Here are our 2021 preseason Florida high school football rankings for Class 8A. Will the rankings still look like this when all is said and done? Will other teams find their way in by season’s end? It should be fun to watch. Now, let’s dive into the rankings.
10. Winter Park
Coming in at No. 10 in our preseason rankings for Class 8A are the Winter Park Wildcats. Winter Park finished 8-2 overall last season and advanced to the regional quarterfinals where the Wildcats eventually fell to Apopka.
Winter park has been a steady winner in Class 8A over the last few seasons, winning double-digit games in 2017 and 2018. Heading into 2021, the Wildcats will look to have the same success as a year ago.
Returning to hopefully lead Winter Park to another strong season is senior quarterback Jaden Machules. The dual-threat QB passed for almost 900 yards and had six touchdowns a year ago, according to his Twitter account.
The Wildcats should be a team to watch in Class 8A this season.
9. Treasure Coast
Treasure Coast comes in at No. 9 in our preseason Florida football rankings for Class 8A following a solid 2020 campaign. Treasure Coast finished last season with an overall record of 9-1 and lost to Miami Palmetto in the regional semifinals.
Last year marked the second year in a row Treasure Coast had won nine games, as the Titans also won nine games in 2019.
As Treasure Coast heads into 2021, the Titans will be without quarterback Jonius Watkins, who departs via graduation.
But Treasure Coast does return a handful of talent at the running back and wide receiver positions. Arguably the one who stands out the most is senior running back Eden James, who rushed for almost 800 yards and had nine touchdowns in 2020.
8. Vero Beach
Another team that has found itself amongst the middle of the pack or better in Class 8A these last few years has been the Vero Beach Indians. The Indians finished 2020 with a record of 8-3 and fell to Miami Palmetto in the Region 3-8A final.
While last year was a successful one for Vero Beach, the Indians have been able to put together solid season after solid season going back almost over a decade. In fact, Vero Beach won 11 games four years in a row from 2016 to 2019.
As the Indians get ready for the 2021 season, they will be without some important pieces from last year’s team. Quarterback Jackson Nairn graduated, as did top rusher Bobby McMillian.
Vero Beach does return one of its best wide receivers from last season in senior Ephraim Floyd. He had close to 700 yards receiving and seven touchdowns in 2020.
7. Apopka
The Blue Darters of Apopka are our No. 7 team in the Class 8A preseason rankings. Apopka finished last season with a record of 8-4 and found themselves one game away from the state championship before losing to eventual champion Seminole.
The Blue Darters are another team in Class 8A that have seen some success over the last few years. In addition to last season’s eight-win year, Apopka managed to go 12-2 in 2019, 8-4 in 2018 and 9-4 in 2017.
Heading into 2021, the Blue Darters should have another solid campaign. They will miss, however, a few standout seniors who departed via graduation. One of those guys is quarterback/safety Jaquan Lowman, who had more of an impact on the ground last season. He rushed for a little over a 1,000 yards and had 15 touchdowns.
Javen Robinson, who led Apopka in receiving last year, returns for his senior season in 2021.
We’ll see how the Blue Darters finish this season.
6. Bartram Trail
Bartram Trail put together an overall record of 10-2 in 2020. The Bears made it to the Region 1-8A final where they fell to eventual state champion Seminole.
The last few seasons have been pretty successful for Bartram Trail, as the Bears have finished with 11 wins in three out of the last four years.
Bartram Trail will have to replace a handful of seniors in 2021, including starting quarterback Santino Marucci.
But the Bears will have offensive weapon Eric Weatherly back this season to hopefully help replace some of the production lost. Weatherly had almost 400 yards rushing and four touchdowns last season.
5. Venice
Coming in at the No. 5 spot in our Class 8A Florida football preseason rankings are the Venice Indians. Venice moves up from Class 7A to 8A this season after the reclassification in March. The Indians finished 2020 with a 10-4 overall record and advanced to the Region 4-7A final before falling to eventual state champion St. Thomas Aquinas.
Venice put together quite the run in Class 7A over the last few years, finishing with four straight double-digit win seasons from 2015 to 2018. Arguably the best season in that time span came in 2018, when the Indians finished 14-1 and won the state championship.
Coming into 2021, Venice will be without starting quarterback Colin Blazek, who graduated this past spring. He had over 2,000 yards passing and close to 30 touchdowns last year.
The Indians do, however, return a solid core of offensive weapons, led by senior running back Dam’rion Escort. He had almost 600 yards on ground and 10 touchdowns last season.
Keep an eye on Venice as the season unfolds this year.
4. Miami Palmetto
The Palmetto Panthers are our No. 4 team in our Class 8A preseason rankings. Despite a shortened schedule in 2020, they managed to finish with a 5-2 record and nearly advanced to the state championship game before falling to eventual state-runner up Osceola in the semifinals.
Palmetto has been another solid team in Class 8A over the last few seasons, putting together back-to-back 10-win seasons in 2018 and 2019 as well as an eight-win season in 2017.
The Panthers should be a team to watch in Class 8A this season given the success they have had these past couple of years.
3. Miami Columbus
Coming in at No. 3 in our Class 8A preseason rankings are the Miami Columbus Explorers. Last season, Columbus finished with an undefeated 8-0 record.
While the Explorers did not participate in the FHSAA playoffs in 2020, they were still crowned champions once again. Columbus defeated Deerfield Beach in the 8A Gold Division to capture the Tri-County Championship.
Last season was just one of several successful seasons the Explorers have had, as they finished with 11 wins in 2019, 14 wins in 2018, and 10 wins in 2017.
With Columbus more than likely back in the FHSAA postseason this year, they should be one of the teams to watch again this season when playoff time rolls around.
2. Osceola
Osceola is our No. 2 team in our Class 8A preseason rankings. The Kowboys put together an impressive campaign in 2020, finishing with an overall record of 9-3. Osceola also finished state runners-up after falling to Seminole in the 8A state championship game.
The Kowboys have found themselves near the top of Class 8A these last several years, finishing with 10 wins three times in the last five years.
Heading into 2021, Osceola should be solid once again, as the Kowboys return a handful of key players from last year’s team. Perhaps one of the biggest is senior quarterback Chad Mascoe Jr., who threw for over 1,000 yards and had 12 touchdowns in 2020.
Also returning is leading rusher from a year ago senior Ja’randy Swint. He had close to 900 yards rushing and almost 10 touchdowns a year ago.
Look for Osceola to be one of the teams right there near the end in 8A come postseason.
1. Seminole
The Seminole Seminoles round out our Class 8A preseason rankings and are the No. 1 team entering 2021. Seminole finished with a 12-0 record in 2020 and captured their second state title in program history after defeating Osceola in the state championship game. The 12-win season came after an impressive 11-win season the year prior.
The Seminoles will be replacing a ton of seniors from that championship team a year ago. One of those graduated seniors is quarterback Timmy Mcclain, who passed for over 1,000 yards and had 16 touchdowns in 2020.
Seminole will be relying on one of their top returning backs in senior Donta Whack to hopefully make up for some of the lost production in 2021. He had a little over 500 yards rushing and six touchdowns on the ground a season ago.
It should be interesting to see how the Seminoles fair in 2021.
So, there you have our 2021 preseason Florida high school football rankings for Class 8A. Did any other teams deserve to make this list?
Written by: Nick Anschultz
