Thursday, 7:15 p.m. (PREGAME) – High School Football, 7:30 p.m. (KICKOFF)
Ridgeview (Orange Park) at Eastside (Gainesville)
Join Marty Pallman (Play-by-play), Timothy Williams (Color), and Nate Cuneo (Color) for this Class 5A-District 5 game as the Rams try and keep their district championship hopes alive.
‘Live’ & ‘Archived’ video via the Eastside Athletics Facebook page.
Trinity Catholic unanimously stays at the top
GAINESVILLE – The Trinity Catholic (Ocala) volleyball team stayed at the top of The Prep Zone Power Poll for the fourth straight week.
The Celtics (16-6) remained at No. 1 despite going 5-3 on the week, including a 4-3 finish over the weekend at the prestigious Nike Tournament of Champions in Phoenix, Arizona, against some of the top teams in the country.
Forest (Ocala) (15-3) stayed at No. 2 this week after taking down previous No. 4 Santa Fe (Alachua) in a 3-2 thriller, as well as previous No. 18 New Smyrna Beach, 3-1.
Buchholz (Gainesville) (15-3) remained at No. 3 after a 3-0 week with wins over The Rock (Gainesville), Oak Hall (Gainesville) and Gainesville High.
Fleming Island (Orange Park) (12-5) jumped from No. 5 to No. 4 after finishing second at the St. Johns River Athletic Conference tourney, losing to Bartram Trail (St. Johns) in the final.
Santa Fe (Alachua) (13-9) moved down to No. 5 after going 2-5 at the Nike Tournament of Champions in Phoenix, Arizona, this past weekend.
Ponte Vedra (14-4) remains at No. 6 after a 2-0 week including a win over previously No. 12 Bartram Trail.
Class 1A Bell, 7A East Ridge (Clermont), 6A Fletcher (Neptune Beach) and 7A Bartram Trail round out the top 10.
Ridgeview (Orange Park) (14-5) joins the poll again and landed in the No . 17 spot after a tough, grueling 3-2 loss to No. 4 Fleming Island, while New Smyrna Beach (13-9) fell out of the poll after a 2-1 week.
The Prep Zone Power Poll ranks the top 20 high school football, volleyball, basketball, baseball and softball teams (regardless of FHSAA Classification) across 26 counties in North Florida (Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Citrus, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hernando, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Levy, Madison, Nassau, Putnam, Sumter, St. Johns, Suwannee, Taylor, Union and 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 – 2019 VOLLEYBALL POLL #8
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, record through 10/5, and total voting points)
1. Trinity Catholic (Ocala) (3A) (8) (16-6) – 160
2. Forest (Ocala) (6A) (18-3) – 152
3. Buchholz (Gainesville) (6A) (15-3) – 144
4. Fleming Island (Orange Park) (6A) (12-5) – 129
5. Santa Fe (Alachua) (4A) (13-9) – 128
6. Ponte Vedra (5A) (14-4) – 125
7. Bell (1A) (21-1) – 110
8. East Ridge (Clermont) (7A) (17-5) – 101
9. Fletcher (Jacksonville) (6A) (15-4) – 92
10. Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (7A) (16-7) – 83
11. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (7A) (12-5) – 66
12. Eustis (4A) (13-4) – 59
13. Lecanto (5A) (21-3) – 54
14. Creekside (St Johns) (6A) (13-6) – 46
15. Mandarin (Jacksonville) (7A) (17-4) – 45
16. Vanguard (Ocala) (5A) (9-9) – 35
17. Ridgeview (Orange Park) (5A) (14-5) – 30
18. Deland (7A) (14-4) – 29
19. Christ’s Church (Jacksonville) (2A) (18-4) – 28
20. Flagler Palm Coast (7A) (13-4) – 22
Also Receiving Votes: New Smyrna Beach (6A) (13-9) – 20, Pedro Menendez (St. Augustine) (4A) (10-5) – 13, Bishop Snyder (Jacksonville) (3A) (13-5) – 6, Seven Rivers (Lecanto) (2A) (16-3) – 4, Yulee (4A) (18-4) – 3, Taylor (Pierson) (1A) (12-4) – 3, Taylor County (Perry) (1A) (11-3) -2, St. John’s Lutheran (Ocala) (2A) (12-3) – 1, Branford (1A) (14-4) -1, First Academy (Leesburg) (2A) (10-1) -1.
