St. Augustine still No. 1 with very little movement in top 10
GAINESVILLE — With two weeks left in the regular season some district titles have been decided with many to be decided this week.
None of that has fazed St. Augustine, which continues to roll through an unbeaten regular season and remained the No. 1 team in The Prep Zone Power Poll, which ranks the top 20 high school football teams across 26 counties in Florida.
The Yellow Jackets moved to 8-0 with a 34-20 win over rival Bartram Trail (St. Johns) last week.
St. Augustine, which has already wrapped up District 3-4A, finishes district play this week at Ridgeview (Orange Park) before closing the regular season next Thursday against No. 7 Mandarin (Jacksonville). They received seven of the 11 first-place votes this week in the all-classification regional rankings.
Buchholz (Gainesville) is still No. 2 despite a week off. The Bobcats (7-1) can wrap up the FHSAA District 3-6A title with a win over Bartram Trail (St. Johns) on Thursday. Buchholz earned two first-place votes this week.
Raines (Jacksonville) is a point behind Buchholz, remaining in 3rd despite a 52-3 crushing of Creekside (St. Johns). The Vikings (7-0), who received two first-place votes, host RV Yulee for the District 3-3A championship this Friday.
Bolles (Jacksonville) held on to the No. 4 ranking.
The Bulldogs (7-1) already clinched the District 4-2A title the previous week and have games left at home against Wolfson (Jacksonville) and at No. 9 Columbia (Lake City) on Halloween night.
DeLand remained 5th after a bye. The Bulldogs (7-0) still have a big game coming up against Spruce Creek (Port Orange) for the District 2-7A championship in a few weeks.
Nease (Ponte Vedra) moved up to sixth after beating Atlantic Coast (Jacksonville), 29-0, followed by No. 7 Mandarin, 8th-ranked Oakleaf (Orange Park), Columbia, which moved up a spot to 9th, and No. 10 Spruce Creek (Port Orange).
Mandarin (7-1) hosts Oakleaf (7-1) this week in a battle for the District 2-6A crown. Spruce Creek fell four spots after the Hawks (6-1) suffered their first loss, 16-10, at Seminole (Sanford).
Middleburg (7-1) makes its first appearance in the rankings at No. 18. The Broncos knocked off then-No. 15 Beachside (St. Johns), 37-36, in overtime last week to stay alive in the hunt for the District 3-5A title.
Middleburg’s only loss in 2025 is to Ponte Vedra, which moved back into the poll this week at 19th. The Sharks (6-2) blasted Orange Park, 53-0, last week and lead the district ahead of Middleburg, but they are finished with district play.
South Lake (Groveland) also moved in at No. 20 after a 49-35 win over RV East Ridge (Clermont).
Dropping out this week were Beachside, Yulee, and Ed White (Jacksonville). The Hornets (7-1) dropped out after their first loss of the season, 42-14, at Flagler Palm Coast.
Ed White (6-2) just missed an upset of Oakleaf, losing in the final seconds, 45-41.
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 #10
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, current record, and total voting points)
1. St. Augustine (4A) (7) (8-0) – 213
2. Buchholz (Gainesville) (6A) (2) (7-1) – 205
3. Raines (Jacksonville) (3A) (2) (7-0) – 204
4. Bolles (Jacksonville) (2A) (7-1) – 186
5. DeLand (7A) (7-0) – 176
6. Nease (Ponte Vedra) (6A) (6-2) – 144
7. Mandarin (Jacksonville) (6A) (7-1) – 142
8. Oakleaf (Orange Park) (6A) (7-1) – 141
9. Columbia (Lake City) (4A) (7-1) – 137
10. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (7A) (6-1) – 137
11. Bradford (Starke) (2A) (8-1) – 114
12. Hawthorne (Rural) (6-1) – 96
13. Vanguard (Ocala) (4A) (6-2) – 68
14. Chiefland (Rural) (8-1) – 66
15. Mainland (Daytona Beach) (5A) (5-2) – 63
16. The Villages (2A) (8-1) – 47
17. Eastside (Gainesville) (3A) (6-2) – 36
18. Middleburg (5A) (7-1) – 34
19. Ponte Vedra (5A) (6-2) – 33
20. South Lake (Groveland) (6A) (7-1) – 20
Also receiving votes: Beachside (St. Johns) (5A) (5-2) – 18; Williston (Rural) (7-1) – 18; Lafayette (Mayo) (Rural) (7-1) – 12; Madison County (Rural) (3-5) – 8; Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (1A) (4-4) – 7; Yulee (3A) (7-1) – 7; Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (3A) (6-2) – 4; Ed White (Jacksonville) (4A) (6-2) – 3; University Christian (Jacksonville) (1A) (5-3) – 3; East Ridge (Clermont) (7A) (6-2) – 1; Taylor County (Perry) (Rural) (7-1) -1.
