The Sharks are swimming with the whales.
Ponte Vedra High School earned the No. 11 spot in a new ranking of the top 25 high schools for sports in Florida, highlighting its ascendance as a statewide powerhouse.
From girls volleyball and soccer state titles to top finishes in boys lacrosse and consistent playoff runs in football, the Sharks have become an increasingly prominent name in Florida high school athletics.
The recognition places Ponte Vedra ahead of traditional powerhouse programs like Montverde Academy and Niceville High, and just behind schools with long-established athletic traditions such as Naples High and Tampa Catholic.
The 2025 rankings consider both the number of sports offered and a school’s competitive performance across disciplines, including state championships, college recruiting, and overall program depth.
In sports consumed Florida, where year-round training and youth development systems have become the norm, making the top 25 is a significant accolade — and Ponte Vedra’s inclusion emerging status on the state—and national—stage.
The list also includes perennial juggernaut The Bolles School (No. 3, Jacksonville) and Trinity Christian Academy (No. 24, Jacksonville), cementing North Florida’s place as a rising hub of athletic talent.
USA TODAY’s Top 25 Florida High Schools for Sports (2025)
(Ranked by number of sports offered and overall athletic performance)
- Christopher Columbus High School (Miami) – 15 sports
- St. Thomas Aquinas High School (Fort Lauderdale) – 16
- The Bolles School (Jacksonville) – 20
- Jesuit High School (Tampa) – 12
- Belen Jesuit Preparatory School (Miami) – 16
- Our Lady of Lourdes Academy (Miami) – 27
- Cardinal Gibbons High School (Fort Lauderdale) – [Number not provided]
- American Heritage (Plantation) – 20
- Tampa Catholic High School (Tampa) – 37
- Montverde Academy (Montverde) – 21
- Ponte Vedra High School (Ponte Vedra Beach) – 22
- Naples High School (Naples) – 22
- Calvary Christian High School (Clearwater) – 23
- Berkeley Preparatory School (Tampa) – 17
- Niceville Senior High School (Niceville) – 23
- Bishop Verot Catholic High School (Fort Myers) – 26
- North Broward Preparatory School (Coconut Creek) – 25
- Oviedo High School (Oviedo) – 30
- The Benjamin School (North Palm Beach) – 23
- Venice High School (Venice) – 28
- Clearwater Central Catholic High School (Clearwater) – 24
- Madison County High School (Madison) – 14
- Vero Beach High School (Vero Beach) – 26
- Trinity Christian Academy (Jacksonville) – 12
- Seminole High School (Sanford) – 30
One Response
I’m surprised Tocoi Creek High School in World Golf Village didn’t get on this list. They had both girls and boys basketball in the state Final Four, and they just opened in the 2021-22 school year. That’s pretty impressive to have elite programs so fast.