Area teams in bold
The Associated Press Top 10 Florida high school football poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records, rating points and previous rankings:
CLASS 8A
Record Pts Prv
1. South Dade (10) 6-0 100 1
2. Sanford Seminole 6-0 89 2
3. Bartram Trail (St. Johns) 6-0 81 4
4. Vero Beach 5-0 68 5
5. Western 5-1 52 6
6. Apopka 4-1 48 3
7. Miami Palmetto 5-1 39 7
8. Deerfield Beach 4-2 22 8
9. Columbus 4-2 20 9
10. Douglas 5-0 12 10
Others receiving votes: Kissimmee Osceola 6, Oakleaf (Orange Park) 6, George Steinbrenner 5, Palm Beach Gardens 1, Flagler Palm Coast 1.
CLASS 7A
Record Pts Prv
1. Lakeland (5) 7-0 95 1
(tie) St. Thomas Aquinas (5) 5-0 95 2
3. Armwood 5-1 75 5
4. Palm Beach Lakes 5-0 66 6
5. Edgewater 6-1 61 3
6. Plantation 6-0 53 8
7. Niceville 7-0 39 10
8. Atlantic Community 3-2 22 5
9. Bloomingdale 5-1 16 NR
10. Tampa Bay Tech 5-1 15 7
Others receiving votes: Venice 9, Fleming Island (Orange Park) 2, Lincoln 2.
CLASS 6A
Record Pts Prv
1. Columbia (Lake City) (10) 6-0 100 1
2. Palmetto 6-0 77 3
3. Miami Central 5-2 70 2
4. Naples 6-0 67 4
5. Escambia 6-0 66 5
6. Dillard 7-0 50 6
7. Gaither 6-0 43 7
8. Lake Gibson 6-0 38 8
9. Charlotte 5-1 21 10
10. Ponte Vedra 5-1 16 9
Others receiving votes: Port Charlotte 1, Springstead (Spring Hill) 1.
CLASS 5A
Record Pts Prv
1. Plantation American Heritage (8) 5-1 98 1
2. Miami Northwestern (1) 4-2 82 3
3. Lake Wales 5-0 72 4
4. Jones 5-1 69 6
5. Rockledge (1) 5-1 64 2
6. Wakulla 7-0 60 5
7. Dunnellon 6-0 44 7
8. North Marion (Citra) 5-1 27 9
9. Jesuit 5-2 18 10
10. Vanguard (Ocala) 3-2 9 8
Others receiving votes: Citrus (Inverness) 5, Eau Gallie 2, Godby 1, Pine Forest 1.
CLASS 4A
Record Pts Prv
1. Miami Washington (9) 5-2 98 1
2. Cocoa (1) 5-1 73 3
3. Cardinal Gibbons 4-2 63 2
4. Lakewood 7-0 62 5
5. University School 5-1 53 4
Others receiving votes: Gulliver Prep 32, Miami Carol City 7, Delray American Heritage 6, Bolles (Jacksonville) 6.
CLASS 3A
Record Pts Prv
1. Chaminade-Madonna (10) 5-1 100 1
2. Florida High 6-1 89 3
3. Berkeley Prep 5-1 65 2
4. Bishop Verot 6-0 45 NR
5. Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) 3-4 34 4
Others receiving votes: Pensacola Catholic 28, Fort Lauderdale Calvary Christian 26, Calvary Christian-Clearwater 13.
CLASS 2A
Record Pts Prv
1. Victory Christian (9) 6-0 99 1
2. University Christian (Jacksonville) (1) 5-1 88 2
3. Champagnat Catholic 4-2 64 4
4. Westminister Academy 6-0 48 5
5. First Baptist 6-0 33 NR
Others receiving votes: Foundation Academy 29, Cambridge Christian 18, Aucilla Christian (Monticello) 8, Seffner Christian 7, Maclay 6.
CLASS 1A
Record Pts Prv
1. Madison County (8) 5-2 105 1
2. Baker 6-0 92 2
3. Blountstown 7-0 . 81 3
4. Vernon 5-1 58 5
5. Lafayette (Mayo) 7-0 34 NR
Others receiving votes: Newberry 32, Dixie County (Cross City) 13, Sneads 12, Freeport 7, Northview 6.
JOE PINKOS POWER RATINGS
Florida High School Football
FORECAST FOR WEEK 8
Joe Pinkos’ Power Ratings are calculated by a formula based on strength of opposition and margin of victory with greater weight given to recent games. The forecasted margin of victory for each game is determined by subtracting the power rating of the lower-rated team from the power rating of its higher-rated opponent.
Game forecasts are sorted by classification of favorite and listed alphabetically. The underdog’s classification is noted for inter-classification games.
