Panama City Beach Arnold ascends to statewide No. 1 spot for first time in program history
By Official Florida FC
Almost anything can happen when evenly matched, and very good, boys varsity soccer teams are paired together in a tournament.
That will undoubtedly be the case in the latter half of the postseason next month. It was first on display last week at the Tampa Bay Invitational.
A pair of unbeaten and untied teams lost multiple matches, the state’s longest unbeaten run was broken and a perennial playoff program from the panhandle walked away with the trophy.
Tampa Jesuit, the statewide No. 1 in each of the first two rankings, beat previously unbeaten and untied Valrico Bloomingdale, but lost to Bradenton Lakewood Ranch 1-0 and New Port Richey Mitchell 4-1. The Tigers (12-2) dropped to No. 5 statewide.
Jesuit is one place ahead of Gulf Breeze. The Dolphins won the St. Ignatius Division of the Tampa Bay Invitational. Gulf Breeze snapped Tampa Prep’s 29-match unbeaten streak in its opener, held on for a scoreless draw against Mitchell and beat Bradenton Lakewood Ranch 3-2.
Elsewhere, Panama City Beach Arnold leapt four places to claim the No. 1 position in the statewide rankings.
The Marlins are 58-2-4 since November 2020. One of those losses was a 1-0 loss to Miami Belen Jesuit in the 2022 Class 5A state title game. Arnold hit the post multiple times and did everything but score in the final.
It would be false to state the Marlins are back. They never left. Five starters from last year’s state finalist, including goalie Ryan Laymon as well as fullbacks Landon Ullman and Damien Decker, form the core of this year’s group that is unbeaten again.
Arnold’s next four matches are at home. If they continue their current pace – Saturday’s 2-0 win over Niceville is evidence they can – the Marlins may not have to play a game outside Bay County until the state final.
2022-23 FHSAA boys soccer rankings
| Rank | School Name | Class Rank |
Rating | Strength of Schedule |
Record | Class | Region | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Panama City Beach Arnold |
1 | 21.051 | 9.98 | 11-0-2 | 5A | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Miami St. Brendan | 1 | 20.228 | 9.63 | 7-0-1 | 4A | 4 | 16 |
| 3 | Jacksonville Mandarin | 1 | 19.603 | 7.26 | 12-0-1 | 7A | 1 | 1 |
| 4 | Plantation American Heritage | 2 | 19.009 | 9.34 | 10-1-1 | 5A | 4 | 14 |
| 5 | Tampa Jesuit | 3 | 18.379 | 8.98 | 12-2 | 5A | 2 | 8 |
| 6 | Gulf Breeze | 1 | 18.233 | 9.45 | 12-2-1 | 6A | 1 | 1 |
| 7 | Gainesville | 2 | 17.211 | 5.43 | 9-0-1 | 6A | 1 | 4 |
| 8 | Fort Lauderdale University School |
1 | 16.990 | 5.19 | 9-0-1 | 3A | 4 | 13 |
| 9 | Viera | 3 | 16.913 | 4.81 | 10-0-1 | 6A | 2 | 7 |
| 10 | Niceville | 4 | 16.331 | 11.07 | 9.32 | 6A | 1 | 2 |
Classification Rankings
Class 7A
Class 7A
1. Jacksonville Mandarin (12-0-1)
2. Celebration (7-1-1)
3. Naples Gulf Coast (5-1-3)
4. St. Johns Creekside (11-2-1)
5. Winter Garden West Orange (7-0-1)
Class 6A
1. Gulf Breeze (12-2-1)
2. Gainesville (9-0-1)
3. Viera (10-0-1)
4. Niceville (9-3-2)
5. Ponte Vedra (8-1-3)
Class 5A
1 . Panama City Beach Arnold (11-0-2)
2. Plantation American Heritage (10-1-1)
3. Tampa Jesuit (12-2)
4. Miami Mourning (7-0-0)
5. Pembroke Pines Charter (9-1)
Class 4A
1. Miami St. Brendan (7-0-1)
2. Orlando Bishop Moore (14-1-1)
3. Crawfordville Wakulla (10-3-3)
4. Miami Gulliver Prep (7-3-2)
5. Pembroke Pines Somerset Academy(6-2)
Class 3A
1. Fort Lauderdale University School (9-0-1)
2. Miami Westminster Christian (7-2-2)
3. Miami Ransom Everglades (7-2-3)
4. Miami LasSalle (9-1-1)
5. Winter Park Trinity Prep (6-1-1)
Class 2A
1. Fort Myers Canterbury (9-3-1)
2. Miami Riviera Prep (5-0-0)
3. Tampa Carrollwood Day (9-2)
4. Bradenton Christian (9-1-3)
5. Lakeland Christian (6-4-1)
