As we move closer to the end of the high school football regular season, the playoff picture is starting to get a little bit more clear, especially with several teams clinching district championships this past Friday.

From the Orlando area, Edgewater (8-0), Jones (5-2), Dr. Phillips (6-1), Osceola (5-2), Boone (7-0), Lake Mary (5-2) and South Lake (6-1) have all essentially clinched district titles and state playoff berths. District champs earn first-round home games unless they are paired against another district winner that is higher in the FHSAA power rankings.

The fourth week of rankings came out Tuesday. The 16 district champs in each class are automatic qualifiers. The remaining 16 highest-ranked teams in the power rankings will fill out the rest of the bracket.

In Class 7A, Boone (7-0) is the highest ranked Orlando team with a district title clinched. The Braves are No. 4 in the class. Lake Mary (5-2) is No. 5, and Dr. Phillips (6-1) is No. 12.

The highest-ranked area team is DeLand (7-0), No. 3 in 7A. The Bulldogs still face their district championship game Nov. 4, at Spruce Creek (7-0), which is ranked No. 2. The other unsettled 7A districts will be determined Friday, when No. 31 Tohopekaliga (4-3) travels to No. 19 St. Cloud (5-2) for the District 10 title; and on Oct. 24, when No. 17 Ocoee (5-2) hosts No. 9 West Orange (6-1) in District 5.

Week 8 Football Rewind: Hagerty shocks Brantley; Lake Mary tops rival Seminole; DP wins

All of those teams, with the exception of Toho, are in the top 20 of the 7A state rankings, including No. 14 Hagerty. The Huskies, after their upset of Lake Brantley on Friday, are in great position to earn an at-large selection, but the they do have a game left against No. 26 Seminole (3-4).

East Ridge (6-1) also looks good in the playoff picture with its No. 16 ranking, but the Knights face a tough South Lake team on Friday. Brantley is No. 18 and has a game remaining against Lake Mary. No. 21 Winter Park is likely to squeeze in, as is Seminole.

Essentially, the top eight teams in each region make the playoffs, unless lower-ranked teams win district titles.

The current rankings have 11 Orlando-area 7A teams as likely playoff entrants, with bubble teams being Seminole, Lake Nona and Toho.

The state’s final four pairing are not determined until a reseeding after three rounds of region play.

The best opportunity for Orlando-area representation at the state championships in Miami in December rests in Class 7A. With the way the current power rankings are set up, Orlando teams will have to beat up on each other to get to Pitbull Stadium, on the campus of FIU.

Four of the top five teams in 7A are in Region 1: Spruce Creek, DeLand, Boone and Lake Mary. In Region 2, West Orange has No. 6 Sarasota Riverview and No. 7 Riverview Sumner ahead of it, with No. 9 Venice right behind the Warriors. Dr. Phillips has the state’s No. 1 team in Vero Beach sitting ahead of it in Region 3. DP eliminated Vero last year.

South Lake defensive tackle Jesse Barker Jr. has helped lead the Eagles to a 6-1 record and a No. 8 ranking in the Class 6A power ratings. (Chris Hays/Orlando Sentinel)South Lake defensive tackle Jesse Barker Jr. has helped lead the Eagles to a 6-1 record and a No. 8 ranking in the Class 6A power ratings. (Chris Hays/Orlando Sentinel)

South Lake, the 6A District 6 champ, sits No. 8 in the state rankings. District 5 champion Osceola is No. 14. District 4 will be decided Oct. 24 when No. 11 Evans (6-1) travels to No. 18 Oviedo (5-2). Lake Howell (5-3) is sitting on the bubble at No. 29 and the Silverhawks face rival Winter Springs in what could be an important regular-season finale Oct. 30.

South Lake has No. 2 Seffner Armwood (7-0) sitting ahead of the Eagles in Region 2.

In 5A, Edgewater (8-0) is No. 4, with no other local team close. Winter Springs (5-2), a 47-0 loser to Edgewater last week, sits on the playoff bubble at No. 29.

Edgewater’s path to the state title game looks quite difficult. Region 2 has four of the top five teams in 5A, including No. 1 Lakeland (6-1)and two Tampa teams, Gaither and Tampa Bay Tech. Lakeland is No. 51 in the MaxPreps national rankings. Edgewater is outside that Top 250.

Jones is No. 3 in 4A, with No. 6 Ocala Vanguard (6-1) once again being the toughest Region 2 competition. At this point, Jones is projected to host a seminal vs. Region 3 favorite Tampa Jesuit (6-1), which sits at No. 4.

In 3A, No. 3 Bishop Moore is the favorite in Region 2 ahead of Eau Gallie (5-2), which eliminated the Hornets in 2024. Beyond Region 2, is potential Region 3 champion Jacksonville Raines (6-0), ranked No. 2.

In 1A, Orlando Christian Prep (5-2) is ranked No. 14 and will have a tough road in Region 2, with the No. 1 team Tampa Carrollwood Day (6-0) and No. 4 Clearwater Central Catholic (7-1) in the same region.

Chris Hays can be found on X.com @OS_ChrisHays.

Originally Published: October 14, 2025 at 3:04 PM EDT