Class 8A
Apopka 11 over West Orange
Bartram Trail 28 over Nease
Centennial 21 over Fort Pierce Central
Coral Gables 6 over Miami High
Coral Glades 35 over (Ind.) Pompano Beach
Cypress Creek (Orlando) 9 over (Ind.) Titusville
DeLand 38 over West Port
Deerfield Beach 66 over Spanish River
Douglas 31 over West Broward
Dr. Phillips 28 over Olympia
East Ridge 18 over Windermere
Evans 3 over Lake Mary
Flanagan 1 over Cypress Bay
Hagerty 18 over Colonial
Lake Nona 31 over Celebration
Lennard 24 over Ridge Community
Miami Palmetto 52 over Coral Reef
Monarch 8 over Boca Raton
Newsome 52 over Haines City
Oakleaf 7 over Mandarin
Ocoee 3 over Lake Brantley
Osceola (Kissimmee) 39 over Freedom (Orlando
Palm Beach Central 20 over Forest Hill
Park Vista 10 over Lake Worth
Plant 28 over Palm Harbor University
Riverview (Sarasota) 34 over Riverview
Santaluces 28 over John I. Leonard
Seminole (Sanford) 3 over Flagler Palm Coast
South Dade 35 over Southwest Miami
Spruce Creek 3 over University (Orange City)
Steinbrenner 56 over (6A) Blake
Taravella 23 over (Ind.) Nova
Timber Creek 30 over University (Orlando)
Treasure Coast 4 over Vero Beach
Wellington 3 over Jupiter
Western 49 over Piper
Wharton 7 over Alonso
Winter Park 14 over Oviedo
Class 7A
Armwood 21 over Tampa Bay Tech
Atlantic (Delray Beach) 66 over West Boca Raton
Bartow 10 over Liberty
Bloomingdale 35 over Kathleen
Chiles 1 over Navarre
Creekside 17 over Atlantic Coast
East Lake 1 over Sickles
East River 4 over Lyman
Edgewater 59 over South Lake
Ely 29 over Olympic Heights
Fleming Island 24 over First Coast
Fletcher 8 over Buchholz
Fort Lauderdale 16 over South Plantation
George Jenkins 20 over Poinciana
Gulf Coast 24 over North Port
Hialeah 68 over Mater Academy
Homestead 21 over Miami Beach
Lake Howell 3 over Winter Springs
Lakeland 45 over Durant
Lehigh 21 over Riverdale
Lincoln 28 over Leon
Manatee 7 over Sarasota
Melbourne 1 over St. Cloud
Miramar 48 over Everglades
Mitchell 43 over Leto
Niceville 38 over Tate
North Miami 12 over Doral Academy
Palm Beach Lakes 27 over Seminole Ridge
Pinellas Park 35 over Sunlake
Plant City 63 over Strawberry Crest
St. Thomas Aquinas 24 over Plantation
Venice 55 over Lakewood Ranch
Viera 33 over Tohopekaliga
Wekiva 20 over Forest
William T. Dwyer 3 over Royal Palm Beach
Wiregrass Ranch 21 over East Bay
Class 6A
Barron Collier 16 over Golden Gate
Belen Jesuit 1 over (2A) Champagnat Catholic
Boca Ciega 13 over Northeast (St. Petersburg)
Boyd Anderson 29 over Archbishop McCarthy
Braden River 17 over Southeast
Clearwater 21 over Countryside
Columbia 17 over Robert E. Lee
Dixie Hollins 26 over St. Petersburg
Dillard 59 over Hollywood Hills
Escambia 31 over Mosley
Fivay 27 over Freedom (Tampa)
Fort Myers 51 over East Lee County
Gainesville 1 over Middleburg
Gaither 52 over Land O’ Lakes
Heritage 4 over Bayside
Hillsborough 42 over Spoto
Jefferson 56 over Brandon
Lake Gibson 41 over Gateway
Lake Minneola 33 over Pasco
Largo 35 over Seminole
Mainland 7 over Westwood
Miami Central 17 over Norland
Middleton 2 over King
Milton 10 over Gulf Breeze
Naples 31 over Lely
New Smyrna Beach 12 over Seabreeze
North Fort Myers 1 over Dunbar
Okeechobee 1 over Port St. Lucie
Palmetto 34 over Charlotte
Palmetto Ridge 4 over Immokalee
Pine Ridge 4 over Deltona
Ponte Vedra 42 over Englewood
Sebastian River 21 over South Fork
South Fort Myers 18 over Island Coast
Southridge 16 over South Miami
Springstead 34 over Lecanto
St. Augustine 38 over Matanzas
Washington (Pensacola) 29 over Fort Walton Beach
Class 5A
American Heritage (Plantation) 41 over Stranahan
Baker County 10 over Orange Park
Bishop Moore 33 over Leesburg
