Florida high school football reclassifies for 2021

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The landscape is set for the 2021 Florida high school football season. Earlier this month, the Florida High School Athletic Association voted to only reclassify for the 2021 season, instead of the usual two-year reset.

Two defending champs are on the move. Two-time defending 6A champ Miami Central is dropping to 5A, while 3A champ Trinity Christian Academy (Jacksonville) drops to 2A. TCA finished No. 22 in last year’s High School Football America 100 national rankings powered by BlackMP Living Water, while Central finished No. 26.

Related: 2020 HSFA 100

Miami Northwestern is moving-up from 5A to 6A.

Below are the new classifications from our friends at FloridaHSFootball.com:

CLASS 8A

Region 1

DISTRICT 1
Bartram Trail (St. Johns)
Creekside (St. Johns) – up from 7A
Mandarin (Jacksonville)
Oakleaf (Orange Park)
Sandalwood (Jacksonville)

DISTRICT 2
DeLand
Flagler Palm Coast
Lake Mary
Oviedo
Seminole (Sanford)

DISTRICT 3
Apopka
Evans (Orlando)
Lake Brantley
Ocoee
West Port (Ocala)

DISTRICT 4
Colonial (Orlando)
Hagerty (Oviedo)
Timber Creek (Orlando)
University (Orlando)
Winter Park

Region 2

DISTRICT 5
Boone (Orlando)
Cypress Creek (Orlando)
Freedom (Orlando)
Lake Nona (Orlando)
Oak Ridge (Orlando)
Tohopekaliga (Kissimmee) – up from 7A

DISTRICT 6
Centennial (Port St. Lucie)
Fort Pierce Central
Treasure Coast (Port St. Lucie)
Vero Beach

DISTRICT 7
Jupiter
Palm Beach Central (Wellington)
Palm Beach Gardens
Palm Beach Lakes (West Palm Beach) – up from 7A
Royal Palm Beach – up from 7A
Wellington

DISTRICT 8
Forest Hill (West Palm Beach)
John I. Leonard (Greenacres)
Lake Worth
Park Vista (Lake Worth)
Santaluces (Lantana)

Region 3

DISTRICT 9
Celebration
Dr. Phillips (Orlando)
Olympia (Orlando)
Osceola (Kissimmee)
West Orange (Winter Garden)
Windermere

DISTRICT 10
Durant (Plant City) – up from 7A
Newsome (Lithia)
Plant (Tampa)
Plant City – up from 7A
Riverview (Riverview)

DISTRICT 11
Alonso (Tampa)
East Lake (Tarpon Springs) – up from 7A
Palm Harbor University
Steinbrenner (Lutz)

DISTRICT 12
Gulf Coast (Naples) – up from 7A
Lakewood Ranch (Bradenton) – up from 7A
Riverview (Sarasota)
Sarasota – up from 7A
Venice – up from 7A

Region 4

DISTRICT 13
Boca Raton
Coral Springs
Deerfield Beach
Douglas (Parkland)
Monarch (Coconut Creek)
West Boca Raton – up from 7A

DISTRICT 14
Coral Glades (Coral Springs)
Cypress Bay (Weston)
Flanagan (Pembroke Pines)
Taravella (Coral Springs)
Western (Davie)

DISTRICT 15
Coral Gables
Dr. Krop (Miami) – up from Independent
Miami
Miami Beach – up from 7A
West Broward (Pembroke Pines)

DISTRICT 16
Columbus (Miami)
Coral Reef (Miami)
Miami Palmetto
South Dade (Homestead)
Southwest Miami

CLASS 7A

Region 1

DISTRICT 1
Crestview
Navarre
Niceville
Pace – up from 6A
Tate (Cantonment)

DISTRICT 2
Buchholz (Gainesville)
Chiles (Tallahassee)
Forest (Ocala)
Leon (Tallahassee)

DISTRICT 3
Atlantic Coast (Jacksonville)
First Coast (Jacksonville)
Fleming Island (Orange Park)
Fletcher (Neptune Beach)
Nease (Ponte Vedra) – down from 8A
Ponte Vedra – up from 6A

