Week 7 Florida football had thrilling finishes but disappointing brawl

Week 7 of the 2026 Florida high school football season absolutely lived up to the hype.

For the third year in a row, St. Thomas Aquinas and Chaminade-Madonna played a thrilling game that once again was decided by a single score. Aquinas rallied to take a 21-20 lead, then held on after blocking a late field goal attempt.

Raines jumped out to a 20-3 lead over Venice and held on to win 20-17. Raines has now win 21 consecutive games. The Vikings have not lost a regular season game since Sept. 15, 2023.

Cardinal Mooney topped Clearwater Central Catholic 47-35, Carrollwood Day trounced Trinity Christian 63-21, Columbia beat Manatee 51-28 and Tampa Bay Tech remained undefeated by beating Lennard to set up a major showdown with rival Armwood in Week 8.

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Here's some quick takeaways from Week 7 and an updated personal Open Division ballot:

The Open Division is a gift to Florida high school football fans

Chaminade-Madonna did everything it could to upset St. Thomas Aquinas. The Lions will look back on this loss very frustrated because they absolutely left points on the field — and not just the final field goal attempt. But unlike past years when Chaminade would have to wait until next year for another chance, this year they potentially just have to wait a month because they could meet in the Open Division. These are postseason games we would never see before. And try to forget any personal allegiances for a second — what football fan wouldn’t want to see a rematch of these two national powers in the playoffs? There is legitimate concern over how MaxPreps’ computers will determine the Open Division, but seeing Aquinas-Chaminade II, Aquinas-Columbus II or any of the elite matchups is so much fun to think about.

The MaxPreps factor in Raines’ win over Venice is huge

So, how will the computer view Friday’s action? Specifically, how will the computer view Raines’ 20-17 win over visiting Venice? Raines passed its second big test of the year. It already has an 18-point win over Mandarin. But the MaxPreps rankings says that Raines and Mandarin are basically equals. Venice already has road win at Rabun Gap (Georgia) and Lakeland on the resume. Will this hurt their ranking? Does either team have enough of a resume to crack the top eight as neither team was in the top 10 as of Thursday’s ranking? MaxPreps is a confusing cloud hanging over the state as we get closer to the playoffs.

Carrollwood Day can score on anybody

Carrollwood Day didn’t just cement its status as the team to beat in Class 1A with its 63-21 drubbing of Trinity Christian, it showed that it’s one of the elite teams in Florida. This game was considered a potential Class 1A state championship preview. After all, Trinity Christian came into the game No. 3 in the class and went toe-to-toe with both American Heritage and Columbia, two of the top three teams in Class 4A. Instead, this game was over before halftime. Carrollwood has scored 404 points in seven games this season. That’s an average of 57.7 points per game. Carrollwood wraps up the regular season with a road trip to Cardinal Newman in a game that absolutely could have an Open Division spot on the line.

Questionable officiating impact Cardinal Mooney win over CCC

Cardinal Mooney topped previously undefeated Clearwater Central Catholic 47-35. Mooney’s defense played well in the second half, holding the Marauders to just seven points after a high-scoring first half. But a bizarre sequence late in the game makes this one tough to evaluate. With Cardinal Mooney leading 40-35 late in the fourth quarter, CCC threw into double coverage. There was contact by a defender, the ball was picked off, a flag was thrown and the interception was returned for a score. Multiple CCC players opted not to make a play after the flag was thrown believing it was pass interference. It was. Offensive pass interference. On a receiver who was double teamed and never took his eye off the ball. There was contact initiated by the defensive back, and the idea that the receiver can’t go for the ball is confusing at best. With two teams ranked in MaxPreps’ top 20 in a game with clear Open Division implications, it’s disappointing that the officials are part of the story.

Maybe postgame handshake lines should end

For the second night in a row, a fight broke out during the handshake line. Multiple Carol City players threw punches in a wild scene after a 10-9 loss at Grayson (Georgia) on Friday in Georgia. At one point, multiple Chiefs players were throwing punches at a Grayson player who was on the ground. On Thursday, Deltona and Matanzas players got into it after a heated game. There have been plenty of other games where the only thing stopping a fight in the handshake line were hyper-vigilant coaches and a strong police presence. Football is a physical game and emotions run high. That's completely understandable. But both of these situations were completely avoidable had the players not had to line up and shake hands after. Maybe it's time to end this requirement for football.

Quick Open Division ballot after Week 7

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: Week 7 Florida football had thrilling finishes but disappointing brawl

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