Booker 1 over Bayshore
Cape Coral 2 over Estero
Chamberlain 47 over Gibbs
Choctawhatchee 14 over Arnold
Citrus 3 over Hernando
Coconut Creek 22 over Suncoast
Crystal River 27 over Central (Brooksville)
Cypress Lake 21 over Mariner
DeSoto 20 over LaBelle
Eastside 14 over Ridgeview
Eau Gallie 7 over Atlantic (Port Orange)
Godby 18 over Rickards
Jensen Beach 15 over Boynton Beach
Jesuit 30 over Robinson
Jones 59 over Eustis
Lake Wales 14 over Hardee
Menendez 21 over Clay
Miami Jackson 6 over Key West
Mulberry 1 over Lake Region
Nature Coast Tech 21 over Weeki Wachee
North Marion 55 over Lake Weir
North Miami Beach 21 over Hallandale
Northwestern 77 over Miami Springs
Palm Bay 1 over (7A) Harmony
Paxon 10 over Stanton
Pine Forest 31 over West Florida Tech
Raines 3 over Ribault
River Ridge 17 over Wesley Chapel
Rockledge 38 over Merritt Island
Sebring 1 over (Ind.) American Collegiate
Tarpon Springs 10 over Gulf
Tavares 3 over Mount Dora
Terry Parker 7 over Ed White
Vanguard 77 over Belleview
Wakulla 29 over Suwannee
Westside 17 over Bishop Kenny
Zephyrhills 37 over Anclote
Class 4A
Astronaut 13 over Space Coast
Booker T. Washington 43 over (7A) American
Bradford 14 over (3A) PK Yonge
Cardinal Gibbons 10 over (7A) McArthur
Carol City 20 over (3A) Edison
Cypress Creek (Wesley Chapel) 12 over (Ind.) Dunedin
Gadsden County 13 over Marianna
Glades Central 3 over Monsignor Pace
Gulliver Prep 15 over (3A) Benjamin
Keystone Heights 4 over (1A) Wildwood
Lakewood 70 over (6A) Osceola Fundamental
North Bay Haven 18 over (1A) Liberty County
Palatka 3 over Santa Fe
Pine Crest 26 over (6A) Northeast (Oakland Park)
Somerset (Pembroke) 6 over Somerset Canyons (Monday)
Somerset (Pembroke) 24 over (2A) Marathon
South Sumter 6 over The Villages
Tampa Catholic 1 over (7A) Winter Haven
University School 3 over (8A) Columbus
West Nassau 37 over Fernandina Beach
Class 3A
Baldwin 20 over (1A) Fort White
Berkeley Prep 4 over Oasis
Bishop Verot 20 over (4A) American Heritage (Delray Beach)
Calvary Christian (Fort Lauderdale) 21 over King’s Academy
Cardinal Newman 1 over (4A) Clewiston
Chaminade-Madonna 38 over (1A) Pahokee
Clearwater Central Catholic 16 over Cardinal Mooney
Colquitt County GA 21 over Trinity Christian (Jacksonville)
Episcopal 14 over Andrew Jackson
Everglades Prep 21 over (2A) Marathon (Tuesday)
Father Lopez 8 over Taylor (Pierson)
Florida High 42 over (5A) Pensacola
Holy Trinity Episcopal 1 over (4A) Coral Springs Charter
John Carroll 67 over (Ind.) Village Academy
Lakeland Christian 47 over Frostproof
Pensacola Catholic 14 over (6A) Pace
Somerset Silver Palms 16 over (4A) North Broward Prep
St. John Paul II Academy 1 over (Ind.) Coral Shores
The First Academy 13 over Trinity Prep
Westminster Christian 6 over Palmer Trinity
Wolfson 14 over Interlachen
Class 2A
Admiral Farragut 27 over (4A) Hudson
Aucilla Christian 50 over Fullington Academy GA
Cambridge Christian 39 over (Ind.) Citi Christian
Eagle’s View Academy 8 over (SSAC) First Academy-Leesburg
Evangelical Christian 25 over Community School of Naples
FAMU DRS 1 over North Florida Christian
First Baptist 31 over Glades Day
Miami Christian 47 over (3A) Everglades Prep
Moore Haven 7 over (4A) Lake Placid
Munroe Day 12 over Rocky Bayou Christian
Northside Christian 31 over (Ind.) Tampa Bay Christian
Southwest Florida Christian 9 over (SSAC) Marco Island Academy
St. John Lutheran 12 over Merritt Island Christian
St. John Neumann 26 over (3A) Bonita Springs
St. Petersburg Catholic 14 over (4A) Lake Highland Prep
Trinity Christian (Deltona) 2 over St. Joseph Academy
University Christian 17 over Foundation Academy
