Week 8 of the Florida high school football season had everything a fan could want.
A state championship rematch. Rivalry games with major stakes. Potential playoff previews. Overtime thrillers.
With just a few weeks left in the regular season, Week 8 outcomes help bring the Open Division picture into better focus.
Chaminade-Madonna likely secured a spot, while The First Academy's comeback win over Archbishop McCarthy keep the Royals in prime position heading into a tough final stretch. Arwmood did all it could to bolster its resume, while Merritt Island and Seminole stayed undefeated and kept their hopes alive.
Here are some key takeaways from Week 8.
Another strong start propels Chaminade Madonna
For the second consecutive
week, Chaminade-Madonna took a two-score lead into halftime. This time, the Lions came away with a big win and maybe locked up an Open Division spot in the process. Chaminade topped Cardinal Newman 20-7 in West Palm Beach, getting a small measure of revenge for losing last year’s Class 1A state championship game. In Week 7, Chaminade led Aquinas 20-8 at halftime and ended up losing 21-20. Glass half full: The Lions started strong against two very good defenses in back-to-back weeks. Glass half empty: The offense again was shut out and struggled to put the game away in the second half.
Lake Wales validates elite status in Class 4A
Lake Wales, the No. 2 ranked team in Class 4A, dominated Jones 28-6 in soggy conditions in Orlando on Thursday, Oct. 8. The win not only earned the Highlanders the District 7-4A championship, but it was a change of the guard in Central Florida. Jones has reached the Class 4A state championship game the past two seasons. This year, Lake Wales has been one of the most dominant teams in Florida. Since losing to DeLand 35-34 on the road in the season opener, the Highlanders have outscored their past six opponents by a combined score of 270-23.
Armwood tops rival Tampa Bay Tech after special teams miscue
For two teams that have been so close in the rankings all season, it made sense that rivals Armwood and Tampa Bay Tech played such a close game on Friday. The only real difference in the Hawks 14-7 win was an punt snap that went way over Tampa Bay Tech’s punter’s head and gave Armwood the ball inside the 20 in the third quarter. Armwood scored the game winning touchdown a few plays later. It was another impressive display by Armwood’s outstanding defense. This win could put the Hawks back into the Open Division. It’s strange to think that the difference between making the Open Division or not could come down to a punt snap.
Merritt Island, True North win key games with playoff implications
Merritt Island topped rival Eau Gallie 36-35 in overtime on the road. It’s a big win, not just for bragging rights but also for playoff seeding. The win almost guarantees the Mustangs home field advantage throughout the regional playoffs. True North Classical beat John Carroll Catholic 31-20 in Fort Pierce in a matchup of the top two ranked teams in Region 4-1A. It wouldn’t be a surprise for these two to meet again in the regional final in late November. Berkeley Prep’s 21-20 win over Clearwater Central Catholic in overtime could shake up the Region 2-2A bracket. The same goes for Palmetto going on the road and beating rival Manatee 37-14 in what could be a Class 5A playoff preview.
Quick Open Division ballot
The Open Division will be determined solely by MaxPreps, but if I had an immediate ballot after Friday, Oct. 9, here’s what it would be.
1. St. Thomas Aquinas
2. Columbus
3. Chaminade-Madonna
4. West Boca
5. Miami Central
6. DeLand
7. Armwood
8. Carrollwood Day
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Chaminade-Madonna, Lake Wales and Armwood football big Week 8 winners
