2018 High School Boys Polls

After Districts

Jesuit (16-2) – The Tigers finally prevail in District 16 one of the toughest districts in the State with 9-5 win over rival Plant. They look to be hitting their stride just at the right time. The Tigers will travel to play up and comers Sickles (District 15 Champions) at Gaither HS on Friday, April 27th at 7 p.m. It will be a Sickles home game, but due to field conditions it has been moved to Gaither.
Cardinal Mooney (18-1) – The Cougars cruised through District 17 with a 18-2 win over St. Stephen’s in the semi-finals, then followed up with a 17-7 victory over Riverview in the finals. The Cougars look like they will go on a deep run this year. They will host Canterbury School (16-3) on Friday, April 27th at 7 p.m. for first round of regional play.
Plant (15-4) – Another good season for the Panthers. In district playoff games, it is about who is hot at the time. They had just beat Jesuit a couple weeks prior – on the road – but it seemed to be Jesuit’s turn this time.
Sickles (17-2) – The Gryphons are having a record season. They earned the school’s first District 15 title with 9-6 win over a tough Wiregrass team. They will face #1 Jesuit in the first round of regionals on Friday, April 27th t 7 p.m. It should be an exciting game.
Newsome (15-2) – Newsome captured it’s 5th straight District 14 title with an 18-6 victory over a tough Bloomingdale team. The Wolves will travel to All Saints Academy (13-1) on Friday, April 27th at 7 p.m. in a first round regional game. We expect them to advance.
Riverview (12-6) The Rams are runners up this season in District 17 after losing to #2 Cardinal Mooney 17-7. Great young team. We will be hearing from them next season.
Wiregrass (15-2) – Fantastic season for the Bulls getting past long time fixture Steinbrenner in district semis, but losing tight game to Sickles in the final. Congratulations on a great season!
Out-of-Door (9-6) – Good season for the Thunder. They had a close 8-6 loss to Riverview in District 17 semi finals and surprised a lot of people.
Steinbrenner (9-9) – The Warriors had one of the toughest schedules in the Tampa area and suffered a tough loss to Wiregrass in the district semis. We always look for these guys to reload and compete for a district title every season.
Berkeley Prep (5-14) – Coupled with playing the toughest district in Tampa – and one of Florida’s toughest, Berkeley was also hit with the injury bug this season. They played an extremely difficult out of district schedule. The close district semi-final 9-7 loss to #3 Plant was a glimpse of what is to come next season. Currently led by freshmen and sophomores, we expect to see them some making waves in District 16 next season.

End of Regular Season

TLR Poll

All regular season games have been completed, but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t drama. We have movement on the boys side with a couple serious games in the final week.

Plant (14-3) – Plant has been #2 and ahead of Jesuit for the last few weeks – following Plant’s win on the road against Jesuit. With Mooney’s loss to Jesuit, Mooney dropped and Plant moved into their spot. Plant finishes as the top seed in District 16.
Jesuit (14-2) – The Tigers took down Cardinal Mooney at home. Huge win for Jesuit. While the win was big, it wasn’t enough to jump over Plant due to Plant’s win just a couple weeks ago on the road against Jesuit.
Cardinal Mooney (16-1) – TLR had an extremely difficult time dropping Mooney to 3, regardless of the loss. It was a single road loss and they ended up being moved from 1 to 3. Regardless of where we placed these 3 teams, they are all strong and can win any day.
Sickles (15-2) – Very nice win over Newsome to finish out regular season. They head into districts as the 1 seed and favored to take the district title.
Newsome (13-2) – Dropped a tight game to Sickles to end the regular season. Regardless, they are the 1 seed in their district and should take the win in District 14.
Riverview (11-5) – Had to come from behind to beat Berkeley, but still got the win. The Rams are the 2 seed in District 17.
Wiregrass (12-2) – Wiregrass finishes with an oustanding 2 seed in their first season of district play. This is an amazing accomplishment for this program.
Steinbrenner (9-8) – TLR anticipated some falloff for the Warriors this season. They take the 3 seed in District 15 and have a great game in the semi-finals against Wiregrass. One to watch.
Out-of-Door (9-5) – ODA vs Riverview in the District 17 semi-finals looks to be a must watch in Sarasota. Great season for The Thunder.
Tampa Catholic (8-6) – Hurt by injuries, TC has fallen off their pace late in the season, but still secured the 3 seed in District 16.

Readers’ Poll

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Week 7

TLR Poll

No movement this week. These teams pretty much all took care of things in Week 7. One more week of games until district playoffs begin!

