# Florida High School Football’s Biggest Surprises

> Four Florida teams turned around their seasons in one year.
- Title: Florida High School Football’s Biggest Surprises | Shortify
- Summary: Four Florida teams turned around their seasons in one year. Four Florida high school football teams improved their records significantly in 2026.
- Keywords: hilliard, fort lauderdale, lake weir, hardee, florida high school football, 2026, breakout seasons, high school football, sports, Florida, High, School
- Source: High School On SI — https://si.com/high-school/florida-high-school-football-s-biggest-surprises-four-teams-having-breakout-seasons-01m62cm909w3
- Published: 2026-10-29T17:36:13+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: hilliard, fort lauderdale, lake weir, hardee, florida high school football, 2026, breakout seasons, high school football, sports
## Hilliard’s turnaround
Hilliard won three games last season but now has nine victories and a chance to finish unbeaten.
## Fort Lauderdale’s improvement
Fort Lauderdale went from three wins to eight, with a narrow loss ending their unbeaten start.
## Lake Weir’s success
Lake Weir improved from five wins to eight, with an eight-game winning streak this fall.
## Hardee’s new coach impact
Hardee doubled its wins under new coach Jeff Smothers, finishing 9-1 with a perfect district record.
## Hilliard’s recent wins
Hilliard beat Old Plank Christian Academy 35-32, won 28-22 at Dixie County, and held off Cornerstone Classical Academy 60-55.
## Fort Lauderdale’s defense
Fort Lauderdale allowed 72 points through nine games, compared with 250 last season.
## Lake Weir’s offense
Lake Weir scored 184 points in 11 games last season and 345 through nine games this fall.
## Hardee’s comeback
Hardee reversed a 56-0 loss to Frostproof last season with a 37-6 win earlier this month.
## Lake Weir’s upcoming game
Lake Weir hosts Trinity Catholic on Friday with a chance to reach nine wins and respond to their first loss.
## Hardee’s playoff game
Hardee returns home to face Frostproof in the SSAA playoffs Friday after a 38-3 loss to Hawthorne.
## Key takeaway

Four Florida high school football teams improved their records significantly in 2026.