Palm Beach County high school football will enter the 2026 season with a pair of reigning Florida state champions. preseason rankings.
West Boca Raton and Cardinal Newman captured FHSAA state titles last fall, marking the first time the county produced multiple football state champions since 2009.
The Bulls, led by fifth-year head coach Dylan Potts, are back-to-back FHSAA state champions but will have several key pieces to replace from last year’s roster, including University of Miami running back Javian Mallory.
Cardinal Newman will also have plenty of key players to replace after the first FHSAA state title in school history. The Crusaders, who are 51-12 under veteran head coach Jack Daniels, have not lost to a Palm Beach County opponent since Sept. 10, 2021.
While West Boca Raton and Cardinal Newman rightfully take the first two spots in our preseason rankings, there are plenty more quality local programs hitting the gridiron this fall. Here is The Palm Beach Post’s high school football rankings from 1 to 35 for the 2026 season.
Palm Beach County high school football rankings: We rank 1-35 for preseason
No. 1 — West Boca Raton Bulls (5A)
No. 2 — Cardinal Newman Crusaders (1A)
No. 3 — Atlantic Eagles (5A)
No. 4 — Spanish River Sharks (7A)
No. 5 — Saint Andrew’s Scots (1A)
No. 6 — Palm Beach Central Broncos (7A)
No. 7 — Santaluces Chiefs (7A)
No. 8 — Glades Central Raiders (2A)
No. 9 — Dr. Joaquín García Bulldogs (4A)
No. 10 — Pahokee Blue Devils (1A)
No. 22 — Jupiter Warriors (7A)
No. 12 — American Heritage Stallions (2A)
No. 13 — Jupiter Christian Eagles (SSAA)
No. 14 — King’s Academy Lions (2A)
No. 15 — Royal Palm Beach Wildcats (6A)
No. 16 — Palm Beach Lakes Rams (7A)
No. 17 — Boca Raton Bobcats (7A)
No. 18 — Palm Beach Gardens Gators (6A)
No. 19 — Boynton Beach Tigers (4A)
No. 20 — Wellington Wolverines (7A)
No. 21 — Benjamin Buccaneers (1A)
No. 22 — Somerset-Canyons Cougars (2A)
No. 23 — Park Vista Cobras (7A)
No. 24 — Seminole Ridge Hawks (6A)
No. 25 — Inlet Grove Hurricanes (2A)
No. 26 — St. John Paul II Eagles (1A)
No. 27 — Lake Worth Trojans (7A)
No. 28 — Forest Hill Falcons (7A)
No. 29 — Dwyer Panthers (6A)
No. 30 — Boca Raton Christian Blazers (SSAA)
No. 31 — Glades Day Gators (SSAA)
No. 32 — Suncoast Chargers (4A)
No. 33 — John I. Leonard Lancers (7A)
No. 34 — Olympic Heights Lions (5A)
No. 35 — Oxbridge Academy ThunderWolves (SSAA)
Eric J. Wallace is deputy sports editor for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at ejwallace@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: We ranked all 35 Palm Beach County high school football teams for 2026
Reporting by Eric J. Wallace and Alexander Peterman, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
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By Eric J. Wallace and Alexander Peterman, Palm Beach Post | USA TODAY Network
