Florida Open preview: All four opening pool games

Florida’s inaugural Open Division begins Friday, November 13, with four pool-play games. Four T25PS Top 100 teams feature in three of them: [#11 West Boca Raton (FL)](https://t25ps.com/teams/fl/west-boca-raton) hosts [#16 Raines (FL)](https://t25ps.com/teams/fl/raines), [#27 Venice (FL)](https://t25ps.com/teams/fl/venice) visits Chaminade-Madonna (FL), and [#28 Lakeland (FL)](https://t25ps.com/teams/fl/lakeland) travels to St. Thomas Aquinas (FL). Miami Central (FL) at Columbus (FL) completes the opening slate. The Open pool schedule continues November 20 and 27 before the December 5 state semifinals. Friday provides the first result in a three-game pool schedule for each team. #16 Raines at #11 West Boca Raton Raines brings a 10–0 record into a matchup against a 9–1 West Boca team whose only defeat was a 15–14 loss to St. John’s College (DC). The Vikings’ 20–17 win over Venice already supplies a victory over a current Top 30 team. West Boca sits another 16 places higher, making Friday a chance to strengthen an unbeaten résumé against a leading public school opponent. Raines also beat Mandarin (FL) 31–13; the Bulls counter with 24–7 victories over both American Heritage (FL) and Cardinal Newman (FL). Quarterbacks Sa’Mon Ellison-Morgan of Raines and Trey Moran of West Boca are central players to watch, along with Bulls defensive tackle Jamar Thompson. The contrast is between an unbeaten visitor that has already survived a three-point game against Venice and a host whose only loss was decided by one point. A single productive possession could carry substantial weight if Friday stays that close. West Boca and Raines share Pool B with Columbus (FL) and Miami Central (FL). #28 Lakeland at St. Thomas Aquinas Lakeland is 9–1, with its lone defeat coming 32–25 to Venice in double overtime. The Dreadnaughts have already beaten American Heritage 21–16 and finished the regular season by shutting out The First Academy (FL) 35–0. Those two wins show why Lakeland’s case extends beyond its record: it has beaten a major private school opponent in a close game and delivered a convincing shutout against another. Friday raises the challenge to an unbeaten, 10–0 St. Thomas Aquinas team on the road. The Dreadnaughts begin Pool A needing a result that can stand alongside those regular-season wins. St. Thomas Aquinas is the first of three confirmed pool opponents, rather than a one-game route into the next round. #27 Venice at Chaminade-Madonna Venice also enters 9–1. The Indians’ résumé includes a 42–40 overtime road win over Rabun Gap-Nacoochee (GA) and the double-overtime victory at Lakeland. Their only loss was the three-point game at Raines. Venice therefore brings relevant experience to another difficult road setting: two narrow away wins against strong opponents and a close defeat against a team ranked above it. Chaminade-Madonna enters 8–2, giving the Indians a fresh chance to add a major private school win to that record. Venice and Lakeland share Pool A with St. Thomas Aquinas and Chaminade-Madonna. Both ranked public school programs start away from home before the pool schedule continues over the following two Fridays. Miami Central at Columbus Miami Central brings a 7–3 record to 9–1 Columbus in the other Pool B opener. It is a rematch of the October 16 GMAC title game, which Columbus won. The Explorers enter on a seven-game winning streak. For Central, the Open’s sixth seed, Friday offers a chance to reverse that result before facing West Boca and Raines. Make T25PS your football home [Create your account](https://t25ps.com/account) and follow the postseason with T25PS.

Florida Open preview: #11 West Boca hosts #16 Raines

#16 Raines at #11 West Boca Raton

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