Three Top 10 teams fall in Week 9

Benjamin, King’s Academy headed for a showdown.

The playoff picture is getting clearer for Palm Beach County teams after Week 9.

Three ranked sides lost this week: Seminole Ridge, Palm Beach Gardens and American Heritage. The Hawks and Gators lost on last-minute passes, while the Stallions couldn’t muster enough offense to take down Glades Central.

With Gardens and Heritage taking the last two spots in the Top 10, they will likely fall out of the rankings next week. Which teams should rise to take their place? Check out our Week 10 Look Ahead Monday to see.

Four takeaways

1. Benjamin, King’s on collision course: The county’s two top former independents kept rolling Friday night. King’s Academy won its 20th consecutive game, dating to 2015, in a 20-point win over previously undefeated Key West. Benjamin, meanwhile, rolled over another previously undefeated team, St. Andrew’s, with a 48-3 win at home. Both teams were led by excellent quarterback play. King’s Academy quarterback Justin Wake tossed five touchdowns, and Benjamin star and Louisville commit Jordan Travis threw two and ran in three more scores. The two teams square off in two weeks, with a potential playoff spot possibly on the line.

2. Raiders assert themselves: The Raiders showed up late to their game against American Heritage in Delray Beach. But they showed up on the field. The defense held the Stallions to one fourth-quarter touchdown, intercepting three passes and recovering a couple fumbles in the process. On offense, Davious Richards tossed a pair of touchdowns. The win keeps Glades Central in the playoff hunt, and the Raiders are expecting big things for the rest of the season. Still on the table: redemption after losing to Pahokee in last year’s Muck Bowl and a chance to make it back to the state title game for the first time since 2010 — during coach Jessie Hester’s last stint as head coach.

3. Palm Beach Gardens likely out of the playoffs: The Gators entered the season as one of Palm Beach County’s most-heralded teams. With Super 11 picks Gurvan Hall and Jarrett Jackson and many other talented players, Gardens was the expected district winner and a potential state championship contender. Neither of those things will happen this year. The Gators, with a pair of district losses and a losing record, will not win the district and will likely miss the playoffs, even if they beat Palm Beach Central and Park Vista to end the season. It’s a disappointing finish for first-year coach Billy Clark, who will have to build the team up for next year without key players like Hall, Jackson and lineman Parker Ogle.

4. ThunderWolves on cruise control: Every coach will tell you that winning football games is not easy. But Oxbridge Academy is almost making it look that way. The ThunderWolves have won five straight, and they’ve done it by a combined score of 209-7. Friday’s road game was their smallest margin of victory, and it was still 18 points after they shut out Fort Myers. With a bevy of Division I prospects on the roster, coach Brendan Kent’s team may be the most likely to bring a state championship to Palm Beach County.

How did Jodie do? Record: Best pick:

16-3.

Jodie picked Forest Hill to beat Olympic Heights in a close game, while I had the reverse. The Falcons fended off a late comeback attempt and won Thursday night.

How did Adam do? Record: Best pick:

15-4.

I picked Spanish River to beat Santaluces 20-19, and the Sharks picked up the district win 20-17.