Read: More from FloridaHSFootball.com on the reclassification

DISTRICT 4
Lake Howell (Winter Park)
Lyman (Longwood)
Spruce Creek (Port Orange) – down from 8A
University (Orange City) – down from 8A
Winter Springs

Region 2

DISTRICT 5
Bartow
George Jenkins (Lakeland)
Kathleen (Lakeland)
Lake Gibson (Lakeland) – up from 6A
Lakeland

DISTRICT 6
East Ridge (Clermont) – down from 8A
Edgewater (Orlando)
Ridge Community (Davenport) – down from 8A
Wekiva (Apopka)
Winter Haven

DISTRICT 7
East River (Orlando)
Harmony
Melbourne
St. Cloud
Viera (Melbourne)

DISTRICT 8
Dwyer (Palm Beach Gardens)
Fort Pierce Westwood – up from 6A
Martin County (Stuart)
Sebastian River (Sebastian) – up from 6A
Seminole Ridge (Loxahatchee)

Region 3

DISTRICT 9
Gaither (Tampa) – up from 6A
Largo – up from 6A
Leto (Tampa)
Mitchell (New Port Richey)
Sickles (Tampa)

DISTRICT 10
Armwood (Seffner)
Land O’ Lakes – up from 6A
Strawberry Crest (Dover)
Tampa Bay Tech
Wharton (Tampa) – down from 8A
Wiregrass Ranch (Wesley Chapel)

DISTRICT 11
Bloomingdale (Valrico)
East Bay (Gibsonton)
Lennard (Ruskin) – down from 8A
Manatee (Bradenton)
Palmetto – up from 6A

DISTRICT 12
Immokalee – up from 6A
Lehigh (Lehigh Acres)
North Port
Palmetto Ridge (Naples) – up from 6A
Riverdale (Fort Myers)

Region 4

DISTRICT 13
Atlantic (Delray Beach)
Blanche Ely (Pompano Beach)
Fort Lauderdale
Olympic Heights (Boca Raton)
Piper (Sunrise) – down from 8A

DISTRICT 14
Cooper City
Dillard (Fort Lauderdale) – up from 6A
Nova (Davie) – up from Independent
South Plantation
St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale)

DISTRICT 15
Everglades (Miramar)
McArthur (Hollywood)
Miramar
North Miami
South Broward (Hollywood)

DISTRICT 16
Doral Academy (Miami)
Hialeah
Homestead
Mater Academy (Hialeah Gardens)
Miami Southridge – up from 6A

CLASS 6A

Region 1

DISTRICT 1
Booker T. Washington (Pensacola)
Escambia (Pensacola)
Gulf Breeze
Milton
Pine Forest (Pensacola) – up from 5A

DISTRICT 2
Choctawhatchee (Fort Walton Beach) – up from 5A
Fort Walton Beach
Lincoln (Tallahassee) – down from 7A
Mosley (Lynn Haven)
Rickards (Tallahassee) – up from 5A

DISTRICT 3
Columbia (Lake City)
Englewood (Jacksonville)
Lee (Jacksonville)
Orange Park – up from 5A
Westside (Jacksonville) – up from 5A

DISTRICT 4
Gainesville
Matanzas (Palm Coast)
Middleburg
Ridgeview (Orange Park) – up from 5A
St. Augustine

Region 2

DISTRICT 5
Belleview – up from 5A
Lecanto
Pasco (Dade City)
Springstead (Spring Hill)
Vanguard (Ocala) – up from 5A

DISTRICT 6
Jones (Orlando) – up from 5A
Lake Minneola
Mainland (Daytona Beach)
New Smyrna Beach
South Lake (Groveland) – down from 7A

DISTRICT 7
Auburndale
Eau Gallie (Melbourne) – up from 5A
Gateway (Kissimmee)
Heritage (Palm Bay)
Lake Wales – up from 5A

DISTRICT 8
Okeechobee
Port St. Lucie
South Fork (Stuart)
Suncoast (Riviera Beach) – up from 5A

Region 3

DISTRICT 9
Countryside (Clearwater)
Fivay (Hudson)
Freedom (Tampa)
River Ridge (New Port Richey) – up from 5A
Sunlake (Land O’ Lakes) – down from 7A

