A, Region 2 quarterfinal.

Advertisement

Last week: 24

The Eagles, who compiled their best record since 2014 when they went 8-3, ended their season early with a 35-17 loss to Plant City Durant in a Class 6A, Region 2 quarterfinal.

Last week: 25

The Hurricanes ended their season with a 28-7 Class 3A, Region 2 quarterfinal loss to Dunnellon. But Mount Dora, coached by Luke Hutchinson, finished with its best record since 2014 (9-3).

On the outside looking in: Ocoee, Boone, Leesburg, Lake Nona, Viera, The Master’s Academy (Oviedo), Orlando Christian Prep, Lyman, Melbourne Central Catholic, Tavares, Astronaut, Hagerty, Melbourne, Tohopekaliga, Holy Trinity Episcopal, St. Cloud, Wekiva.

Advertisement

— Follow Jeff Gardenour on Twitter @JMarkG1962 or email him at jgardenour1962@gmail.com



Source link

Florida

Florida Wawa gas station plans approved for new Treasure Coast store

Published

on

Florida Wawa gas station plans approved for new Treasure Coast store



Plans for a new Wawa to open in Port St. Lucie were approved.

A new Wawa fuel station and convenience store will open in Port St. Lucie now that the plans have been approved.

Advertisement

The Wawa will be at the corner of Village Parkway and Becker Road in front of the Lowe’s which is expected to open in the summer of 2026, according to the city’s website.

The plans for a Wawa convenience store and eight fuel pumps were submitted to the city Dec. 3, 2025.

What will go in Port St. Lucie’s Southern Grove?

The plans for the Shoppes at Southern Grove show there will be a new Lowe’s store and six additional outparcels.

The six additional outparcels include the following:

Advertisement
  • Gas station: 5,915 square feet
  • Outparcel A: 1.2 acres
  • Outparcel B: 1.14 acres
  • Outparcel C: 1.83 acres
  • Outparcel D: 1.04 acres
  • Outparcel E: 1.02 acres

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.



Source link

Continue Reading

Florida

Five Florida Panthers Named to Rosters for 2026 IIHF World Championship | Florida Panthers

Published

on

Five Florida Panthers Named to Rosters for 2026 IIHF World Championship | Florida Panthers


SUNRISE, Fla. Five Florida Panthers players and five staff members will represent their home countries at the upcoming 2026 IIHF World Championship, taking place May 15 through May 31 in Zurich and Fribourg, Switzerland. Games will be broadcast on NHL Network in the United States.

Marek Alscher, 22, will represent Czechia at the IIHF World Championship for the first time. He previously played for his home country at the 2024 IIHF U20 World Junior Championship, skating in seven games to help the Czechs capture the bronze medal over Finland. Alscher made his NHL debut with the Panthers in 2025-26, notching three assists over four games played. He also skated in 52 American Hockey League (AHL) games with Florida’s affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, recording 11 points (3-8-11). 

Aleksander Barkov, 30, missed the 2026 Winter Olympic Games due to injury but had been named to Finland’s preliminary roster in June of 2025. He previously earned a bronze medal at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games alongside current Panthers assistant coach Tuomo Ruutu, and earned a silver medal representing his home country at the 2016 IIHF Men’s World Championship. At the 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off, Barkov served as captain of Finland. 

Anton Lundell, 24, will be participating in his second IIHF World Championship after earning a silver medal with Finland in 2021, where he posted seven points (4-3-7) in 10 games as a 19-year-old. He helped Finland capture the bronze medal at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games this season and previously earned gold at the 2019 IIHF U20 WJC and 2018 IIHF U18 WJC, as well as a bronze medal at the 2021 U20 WJC. 

Advertisement

Sandis Vilmanis, 22, will represent Latvia at the IIHF World Championship for the first time in his career. He played for Latvia at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in February as well as at the 2022, 2023 and 2024 IIHF U20 World Junior Championships, serving as an alternate captain in 2024 where he produced four points (2-2-4) over five games. Vilmanis made his NHL debut with the Panthers in 2025-26, logging five points (3-2-5) in 19 games with Florida while compiling 38 points (17-21-38) in 48 American Hockey League (AHL) contests with the Panthers affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers. 

