Raines (Jacksonville) stays on top of regional rankings
GAINESVILLE – Week one of high school football saw some surprises and some movement in The Prep Zone Power Poll.
Raines (Jacksonville) had its opener against Central (Miami) cancelled due to a scheduling issue. Despite that, the Vikings are still the number one team in the all-classification regional rankings this week.
The Vikings, who open the season on Friday against Sandalwood (Jacksonville), received three of the nine first-place votes, but that was enough to stay on top.
Right behind Raines and remaining second this week is Buchholz (Gainesville).
The Bobcats (1-0) edged No. 9T Vanguard (Ocala), 15-13, in a weather-delayed opener at Citizens Field last Thursday night. Buchholz, which also received three first-place votes, welcomes Class 7A No. 2 Vero Beach to Citizens Field this Friday night.
The third team to receive three first-place votes this week is Bolles (Jacksonville), which plays its home opener on Friday against No. 20 Trinity Christian (Jacksonville).
The Bulldogs moved up a spot to third this week and received the final three first-place votes after travelling to South Florida and pounding Monarch (Coconut Creek), 34-15.
St. Augustine (1-0) dropped a spot to No. 4 despite beating rival Palatka for the 21st time in 22 meetings. The Yellow Jackets took advantage of eight Panthers fumbles for a 41-0 romp.
Rounding out the top five is Nease (Ponte Vedra).
The Panthers beat rival Ponte Vedra once again, defeating the RV Sharks 38-28. Nease hosts another St. Johns County rival in RV Creekside (St. Johns) this week.
Oakleaf (Orange Park) leads off the second five.
The Knights (1-0) opened their season with a 23-14 triumph at Riverside (Jacksonville).
Bradford (Starke) is 7th, followed by Mandarin (Jacksonville) at No. 8, and Vanguard and Hawthorne, who are both tied for ninth to round out the top 10.
The No. 7 Tornadoes (1-0) blanked Baker County (Glen St. Mary), 24-0, while Mandarin won 42-20 at Creekside and Hawthorne hammered Discovery (Lake Alfred), 42-0.
Ed White (Jacksonville) is new to the rankings this week, moving in at 17th after winning 45-28 at Trinity Christian.
The Conquerors (0-1) dropped eleven spots from last week’s poll to No. 20.
DeLand also moves all the way up to 12th from unranked last week after a 21-20 upset win at then-No. 5 Madison County, dropping the Cowboys down to No. 11.
South Sumter (Bushnell) also moves in at No. 19, while Newberry, Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville), Flagler Palm Coast, Ponte Vedra, and Union County (Lake Butler) dropped out.
The Prep Zone Power Poll ranks the top 20 high school football, girls basketball, boys basketball, softball & baseball teams (regardless of FHSAA classification) across 26 counties in North Florida (Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Citrus, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hernando, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Levy, Madison, Marion, Nassau, Putnam, Sumter, St. Johns, Suwannee, Taylor, Union & Volusia counties). It is voted on weekly by sportswriters and sportscasters and it is powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville.
THE PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2025 FOOTBALL POLL #2
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, current record, and total voting points)
1. Raines (Jacksonville) (3A) (3) (0-0) – 172
2. Buchholz (Gainesville) (6A) (3) (1-0) – 169
3. Bolles (Jacksonville) (2A) (3) (1-0) – 164
4. St. Augustine (4A) (1-0) – 158
5. Nease (Ponte Vedra) (6A) (1-0) – 120
6. Oakleaf (Orange Park) (6A) (1-0) – 108
7. Bradford (Starke) (2A) (1-0) – 106
8. Mandarin (Jacksonville) (6A) (1-0) – 104
9T. Hawthorne (Rural) (1-0) – 90
9T. Vanguard (Ocala) (4A) (0-1) – 90
11. Madison County (Rural) (0-1) – 87
12. DeLand (7A) (1-0) – 81
13. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (7A) (1-0) – 62
14. Columbia (Lake City) (4A) (1-0) – 55
15. University Christian (Jacksonville) (1A) (1-0) – 48
16. Mainland (Daytona Beach) (5A) (0-0) – 46
17. Ed White (Jacksonville) (4A) (1-0) – 34
18. University (Orange City) (7A) (1-0) – 32
19. South Sumter (Bushnell) (1-0) – 26
20. Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (1A) (0-1) – 22
Also receiving votes: Newberry (2A) (0-1) – 19; Ponte Vedra (5A) (0-1) – 17; Flagler Palm Coast (7A) (1-0) – 15; Fleming Island (Orange Park) (5A) (1-0) – 14; Chiefland (Rural) (1-0) – 12; Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (3A) (0-0) – 11; Creekside (St. Johns) (7A) (0-1) – 5; Forest (Ocala) (6A) (1-0) – 5; Williston (Rural) (0-1) – 1.