DISTRICT 10
Blake (Tampa)
Hillsborough (Tampa)
Jefferson (Tampa)
Jesuit (Tampa) – up from 5A
King (Tampa)

DISTRICT 11
Boca Ciega (Gulfport)
Hollins (St. Petersburg)
Northeast (St. Petersburg
Pinellas Park (Largo) – down from 7A
Seminole (Seminole)
St. Petersburg

DISTRICT 12
Braden River (Bradenton)
Brandon
Southeast (Bradenton)
Spoto (Riverview)
Sumner (Riverview) – up from Independent

Region 4

DISTRICT 13
Cape Coral – up from 5A
Charlotte (Punta Gorda)
Dunbar (Fort Myers)
Fort Myers
Ida Baker (Cape Coral)
North Fort Myers

DISTRICT 14
Barron Collier (Naples)
East Lee County (Lehigh Acres)
Golden Gate (Naples)
Lely (Naples)
Naples
South Fort Myers

DISTRICT 15
Boyd Anderson (Lauderdale Lakes)
Coconut Creek – up from 5A
Hollywood Hills
Northeast (Oakland Park)
Plantation – down from 7A

DISTRICT 16
American (Hialeah) – down from 7A
Belen Jesuit (Miami)
Miami Norland
Miami Northwestern – up from 5A
South Miami

CLASS 5A

Region 1

DISTRICT 1
Arnold (Panama City Beach)
Godby (Tallahassee)
Pensacola
Wakulla (Crawfordville)
West Florida (Pensacola)

DISTRICT 2
Baker County (Glen St. Mary)
Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville)
Ed White (Jacksonville)
Paxon (Jacksonville)
Suwannee (Live Oak)

DISTRICT 3
Raines (Jacksonville)
Ribault (Jacksonville)
Terry Parker (Jacksonville)
Yulee

DISTRICT 4
Clay (Green Cove Springs)
Eastside (Gainesville)
Menendez (St. Augustine)
North Marion (Citra)
Palatka – up from 4A

Region 2

DISTRICT 5
Citrus (Inverness)
Crystal River
Dunnellon
Lake Weir (Ocala)
Leesburg

DISTRICT 6
Eustis
Horizon (Winter Garden) – new school
Lake Buena Vista – new school
Mount Dora
Tavares

DISTRICT 7
Atlantic (Port Orange)
Bishop Moore (Orlando)
Deltona – down from 6A
Pine Ridge (Deltona) – down from 6A
Seabreeze (Daytona Beach) – down from 6A

DISTRICT 8
Bayside (Palm Bay) – down from 6A
Merritt Island
Palm Bay (Melbourne)
Rockledge
Satellite (Satellite Beach) – up from Independent
Titusville – up from Independent

Region 3

DISTRICT 9
Cypress Creek (Wesley Chapel) – up from 4A
Hudson – up from 4A
Nature Coast (Brooksville)
Weeki Wachee
Wesley Chapel
Zephyrhills

DISTRICT 10
Anclote (Holiday)
Clearwater – down from 6A
Dunedin – up from Independent
Gibbs (St. Petersburg)
Gulf (New Port Richey)
Tarpon Springs

DISTRICT 11
Chamberlain (Tampa)
Middleton (Tampa) – down from 6A
Mulberry
Robinson (Tampa)

DISTRICT 12
Booker (Sarasota)
DeSoto County (Arcadia)
Hardee (Wauchula)
Port Charlotte – down from 6A
Sebring

Region 4

DISTRICT 13
Bonita Springs – up from 3A
Cypress Lake (Fort Myers)
Estero
Island Coast (Cape Coral) – down from 6A
LaBelle
Mariner (Cape Coral)

DISTRICT 14
American Heritage (Plantation)
Boynton Beach
Hallandale
Jensen Beach
Stranahan (Fort Lauderdale)

DISTRICT 15
Hialeah-Miami Lakes – up from Independent
Miami Central – down from 6A
Miami Springs
North Miami Beach
Somerset Academy (Pembroke Pines) – up from 4A

DISTRICT 16
Key West
Miami Jackson
Miami Killian
St. Brendan (Miami) – up from Independent

