If you look back three years in the BCAA, the powers who were easily recognized as being a cut above most of the other schools were St. Thomas Aquinas, who had dominated 5A, and Deerfield Beach, which has always produced talent. You also had Miramar (6A state champs), Ely and Dillard as familiar faces making a run at the top.

Flash forward a few years, and as you open your morning papers to check out the teams who are making an impact in the district, they are new ones, and in some cases, ready to make a serious run.

As the names of the usual teams still continue to surface, there are now those who are looking at unbeaten teams such as Cooper City, Coral Springs and Miramar, which took a national step this year after winning that state title.

You are also watching programs such as Cardinal Gibbons, Western, South Plantation and a much improved and re-tooled Boyd Anderson programs.

What Art Taylor has done at Cooper City is impressive. It seems that no matter where he lands, the hard-working head coach gets the job done - recently at the previously mentioned Deerfield Beach.

Last year he guided the Cowboys to their best season ever - a district title and a playoff win. This year, he has them out to a 6-0 start and looking to give St. Thomas a great game in a district showdown.

Ray Gould and his Coral Springs team have done nothing but answer the bell each week and silence many critics. The same critics who failed to watch the Colts improve in the off season.

By attending events and sending his players to camps, Gould knew that it would be the only way to keep up with the competition. He has a number of quality football prospects on this year’s team that has a chance to win what appears to be a very tough district.

We all know and appreciate the job Coach Cogdell has done with the Patriots - in the face of adversity - this season - to rise up among the best teams in the nation.

Once again this week, there are some great games to attend. Here is a look at the schedule for Week 8 of the season:

THURSDAY
Cooper City at South Broward, 7
Hallandale at Stranahan (Lockhart), 7

FRIDAY
Coconut Creek at Coral Glades, 7
Cardinal Gibbons at Dillard, 7
Miramar at Everglades, 7
Pembroke Pines Charter at Fort Lauderdale (Lockhart), 7
Hollywood Hills at Archbishop McCarthy, 7
Plantation at McArthur, 7
Boyd Anderson at Monarch (Coconut Creek), 7
American Heritage at Pompano Beach, 7
Nova at St. Thomas Aquinas, 7
Coral Springs at South Plantation, 7
Douglas at Taravella (Coral Springs), 7
Cypress Bay at West Broward (Cooper City), 7
Flanagan at Western, 7

Have any feedback - or something to add? Direct all E-Mails to Floridakids1@aol.com. Catch Larry Blustein each and every Tuesday night for the Maroone High School Gridiron Report from 9-10 on WQAM (560 AM). Also follow as at Twitter @larryblustein.