As we have reached Week 8, things are starting to take shape in district play, and the post season is getting clearer.
With so many top programs playing each other, the Top 20 list is perhaps the most valid it has ever been – with more head-to-head games than ever before.
If you follow what we do over the course of a season, each week we adjust the rankings, and while many want to see their teams in the spotlight, the only ranking that truly counts is the one that comes out in late December.
Keep in mind that while many schools may be unbeaten or have one loss doesn’t mean that they necessarily should be ahead of schools who have schedules that are head and shoulders above everyone in the state.
Here is a look at 20 Miami-Dade Broward Week 8 teams:
1 Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas (6-1, 5A). LAST WEEK: The Raiders poured it on early and beat Hollywood Hills, 64-0. THIS WEEK: @No. 3 Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna (FIU). NEXT GAME: 10/18 – No. 15 Coconut Creek Monarch.
2. Miami Central (4-1, 3A). LAST WEEK: The Rockets won a competitive 24-21 win against rival No. 9 Miami Northwestern. THIS WEEK: 10/10 – Fort Lauderdale Stranahan. NEXT GAME: 10/18 – It’s GMAC Week and a contest against No. 4 Miami Norland.
3. Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna (5-2, 1A). LAST WEEK: The Lions rolled to a 37-8 win at No. 15 Coconut Creek Monarch. THIS WEEK: 10/11 – A home game at FIU against No. 1 Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas. It is the first time the two teams have played since 1981. NEXT GAME: 10/18 – Hollywood Avant Garde Academy.
4. Miami Norland (5-1, 4A). LAST WEEK: The Vikings stunned Cocoa, 33-14. THIS WEEK: 10/12 – No. 5 Plantation American Heritage in a key district game. NEXT GAME: 10/18 - It’s GMAC Week and date with No. 2 Miami Central.
5. Plantation American Heritage (3-3, 4A). LAST WEEK: The Patriots had the week off. THIS WEEK: 10/12 - @ No. 4 Miami Norland. NEXT GAME: 10/18 – No. 20 Southwest Ranches Archbishop McCarthy.
6. Southridge (6-1, 6A). LAST WEEK: The Spartans kept it going with a 40-8 win against Miami Edison. THIS WEEK: 10/10 – Miami Southwest. NEXT GAME: It’s GMAC Week with a contest against No. 18 Miami Booker T. Washington.
7. Miami Christopher Columbus (4-2, 7A). LAST WEEK: The Explorers blasted Miami High, 52-6. THIS WEEK: 10/10 – Coral Gables. NEXT GAME: 10/17 - It’s GMAC Week with a game against No. 9 Miami Northwestern.
8. Sunrise Piper (6-0, 6A). LAST WEEK: It wasn’t pretty, but the Bengals remained unbeaten with a 34-12 win against Lauderdale Lakes Boyd Anderson. THIS WEEK: 10/10 – Fort Lauderdale. NEXT GAME: 10/18 – Plantation.
9. Miami Northwestern (3-3, 3A). LAST WEEK: The Bulls dropped a tough 24-21 decision to No. 2 Miami Central. THIS WEEK: 10/11 @Key West. NEXT GAME: It’s GMAC Week and that means a matchup with No. 7 Miami Christopher Coumbus.
10. Fort Lauderdale Dillard (4-1, 4A). LAST WEEK: The Panthers took the week off. THIS WEEK: 10/10 - Lake Worth Dr. Joaquin Garcia. NEXT GAME: 10/19 – It’s the Broward Soul Bowl against No. 13 Pompano Beach Blanche Ely.
11. Miami Palmetto (4-2, 7A). LAST WEEK: The Panthers beat Homestead South Dade, 34-6. THIS WEEK: 10/11. This will be an off week. NEXT GAME: 10/17 – It’s GMAC Week and the Red Raiders of Miami Edison will be the opponent.
12. Pembroke Pines West Broward (4-2, 6A). LAST WEEK: The Bobcats had the week off. THIS WEEK: 10/11 - @Miami Beach. NEXT GAME: 10/18 - @Naples Gulf Coast.
13. Pompano Beach Blanche Ely (5-2, 5A). LAST WEEK: The Tigers are back on track as they beat No. 16 Plantation, 18-16. THIS WEEK: The team will be off. NEXT GAME: 10/19 – The Broward Soul Bowl against No. 10 Fort Lauderdale Dillard.
14. Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons (4-2, 2A). LAST WEEK: The Chiefs took care of Hallandale, 28-6. THIS WEEK: 10/10 – Deerfield Beach. NEXT GAME: 10/18 – Boca Raton.
15. Coconut Creek Monarch (4-2, 6A). LAST WEEK: The Knights dropped a home game to No. 3 Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna, 37-8. THIS WEEK: They will take the week off. NEXT GAME: 10/18 - @ No.1 Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas.
16. Plantation (4-2, 4A). LAST WEEK: The Colonels lost for the second straight week, 18-16, to No. 13 Pompano Beach Blanche Ely. THIS WEEK: 10/10 – No. 20 Southwest Ranches Archbishop McCarthy. NEXT GAME: 10/18 - @No. 8 Sunrise Piper.
17. Homestead (2-3, 6A). LAST WEEK: The two-time defending state runner up Broncos fell below the .500 mark with a 17-14 loss to district foe No. 7 Miami Southridge. THIS WEEK: 10/10 – No. 16 Miami Booker T. Washington. NEXT GAME: GMAC Week against Miami Carol City.
18. Miami Booker T. Washington (3-2, 2A). LAST WEEK: The Tornadoes rebounded from their loss to Lakeland with a 62-7 win against Miami Springs. THIS WEEK: 10/10 - @ No. 18 Homestead. NEXT GAME: 10/18 – GMAC Week against No. 6 Miami Southridge.
19. Miami Gardens Monsignor Pace (4-2, 1A). LAST WEEK: The Spartans came from behind in a 36-28 win against Fort Lauderdale Calvary Christian. THIS WEEK: 10/11 – Westland Hialeah. NEXT GAME: 10/25 – North Miami Beach.
20. Southwest Ranches Archbishop McCarthy (4-1, 4A). LAST WEEK: The Mavericks lost for the first time in a year in a half to No. 4 Miami Norland, 49-16. THIS WEEK: The team will take off after a successful start. NEXT GAME: 10/10 @ No. 11 Plantation.
KEEP AN EYE ON: Coconut Creek (1-3, 5A), Coral Gables (2-1, 7A), Davie Western (2-4, 7A), Deerfield Beach (1-4, 5A), Fort Lauderdale Calvary Christian (5-2, 2A), Fort Lauderdale Stranahan (1-3, 3A), Doral Academy (2-2, 6A), Fort Lauderdale Westminster Academy (3-2, Independent), Hialeah (4-2, 4A), Hollywood South Broward (1-4, 6A), Homestead South Dade (2-3, 7A), Miami Archbishop Carroll (5-1, 1A), Miami Carol City (1-4, 2A), Miami High (3-2, 7A), Miami Edison (2-2, 1A), Miami Immaculata LaSalle (3-1, 2A), Miami Jackson (2-3, 3A), Miami Lakes Barbara Goleman (4-2, 7A), Miami Ransom Everglades (3-0, 2A), Miami Springs (3-2, 2A), Miami True North Classical Academy (3-2, 1A), Miramar (1-3, 5A), North Miami (3-3, 5A), North Miami Beach (2-3, 2A), Pembroke Pines Charter (3-1, 5A), Pembroke Pines Flanagan (2-3, 6A), Weston Cypress Bay (2-3, 7A).
WEEKLY RANKINGS
PRE-SEASON. https://larryblustein.com/news/miami-dade-broward-pre-season-top-20-st-thomas-begins-at-no-1
Week 2. https://larryblustein.com/news/miami-dade-broward-week-2-top-20-st-thomas-remains-on-top
Week 3. https://larryblustein.com/news/miami-dade-broward-week-3-top-20-surprises-shake-things-up
WEEK 4. https://larryblustein.com/news/week-4-things-are-getting-very-interesting
WEEK 5. https://larryblustein.com/news/week-5-local-rankings-change-from-week-to-week
WEEK 6. https://larryblustein.com/news/week-6-district-play-has-started-in-miami-dade-broward
WEEK 7. https://larryblustein.com/news/week-7-st-thomas-aquinas-miami-central-hollywood-chaminade-madonna-remain-at-the-top
MIAMI-DADE/BROWARD INFORMATION YEAR-ROUND. https://larryblustein.com/
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