CLASS 4A

REGION 1
Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville) – up from 3A
Baldwin – up from 3A
Bay (Panama City)
Bolles (Jacksonville)
Fernandina Beach
Gadsden County (Havana)
Marianna
North Bay Haven (Panama City)
Rutherford (Panama City)
South Walton (Santa Rosa Beach)
West Nassau (Callahan)
Wolfson (Jacksonville) – up from 3A

REGION 2
Astronaut (Titusville)
Central (Brooksville) – down from 5A
Cocoa
Hernando (Brooksville) – down from 5A
Keystone Heights
Santa Fe (Alachua)
South Sumter (Bushnell)
Space Coast (Cocoa)
The Villages
Umatilla

REGION 3
American Heritage (Delray Beach)
Clewiston
Davenport – new school
Discovery (Lake Alfred) – up from Independent
Glades Central (Belle Glade)
Lakewood (St. Petersburg)
Lemon Bay (Englewood)
Parrish – up from Independent
Somerset Canyons (Boynton Beach)
Tenoroc (Lakeland)

REGION 4
Booker T. Washington (Miami)
Calvary Christian (Fort Lauderdale) – up from 4A
Cardinal Gibbons (Fort Lauderdale)
Coral Springs Charter
Gulliver Prep (Pinecrest)
Immaculata-LaSalle (Miami)
Miami Carol City
Monsignor Pace (Miami)
North Broward Prep (Coconut Creek)
NSU University School (Fort Lauderdale)
Pine Crest (Fort Lauderdale)

CLASS 3A

REGION 1
Chipley – up from 1A
Crescent City – up from 1A
Episcopal (Jacksonville)
Florida High (Tallahassee)
Interlachen
Maclay (Tallahassee) – up from 2A
P. K. Yonge (Gainesville)
Pensacola Catholic
Providence (Jacksonville) – up from SSAC
Trinity Catholic (Ocala)
Walton (DeFuniak Springs)

REGION 2
Avon Park – down from 4A
Benjamin (Palm Beach Gardens)
Cornerstone Charter (Belle Isle)
First Academy (Orlando)
Frostproof
Lake Placid – down from 4A
Lakeland Christian
Melbourne Central Catholic
Trinity Preparatory (Winter Park)
Windermere Prep – up from SSAC

REGION 3
Berkeley Prep (Tampa)
Bishop Verot (Fort Myers)
Calvary Christian (Clearwater)
Cardinal Mooney (Sarasota)
Carrollwood Day (Tampa) – up from 2A
Clearwater Central Catholic
Gateway (Fort Myers) – up from Independent
Oasis (Cape Coral)
St. Petersburg Catholic
Tampa Catholic – down from 4A

REGION 4
Cardinal Newman (West Palm Beach)
Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood)
Everglades Prep (Homestead)
Florida Christian (Miami) – up from Independent
The King’s Academy (West Palm Beach)
Miami Edison
Palmer Trinity (Palmetto Bay)
Somerset South Homestead – up from Independent
Somerset Silver Palms
St. Andrew’s (Boca Raton)
St. John Paul II (Boca Raton)
Westminster Christian (Miami)

CLASS 2A

REGION 1
Aucilla Christian (Monticello)
FAMU DRS (Tallahassee)
Munroe Day (Quincy)
North Florida Christian (Tallahassee)
North Florida Educational (Jacksonville)
Rocky Bayou Christian (Niceville)
St. Francis Catholic (Gainesville)
St. John Paul II (Tallahassee)
St. Joseph (St. Augustine)
Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) – down from 3A
University Christian (Jacksonville)

REGION 2
Bishop McLaughlin (Spring Hill) – up from SSAC
Father Lopez (Daytona Beach) – down from 3A
Foundation Academy (Winter Garden)
Halifax Academy (Daytona Beach)
Holy Trinity (Melbourne) – down from 3A
Orangewood Christian (Maitland)
Orlando Christian Prep – up from SSAC
Trinity Christian (Deltona)
Victory Christian (Lakeland)
Zephyrhills Christian