Matthew Tkachuk, 28, will attempt to become the first American to join the Triple Gold Club (Stanley Cup, World Championship Gold Medal and Olympic Gold Medal), as well as the first player in NHL history to win all three parts of the Triple Gold Club within a 12-month span. This will be Tkachuk’s first time participating in the IIHF World Championship.  

In addition to his 2026 Olympic gold medal, Tkachuk also earned gold representing the United States at the 2015 IIHF U18 World Junior Championship and the 2014 U17 World Hockey Challenge, as well as a bronze medal at the 2016 IIHF U20 WJC. He served as alternate captain for the U.S. at the 2026 Olympics and 2025 4 Nations Face-Off. 

Florida will have four staff members representing the United States. Panthers Assistant General Manager Brett Peterson is serving as General Manager for the second time after holding the position in 2024. Panthers Head Equipment Manager Teddy Richards will serve as equipment manager and Florida’s Head Athletic Trainer Dave DiNapoli will work as athletic trainer. Panthers President of Hockey Operations & General Manager Bill Zito will serve on the Advisory Group. 

Panthers Assistant General Manager Gregory Campbell will assist with evaluating and selecting players for Canada. 

Advertisement

Panthers fans can stay up to date on all the Cats’ representatives at the 2026 IIHF World Championships at FloridaPanthers.com/WorldChampionship. 

2026-27 Florida Panthers Territory Memberships are available now! Click here to learn more. For all the latest in Panthers news, concerts and events at Amerant Bank Arena & FTL War Memorial, sign up for ’93 Society newsletter and receive information straight to your inbox. Visit FloridaPanthers.com or SeatGeek.com for all ticketing needs.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Florida

Lake O had 81 algal blooms in 2 years near Florida slaughterhouse site

Published

on

Lake O had 81 algal blooms in 2 years near Florida slaughterhouse site



A Martin County slaughterhouse near Lake Okeechobee could increase toxic algal blooms in the C-44 Canal, St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon.

There have been 81 algal blooms in the past two years within 2 miles of a proposed slaughterhouse in western Martin County, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection Algal Bloom Dashboard.

Advertisement

The slaughterhouse will increase pollution and bring more potentially toxic algal blooms to Lake Okeechobee, whose waters sometimes are released into the C-44 Canal and flow into the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon in Stuart, opponents say.

Chancey Bay Ranch owner Tuny Mizrachi has proposed building a 56,784-square-foot slaughterhouse on 26 acres of his 2,046-acre-property at 8401 SW Connors Highway, abutting Lake O.

5 ways a slaughterhouse can increase Lake Okeechobee pollution

The Guardians of Martin County have raised at least five concerns with the Martin County Commission:

Advertisement
  • Meat processing facilities, though necessary, have the potential to be noisy nuisances and significant sources of disease and pollution for air and water.
  • The facility would be a new source of pollution in a watershed that’s designated as “impaired” because of elevated concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus.
  • The facility would be a potential new source of pollutants near one of Martin County’s lowest income and most ethnically diverse communities.
  • There’s no evidence the facility has a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit, or plans to follow effluent limitation guidelines or conduct water-quality monitoring.
  • The South Florida Water Management District has permitted the facility to withdraw 6.7 million gallons of water per year for 20 years from Florida’s surficial aquifer, despite it being subject to varying levels of saltwater intrusion, especially in Martin County. The SFWMD has designated all of Martin County a Water Resource Caution Area.

Blood, feces, oil, grease, ammonia and antibiotic residue from the proposed slaughterhouse would contribute to harmful algal blooms, including toxic cyanobacteria, Martin County Administrator Don Donaldson wrote to the DEP and SFWMD.

Tim O’Hara is TCPalm’s environment reporter. Contact him at tim.ohara@tcpalm.com.



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending