The Prep Zone

The Prep Zone Power Poll fueled by Divine Power Wear – 2017 Football Poll #8

Mike Ridaught

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October 12, 2017

Another change at the top as Vanguard (Ocala) is new #1 in regional football rankings

GAINESVILLE — The stay at the top of The Prep Zone Power Poll for Robert E. Lee (Jacksonville) lasted only one week.

The Generals (5-1) dropped their first game of the season at #T-16 Ribault (Jacksonville), 7-6, last Friday. The loss drops Robert E. Lee to 4th in this week’s rankings.

The Trojans (5-2) also won at Suwannee (Live Oak), 33-26, on Tuesday in a District 3-5A game and are back in the poll for the first time since the second week of the season.

The new #1 team is Vanguard (Ocala). Vanguard Knights

Despite a bye week last week, the Knights (5-0) garnered five of the eight first-place votes to move into the top spot for the first time this season. Vanguard has a big District 5-6A game this week at RV Gainesville.

Receiving the other three first-place votes and up two spots to 2nd this week is St. Augustine.

The Yellow Jackets (5-0) continued their dominant play with a 41-0 romp at St. Johns County rival then-#16 Ponte Vedra last week. The Sharks (4-2) drop out of the poll after the shutout loss.

Madison County (7-0) remains third after taking a road trip to the Panhandle last week and winning easily at Penascola Catholic 45-6.

Rounding out the top five is Raines (Jacksonville).

The Vikings (5-1) won their fifth game in a row 55-20 over 8A Sandalwood (Jacksonville). Raines’ only loss was back in week 1 at Robert E. Lee.

Despite a bye, Fleming Island (Orange Park) ) moves up two spaces this week to #6. The Golden Eagles (6-0) host #7 Bartram Trail (St. Johns) in a huge District 3-7A game this Friday night.

The Bears (4-2) remain 7th after an easy 48-14 district win over Oakleaf (Orange Park).

Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) had an interesting week.

The Conquerors found out Friday night before their game at Lincoln (Tallahassee) that they would have to forfeit their September 15 District 4-5A win over #12 Bolles (Jacksonville) due to an ineligible player. Trinity Christian did win the game 35-21 at Lincoln but lost their appeal with the FHSAA earlier this week and the Conquerors official record now sits at 4-3 overall and 1-1 in district play.

Trinity Christian drops two spots to #8 this week.

Also moving up two spots and into the top 10 at #9 is Dunnellon. The Tigers (5-1) easily handled South Sumter (Bushnell), 40-0.

Rounding out the top 10 is Spruce Creek (Port Orange). The 10th-ranked Hawks (5-0) are up three slots despite also having a bye week.

Bolles falls out of the top 10 to 12th after a 21-17 loss at Ridge Community (Davenport). That is officially the first loss of the season for the Bulldogs (5-1) after they were rewarded the forfeit win over Trinity Christian.

Besides Ribault, the only other team new to the poll is #20 East Ridge (Clermont). The 7A Knights (5-1) captured their fourth straight win 29-7 at Hagerty (Oviedo).

Other than Ponte Vedra, the only other team to drop out this week is Union County (Lake Butler). The Tigers (6-1) were #T-20 a week ago and dropped out despite a 31-25 overtime win over previously undefeated Hawthorne.

The Prep Zone Power Poll ranks the top 20 high school football, basketball, baseball & softball teams (regardless of FHSAA classification) across 26 counties in North Central 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. It is fueled by Divine Power Wear.

The Prep Zone Power Poll fueled by Divine Power Wear – 2017 Football Poll #8
(School, followed by classification, first place votes, overall record, and total voting points)
1. Vanguard (Ocala) (6A) (5) (5-0) – 156
2. St. Augustine (6A) (3) (5-0) – 151
3. Madison County (1A) (7-0) – 147
4. Robert E. Lee (Jacksonville) (7A) (5-1) – 127
5. Raines (Jacksonville) (5A) (5-1) – 122
6. Fleming Island (Orange Park) (7A) (6-0) – 119
7. Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (7A) (4-2) – 106
8. Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (5A) (4-3) – 99
9. Dunnellon (4A) (5-1) – 86
10. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (8A) (5-0) – 84
11. University Christian (Jacksonville) (2A) (6-0) – 82
12. Bolles (Jacksonville) (5A) (5-1) – 73
13. Flagler Palm Coast (8A) (6-0) – 70
14. Columbia (Lake City) (7A) (4-2) – 61
15. Dixie County (Cross City) (1A) (7-0) – 35
T-16. Mainland (Daytona Beach) (6A) (2-3) – 31
T-16. Ribault (Jacksonville) (5A) (5-2) – 31
18. Lafayette (Mayo) (1A) (6-0) – 16
19. Ridgeview (Orange Park) (5A) (6-1) – 14
20. East Ridge (Clermont) (7A) (5-1) – 13
Also receiving votes: Gainesville (6A) (4-1) – 12; Baker County (Glen St. Mary) (5A) (5-1) – 10; Ponte Vedra (5A) (4-2) – 10; Clay (Green Cove Springs) (5A) (4-2) – 4; Matanzas (Palm Coast) (6A) (4-1) – 2; Union County (Lake Butler) (1A) (6-1) – 2; Bradford (Starke) (4A) (5-1) -1; St. Francis Catholic (Gainesville) (2A) (5-0) – 1.