Victory Christian 14 over (3A) Calvary Christian (Clearwater)
Westminster Academy 47 over (Ind.) Somerset Key Charter
Zephyrhills Christian 19 over (4A) Avon Park
Class 1A
Baker 42 over (Ind.) Lighthouse Private Christian
Blountstown 55 over (4A) Bay
Branford 22 over Franklin County
Chiefland 38 over Hamilton County
Crescent City 38 over (4A) Umatilla
Dixie County 1 over Newberry
Fort Meade 1 over (3A) Discovery Charter
Freeport 3 over Jay
Graceville 27 over Cottondale
Hawthorne 34 over (2A) Indian Rocks Christian
Hilliard 28 over (2A) Halifax Academy
Holmes County 1 over Chipley
Lafayette 12 over (2A) Maclay
Madison County 5 over (5A) Dunnellon
Northview 14 over (4A) South Walton
Sneads 47 over Pataula Charter GA
Trenton 25 over Bell
Vernon 20 over Taylor County
Independent
Braddock 31 over Varela
Cocoa Beach 24 over (SSAC) Warner Christian (Monday)
Cocoa Beach 6 over (3A) Cornerstone Charter
Coral Park 3 over Sunset
Dade Christian 14 over (4A) Somerset Canyons
Dr. Krop 4 over Goleman
Ferguson 7 over Reagan
Florida Christian 36 over Miami Country Day
Hialeah Gardens 22 over Westland Hialeah
Hialeah-Miami Lakes 35 over Mourning
IMG Academy (National) 49 over Life Christian Academy VA
Jordan Christian Prep 20 over (SSAC) Gateway Charter
Ransom Everglades 6 over (3A) St. Andrew’s
Satellite 20 over (2A) Orangewood Christian
St. Brendan 37 over (3A) Palm Glades Prep
St. John Paul II Catholic 14 over (2A) St. Francis Catholic
West Oaks Academy 20 over Joshua Christian
Sunshine State Athletic Conference (SSAC)
All Saints Academy 49 over Warner Christian
Berean Christian 6 over St. Edward’s
Canterbury (Fort Myers) 13 over (Ind.) Boca Raton Christian
Cedar Creek Christian 1 over Bishop Snyder
Christ’s Church Academy 11 over Providence
Faith Christian 12 over Central Florida Christian
Inlet Grove 38 over Jupiter Christian
Legacy 3 over (2A) North Florida Educational Institute
Mount Dora Christian 28 over Windermere Prep
Orlando Christian Prep 14 over (Ind.) IMG Academy
Out-of-Door Academy 14 over (2A) Carrollwood Day
Santa Fe Catholic 15 over Shorecrest Prep
Seven Rivers Christian 14 over Ocala Christian
St. Stephen’s Episcopal 63 over Bishop McLaughlin
The Master’s Academy 14 over (2A) Seffner Christian
Forecast Record
Last Week 192-52, 78.7%
Season 1,381-325, 80.9%
Area teams in bold
FLORIDA TOP 25
Rank, Team, Classification, Record, Previous Ranking
1. Lakeland (7A), 7-0, 1
2. St. Thomas Aquinas (7A), 5-0, 2
3. Columbia (Lake City), (6A), 6-0, 3
4. American Heritage (Plantation) (5A) 5-1, 9
5. Miami Northwestern (5A), 4-2, 10
6. Chaminade-Madonna (3A), 5-1, 6
7. Miami Central (6A), 5-2, 4
8. South Dade (8A), 6-0, 7
9. Armwood (7A), 5-1, 8
10. Edgewater (7A), 6-1, 5
11. Escambia (6A), 6-0, 12
12. Seminole (Sanford) (8A), 6-0, 13
13. Booker T. Washington (4A), 5-2, 15
14. Jones (5A), 5-1, 17
15. Rockledge (5A), 5-1, 11
16. Cardinal Gibbons (4A), 4-2, 14
17. Lakewood (4A), 7-0, 23
18. Palmetto (6A), 6-0, 22
19. Lake Wales, 6-0, 16
20. Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (8A), 6-0, 19
21. Apopka (8A), 4-1, 18
22. Gaither (6A), 6-0, 24
23. Wakulla (5A), 7-0, NR
24. Cocoa (4A), 5-1, NR
25. Palm Beach Lakes (7A), 5-0, NR
CLASS 8A
Rank, Team, Record, Previous Ranking
1. South Dade, 6-0, 1
2. Seminole (Sanford), 6-0, 2
3. Bartram Trail (St. Johns), 6-0, 4
4. Apopka, 4-1, 5
5. Vero Beach, 5-0, 5
6. Western, 5-1, 6
7. Miami Palmetto, 5-1, 7
8. Columbus, 4-2, 8
9. Osceola (Kissimmee), 5-1, 9
10. Oakleaf (Orange Park), 5-1, 10
First Five Out: Steinbrenner, 6-0; Deerfield Beach, 4-2; Riverview (Sarasota), 4-2; Palm Beach Gardens, 5-1; Dr. Phillips 5-2.
