10 teams with best chance to capture final Florida Open Division spots

Which eight teams will compete for the inaugural Open Division football championship?

Trying to predict what the MaxPreps rankings will look like from one ranking to the next is nearly impossible, but a picture is getting clearer with just two weeks remaining in the regular season.

St. Thomas Aquinas has been the top seed in the Open Division all season. As of the Oct. 18 MaxPreps rankings update, Aquinas had a rating of 100.19. The only other team in Florida with a rating over 100 is IMG Academy, which does not compete in the FHSAA playoffs.

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Columbus (95.2 rating), West Boca (90.35), Chaminade-Madonna (89.75), Miami Central (87.01) and The First Academy (85.06) all seem to have separated

themselves from the rest of the pack.

Carol City (88.45) ranks sixth, but the Chiefs are on restrictive probation because of the postgame brawl against Grayson (Georgia) and are ineligible for postseason play.

If Aquinas, Columbus, West Boca, Chaminade, Miami Central and TFA are in, that only leaves two spots.

Armwood (83.75) and Raines (83.44) currently hold the No. 7 and 8 seeds, but the margin between those two and the next eight teams is very, very small.

Here's a look at where things stand in the race for the final two Open Division spots heading into Week 10 of the regular season:

Armwood (7-1)

MaxPreps ranking: No. 9 overall (83.75 rating)

Open Division seed: No. 7

Remaining games: Leto (1-8, No. 514 overall), Jefferson (3-5, No. 271)

Signature win: 14-7 at Tampa Bay Tech (No. 33)

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Armwood is undefeated in Florida this season with the lone loss coming at Don Bosco in Prep New Jersey in Week 2. The Hawks' remaining schedule won't do them any favors, so they can't rely on strength of schedule to get them into the Open Division. The best-case scenario for Armwood is the team's they've already played win out, which could give them a boost.

Raines (8-0)

MaxPreps ranking: No. 10 (83.44 rating)

Open Division seed: No. 8

Remaining games: at Cocoa (3-4, No. 56 overall), Ribault (5-3, No. 253 overall)

Signature wins: 20-17 vs. Venice (No. 11), 31-13 vs. Mandarin (No. 26)

The defending Class 3A state champion has a pair of signature wins and boasts a defense that hasn't allowed more two touchdowns in a game this season. Raines appears to be in a solid position for the Open Division, as MaxPreps really values Cocoa's strength of schedule.

Venice (8-1)

MaxPreps ranking: No. 11 (83.41 rating)

Open Division picture: No. 9, 0.03 rating point out of the final Open Division spot

Remaining game: at Northport (2-6, No. 404)

Signature wins: 32-25 at Lakeland (No. 12), 42-40 at Rabun Gap (No. 6 North Carolina)

The only blemish on Venice's record is a three-point loss at Raines, so it's fitting that they're so close behind Raines. Unfortunately for the Indians, MaxPreps doesn't factor in where the game is played, considering all of Venice's biggest games this season have been played on the road.

Cardinal Newman (5-2)

MaxPreps ranking: No. 12 (83.35 rating)

Open Division picture: No. 10, 0.09 rating point out of the final Open Division spot

Remaining games: at St. Andrew's (4-3, No. 169), Carrollwood Day (8-0, No. 21), West Broward (2-5, No. 77)

Signature win: 47-46 at Cardinal Mooney (No. 15)

Only four teams in the top 25 have a higher strength of schedule than Cardinal Newman, which has helped keep it firmly in the Open Division picture all season. Playing two more top 100 teams certainly won't hurt. If on-field results matter (which is a legitimate question), the Carrollwood Day game could be big.

Lakeland (7-1)

MaxPreps ranking: No. 13 (83.29 rating)

Open Division picture: No. 11, 0.15 rating point out of the final Open Division spot

Remaining games: Lake Gibson (5-3, No. 144), The First Academy (6-1, No. 8)

Signature win: 21-16 vs. American Heritage (No. 14)

Finishing the regular season with The First Academy could be very important, both from a strength of schedule and resume perspective. MaxPreps doesn't seem to put a lot of weight into head-to-head matchups, so it's possible to see the Dreadnaughts jump Venice — the only team to beat Lakeland this season.

American Heritage (5-3)

MaxPreps ranking: No. 14 (82.72 rating)

Open Division picture: No. 12, 0.72 rating point out of the final Open Division spot

Remaining games: at McArthur (3-6, No. 64)

Signature win: 15-14 at Trinity Christian (No. 22), 53-42 vs. True North Classical (No. 23), 35-28 vs. East St. Louis (No. 3 Illinois)

The Patriots record isn't pristine, but it's to be expected considering they've played the third toughest schedule of the top 25 teams in Florida. After starting the season 2-3, it's been an uphill battle for American Heritage. But the Patriots have won three in a row and the resume is strong, so they're still in the mix.

Cardinal Mooney (7-1)

MaxPreps ranking: No. 15 (82.49 rating)

Open Division picture: No. 13, 0.95 rating point out of the final Open Division spot

Remaining games: at Palm Beach Central (6-2, No. 106), SmartEn Sports Academy (2-6, No. 435)

Signature wins: 39-21 at Berkeley Prep (No. 20), 56-34 at True North Classical (No. 23), 47-35 vs. Clearwater Central Catholic (No. 16)

The 2025 Class 2A state champions have either been in the Open Division or within striking distance all season. The only blemish on the Cougars record is a one-point loss against Cardinal Newman early in the season. Ending the season against SmartEn could end up hurting the team's strength of schedule.

Clearwater Central Catholic (6-2)

MaxPreps ranking: No. 16 (82.48 rating)

Open Division picture: No. 14, 0.96 rating point out of the final Open Division spot

Remaining games: at Lakewood (3-5, No. 74), Clearwater (8-0, No. 99)

Signature win: 43-24 vs. Port Charlotte (No. 25)

The Marauders have lost their past two games (Cardinal Mooney and Berkeley Prep), which has definitely hurt their chances to get into the Open Division. This feels like a long shot, but CCC is less than a rating point away and have two top 100 teams left on the schedule.

Miami Palmetto (6-2)

MaxPreps ranking: No. 17 (82.44 rating)

Open Division picture: No. 15, 1.00 rating point out of the final Open Division spot

Remaining games: at South Dade (3-6, No. 81) at Naples (5-3, No. 109)

Signature win: 35-0 at Miami Killian (No. 57)

The Panthers two losses are to Columbus and Carol City, but the team doesn't have a win that will really move the needle as far as the computer is concerned. Finishing with South Dade and Naples likely won't do enough to push Miami Palmetto into the top eight.

Columbia (8-0)

MaxPreps ranking: No. 18 (82.17 rating)

Open Division picture: No. 15, 1.27 rating points out of the final Open Division spot

Remaining games: vs. Yulee (5-3, No. 217), vs. Suwannee (6-2, No. 244)

Signature win: 20-19 at Bolles (No. 19), 27-21 at Trinity Christian (No. 22)

If MaxPreps factored road wins, perhaps wins at Bolles, Trinity Christian, Manatee and Ed White would be more impressive to the computer. As it is, Columbia slid in the most recent update. The final two games won't move the needle for strength of schedule, so they'll likely need help from the teams they've already beaten.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: 10 teams with best chance to capture final Florida Open Division spots

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