Creekside at Buchholz – Football 2017

Mike Stanton

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October 12, 2017

0

Thursday, Oct. 5 – High School Football
Creekside (St. Johns) at Buchholz (Gainesville)

Join Marty Pallman (Play-by-play) and Michael Phillips (Color) for this Class 7A-District 3 game. It’s also Homecoming for the Bobcats. The archived broadcast is available above. Click here to read the recap.

Joe Pinkos’ 2017 Weekly Game Forecast for Week 8

Mike Ridaught

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October 11, 2017

1

joepinkosgameforecast 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. Teams in The Prep Zone’s coverage area are in bold.

Class 8A
American 32 over Hialeah Gardens
Apopka 11 over Dr. Phillips (Monday)
Apopka 20 over West Orange
Atlantic (Delray Beach) 49 over John I. Leonard
Belen Jesuit 20 over Braddock
Boca Raton 35 over Lake Worth
Boone 42 over University (Orlando) (Monday)
Boone 15 over Timber Creek
Centennial 17 over Fort Pierce Central
Columbus 56 over Miami Beach
Coral Gables 45 over Coral Park
Deerfield Beach 56 over Douglas
Dr. Phillips 41 over Freedom (Orlando)
Everglades 4 over Flanagan
Ferguson 1 over Coral Reef
George Jenkins 24 over Haines City
Lake Mary 28 over DeLand
Lyman 4 over Lake Brantley
Miami Palmetto 21 over Homestead
Miramar 31 over (5A) Hallandale
Monarch 27 over Coral Springs
Newsome 17 over Steinbrenner
North Miami 14 over Dr. Krop
North Miami Beach 14 over Hialeah
Oak Ridge 13 over Freedom (Orlando) (Monday)
Oak Ridge 22 over Cypress Creek (Orlando)
Olympia 35 over Cypress Creek (Orlando) (Monday)
Osceola (Kissimmee) 37 over Gateway
Palm Harbor University 8 over Alonso
Park Vista 29 over Spanish River
Piper 9 over Taravella
Riverview 6 over (7A) Strawberry Crest
Riverview (Sarasota) 11 over Manatee
Sandalwood (Jacksonville) 1 over Mandarin (Jacksonville)
Seminole (Sanford) 18 over Oviedo
Seminole Ridge 3 over Palm Beach Central
South Dade 32 over Killian
South Plantation 1 over Cypress Bay
Spruce Creek (Port Orange) 7 over Flagler Palm Coast
University (Orange City) 41 over Winter Springs
Varela 10 over Southwest Miami
Vero Beach 35 over Treasure Coast
Wekiva 31 over Evans
Wellington 3 over Jupiter
West Orange 10 over Timber Creek (Monday)
Western 7 over Plantation
Winter Park 46 over University (Orlando)

Class 7A
Bartram Trail (St. Johns) 16 over Fleming Island (Orange Park)
Braden River 35 over Sarasota
Buchholz (Gainesville) 6 over Creekside (St. Johns)
Chiles 13 over (4A) Gadsden County
Columbia (Lake City) 31 over Atlantic Coast (Jacksonville)
Doral Academy 44 over Goleman
Durant 6 over Plant City
East Bay 22 over Lennard
East Lake 13 over (5A) Tarpon Springs (Monday)
East Ridge (Clermont) 24 over West Port (Ocala)
East River 42 over Windermere (Monday)
East River 21 over Liberty
Edgewater 13 over Ocoee (Monday)
Edgewater 21 over Lake Minneola
Fletcher (Neptune Beach) 70 over (4A) Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville)
Gaither 11 over Sickles
Hagerty (Oviedo) 10 over Lake Minneola (Tuesday)
Hollywood Hills 3 over McArthur
Kathleen 22 over Bartow
Lake Nona 13 over St. Cloud (Monday)
Lake Nona 7 over Harmony
Lakeland 21 over Winter Haven
Lincoln 32 over Leon
Mater Academy 34 over Mourning
Melbourne 19 over South Fork
Miami Springs 54 over Westland Hialeah
Nova 3 over Cooper City
Ocoee 6 over Lake Howell
Olympic Heights 3 over Palm Beach Lakes
Palmetto 34 over Lakewood Ranch
Pinellas Park 52 over Seminole
Plant 73 over Leto
Robert E. Lee (Jacksonville) 27 over First Coast (Jacksonville)
South Fort Myers 1 over Riverdale
St. Cloud 35 over Celebration
St. Petersburg 20 over Countryside
St. Thomas Aquinas 42 over Fort Lauderdale
Sunset 6 over South Miami
Tampa Bay Tech 18 over Bloomingdale
Venice 44 over Lakewood Ranch (Monday)
Venice 56 over North Port
Viera 38 over Martin County
West Boca Raton 10 over Royal Palm Beach
West Broward 1 over South Broward
West Port (Ocala) 4 over Lake Howell (Winter Park) (Tuesday)
William T. Dwyer 11 over Forest Hill
Wiregrass Ranch 17 over Freedom (Tampa)

Class 6A
Armwood 83 over King
Archbishop McCarthy 10 over Boyd Anderson
Barron Collier 18 over Palmetto Ridge
Blake 4 over Brandon
Cape Coral 42 over Island Coast
Clearwater 31 over Dixie Hollins
Crestview 20 over Fort Walton Beach
Deltona 14 over Pine Ridge (Deltona)
Dillard 20 over Northeast (Oakland Park)
Escambia 7 over Tate
Forest (Ocala) 1 over Lake Weir (Ocala)
Fort Myers 8 over Estero
Gulf Breeze 22 over Pace
Heritage 20 over Sebastian River
Hillsborough 11 over Chamberlain
Jensen Beach 10 over Eau Gallie
Lake Gibson 24 over Auburndale
Lake Wales 49 over Lake Region
Largo 47 over Osceola Fundamental
Lehigh 19 over East Lee County
Mainland (Daytona Beach) 10 over Mantazas (Palm Coast)
Miami Central 63 over Hialeah-Miami Lakes
Mitchell 11 over (3A) Berkeley Prep
Naples 34 over Golden Gate
Navarre 18 over Milton
Nease (Ponte Vedra) 34 over Middleburg
New Smyrna Beach 17 over Seabreeze (Daytona Beach)
Niceville 11 over Choctawhatchee
North Fort Myers 21 over Charlotte
Northeast (St. Petersburg) 10 over Boca Ciega
Northwestern 5 over Carol City
Okeechobee 32 over Bayside
Pasco 1 over Sunlake
Pine Forest 12 over Washington (Pensacola)
Port Charlotte 56 over Ida Baker
Sebring 20 over Lehigh (Monday)
South Lake (Groveland) 1 over Leesburg
Springstead (Spring HIll) 18 over Land O’ Lakes
St. Augustine 40 over Ed White (Jacksonville)
Vanguard (Ocala) 27 over Gainesville

Class 5A
American Heritage (Plantation) 6 over Cardinal Gibbons
Anclote 41 over Ridgewood
Arnold 1 over Pensacola
Baker County (Glen St. Mary) 26 over Orange Park
Belleview 6 over Eastside (Gainesville)
Bishop Moore 49 over Poinciana (Monday)
Bishop Moore 41 over Tavares
Bolles (Jacksonville) 14 over Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville)
Booker 7 over DeSoto
Central (Brooksville) 6 over Crystal River
Clay (Green Cove Springs) 14 over Ridgeview (Orange Park)
Coconut Creek 14 over (7A) Ely
Dunbar 17 over Cypress Lake
Fivay 7 over Gulf
Godby 4 over Rickards
Hardee 37 over Bayshore
Hernando (Brooksville) 29 over Weeki Wachee
Immokalee 38 over Clewiston
Jefferson 28 over (7A) Wharton
Jesuit 25 over Robinson
John Carroll 35 over (2A) Village Academy
Jones 33 over (8A) Evans (Monday)
Jones 63 over Poinciana
Lakewood 22 over Gibbs
Lely 4 over Mariner
Menendez (St. Augustine) 15 over Palatka
Merritt Island 35 over Titusville
Miami Jackson 14 over Stranahan
Nature Coast Tech (Brooksville) 61 over Lecanto
Ponte Vedra 34 over Terry Parker (Jacksonville)
Port St. Lucie 12 over Space Coast (Monday)
Port St. Lucie 32 over Pompano Beach
Ribault (Jacksonville) 21 over Suwannee (Live Oak) (Tuesday)
Rockledge 7 over Palm Bay
Southeast 20 over Lemon Bay
Spoto 4 over Middleton
Suncoast 10 over Westwood
Suwannee (Live Oak) 26 over Paxon (Jacksonville)
Tarpon Springs 56 over Dunedin
Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) 42 over Westside (Jacksonville)
Wakulla 18 over (3A) Florida High
Wesley Chapel 11 over Hudson
West Florida Tech 29 over Bay
Yulee 3 over Stanton College Prep (Jacksonville)
Zephyrhills 3 over River Ridge

Class 4A
Avon Park 31 over South Sumter (Bushnell)
Cocoa 55 over (3A) Everglades Prep (Monday)
Cocoa Beach 14 over (2A) Warner Christian (South Daytona)
Coral Springs Charter 14 over (3A) St. John Paul II Academy
Dunnellon 23 over (5A) North Marion (Citra)
Glades Central 19 over (6A) Boynton Beach
Key West 13 over North Broward Prep
Keys Gate Charter 3 over (3A) Palm Glades Prep (Monday)
Lake Highland Prep 4 over Astronaut
Lake Placid 7 over LaBelle
Marianna 24 over (1A) Graceville
Monsignor Pace 23 over Edison
North Bay Haven 11 over (1A) Liberty County
Pine Crest 4 over Immaculata-LaSalle
Raines (Jacksonville) 21 over (7A) Oakleaf (Orange Park)
Somerset Academy 26 over (Ind.) Miami Christian (Monday0
Somerset Academy 55 over (Ind.) Pinecrest Prep
The Villages 3 over Interlachen
Trenton 17 over (1A) Bell
University School 32 over (3A) Everglades Prep
West Nassau (Callahan) 14 over Fernandina Beach

Class 3A
American Heritage (Delray Beach) 29 over (4A) Bishop Verot
Baldwin 7 over (6A) Englewood (Jacksonville)
Benjamin 10 over Calvary Christian (Fort Lauderdale)
Cardinal Mooney 30 over St. Petersburg Catholic
Chaminade-Madonna 3 over (4A) Booker T. Washington
Clearwater Central Catholic 14 over Calvary Christian (Clearwater)
Father Lopez (Daytona Beach) 56 over (2A) Cornerstone Charter
Fort Hill MD 7 over Melbourne Central Catholic
Fort White 1 over (1A) Union County (Lake Butler)
Holy Trinity Episcopal 14 over (2A) Maclay
King’s Academy 7 over (4A) Gulliver Prep
Lakeland Christian 14 over (1A) Frostproof
Marathon 42 over (Ind.) Florida Christian
Pensacola Catholic 38 over (1A) Northview
Providence (Jacksonville) 19 over Episcopal (Jacksonville)
Somerset Silver Palms 39 over (Ind.) Florida Christian (Monday)
Somerset Silver Palms 4 over Palm Glades Prep
St. Andrew’s 8 over (Ind.) Ransom Everglades
Tampa Catholic 73 over (4A) Cypress Creek (Wesley Chapel)
Taylor County (Perry) 10 over (1A) Williston
The First Academy 25 over Trinity Prep
Trinity Catholic (Ocala) 24 over (4A) Santa Fe (Alachua)
Westminster Christian 12 over Palmer Trinity

Class 2A
Cambridge Christian 27 over (Ind.) Clearwater Academy International
Cedar Creek Christian 44 over (SSAC) Ocala Christian
Eagle’s View Academy 45 over Merritt Island Christian
Evangelical Christian 5 over Community School of Naples
First Baptist 56 over (Ind.) Bayshore Christian
Foundation Academy 32 over North Florida Educational Institute
Glades Day 4 over Community School of Naples (Monday)
Glades Day 33 over (SSAC) Inlet Grove
Halifax Academy 22 over (Ind.) Avant Garde Academy
Indian Rocks Christian 17 over Northside Christian
Moore Haven 69 over (4A) Oasis
North Florida Christian 44 over FAMU DRS
Oak Hall 30 over (Ind.) St. Johns Country Day
Rocky Bayou Christian 19 over Munroe Day
Seven Rivers Christian 63 over Trinity Christian (Deltona)
Southwest Florida Christian 21 over Marco Island Academy
St. Francis Catholic 50 over (Ind.) Florida Deaf
St. John Neumann 21 over (SSAC) Canterbury (Fort Myers) (Tuesday)
St. John Paul II Catholic 13 over St. Joseph Academy
University Christian 55 over (Ind.) Kingdom Prep
Victory Christian 13 over Admiral Farragut
Zephyrhills Christian 35 over Carrollwood Day

Class 1A
Branford 20 over Bronson
Chipley 3 over Baker
Cottondale 30 over Wewahitchka
Crescent City 35 over (4A) Umatilla
Dixie County (Cross City) 10 over (3A) Newberry
Fort Meade 18 over (4A) Tenoroc
Franklin County 22 over Light of the Word Christian GA
Freeport 20 over Snook Christian AL
Hawthorne 17 over Chiefland
Holmes County 10 over (4A) Walton
Jefferson County (Monticello) 8 over Vernon
Lafayette (Mayo) 28 over (4A) PK Yonge (Gainesville)
Miller County GA 28 over Sneads
Pahokee 59 over (Ind.) West Park Prep
Port St. Joe 21 over (4A) South Walton
Wildwood 14 over (4A) Keystone Heights

Independent
Coral Glades 28 over Pembroke Pines Charter
Coral Shores 14 over Miami Christian
Escambia Academy AL 42 over Lighthouse Private Christian
IMG Academy White 12 over West Oaks Academy
Jordan Christian Prep 61 over (2A) St. John Lutheran (Ocala)
Satellite 47 over (4A) Atlantic (Port Orange)
Somerset Canyons 29 over Hillel
Superior Collegiate 17 over (2A) Seffner Christian

Sunshine State Athletic Conference (SSAC)
All Saints Academy 2 over St. Edward’s
Bishop Snyder (Jacksonville) 34 over Duval Charter (Jacksonville)
Canterbury (Fort Myers) 19 over (2A) Keswick Christian
Christ’s Church Academy (Jacksonville) 20 over Harvest Community (Jacksonville)
Faith Christian 56 over (2A) Halifax Academy (Daytona Beach)
Jupiter Christian 24 over (Ind.) Boca Raton Christian
Legacy Charter 18 over Central Florida Christian
Mount Dora Christian 14 over Bishop McLaughlin (Spring Hill)
Orlando Christian Prep 15 over The Master’s Academy
Out-of-Door Academy 21 over Kennedy Catholic NY
Santa Fe Catholic 1 over First Academy-Leesburg
Shorecrest Prep 10 over Gateway Charter
St. Stephen’s Episcopal 29 over Bradenton Christian
Windermere Prep 11 over Orangewood Christian

Forecast Record
Last Week 243-50, 82.9%
Season 1,177-274, 81.1%

ThePrepZone.com Sports Report Presented by SunState Federal Credit Union (Oct. 11)

Mike Ridaught

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October 11, 2017

0

In case you missed it on Wednesday, Oct. 11, Mike Ridaught joined Jeff Cardozo and Zach Alboverdi on “The Tailgate” on WRUF-98.1 FM & 850 AM at 4 p.m. Here are the things they discussed on ThePrepZone.com Sports Report Presented by SunState Federal Credit Union:

Big week of district games. Only four more weeks left in the regular season. Tonight, Belleview plays at Eastside. If Eastside wins they are district champs

Eastside is attempting to go from worst to first. Last year, the Rams only won one game. Two years ago in Jeff Parker’s final season as head coach, the Rams had just one win, even though they made it to the state playoffs since they are only in a three-team district. Although the FHSAA has a new playoff format, for Classes 5A-8A, the district champion still earns a postseason bid. Eastside coach Cedderick Daniels has done a good job turning things around in just his second season. As I noted, only two wins combined the last two years, and after an 0-3 start this season, the Rams (3-3) have won three in a row, including a 14-12 win at North Marion two weeks ago. That was a Class 5A-District 6 game. So, that means that if Eastside beats Belleview tomorrow night, they are going to the state playoffs. If they lose, based on the new points system and no runner-up spots assured a berth, it’s unlikely they can get in unless they win out. Belleview made the playoffs last year for the first time in 10 years, but that was under coach John Brantley, who is no longer there. Mike Kelly, in his first year, has the Rattlers at 4-2. They were kind of the opposite of Eastside in that they started the season 3-0 but have gone 1-2 since. Those two losses were to Dunnellon, which is ranked 5th in the state in Class 4A, and Buchholz, which is a 7A school. Last week in a 48-27 win against Williston, the Rattlers finished with 611 yards of total offense. That was the most in a game for Belleview in 20 years (according to Richard Burton of the Ocala Star-Banner). A total of 436 of those yards were on the ground. This game will actually be played on Eastside’s campus since Buchholz will be at Citizen’s Field tomorrow night against Creekside (St. Johns) and Gainesville hosts Vanguard (Ocala) on Friday. The big question for Eastside, in my opinion, will be whether or not Anthony Richardson is able to play. He’s a play-maker at the quarterback position but he’s been injured and I’m not sure the Rams can win without him, although they did at North Marion, so we’ll see. But nonetheless, big game tomorrow night at Eastside.

Dixie County is at Newberry on Friday. The unbeaten Bears are on the road against the Panthers, who are coming off a big win last week at Trenton

This became an even bigger game when Newberry won at Trenton last Friday. Jeff, this was a one-score game with 9:39 to play in the game. Newberry led 24-17, and the Panthers ended up winning the game, 51-17. Of Newberry’s seven touchdowns, only one went for less than 30 yards and that was a 27-yard scoring run by Tresell Curtis, who finished with over 200 yards rushing and four TD’s. I think Trenton will be OK in Class 4A. That was just their second loss of the season. I think they’ve got a chance to win out and make the playoffs. But for Newberry, they entered the game with a 2-3 record and the win propelled them into the top four in their region. Remember, for Classes 1A-4A, there are no more districts so you have to finish in the top four of your region to get into the state playoffs. But that win against Trenton gave them enough points to put them third in Class 3A-Region 1. Now the question will be, can they carry that momentum over and beat a Dixie County team that has to be considered one of the surprises in the area. I’d say Dixie County and unbeaten St. Francis Catholic have got to be the biggest stories or surprises so far in 2017. The Bears have a first-year coach in Eric Richeson and are currently 7-0 on the season. They have double-digit wins against Trenton and at Union County, but this may be their toughest test of the season, assuming the Panthers come ready to play, which I think they will. Dixie County has almost 2,000 yards rushing in just seven games. That’s an average of 280 per game. Duke Dawson’s cousin, Aaron Dawson, is averaging 11.8 yards per carry, but that’s only good enough for second on the team. James Smith is averaging 12.4 yards per carry, so the Panthers will have to find a way to slow down that rushing attack. Dixie County, a 10-point favorite according to Joe Pinkos, has been pretty good defensively too, giving up an average of just nine points a game and they have 18 sacks on the year. That will definitely be a line of scrimmage game.

Vanguard (Ocala) at Gainesville will be a battle for first-place in the district and could possibly be for the district title.

It’s very possible. Vanguard is unbeaten, and ranked 5th in the state in the Class 6A. They are 5-0 overall and 2-0 in 6A-District 5. GHS is 1-0 in the district, and Lake Weir (Ocala), who Gainesville hosts on Monday night, Oct. 30, is also 1-0 in the district. Vanguard still has Lake Weir at home and Forest (Ocala) on the road. Gainesville has to go to Leesburg next week, but I think the game at Citizen’s Field on Friday night decides the district champion. The Knights have four shutouts in five games and they may be even better than last year’s team which had N’Kosi Perry at quarterback. Perry is now at the University of Miami, but the Knights haven’t missed a beat with Marquez Glover at quarterback. Glover has completed 67% of his passes for 952 yards with 15 TDs and only 2 INT. That’s the kind of ratio Perry had last year. Plus, the Knights are averaging eight yards per carry, and I mentioned the defense. The only team to score on them so far was Buchholz. Vanguard has 29 sacks and 7 interceptions. The Knights are averaging 43 points per game and giving up less than seven. Last year in Ocala, Vanguard won this game, 56-7.

