As the weather cools the race for high school football district championships heats up tonight.
Several top Orlando area teams in three-team districts, including area No. 1 Edgewater and Kissimmee Osceola, can wrap up district titles and the automatic playoff berths that come with that status.
For others, including No. 2 Jones, victories tonight will also, for all intents and purposes, ensure league titles even with a district game or two still on the schedule.
We’ll be posting live updates right here once games kick off. Check back often.
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Games listed are scheduled for 7 p.m. kickoffs unless noted otherwise. Rankings in bold are from this week’s Sentinel Super 16 coaches poll.
No. 2 Jones (4-2, 1-0) at Lake Wales (6-1, 1-1)
Coverage by Bill Kemp
PRE-GAME NOTES:
MaxPreps ranks Jones No. 6 , Lake Wales No. 10 in 4A.
The Tigers topped Lake Wales 31-19 to take the 4A District 7 title last year on the way to a state runner-up finish.
No. 15 Winter Park (3-3) at No. 4 Boone (6-0)
Coverage by Jean Racine
PRE-GAME NOTES:
For first place in 7A District 4 standings.
Can Boone break the streak? Wildcats beat Braves 35-28 for the title last season and have won seven in a row against Boone since 2016.
No. 5 Dr. Phillips (5-1, 1-0) at East Ridge (6-0, 1-0)
Coverage by Chris Hays
PRE-GAME NOTES:
For first place in 7A District 9 standings.
DP rolled over East Ridge 47-0 last season in Orlando and reached the 7A final four.
The Knights, aiming for their first playoff berth in nine years, are a different team this season.
No. 12 Seminole (3-3, 1-0) at No. 10 Lake Mary (4-2, 1-0)
Coverage by Chris Martucci
PRE-GAME NOTES:
For first place in 7A District 3 standings.
Seminoles, 2008 and 2020 state champs, have made the playoffs six years in a row and eight times in the past nine years.
The Rams beat Seminole 29-14 in Sanford last year to claim their first district title since 2014. They went on to reach a region final for the first time and finish as the 7A state runner-up.
Since these backyard rivals were placed in the same district in 2021 their matchups decided district titles. The ‘Noles are 4-3 against the Rams in that span — which saw the teams meet in playoff rematches in 2021, 2022 and 2024.
Viera (4-2, 0-0) at No. 9 Kissimmee Osceola (4-2, 1-0)
Coverage by Ken Jackson
PRE-GAME NOTES:
Osceola can wrap up the title in three-team 6A District 5. The Kowboys are 55-1 in district play over 15 seasons (2011-25).
Kowboys thrashed Viera 49-9 last season.
Other Super 16 games
No. 1 Edgewater (7-0, 1-0) at Winter Springs (5-2, 0-0)
Eagles are heavy favorites to clinch 5A District 5 title. That would make five in a row.
No. 3 Bishop Moore (6-0, 1-0) at Eustis (1-6, 0-1)
Hornets complete district title bid with road trips to Eustis and Tavares (4-2, 2-0).
Flagler Palm Coast (2-4) at No. 7 DeLand (6-0)
Battle of the Bulldogs. FPC outscored DeLand 62-57 in a track meet last season.
Wekiva (1-5, 0-1) at No. 8 Evans (5-1, 1-0)
The Trojans look to set up a district title game Oct. 24 at Oviedo.
West Port (1-6, 0-2) at No. 11 West Orange (5-1, 1-0)
A Warriors win sets up Oct. 24 7A District 5 title game at Ocoee (5-2, 2-0), which is idle this week.
Hagerty (3-3, 0-1) at No. 14 Lake Brantley (5-1, 0-1)
They’re 2-2 against each other since 2017, with Hagerty winning a year ago.
Lake Howell (5-2, 0-1) at No. 16 Oviedo (4-2, 1-0)
The Lions are 19-0 against Lake Howell since 2005.
Week 8 Football Preview: East Ridge faces defining moment against Dr. Phillips
Varsity content editor Buddy Collings can be contacted by email at bcollings@orlandosentinel.com.
