Vote: Who's been the Top Breakout Florida Football Team in 2023?
We have just about reached that midway point of five games for mostly every team throughout the Sunshine State. To this point, we've been able to get a good look at who's really broken out so far this 2023 campaign.
There's teams that were winning teams, but didn’t finish the way they expected to to one’s that finished right around the .500 mark last year to clubs that closed out 2022 with a couple wins and now are off to terrific starts. Dare we say these programs have raced off to a great start?
Well, we will say the teams have become breakout clubs this season compared to 2022. We've put together a list of 12 clubs that we feel are off to stellar starts and we ask you: Who is the Top Breakout Florida Football Team in 2023?
Here's the list of teams.
Holmes County (3-1): Now this is no indictment on what Kevin Womble's team did last year. It's everything they're doing this time around that's been very impressive. Victories over Chipley and Sneads this season are against two clubs the Blue Devils lost to last year.
Ponte Vedra (2-1): The Sharks are literally four points away from being an undefeated ball club. A 20-17 loss to Bartram Trail, though moral victories in a loss are not something the Sharks take pride in, impressed the rest of the state. Ponte Vedra followed it up in Week 2 with a stunning 23-22 win over Class 2S state title contender FSU High.
Sarasota Riverview (3-1): Going 5-7, but making the region final round in Class 4S last season is not underachieving, but head coach Josh Smithers would love some more W's in the win-loss column. His Rams are doing just that in impressive fashion. Wins over Cardinal Mooney, Palmetto and Southeast have been dominant and only loss is to a very good Buchholz team.
Armwood (3-0): One of the most stunning snubs from the Class 3M playoffs a year ago was the Hawks. They went 6-4, but the schedule warranted a playoff spot. Evan Davis' bunch is making sure there's no mistakes made this time around and are taking matters into their own hands. A Week 1 34-25 win on the road at Venice shocked the state. This Armwood team has a feel of the old Hawks.
Leesburg (3-1): Former UCF quarterback and first-year Leesburg head coach Steven Moffett has come onto the scene in Lake County with a Deion Sanders-like approach. The hype before the season with all the graphics and social media push has everyone buzzing at 'The Hive'. The Yellow Jackets started 3-0 before losing to a tough Vanguard team 42-29.
Golden Gate (3-1): There might be a new top dog in Collier County after last week's groundbreaking win over Naples. For the first time in 17 tries, the Titans defeated the Golden Eagles 30-19 with an all-time defensive performance. This team is one on the rise in Southwest Florida.
Bartow (4-0): How can you not like this Yellow Jackets team? Yeah, we know there's another one on this list that's pretty good, but head coach Tyler Eden has this group clicking on all cylinders. Bartow has impressive victories over Martin County and Golden Gate.
The First Academy (3-1): The Royals were pretty good a year ago, but expectations were to make the playoffs. First-year head coach Jeff Conaway has arrived in Orlando from Shiloh Christian (Arkansas) with much higher goals: Winning state championships. It's safe to say the team has broken out to a great start under his watch.
Mandarin (4-0): If Mandarin didn't arrive on the scene last season, they certainly have now. The Mustangs went 5-5 last season and won a district, but the expectation was to win more games. They've done just that with wins over Atlantic Coast, Bolles, Fletcher and Riverside.
Treasure Coast (4-0): The Titans were scrutinized for putting together one of the toughest schedules in the state last season and finishing 4-7. All that competition has paid off for Treasure Coast as they've dominated through four games, with notable wins over Jesuit and Sanford Seminole, respectively.
Clay (3-1): Things in Green Cove Springs hit rock bottom last season as the Blue Devils went 3-7. Fast forward a year and Clay has already equaled its win total and is on pace to win a few more.
Atlantic Coast (3-1): Winless last season, the Stingrays have totally turned things around this fall. Atlantic Coast scored 40 points all of last season and have already surpassed that total with 64 through four games. Not too shabby, Stingrays.
-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @sblivefl