Cardinal Mooney (15-0) – If it’s possible, Mooney looks like they are getting better. Wins over St. Thomas Aquinas and Lake Highland Prep last week. They continue to impress everyone. They visit Jesuit April 11 in our Game of the Week.
Plant (13-3) – Took down Belen Jesuit last week. They are on cruise control until the district finals, more than likely.
Jesuit (12-2) – The Tigers added two more wins last week. Their week 8 game against Cardinal Mooney is our Game of the Week and should not be missed.
Sickles (13-2)- No games last week. The Gryphons travel to Newsome on April 10. That should be a great matchup for both teams.
Newsome (12-1) – The Wolves edged ODA in overtime in week 7. A very close, defensive game. The Sickles game on the 10th is one to watch.
Riverview (9-5) – Three wins in week 7. Probably three in week 8. The Rams are a very good team.
Wiregrass (10-2) – No speed bumps before district playoffs for Wiregrass. Another team looking complete this season.
Steinbrenner (9-7) – The Warriors next big game is April 13 against Jesuit. That’s a tall order for Steinbrenner, so a win would be huge.
Out-of-Door (9-5) – Overtime loss to Newsome in week 7 could’ve gone either way. ODA is outplaying their record this year.
Tampa Catholic (8-5) – No games in week 7 due to spring break. Week 8 is a tough one as TC faces both ODA and Riverview to end their season.

Readers’ Poll

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Week 6

TLR Poll

If you weren’t able to make it to Jesuit for their game against Plant last week, you missed two of the better teams in the area going head-to-head in our Game of the Week. A big crowd was on hand and the field was filled with some of the best players in Tampa. We’ll likely see the same two teams in another battle for the District 16 championship in April.

Cardinal Mooney (13-0) – Next week is brutal for the Cougars – St. Thomas Aquinas followed by Lake Highland Prep. No schedule in the area is as tough. Period.
Plant (11-3) – Road win against Jesuit in our GOTW moves them into the #2 spot. Berkeley and Belen Jesuit on the schedule for next week.
Jesuit (10-2) – The loss to Plant drops them one spot. Illinois team St. Ignatius Prep and Miami’s Belen Jesuit visit next week. Both should be great games to watch.
Sickles (13-2)- The Gryphons continue to impress and win. A tough matchup against Admiral Farragut in Week 7 should be a test for Sickles.
Newsome (10-1) – The Mitchell game last week was closer than many expected, but still a win for the Wolves. ODA game in Week 7 may be a real battle.
Riverview (6-5) – Nice win against Shipley School at UT last week. Nothing major on the schedule in Week 7. They’ll likely be right here next week.
Wiregrass (9-2) – The win against Steinbrenner last week moves Wiregrass into the 2 seed for the district. No big games in Week 7, though.
Steinbrenner (7-7) – Losses against George Marshall (VA) and Wiregrass hurt the Warriors last week.
Out-of-Door (7-4) – The loss to Mooney last week wasn’t a surprise. The game against Newsome will be one to watch next week. A win for either team will look real good.
Tampa Catholic (8-5) – Two wins last week keep them in the Top 10. Off next week due to Spring Break.

Readers’ Poll

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Week 5

TLR Poll

We hinted that Cardinal Mooney may be heading above Jesuit during last week’s poll. And as we’ve said before, the top 2-3 are clearly better teams and are proving it. Teams 4-8 or so are clumped together a bit. Any one of them can have a good day and beat anyone else in that group and it wouldn’t be a big surprise.

Cardinal Mooney (12-0) – Two more wins in Week 5, and the Cougars continue to look extremely good. They take our No. 1 spot this week.
Jesuit (10-1) – Jesuit’s loss to Florida powerhouse Bishop Moore drops them, but only one spot. We think they are still better than everyone other than Mooney. Plant visits on the 28th.
Plant (8-3) – Loss to Colorado state champ Valor Christian wasn’t a surprise. The goal differential against Steinbrenner might have been. Plant visits Jesuit on the 28th. #3 vs #2!
Sickles (9-2)- 3 wins in week 5, but suffered a single goal loss to Riverview. The Rams are a quality opponent for sure. Virginia’s George Marshall plays Sickles on the 29th. Strength of schedule is keeping them high – for now.
Newsome (7-1) – Out of conference games against teams like Alonso, Jefferson, and Wesley Chapel (combined 2-20 record) aren’t impressive. They looked good against Steinbrenner. We’d love to see them play more teams like that.
Riverview (5-5) – Lost to Cardinal Mooney last week, but beat a good Sickles team. Again, we think they are better than their record shows. Shipley School visits from Pennsylvania next week.
Steinbrenner (6-5) – Losses last week to #4 Sickles and #3 Plant. George Marshall (VA) and Wiregrass next week may hurt the Warriors if they can’t get wins, but their tough schedule earns them kudos.
Wiregrass (7-2) – No games last week due to Spring Break. Could be a big game against Steinbrenner on the 27th. A win there would be very big for them.
Out-of-Door (7-3) – Lost to Canterbury last week and visits Cardinal Mooney on the 27th. May be back-to-back losses for the Thunder if they aren’t on the top of their game.
Tampa Catholic (6-5) – The Crusaders got run over by Plant last week. Nothing major on the schedule for Week 5, though.