REGION 3
Bradenton Christian – up from SSAC
Cambridge (Tampa)
Community School (Naples)
Evangelical Christian (Fort Myers)
First Baptist (Naples)
Indian Rocks Christian (Largo)
Keswick Christian (St. Petersburg)
Northside Christian (St. Petersburg)
Seffner Christian
Southwest Florida Christian (Fort Myers)
St. John Neumann (Naples)

REGION 4
Archbishop Carroll (Miami) – up from Independent
Avant Garde (Hollywood) – up from Independent
Champagnat Catholic (Hialeah)
Dade Christian (Miami) – up from Independent
Glades Day (Belle Glade)
John Carroll (Fort Pierce) – down from 3A
Marathon
Miami Christian
Moore Haven
Village Academy (Delray Beach) – up from Independent
Westminster Academy (Fort Lauderdale)

CLASS 1A

REGION 1
Baker
Bozeman (Panama City)
Cottondale
Freeport
Graceville
Holmes County (Bonifay)
Jay
Northview (Bratt)
Vernon

REGION 2
Blountstown
Franklin County (Eastpoint)
Hamilton County (Jasper)
Jefferson County (Monticello)
Liberty County (Bristol)
Madison County (Madison)
Port St. Joe
Sneads
Taylor County (Perry)
Wewahitchka

REGION 3
Bell
Branford
Chiefland
Dixie County (Cross City)
Fort White
Hilliard
Lafayette (Mayo)
Trenton
Union County (Lake Butler)

REGION 4
Bradford (Starke) – down from 4A
Bronson
Fort Meade
Hawthorne
Newberry
Pahokee
Taylor (Pierson) – down from 3A
Wildwood
Williston

INDEPENDENT

A’Kelynn’s Angels (Winter Haven)
Archbishop McCarthy (Southwest Ranches) – down from 6A
Bayshore (Bradenton) – down from 5A
Bell Creek (Riverview)
Berean Christian (West Palm Beach)
Bishop Snyder (Jacksonville)
Boca Raton Christian
Braddock (Miami)
Canterbury (Fort Myers)
Cedar Creek Christian (Jacksonville)
Central Florida Christian (Orlando)
Christs Church Academy (Jacksonville)
Cocoa Beach
Coral Shores (Tavernier)
Eagle’s View (Jacksonville) – down from 2A
Faith Christian (Orlando)
Ferguson (Miami)
First Academy-Leesburg
Four Corners (Davenport)
Gateway Charter (Fort Myers)
Goleman (Miami)
Harvest Community (Jacksonville)
Hialeah Gardens
IMG Academy (Bradenton)
Jupiter Christian
Lake Highland Prep (Orlando)
Lake Mary Prep
Lake Region (Eagle Lake) – down from 5A
Legacy (Ocoee)
Liberty (Kissimmee) – down from 7A
Marco Island Academy
Miami Coral Park
Miami Country Day
Miami Sunset
Mount Dora Christian
Mourning (North Miami)
Mulberry
Oak Hall (Gainesville) – down from 2A
Ocala Christian
Osceola (Seminole)
Out-of-Door (Sarasota)
Palm Glades Prep (Miami)
Pembroke Pines Charter
Poinciana (Kissimmee) – down from 7A
Pompano Beach
Ransom Everglades (Miami)
Reagan (Doral)
Santa Fe Catholic (Lakeland)
Sarasota Christian
Seven Rivers Christian (Lecanto)
Shorecrest Prep (St. Petersburg)
Somerset Academy Key (Deerfield Beach)
Spanish River (Boca Raton) – down from 8A
St. Edward’s (Vero Beach)
St. Stephen’s (Bradenton)
Stanton (Jacksonville)
The Master’s Academy (Oviedo)
Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine)
True North (Miami)
Varela (Miami)
Westland Hialeah

NOTE: Old classification (from 2019 season) is noted if a school has changed classification or has moved up from independent or SSAC.

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About the Author

Jeff Fisher
Jeff is an award-winning journalist and expert in the field of high school sports, underscored with his appearance on CNBC in 2010 to talk about the big business of high school football in America.Jeff turned to his passion for high school football into an entrepreneurial venture called High School Football America, a digital media company focused on producing original high school sports content for radio, television and the internet.Jeff is co-founder and editor-in-chief of High School Football America, a partner with NFL Play Football.