CLASS 7A
Rank, Team, Record, Previous Ranking
1. Lakeland, 7-0, 1
2. St. Thomas Aquinas, 5-0, 2
3. Armwood, 5-1, 4
4. Edgewater, 6-1, 3
5. Palm Beach Lakes, 5-0, 9
6. Plantation, 6-0, 8
7. Niceville, 7-0, 10
8. Bloomingdale, 5-1, NR
9. Tampa Bay Tech, 5-1, 5
10. Lincoln, 4-2, NR
First Five Out: Wekiva, 5-2; Atlantic (Delray), 3-2; Fleming Island (Orange Park), 5-0; Wiregrass Ranch, 5-1; Venice 3-3.
CLASS 6A
Rank, Team, Record, Previous Ranking
1. Columbia (Lake City), 6-0, 1
2. Miami Central, 5-2, 2
3. Escambia, 6-0, 3
4. Palmetto, 6-0, 4
5. Gaither, 6-0, 6
6. Naples, 6-0, 6
7. Dillard, 7-0, 7
8. Lake Gibson, 6-0, 8
9. Charlotte, 5-1, 9
10. Ponte Vedra, 5-1, 10
First Five Out: Fort Myers, 5-2; Springstead (Spring Hill), 6-0; Port Charlotte, 6-1; South Fort Myers, 5-1; Washington (Pensacola), 6-0
CLASS 5A
Rank, Team, Record, Previous Ranking
1. American Heritage (Plantation), 5-1, 1
2. Miami Northwestern, 4-2, 2
3. Jones, 5-1, 5
4. Rockledge, 5-1, 3
5. Lake Wales, 6-0, 4
6. Wakulla, 7-0, 6
7. Dunnellon, 6-0, 7
8. North Marion (Citra), 5-1, 9
9. Jesuit, 4-2, 10
10. Vanguard (Ocala), 3-2, 8
First Five Out: Citrus (Inverness), 7-0; Pine Forest, 3-2; Westside (Jacksonville), 5-1; Cypress Lake, 5-2; Eau Gallie, 5-1.
CLASS 4A
Rank, Team, Record, Previous Ranking
1. Booker T. Washington, 5-2, 2
2. Cardinal Gibbons, 4-2, 1
3. Lakewood, 7-0, 3
4. Cocoa, 5-1, 4
5. Gulliver Prep, 6-0, 5
6. NSU University School, 5-1, 6
7. Bolles (Jacksonville), 5-1, 7
8. The Villages, 5-1, 8
9. American Heritage (Delray), 4-2, 9
10. Tampa Catholic, 4-2, 10
First Five Out: Miami Carol City, 3-4; West Nassau (Callahan), 5-1; South Sumter (Bushnell), 4-2; Keystone Heights, 5-0; Coral Springs Charter, 4-2.
CLASS 3A
Rank, Team, Record, Previous Ranking
1. Chaminade-Madonna, 5-1, 1
2. Florida High, 6-1, 3
3. Berkeley Prep, 5-1, 2
4. Pensacola Catholic, 6-0, 4
5. Bishop Verot, 6-0, 7
6. Trinity Catholic (Ocala), 6-1, 9
7. Trinity Christian (Jacksonville), 3-4, 6
8. Baldwin, 6-1, 10
9. Calvary Christian (Fort Lauderdale), 7-0, NR
10. Clearwater Central Catholic, 4-3, 10
First Five Out: Oasis, 6-0; Lakeland Christian, 4-2, Benjamin, 4-2; Cardinal Newman, 4-1; Calvary Christian (Clearwater), 5-1
CLASS 2A
Rank, Team, Record, Previous Ranking
1. Victory Christian, 6-0, 1
2. University Christian (Jacksonville), 5-1, 2
3. Champagnat Catholic, 4-2, 3
4. Foundation Academy, 6-1, 5
5. First Baptist (Naples), 6-0, 6
6. Cambridge Christian, 6-1, 4
7. Maclay, 5-1, 7
8. Aucilla Christian (Monticello), 6-0, 8
9. Zephyrhills Christian, 4-2, 10
10. Oak Hall (Gainesville), 5-2, NR
First Five Out: Westminster Academy, 6-0; Admiral Farragut, 2-3; Orangewood Christian, 4-2; Northside Christian, 4-2; Keswick Christian, 5-2.
