AP Polls: Apopka vaults to #3 in 8A; Wekiva holds on to #9 in 7A

Once again, the city of Apopka is on a mission to re-establish itself as the hotbed of high school football in Florida. And with the Apopka Blue Darters and the Wekiva Mustangs both undefeated and ranked in state polls, their campaign is off to a great start.

The Blue Darters, fresh off of a 41-12 rout of the Ocoee Knights, moved up three spots in the Associated Press state 8A poll with a #3 ranking. Apopka, now 2-0 on the season, travels to Orlando this Friday night to face the Dr. Phillips Panthers, who have won three straight games after falling to state 8A #2 ranked Seminole High School on opening night.

Apopka defeated the Panthers 38-7 in 2018.

In the 7A poll, the Mustangs held on to their #9 ranking after blasting the East River Falcons 31-7. Wekiva, now 4-0 on the season, will travel to Ocoee to face the Knights, now 3-1 on the season, and then take on the #3 ranked (in 7A) Edgewater Eagles the following week in what may well decide the 7A District 4 title. Edgewater is also 4-0 on the season.

Both games (Apopka at Dr. Phillips, and Wekiva at Ocoee) kickoff at 7 PM this Friday night.

Here are the complete September 17th Associated Press rankings as voted on by a panel of state newspaper sportswriters. Teams are listed with first-place votes in parentheses, records, rating points and their ranking from the previous week:

Class 8A Record Pts Prv

1. South Dade (11) 4-0 110 1

2. Sanford Seminole 3-0 95 5

3. Apopka 2-0 82 6

4. Vero Beach 2-0 64 7

5. Bartram Trail 4-0 53 NR

6. Western 2-1 50 T3

7. Miami Palmetto 3-1 33 9

8. Mandarin 2-1 30 2

9. Deerfield Beach 2-2 27 8

10. Christopher Columbus Catholic 2-2 24 T3

Class 7A Record Pts Prv

1. Lakeland (5) 4-0 104 1

2. St. Thomas Aquinas (6) 2-0 96 2

3. Edgewater 4-0 88 3

4. Atlantic Community 2-0 69 4

5. Armwood 2-1 58 5

6. Venice 2-1 47 6

7. Palm Beach Lakes 3-0 37 7

7. Plantation 3-0 37 8

9. Wekiva 4-0 32 9

10. Tampa Bay Tech 4-0 16 NR