A nationally-ranked showdown between
IMG Academy (Bradenton) and
Venice headlines the high school football action in Florida this weekend as two of the most talented offenses in the state go head-to-head.
IMG Academy has won four in a row since a season-opening 35-34 loss at No. 21
Corner Canyon (Draper, Utah) and are winning by an average margin of 33.5 points per game. The Ascenders are averaging 40.2 points per contest this season and have held their
last four opponents to 14 points or less.
Venice has one of the most explosive offenses in the country,
averaging 55.8 points a game. The Indians are 6-0 on the season with notable wins over
Cocoa
and
Northwestern (Miami), boosting them into the national rankings this week at No. 19.
Former IMG Academy standout
Winston Watkins Jr. has been huge for Venice, hauling in 38 receptions for 485
yards and nine total touchdowns while also making plays on defense. A two-headed rushing attack features three-star James Madison commit
Gata Wilder (93 carries, 764 yards) and sophomore
Dorien Irving-Jones (104 carries, 832 yards).
Cocoa has one of the best quarterback/wide receiver
duos in the country in four-star Michigan commit
Brady Hart and three-star UCF pledge
Jayvan Boggs. Hart has thrown for 1,726 yards and 16
touchdowns while Boggs has hauled in 39
receptions for 850 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Norland has one of the
most prolific quarterbacks in state history. Senior signal caller
Ennio Yapoor enters Friday's
showdown with 12,294 career yards passing and 100 touchdowns. He has
added 3,015 yards on the ground and 35 more scores.
Read on for a complete look at this week's top 25 scoreboard.