But I believe this is a better Gainesville football team this year. GHS missed out on the playoffs last year for the first time since 2008. They opened the season with a loss at Class 7A Columbia (Lake City) but have won four in a row, including a come-from-behind win against rival Buchholz last week in which they trailed 14-3 and rallied for a 31-21 win. They’ve got good balance in the backfield with Willie McKnight leading the way with five TDs and a 4.7 yards per carry average. Junior Luke Matthews continues to get better throwing the ball. He’s got 10 TDs and only three interceptions. His go to guy, junior Jalen Kelsey, is averaging 122 yards receiving per game with 4 TDs, plus a tall receiver in Christian Miller-Cardwell, who at 6’4, 200, is a big target. It’s a tough match-up for Gainesville, but they are playing this game at Citizen’s Field, and GHS typically plays pretty well there.

Wildwood football – 2017

Mike Ridaught

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October 11, 2017

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live broadcast Event Details: Join Mike Ridaught as he talks high school sports from Sonic Drive-In of Summerfield. Guests this week include Wildwood football coach McKinley Rolle and members of the unbeaten Wildwood football team. The show will also air on 92.1 FM & 1230 AM in Gainesville, and 100.1 FM & 900 AM in Ocala. #ThePrepZone.com

Click here to listen

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2017 AP High School Football State Rankings – Week #8

Mike Ridaught

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October 11, 2017

3

The Associated Press Top 10 Florida High School Football Poll for Week #8 of the 2017 season. First place votes in parentheses, followed by records, rating points, and previous ranking.

Area teams in bold.

Class 8A
Record Pts Prv
1. Apopka (5) 6-1 82 3
2. Deerfield Beach (3) 3-2 80 2
3. Vero Beach (1) 5-0 65 5
4. Osceola (Kissimmee) 5-0 63 4
5. South Dade 5-0 47 7
6. Christopher Columbus Catholic (Miami) 5-1 41 8
7. Dr. Phillips (Orlando) 4-1 38 1
8. Miramar 5-1 23 9
9. Miami Southridge 2-2 13 6
10. Wekiva 5-11 2 NR
(tie)Winter Park 7-0 12 NR
Others receiving votes: Seminole Ridge (Loxahatchee) 10, Miami 4, Ridge Community (Davenport) 3, Spruce Creek (Port Orange) 2.

Class 7A
Record Pts Prv
1. St. Thomas Aquinas (Ft. Lauderdale) (9) 5-1 90 1
2. Plant (Tampa) 5-0 77 3
3. Venice 5-1 74 2
4. Lakeland 5-0 60 4
5. Braden River (Bradenton) 3-1 52 6
6. Fleming Island (Orange Park) 6-0 40 7
7. Viera 4-1 34 9
8. Bartram Trail (St. Johns) 4-2 25 8
9. Robert E. Lee (Jacksonville) 5-1 21 5
10. Columbia (Lake City) 4-2 9 10
Others receiving votes: East Ridge (Clermont) 6, Bartow 3, Dwyer (Palm Beach Gardens) 2, Forest Hill (West Palm Beach) 1, Tampa Bay Tech 1.

Class 6A
Record Pts Prv
1. Miami Central (8) 7-1 89 1
2. Miami Northwestern 4-1 73 3
3. Armwood (Seffner) (1) 5-0 72 2
4. Miami Carol City 3-1 70 4
5. Vanguard (Ocala) 5-0 54 5
6. St. Augustine 5-0 44 6
7. North Fort Myers 5-0 31 9
8. Mainland (Daytona Beach) 3-3 13 8
(tie) Miami Norland 3-2 13 10
10. Navarre 5-1 12 7
Others receiving votes: Mitchell (New Port Richey) 8, Crestview 8, Escambia (Pensacola) 3, Gainesville 3, Sebring 2.

Class 5A
Record Pts Prv
1. American Heritage (Plantation) (9) 4-0 90 1
2. Cardinal Gibbons (Ft. Lauderdale) 5-0 78 2
3. Rickards (Tallahassee) 5-0 67 3
4. Jones (Orlando) 6-1 59 4
5. Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) 4-3 52 6
6. Godby (Tallahassee) 6-0 48 7
7. Bishop Moore (Orlando) 4-1 37 8
8. Bolles (Jacksonville) 5-1 25 5
9. Immokalee 5-0 22 NR
10. Wakulla (Crawfordville) 5-2 7 NR
Others receiving votes: Palm Bay (Melbourne) 4, West Florida (Pensacola) 3, Ponte Vedra 1, Dunbar (Ft. Myers) 1, Baker County (Glen St. Mary) 1.

Class 4A
Record Pts Prv
1. Cocoa (9) 6-0 90 1
2. University (Ft. Lauderdale) 4-0 76 2
3. Raines (Jacksonville) 5-1 70 3
4. Booker T. Washington (Miami) 3-3 68 4
5. Dunnellon 5-1 56 5
Others receiving votes: None.