Maybe another new team will find it’s way onto the Top 10 in the next 2 weeks. We have a team or two with tough schedules at the bottom of our poll.

Readers’ Poll

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Week 4

TLR Poll

Based on the results from Jesuit and Mooney’s games against Texas’ Strake Jesuit, Mooney won by more. But – Strake’s game against Mooney was their 3rd in the same number of days. Definitely keep an eye on Jesuit and Mooney. They are clearly head-and-shoulders above everyone else this season so far.

Jesuit (9-0) – Jesuit earned wins against Strake Jesuit and Riverview last week. On the road against Bishop Moore March 23 will definitely be their most difficult game so far.
Cardinal Mooney (10-0) – The Cougars beat Strake by 12. Jesuit beat Strake by 1. Mooney looks real good. Maybe even #1. Schedule ramps up considerably in April.
Plant (5-2) – No games in week 4. Home game against Steinbrenner on the 23rd may turn out to be a nice one to watch in week 5.
Sickles (6-1)- No games in week 4. Big matchup on the 21st as Sickles travels to district rival Steinbrenner for our GOTW. This is the battle for the top seed in District 15.
Newsome (5-1) – No games in week 4, and nothing too scary on their schedule until the Wolves’ trip on April 7th to ODA.
Steinbrenner (6-3) – No games in week 4, but two big games in week 5: Sickles on the 21st, then Plant on the 23rd. Not an easy week for the Warriors.
Riverview (4-4) – A nice win against ODA last week combined with a close loss to top-ranked Jesuit last week. They are better than their record indicates.
Wiregrass (7-2) – Convinving win against Tampa Catholic last week. No games next week due to Spring Break. Last week we said keep an eye on Wiregrass. We weren’t wrong.
Out-of-Door (6-2) – Suffered a bad loss to Riverview last week. 1-1 against them this season. Being on the road against Canterbury on the 23rd will be very difficult for ODA.
Tampa Catholic (5-4) – The Crusaders took a single-goal loss to Wiregrass and a worse loss to Dwyer in week 4. They also lost senior Joey Fragnito to surgery. Not a good week.

Not a whole lot of action last week for public schools due to Hillsborough County Spring Break. A few others being their Spring Break next week, but still, Week 5 should be busier.

Readers’ Poll

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Week 3

TLR Poll

We are tempted to rank Jesuit, Cardinal Mooney, and Plant 1,2,3 – then leave a gap between them and everyone else. Sickles, Newsome, and ODA look like solid #4’s, then things group up again where Steinbrenner, TC, Riverview, and Berkeley are concerned.

Lots of public school teams are on spring break during week 4, so there won’t be as many games to watch this week.

Jesuit (7-0) – Two games, two wins in week 3. Up next, Strake Jesuit from Texas and Riverview both in week 4. The Tigers will likely remain unbeaten through week 4.
Cardinal Mooney (6-0) – The Cougars added 4 solid wins in week 3. Like Jesuit, they might remain unbeaten through week 4 as well – holding onto their position in the poll.
Plant (5-2) – Plant only had a single game in week 3, a tight match against Sickles. They are on break during week 4.
Sickles (6-1)- The 6-7 loss to Plant mostly shows how far Sickles has come. They are a strong team this year. No games in week 4.
Newsome (5-1) – Newsome dealt Steinbrenner a crushing loss on the road and looked complete while doing it. They take week 4 off.
Out-of-Door (5-1) – We predicted a close matchup with Berkeley, and ODA walked away with a 1 goal victory. ODA heads to Riverview on Tuesday. That should be a good matchup.
Steinbrenner (6-3) – Warriors losses to Mooney and Newsome in week 3 dropped them a bit. Still contending for the middle of the pack on our poll.
Tampa Catholic (5-2) – TC took down Berkeley by a goal and got a win against Wharton in week 3. No big games in week 4 for the Crusaders.
Riverview (3-3) – Had a win against a weakened Barron Collier squad and a loss against a strong Canterbury team. Top-ranked Jesuit comes to town on Friday. Tough game.
Berkeley (3-4) – The Buccaneers suffered 1 goal losses to TC and ODA in week 3. They’ve got Strake Jesuit (TX) and IMG in week 4. One of the tougher schedules in the area.

