Here are Tampa Lax Report’s picks for the overall top 5 teams in both boys and girls, regardless of classification. Our rankings are based largely on how teams finished the previous season with some considerations for teams that lost lots of talent due to graduating seniors.
While these can and will be argued over, please keep in mind, these are pre-season rankings and they will change over the course of the season as games are played and teams here play each other. These rankings are just a starting point and our best guesses.
Boys
- Plant – Plant didn’t lose major talent and is keeping an extremely good team from 2020 together for 2021. They are older, stronger, and smarter this season and have a good chance at making a deep run in state playoffs.
- Jesuit – Similar to Plant, this team is pretty stacked, and year after year, simply reloads with waiting freshmen that are battle-tested and field ready.
- Berkeley – Berkeley lost some big names in 2020, but have plenty of year-round players looking to finish what they started with last season’s incredible run.
- Cardinal Mooney – The Cougars have been at or near the top of the heap in this area for the last 3 years. Maybe we’re just giving them fuel, but we think they may lose a step in 2021.
- Newsome – A traditional local powerhouse, Newsome has dominated their district for what feels like forever. TLR is looking forward to seeing them play some tougher out of district games this season.
Girls
- Steinbrenner – The Warriors began what we think is their multi-year reign as the top girls team in the area in 2020. Given they are packed with young talent, TLR sees them holding this spot for the next 2+ years at least.
- Plant – While TLR put Plant at #2 to start 2021, this is always a team to beat in Tampa. They are a talented, strong group of girls and always well coached. This is another team that can go far.
- Newsome – The Lady Wolves have a new coach this season, but always seem to be loaded with talent. They lost some senior talent last year, but we believe they are still one of the top teams in the area.
- Berkeley Prep – Berkeley girls are another team with a coaching change, but still have the majority of their team from the 2020 season. We consider this team to be the best in 1A. This is a very talented roster.
- Out-of-Door – This was a tough decision. There were a lot of teams that could have been placed in this spot. Based on some of the wins the Lady Thunder had in 2020, we feel they should get the final spot. Let’s see if they can hold it.