Class 3A
Record Pts Prv
1. Oxbridge Academy (West Palm Beach) (8) 4-1 89 1
2. Chaminade-Madonna College Prep (Hollywood) (1) 3-2 73 2
(tie) Clearwater Central Catholic 6-0 73 4
4. Lakeland Christian 5-0 59 5
5. Melbourne Central Catholic 3-2 54 3
Others receiving votes: The First Academy (Orlando) 6, King’s Academy (West Palm Beach) 6.

Class 2A
Record Pts Prv
1. University Christian (Jacksonville) (9) 6-0 90 1
2. Champagnat Catholic (Hialeah) 5-1 81 2
3. Victory Christian (Lakeland) 5-0 68 5
4. Cambridge Christian (Tampa) 5-1 62 4
5. North Florida Christian (Tallahassee) 5-1 46 3
Others receiving votes: Moore Haven 13.

Class 1A
Record Pts Prv
1. Madison County (8) 7-0 89 1
2. Pahokee (1) 4-1 80 2
3. Baker School 6-0 73 3
4. Dixie County (Cross City) 7-0 64 4
5. Union County (Lake Butler) 6-1 54 5
Others receiving votes: None.

The Trophy Shop Athlete of the Week – Charles Strong (Union County)

Mike Ridaught

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October 10, 2017

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The Trophy Shop Athlete of the Week for the week of October 2 is CHARLES STRONG* of the Union County (Lake Butler) football team.

*The FSU commit rushed for 262 yards and scored three touchdowns as Union County (6-1) defeated previously unbeaten Hawthorne, 31-25, in overtime. Strong, who has 1,139 yards and 13 TDs on the season, scored the game-winner from 10 yards out in OT. He also had a 23-yard scoring run and a 12-yard TD run.

Previous 2017-18 winners:

Sept. 25 – Demari Turner (St. Francis Catholic football)
Turner came up with the big plays, catching four passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns, to help lead the Wolves to a 36-0 win against rival Oak Hall and snap the Eagles’ two-game win streak in the series. The senior wide receiver had scoring catches of 63 and 89 yards as St. Francis Catholic knocked off the previously-unbeaten Eagles and snapped their overall winning streak at 13 games. He also had a 2-point conversion and helped the defense pitch its first shutout of the season.

Sept. 18 – Anthony Richardson (Eastside football)
The sophomore quarterback led the Rams to a 2-0 week, which is twice as many wins as Eastside had (1) all season in 2016. Richardson had 646 yards and 10 touchdowns rushing and passing. In the Rams’ 33-28 home win over Newberry on Monday, he accounted for all five of their touchdowns, finishing with 348 yards and two scores through the air and 65 yards and three scores on the ground. On Friday, at Lake Weir (Ocala), Richardson ran for 102 yards on 11 carries with two TDs, and 131 yards passing with three scores.

Sept. 11 – No award due to Hurricane Irma

Sept. 4 – Gerard Williams III (Williston football)
Williams set a school record with 307 yards on 27 carries, with three touchdowns, in the Red Devils’ 28-14 win at Seven Rivers Christian (Lecanto). During Williston’s first five possessions, the senior had 13 carries for 115 yards. However, on Williston’s final three drives, he had 192 yards on 14 carries, with 2 TDs.

Nominate an Athlete of the Week each week no later than Sunday at 6 p.m. Email your nominations to mike@ThePrepZone.com

Radio Recap – Newberry at Trenton (Week #7)

Mike Ridaught

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October 9, 2017

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Florida Sports Talk Friday, Oct. 6
Entering the game, Class 4A Trenton was considered a TD favorite against 3A Newberry. And early on, it seemed as if it might be a four-quarter game.

Trenton actually had a 72-yard TD called back because of penalty on their first offensive possession of the game, so neither team scored in the first quarter.

Sophomore Wyatt Langford opened the scoring with an 8-yard TD run with 9:28 to play in the second quarter to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead.

However, the visiting Panthers (3-3) answered with a 55-yard TD run by Tresell Curtis with 8:41 to play in the second quarter to tie the game at 7-7. Curtis would end up being named our Sonic Player of the Game after rushing for over 200 yards with four touchdowns.

Newberry quarterback David Robinson added a 68-yard TD run with 4:18 to play to make it 14-7 Panthers at the half.

Trenton opened the third quarter with a 70-yard TD run by senior Randy Fuller to tie the game at 14-14 just a minute into the second half. However, Newberry kicker Garrett Wood kicked a 26-yard field goal with 3:39 to play in the third, and after the Panthers’ defense held, Robinson returned a punt 35 yards for the eventual game-winner and a 24-14 lead with 1:46 to play in the third quarter.

Trenton did make it a one-score game at 24-17 with 9:39 to play, but the Tigers (3-2) couldn’t stop the big plays as Newberry scored 27 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to kept its postseason hopes alive with a 51-17 win at Trenton. It was the Panthers’ first victory against the Tigers since 2001.

Here are some of the key stats from the game:

• All seven Newberry touchdowns were plays of 27 yards or more
• Tresell Curtis rushed for 217 yards and 4 TDs
• Three of Curtis’ TDs came in the final 7:35 of the game

NEXT RADIO BROADCAST: Vanguard (Ocala) at Gainesville
WHEN: Friday, October 13, at 7:30 p.m. (Pregame coverage at 7 p.m.)
WHERE: 92.1 FM & 1230 AM in Gainesville and 100.1 FM & 900 AM in Ocala

It’s a battle for first-place in Class 6A-District 5. The visiting Knights (5-0, 2-0) are ranked top five in the state and have four shutouts in their first five games.

