We graded AI's Palm Beach County high school football predictions - The Palm Beach Post

We graded AI's Palm Beach County high school football predictions

- A journalist asked an AI chatbot to make predictions for the 2026 Palm Beach County high school football season.

- The journalist graded the AI's ten predictions, finding some surprisingly informed and others wholly inaccurate.

- The AI made several errors, such as misidentifying a team's classification and overlooking the two-time state champion, West Boca Raton.

- Some of the AI's more accurate predictions included a potential breakout season for player Isaiah Hamilton and a strong performance from running back Janarro Sumpter.

High school football predictions were long the exclusive domain of sports writers, radio hosts and secret bookies who take bets in the parking lot.

Unfortunately, those of us still in local journalism in 2026 now have competition from artificial intelligence.

In the name of figuring out whether I'll have a job for much longer, I asked Claude, Anthropic's AI chatbot, to make 10 bold predictions for the 2026 high school football season in Palm Beach County.

From state championship contenders and breakout stars to surprise playoff runs and a "Suncoast super team," some predictions were surprisingly informed. Others were a reminder that the robots still have a few things to learn.

Crucially, Claude somehow didn't mention back-to-back state champion West Boca Raton, Atlantic and its new transfer quarterbacks or Santaluces, which enters the season with a roster loaded with college talent despite its head coach serving a year-long suspension. That made me feel a little bit better about my job security in the short term.

Here's what the AI predicted and how I graded each one.

Cardinal Newman repeats as 1A state champs

AI reasoning: Nothing terrifies an "AI" more than betting against a team that just won it all 17-14 over Chaminade-Madonna. Why fix what isn't broken.

Grade: C+

Our take: For starters, Newman is in Class 2A this year. And while we'd never count out Jack Daniels and a program that just beat Chaminade-Madonna for a state title, the Crusaders lost several key players to graduation. Last year's championship was also the payoff from years of roster-building and culture-setting. The Crusaders should contend again, but another ring is asking a lot.

Palm Beach Central goes full redemption arc

AI reasoning: After a heartbreaking 28-27 playoff loss to Fort Pierce Central last year, the Broncos post a double-digit win total and drop exactly one game they "should've won," per algorithmic tradition.

Grade: B+

Our take: A double-digit win total and a couple playoff wins would definitely qualify as a redemption season. That's not totally outlandish. Kevin Thompson has established a high floor at Palm Beach Central and, despite losing several top contributors, the Broncos are still one of the county's safer picks to win 10 games.

Dwyer avoids going 0-10 again

AI reasoning: The AI predicts progress. The AI is an optimist.

Grade: A+

Our take: The Panthers were outscored 336-28 last season. Nobody wants to see that happen again, not the players, not the parents and apparently not even artificial intelligence. The bar may be low, but meaningful progress would be a welcome sight.

The Muck Bowl decides more than bragging rights

AI reasoning: Glades Central vs. Pahokee is the county's oldest, rowdiest rivalry, and the model predicts this year's winner rides that emotional high straight into a deep regional run.

Grade: B

Our take: The AI is probably overestimating the teams' playoff potential, but it's not wrong about the significance. Pahokee and Glades Central are the county's most tradition-rich programs and local football is better when both are relevant in November. The missing ingredient lately has been postseason success.

Isaiah Hamilton becomes the breakout star of the county

AI reasoning: Unprompted, because every AI preview needs a "watch this kid" pick — and Palm Beach Central's sophomore is already talking like a guy building toward one, fresh off saying summer workouts "feel great" heading into a season he wants to prove something in.

Grade: B+

Our take: Claude clearly watched Palm Beach spring football. Hamilton accounted for five touchdowns against Boca Raton and flashed the dual-threat ability that makes football fans dream big. Whether he's ultimately Palm Beach Central's starter remains to be seen, but the upside is obvious.

Wellington makes a regional final playoff run

AI reasoning: The Wolverines only lost to Palm Beach Central by two scores last year, closer than anyone else managed. The model flags that as a program primed to jump a tier.

Grade: D+

Our take: Is Wellington going to improve in its second year under the leadership to veteran head coach Pete Walker? Absolutely. But a regional final run? Let's pump the brakes a little bit.

Janarro Sumpter becomes Cardinal Newman's workhorse

AI reasoning: The running back already has real college interest (Purdue, Western Kentucky) — the model predicts Newman leans on him even harder this year, turning him into the guy who wears down defenses in the fourth quarter of a repeat run.

Grade: A

Our take: Fair is fair: Cardinal Newman's feature backs have a habit of piling up statistics under Jack Daniels. From Phoenix Donghia to Jaylin Brown to Henry Bennett, the blueprint is well established. Sumpter has college offers, program experience and an inspiring story for young football players.

Seminole Ridge quietly builds the county's best turnaround story

AI reasoning: The model loves a program that's flown under the radar putting together a surprise winning season, and Seminole Ridge fits the profile of a team ready to leap from afterthought to contender.

Grade: D

Our take: There are simply too many unknowns. New leadership, roster turnover and the lingering effects of last year's turmoil make the Hawks a total mystery. Could they surprise people? Sure. But there are much better candidates to build the county's "best turnaround story."

Royal Palm Beach becomes the trap game everyone circles

AI reasoning: Not a traditional powerhouse, but exactly the kind of scrappy, well-coached team that ruins a "sure thing" schedule for a bigger program looking ahead to district play.

Grade: C-

Our take: Royal Palm Beach has unquestionably become more competitive, but this year's schedule offers little room for error. The loss of quarterback Max Griner and several other key contributors means the Wildcats may spend the early part of the season trying to find their identity rather than ruining someone else's.

Suncoast becomes the county's quiet super team

AI reasoning: A magnet school known more for academics quietly builds a roster deep enough to sneak up on programs that spend all offseason worrying about the "traditional" powers.

Grade: F

Our take: Artificial intelligence? More like artificial imagination. Suncoast has just one winning season in the past decade. This isn't basketball, and the idea of a football "super team" materializing at Suncoast feels less like a prediction and more like an AI hallucination.

Eric J. Wallace is deputy sports editor for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at ejwallace@usatodayco.com.