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TAMPA, FL – If there’s one thing the Tampa Bay Area and the entire state of Florida offers, that’s plenty of rivalries on the high school football circuit.

When it comes down to metro or suburban, as the new state series now classifies schools, you can find plenty of great match-ups and rivalries littered across the board. We know there’s so many good ones out there, but we crunched the list down to seven, based on the longevity and competitiveness of the rivalry, in this latest poll we release. Join us and take a quick look at the top Tampa Bay Area rivalries and vote on which one to you believe is the best.

Jesuit vs. Tampa Catholic (Jesuit has won 22 straight matchups): It’s been tough the last two decades to call this a rivalry, since Jesuit has won 22 consecutive games in this series, but it is one of the most hotly contested and attended. There’s never a shortage of fanfare along with history, even though the last time the Crusaders bested the Tigers was in the late 1990’s.

Zephyrhills vs. Pasco (64 meetings between the schools): The ‘9-Mile War’ as it’s dubbed, a game that has been played dating back to World War II in 1941. The Pirates lead the overall series 41-23, but the Bulldogs have been more dominant as of late. From cannons firing to boiled peanuts to small town vibes, what more can you ask for?

Hernando vs. Nature Coast (17 matchups between the programs): There’s no official name to this rivalry, even though with much debate there should be. Nature Coast leads the overall series 10-7 all-time, but you better believe these two programs don’t have a lot of love for one another. With run-oriented offenses reigning supreme in Hernando County, you get yourself a good ole ground attack affair.

East Lake vs. Palm Harbor University (teams are separated by 9.5 miles in distance): Some rivalry games get fanfare but this one can gather them by the thousands. No matter if you’re crossing US Highway 19 from Tampa Road coming from Palm Harbor or going down McMullen Booth over from East Lake, this game is always competitive and plenty of locals come to watch.

Sarasota Riverview vs. Sarasota (63 meetings between the two schools): No rivalry can match the longevity that Sarasota Riverview and Sarasota have in Sarasota County. After63 meetings the Rams have taken a stranglehold in the series, up 36-27, including a 35-0 rout of the Sailors just last season.

Lakeland vs. Kathleen (Bryant Stadium and Johnny Johnson Stadium separated by 3.6 miles): If you’re looking for the hot ticket in Polk County year in and year out, you can usually count on the Dreadnaughts and Red Devils giving you that. It’s always a packed crowd trying to watch this match-up at either Bryant Stadium or Johnny Johnson Stadium. When you can attract over 10,000 people to one regular season game, you know it’s a rivalry.

South Sumter vs. Wildwood: When the Raiders and Wildcats meet up it is the top rivalry in Sumter County, which only features three high schools. What is evident about the games between the two programs is the competition in-game and the scores do not lie. In the last meeting between the teams, the Wildcats edged out the Raiders, 20-9, which was the first time the teams met in the regular season since 2014.

Andy Villamarzo can be reached at andyvillamarzo@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @Andy_Villamarzo.