Bloomingdale and Wiregrass are both looking good and working hard. Keep an eye on them.

Readers’ Poll

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Week 2

TLR Poll

We saw some great games in Week 2. Jesuit is rolling and Sickles and Steinbrenner continue to surprise. We are interested in seeing Mooney some more. TLR is becoming more comfortable with our picks in the top 5. After that, it certainly gets difficult for us.

Jesuit (5-0) – The Tigers had two district games this week and handled both with ease. They took down Tampa Catholic 23-11 and Berkeley 18-8. We don’t see anyone stopping them any time soon.
Cardinal Mooney (2-0) – Mooney had a game postponed so only played against rival Riverview in Week 2, but secured a convincing win on the road, 14-9. Our preseason District 17 pick still looks strong.
Plant (4-2) – Plant added 3 wins in week 2 – the biggest coming against Newsome where the Panthers won easy at home, 19-4. Apart from the IMG loss Saturday, their season opening loss to Mooney is only blemish so far.
Sickles (5-0)- The Gryphons’ toughest opponent so far has been Wiregrass. Our preseason pick for District 15 is doing well, but TLR wants to see them play tougher opponents still. Newsome‘s loss still moves them up this week.
Steinbrenner (5-1) – OT win against ODA was impressive as was the road win against TC. Good week for the Warriors. They visit Mooney on March 5. Huge game for them.
Out-of-Door (3-1) – Loss to Steinbrenner knocked them down a bit, but we still like the Thunder. They visit Berkeley on March 9. That could be a close matchup.
Newsome (3-1) – Their blowout loss to Plant didn’t look good for Newsome. No real challenges on the schedule any time soon, though.
Riverview (2-2) – The loss to district rival Mooney hurt the Rams and their week 3 schedule includes Barron Collier and Canterbury. Both could cause trouble for Riverview.
Berkeley (2-2) – Loss to top-ranked Jesuit on the road wasn’t a surprise. We knew this would be a rebuilding year for a very young team. ODA comes to Berkeley on March 9. A win would help them a lot.
Tampa Catholic (3-2) – Undefeated after 1 week, but week 2 dealt the Crusaders losses in Jesuit (our Game of the Week) and Steinbrenner. Neither were surprises, though.

Readers’ Poll

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Week 1

TLR Poll

With a week’s worth of games finally under everyone’s belts, we’ve taken in a few games and have a better handle on how things are starting to shake out in the Tampa area. Here is our ranking for Week 1 along with some notes for each team.

Jesuit – Tigers had a convincing win over Collier at home. Collier may be depleted but we won’t really know that until Week 2.
Cardinal Mooney – Great road victory over Plant in our Game of the Week. They play SMA and Riverview next week, but may suffer from a very tough schedule later.
Plant – The Panthers suffered a tough loss to Mooney in Week 1, but had great bounce-back game against Steinbrenner.
Newsome – Four for now. They play Bloomingdale and Plant next week. Let’s see how they do. Otherwise, they enjoy a pretty weak schedule.
Sickles – Like Newsome, Sickles is undefeated – but really have not played anyone yet. They may not rise above this spot.
Steinbrenner – Tough loss to Plant, but a good road victory at Berkeley bumped them up a bit.
Out-of-Door – Good victory over Riverview. They play Steinbrenner next week and that will shed light on both teams.
Berkeley – Only played 2 games. Still finding themselves. They play at Jesuit on Friday. Let’s see how that goes.
Riverview – Tough loss to Out-of-Door. They were #2 in District 17 pre-season and play #1 Cardinal Mooney next week. Great matchup.
Tampa Catholic – Still undefeated. They play Jesuit, Steinbrenner, and Berkeley all next week. Could be trouble for the Crusaders.

Readers’ Poll

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Pre-Season

TLR Poll

While Tampa Lax Report appreciates the collective and organized effort from the Raven Nation, we are required to be a bit more analytical in our ranking of the local teams. Our ranking is based on both our own District Preview research as well as performances from pre-season scrimmages. That being said, TLR’s pre-season poll is as follows:

Readers’ Poll

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