CLASS 1A
Rank, Team, Record, Previous Ranking
1. Baker, 6-0, 2
2. Madison County, 5-2, 1
3. Blountstown, 6-0, 3
4. Vernon, 5-1, 4
5. Newberry, 6-1, 6
6. Lafayette (Mayo), 7-0, 7
7. Dixie County (Cross City), 6-1, 5
8. Sneads, 6-0, 8
9. Hawthorne, 4-2, 10
10. Northview, 4-2, NR
First Five Out: Freeport, 6-1; Graceville, 4-2; Wildwood, 3-3; Taylor County (Perry) 4-3; Chiefland 3-4.
Monday, October 7 – “The Prep Zone” Sports Show presented by Sonic Drive-In (broadcast from Sonic Drive-In on 39th Ave. in Gainesville)
Join Mike Ridaught & Marty Pallman as they talk high school sports from Sonic Drive-In of Gainesville. Our guests for this episode is Buchholz girls/boys cross country coach Michael Lehning and members of both cross country teams. We’ll look back at this past weekend’s Bobcat Invitational and look ahead to this month’s district meets.
By Declan Walsh
Twitter – @dawalsh_UF
As he brought his team together after the game, coach Mark Whittlemore had three words for his Buchholz team after their 18-13 victory – “We’re city champs.”
The importance of this statement was visible to anyone who attended Friday’s clash, as the electric atmosphere demonstrated that there is no love lost between these two schools.
“I just love it,” Buchholz running back Quan Smith said speaking about the environment. “I love the energy and the juice they provided during the game.”
The impressive ambience, however, likely contributed to the jittery starts from both ball clubs. Three snaps sailed over the head of Buchholz quarterback Jack Hevesy and penalty yards began to rack up for Gainesville as both sides struggled to establish momentum on offense.
Ultimately, Gainesville (0-6), were able to draw first blood as Rod Williams capped off a nice drive by finding Alex Brown in the end zone for a 19-yard score.
Williams had a very good game on the night, throwing and rushing for a score while racking up around 200 yards passing.
More of the same followed in the second quarter as the highly regarded Buchholz offensive line had trouble with the Gainesville defensive front and star back Quan Smith was held largely in check in the first half. This stout defensive play coupled with excellent punting work from Alex Hood saw the Hurricanes take a surprise 7-0 lead into the locker room.
Smith, the Sonic Drive-In Player of the Game, spoke to how Coach Whittlemore “fired us up” during halftime, and Smith came to life in the second half leading his side to victory with three rushing scores.
The first of these came towards the end of the third quarter, as a penalty fueled drive allowed Smith to punch the ball in from 13 yards out, cutting the deficit to one after the missed PAT.
Penalty yardage plagued both sides, with Gainesville committing 18 infractions for 172 (!!) yards, many of which came in the form of unsportsmanlike conduct fouls. Buchholz (4-2) racked up a still substantial 70 penalty yards on 7 fouls.
The Bobcats wasted no time getting back on the scoreboard, picking off Gainesville on the first play of the subsequent drive and manufacturing a short drive that culminated in a one yard touchdown rush for Quan Smith. The failed two point conversion left the score at 12-7 and saw Buchholz claim their first lead of the night two minutes into the fourth quarter.
A 52 yard kickoff return, however, laid the groundwork for an immediate Gainesville response. Rod Williams capitalized on the good field position by calling his own number and rushing the ball into the endzone, giving the Hurricanes a 13-12 lead halfway through the fourth quarter.
Jack Hevesy, who was solid in limited attempts for Buchholz, navigated his team out of dire straits on the following drive via a huge 30 yard completion down the sideline on 3rd and 13. This set up Smith’s third score on a 27 yard run, giving his squad an 18-13 lead with just over two minutes to play.
A sack on first down dashed the hopes of a Gainesville two-minute drill, and a turnover on downs sealed the game for the Bobcats.
For Gainesville, they likely will feel they missed an opportunity to score a victory over a rival and a very strong opponent. However, this game demonstrated a marked improvement over their previous outings, especially on the defensive end. Gainesville has a chance to score their first victory next Saturday as they travel north to take on a beatable Middleburg (2-4) team.
