PALM BEACH COUNTY – One collective’s loss is another one’s gain this week.
Three of our Top 10 teams lost their Week 4 games, but only one of them lost to a team that is not perceived to be fully established right now.
When then-No. 8 Jupiter (3-1) dropped a 18-13 decision on Friday night (Sept. 13) to Jensen Beach (3-0), it was an easy call for us.
Jupiter would stay in the Top 10 by virtue of continuing to win. But Jupiter would be out if it loses.
The Warriors drop out of our Top 10 is probably just going to be for a week. With a home game against Suncoast (2-1) in Week 5, we do see them winning big and possibly making a return to the top tier next week.
Guess which team makes it back to the Top 10 now?
It was between Palm Beach Central (3-1) and Park Vista (3-1), two teams that happen to play each other in Week 5. Riding their respective three-game winning streaks, we decided to go with the Broncos due to their strength of record advantage over the Cobras.
The only loss for Palm Beach Central was to No. 1 Atlantic (2-0) in Week 1. It was a 27-point blowout loss to Palm Beach County’s only state powerhouse (40–13), but it wasn’t as bad as the loss that then-No. 6 Glades Central (2-2) suffered in Week 4 (49-3 defeat on a running clock in the second half).
With Palm Beach Central winning the Wellington Cup in a 30-7 triumph over winless Wellington (0-4) in Week 4, it’s a good time to bring this rising team back to the upper tier.
Here’s our entire updated Top 10 list for this week.
TOP 10: WEEK 4
1. Delray Beach Atlantic (7A; 2-0) [LW: 1]
2. Benjamin (3A; 3-0) [LW: 2]
3. Palm Beach Lakes (7A; 3-0) [LW: 3]
4. Cardinal Newman (3A; 2-0) [LW: 4]
5. Palm Beach Gardens (8A; 3-0) [LW: 5]
6. Delray Beach American Heritage (4A; 2-1) [LW: 7]
7. Palm Beach Central (8A; 3-1) [LW: NR]
8. Glades Central (4A; 2-2) [LW: 6]
9. Forest Hill (8A; 3-1) [LW: 9]
10. Pahokee (1A; 1-2) [LW: 10]
Dropped from rankings: Former No. 8 Jupiter (8A; 3-1)
Teams on the outside looking in: Jupiter (8A; 3-1), King’s Academy (3A; 3-1), Lake Worth (8A; 1-1), Park Vista (8A; 3-1), Royal Palm Beach (7A; 2-1)
FURTHER EXPLANATION OF LATEST TOP 10
Aside from Palm Beach Central’s placement in the Top 10, there isn’t too much movement going on here.
The Broncos, at No. 7, are one spot ahead of Glades Central, a team that dropped two spots amid a two-game losing streak to top three teams in No. 3 Palm Beach Lakes (3-0) last Monday (Sept. 9; 44-13 home loss) and No. 1 Atlantic.
The only other move was made by idle Delray Beach American Heritage (2-1; Week 4 bye), which moved up one spot from No. 7 to No. 6.
Forest Hill (3-1) stayed at No. 9 despite its 23-7 loss in Week 4 to No. 5 Palm Beach Gardens (3-0), while Pahokee (1-2) barely clung on to the No. 10 spot after needing a late comeback effort to take down Dwyer (1-2) this past Saturday night (Sept. 14; 20-16 home win for Pahokee).
All of the top five teams will be stationary this week as non-movers.
With that said, here’s the schedule this week for our Top 10 teams.
WEEK 5 SLATE: TOP 10
No. 1 Atlantic (2-0): Hosts state powerhouse Chaminade (3A; 3-1) -Friday, Sept. 20, 6:30 p.m. kickoff
No. 2 Benjamin (3-0): Goes on road to play John Carroll Catholic (2-2) -Friday, Sept. 20, 7 p.m. kickoff
No. 3 Palm Beach Lakes (3-0): Hosts No. 10 Pahokee (1-2) -Thursday, Sept. 19, 6:30 p.m. kickoff
No. 4 Cardinal Newman (2-0): Goes on road to play Santaluces (1-1) -Friday, Sept. 20, 6:30 p.m. kickoff
No. 5 Palm Beach Gardens (3-0): Goes on road to play No. 8 Glades Central (2-2) – Friday, Sept. 20, 6:30 p.m. kickoff
No. 6 American Heritage (2-1): Hosts state powerhouse Cardinal Gibbons (4A; 3-1) – Friday, Sept. 20, 7 p.m. kickoff
No. 7 Palm Beach Central (3-1): Goes on road to play Park Vista (3-1) – Friday, Sept. 20, 6:30 p.m. kickoff
No. 8 Glades Central (2-2): Hosts No. 5 Palm Beach Gardens (3-0) – Friday, Sept. 20, 6:30 p.m. kickoff
No. 9 Forest Hill (3-1): BYE
No. 10 Pahokee (1-2): Goes on road to play No. 3 Palm Beach Lakes (3-0) – Thursday, Sept. 19, 6:30 p.m. kickoff
OTHER KEY WEEK 5 MATCHUPS
Jupiter (3-1): Hosts Suncoast (2-1) – Friday, Sept. 20, 6:30 p.m. kickoff
King’s Academy (3-1): Hosts state powerhouse Gulliver Prep (4A; 4-0) – Friday, Sept. 20, 7 p.m. kickoff
Lake Worth (1-1): Goes on road to play Seminole Ridge (1-1) – Friday, Sept. 20, 7 p.m. kickoff
Park Vista (3-1): Hosts No. 7 Palm Beach Central (3–1) – Friday, Sept. 20, 6:30 p.m. kickoff
Royal Palm Beach (2-1): Hosts Port St. Lucie (1-2) – Friday, Sept. 20, 6:30 p.m. kickoff
NEXT TEAM RANKINGS RELEASE: Monday, Sept. 23
PHOTO CREDITS: Jake Elman, Keith Forde, Ronaldo Garcia, and Gene Nardi
