Here’s how many Manatee County football teams would make the playoffs if they began this week
The high school football season is in its stretch run.
There are four weeks left in the regular season. The Florida High School Athletic Association announced an extension to the football season, due to multiple hurricane impacts, to Thursday, Nov. 7. The most recent storm, Hurricane Milton, postponed or canceled games scheduled for Friday, Oct. 11. The Category 3 storm caused more than $351 million in damage to unincorporated Manatee County, according to the county’s initial assessment.
With a month left, the FHSAA also released its updated power rankings, which are used for seeding and determining at-large berths into this year’s playoffs.
So how do Manatee County teams stack up?
Here’s a look at the playoff bracket, if it started today, involving county schools:
Class 6A-Region 3
(1) Wiregrass Ranch* vs. (8) Lakewood Ranch
(4) West Boca* vs. (5) Parrish Community
(3) Mitchell vs. (6) Lennard
(2) Palmetto* vs. (7) Largo*
Class 5A-Region 3
(1) Manatee* vs. (8) Immokalee*
(4) North Fort Myers vs. (5) Cape Coral*
(3) Fort Myers vs. (6) Charlotte
(2) Riverdale* vs. (7) Pinellas Park
Note: Asterisk indicates district champion slots based on current standings
State ranks
Manatee is ranked 14th among all teams in the state with a power rating of 18.553. The Hurricanes are 5-1 and lead the Class 5A-District 9 standings. They can clinch a district title against Braden River on Oct. 25. Palmetto is undefeated with a 6-0 record and is tied for first place in the 6A-11 standings with Ruskin Lennard. The Tigers are No. 30 in the state with a 16.686 power rating.
