Tuesday, 21 August 2012 14:31
Written by Ken Garner
Florida High School Football’s first Class 6A state poll includes four teams on Navarre High School’s schedule, two in its district.
The Pace Patriots, who finished 10-3 in 2011, received 29 points to rank 10th in the preseason ballot. Pace, a District 1-6A powerhouse, hosts Navarre Sept. 14.
No. 11 Niceville won just six games in 2011 but pollsters awarded the Eagles 23 points, 11th best in the state. Niceville visits Navarre Sept. 21 in a District 2-6A clash.
Pensacola (six votes) and Crestview (one vote) also received consideration. The defending District 1-6A champion Tigers host Navarre on Sept. 7 and the Raiders host their district rival Bulldogs Oct. 19.
Miami Central and Seffner Armwood, both of which were forced to forfeit all of their 2011 wins for violating Florida High School Athletics Associations rules, received 106 and 98 points, respectively. Central received seven of the nine first-place votes and Armwood received the leftovers.
The FHSAA ruled that both teams – which met in the Class 6A title game – used ineligible players in 2011 and that 2010 state runner-up Armwood used ineligible players in 2010. Central forfeited 14 wins and Armwood lost 15 victories from 2011 and 14 from 2010.
Below is the first Florida High School Football Class 6A poll:
Rank Team 2011 Record Points Previous
1 Miami Central (7) 0-14* 106 ---
2 Seffner Armwood (2) 0-15* 98 ---
3 Gainesville 11-2** 65 ---
T4 Daytona Beach Mainland 12-2 54 ---
T4 Lake City Columbia 8-4 54 ---
T6 Miami Northwestern 8-2** 36 ---
T6 St. Johns Bartram Trail 13-1** 36 ---
8 Naples 10-3 34 ---
9 Winter Haven 11-1 30 ---
10 Pace 10-3 29 ---
11 Niceville 6-5 23 ---
T12 Lakeland Lake Gibson 9-3 20 ---
T12 Tampa Sickles 8-2** 20 ---
* Forfeited entire 2011 season
** Includes victories from forfeits
Other Teams Receiving Votes:
Tampa Hillsborough (19), Largo (16), St. Augustine (15), Miami Belen Jesuit (11), South Fort Myers (8), Brooksville Hernando (6), Pensacola (6), Naples Barron Collier (5), Land O'Lakes Sunlake (3), Orange Park Ridgeview (3), Cape Coral Island Coast (2), Fort Myers (2), Crestview (1).