For Buchholz, they were able to score a huge win over a long time rival. There were, however, a lot of sloppy aspects to their performance that Coach Whittlemore and his staff will want to clean up before playing host to a good Fletcher (3-3) outfit.
The Sonic Drive-In Player-of-the-Game for Friday, October 4, was Quan Smith of the Buchholz (Gainesville) football team.
Smith scored the game-winning TD on a 27-yard run with 1:44 to play as the Bobcats defeated rival Gainesville, 18-13, for their 2nd straight win in the series.
The junior finished with all three TD’s for the Bobcats (4-2), who overcame a 7-0 first-half deficit. Smith had 86 of his game-high 191 yards rushing in the opening half.
Smith now has 1,037 yards for Buchholz, which will host Fletcher (Neptune Beach) on Friday, Oct. 11, in a Class 7A-District 2 game.
Every game The Prep Zone will recognize a Player-of-the-Game. The recipient receives a $10 gift certificate courtesy of Sonic Drive-In of Gainesville & Ocala.
Friday, 7 p.m. (PREGAME) – High School Football, 7:30 p.m. (KICKOFF)
Buchholz (Gainesville) at Gainesville
Join Mike Ridaught (Play-by-play), Travis Coleman (Color), & Alex Reiter (Videographer) for this city showdown. Buchholz won last year’s meeting, 27-7, to snap a 2-game losing streak in the series.
Radio: 92.1 FM & 1230 AM Gainesville & 900 AM in Ocala
Video (Subscription required for live viewing; archive is free to all after 72 hours) – https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/the-prep-zone/gam251970d515
By Rachel Rosenblum
@rachrosenblum_
Former district rivals met again under some Thursday night lights when the North Marion Colts faced the Eastside Rams at Citizen Field.
The Colts were looking to bounce back after a tough 18-14 loss last week at Vanguard (Ocala).
The Rams 2-3 record is deceiving considering they have a pair of one-point losses.
North Marion has more Ws in the win column in the series against the Rams, including four wins in the past five games, but they were sure to be tested by UF commit QB Anthony Richardson.
Unfortunately, Richardson went down with an injury in the first half and never returned to the game.
The Colts came out of the gate strong and took an early 14-0 lead.
The second touchdown of the night came on a 4th-and-goal 3-yard scoring run by senior Jyron Gilmore, who ended up with three trips to the endzone.
Gilmore was later recognized as our Sonic Drive-In Player-of-the-Game.
When asked about his strong performance on the ground he made sure to acknowledge the entire team’s performance.
“Great to bounce back after the loss,” said Gilmore.
He was happy his team was able to add another win to their record and said he is looking forward to getting back to work.
Richardson proved to be strong on third down after converting on third and long many times throughout multiple drives in the first half.
One play that stuck out was in the first quarter.
Facing 3rd and 12, Richardson scrambled out of the pocket and found one of his favorite targets Carleton Brooks to convert. On that same drive he converted on another third and long that set up a 17-yard touchdown run by Deion Jenkins.
That 14-6 score was the closest Eastside was going to get all night.
A fumble early in the second quarter set up an easy touchdown for the Colts.
The Rams struggled all night with bad snaps that sent Richardson and backup quarterback Holden Johnson scrambling for the ball. They added another lost fumble later in the game.
By the end of the night Eastside had three turnovers while North Marion did not give the ball up once.
Colts quarterback Quinton Gross had a great game through the air and on the ground with two passing touchdowns along with one he ran in himself.
One of his biggest plays of the night was a 53-yard touchdown pass to Buc Offord late in the second quarter.
Eastside did go on to score one more time on a coast-to-coast 88-yard kickoff return by Quan Lee. Those 13 points would be the only ones they ended up with.
At the halfway mark the Colts led 42-13.
After that it was all North Marion on both sides of the ball.
Defense held the Rams to punt after punt while Gross continued to lead his team down the field. Junior running back Trevonn Johnson added to the
score with a 1-yd touchdown run that forced a running clock for the rest of the game.
Defensive back Kadin James recorded an interception late in the game that really put the nail in the coffin for Eastside.
The final score was 49-13.
After the game, North Marion coach Willie Offord talked about the importance of the win.
“It was very important, great to have the focus and intensity back.” he said.
He also added that it was great to see positivity on the offensive side of the ball after a disappointing 14 point performance.
North Marion heads back home next Friday to face Lake Weir (Ocala), while Eastside will play host to Ridgeview (Orange Park) on Thursday night.