Preps

Heat-seekers

Ranking the teams and their fortunes.

By DAVID MURPHY
Published November 11, 2007

Final regular-season edition

1. Land O'Lakes (9-1) (even): The Gators rolled to an easy win over Wiregrass Ranch. Nine in a row to end the regular season. Now, they turn their attention to Rockledge.

2. Ridgewood (9-1) (even): The Rams already grabbed an early victory over Daytona Beach Seabreeze, getting the date and location changed. Now, can they beat the Sandcrabs on the field and perhaps get a rematch with Land O'Lakes?

3. Hudson (7-3) (even): The Cobras lost a meaningless game to Crystal River. But they might have suffered an even bigger loss in quarterback Zack Wynn.

4. Central (6-4) (up): The Bears got a huge win over Nature Coast, making it four in a row against the Sharks.

5. Nature Coast (8-2) (down): Fumbles again plagued the Sharks. They'll have to avoid any mistakes next week against North Marion.

6. Pasco (6-4) (even): The Pirates face a stiff test in Eustis. Defense wins championships. But a little offense helps.

7. Gulf (4-6) (down): A disappointing season ends on a disappointing note with a loss to East Lake.

8. Zephyrhills (5-5) (down): Three straight losses to end the season, but the Bulldogs have a lot to build on with sophomore quarterback Tyler Guy.

9. Mitchell (5-5) (up): Three straight wins to end the season helped Mustangs reach .500. Still, a frustrating season for Tate Humphrey, Scott Schmitz and Co.

10. Wesley Chapel (5-5) (up): Like Mitchell, the Wildcats were plagued by injuries but ended season on a high note.

11. Springstead (5-5) (up): We didn't think the Eagles would reach .500 this year. That's a testament to how well the team's youngsters played.

12. River Ridge (1-9) (even): It's hard to assess the Royal Knights' season. Senior quarterback Blake Spinks played well, but a tough district and weak defense plagued the team.

13. Hernando (2-8) (down): The Leopards have a lot of work to do in the offseason.

14. Wiregrass Ranch (1-9) (even): The Bulls picked up their first varsity win a week ago. That's a success in our book.

15. Sunlake (0-10) (even): Hey, the Seahawks played better than we expected in their first season. We're anxious to see what's in store for Year 2.

[Last modified November 11, 2007, 00:54:46]