The Hurricanes (4-1, 1-0) are coming in winners of four in a row, including a come-from-behind win against rival Buchholz, rallying from a 14-3 deficit against the 7A Bobcats, for a 31-21 win.

Last year, Vanguard had multiple big plays in the opening half in building a 43-7 halftime lead en route to a 56-7 blowout of visiting GHS at Booster Stadium.

Former Class 6A Player of the Year N’Kosi Perry is at the University of Miami, but Marquez Glover has been efficient as the new Vanguard quarterback. The Knights have great balance, averaging 211 yards passing and 208.6 rushing.

Glover’s counterpart, GHS QB Luke Matthews, threw for 356 yards at Forest (Ocala) on Sept. 29 and continues to improve with 10 TDs and only three interceptions. Plus, the ‘Canes have a stable of running backs (Willie McKnight, Moon Bryant, Niles Cromwell, and Kinnzon Hutchinson) to make this game another 4-quarter broadcast.

Join Mike Ridaught (Play-by-play) and Sam Ellis (Color) for all the action.

Gainesville Football – 2017

Mike Stanton

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October 9, 2017

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Date: Mon 10/09/2017, 7-8 p.m.
Title: “The Prep Zone”

Event Details: Join Mike Ridaught and Marty Pallman as they talk high school sports from Sonic Drive-In of Gainesville. Guests this week include Gainesville football coach Mark Latsko and members of the Hurricanes’ football team. The show will also air on 92.1 FM & 1230 AM in Gainesville, and 100.1 FM & 900 AM in Ocala. #ThePrepZone.com

Click Here to Listen

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The other option for windows users is to click the “WMP Player” once you access the broadcast on Chrome. This will play the broadcast in your standalone windows media player if that is available on your computer.

This week on ThePrepZone.com (Oct. 9-13)

Mike Ridaught

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October 9, 2017

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A total of three football games and two radio shows highlight the week of October 9. Plus, catch our bi-weekly Oak Hall Football Report presented by Sonic Drive-In every Monday and Friday, and our weekly radio reports with Mike Ridaught on “The Tailgate” with Jeff Cardozo, Pat Dooley & Zach Alboverdi every Wednesday at 4 p.m. and Marty Pallman’s high school football reports on Brady Ackerman & Shane Matthews every Friday at 11:15 a.m. on WRUF-FM 98.1 & AM-850.

Tune in to ThePrepZone.com Nature Coast Sports Report presented by SunState Federal Credit Union every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 7:28 a.m. and repeating at 5:28 p.m. on 93.3 FM & 940 AM in Chiefland/Trenton & 1240 AM in Cross City.

For our Gainesville audience, tune in to ThePrepZone.com Sports Report presented by SunState Federal Credit Union every weekday morning around 7:50 a.m. on ‘I am Country 106.9 FM’ and archived here.

Here is what is coming up this week as part of our broadcast schedule on ThePrepZone.com and local radio:

Monday (TONIGHT), 7-8 p.m. – “The Prep Zone”
High school show broadcast ‘live’ from Sonic Drive-In of Gainesville
‘Live’ and ‘archived’ audio available online at www.ThePrepZone.com & www.Floridacast.com
RADIO: 92.1 FM & 1230 AM in Gainesville and 100.1 FM & 900 AM in Ocala
Join Mike Ridaught & Marty Pallman as they talk high school sports from Sonic of Gainesville. Their guests for this episode include: Gainesville football coach Mark Latkso and members of the Hurricanes’ football team, who are coming off a win against rival Buchholz and host Vanguard (Ocala) for a big district showdown on Friday.

Wednesday, 7-8 p.m. – “The Prep Zone”
High school show broadcast ‘live’ from Sonic Drive-In of Summerfield
‘Live’ and ‘archived’ audio available online at www.ThePrepZone.com & www.Floridacast.com
RADIO: 92.1 FM & 1230 AM in Gainesville and 100.1 FM & 900 AM in Ocala
Join Mike Ridaught & Marty Pallman as they talk high school sports from Sonic. Their guests for this episode included Wildwood football coach McKinley Rolle and members of the unbeaten Wildcats’ football team.

Thursday, 6:45 p.m. – High School Football
Creekside (St. Johns) at Buchholz (Gainesville)
‘Live’ and ‘archived’ VIDEO available online at www.ThePrepZone.com
Join Marty Pallman (Play-by-play) and Michael Phillips (Color) for this Class 7A-District 3 game. It’s also Homecoming for the Bobcats.

Friday, 6:45 p.m. – High School Football
St. Johns Country Day (Orange Park) at Oak Hall School (Gainesville)
‘Live’ and ‘archived’ VIDEO available online at www.ThePrepZone.com
Join Anthony Crum (Play-by-play) and Sarah Morton (Color), with Joseph Hastings on camera, for this North Florida Football Conference South Division game. The Eagles are looking to keep their FHSAA playoff hopes alive in Class 2A-Region 2.

Friday, 7 p.m. – High School Football
Vanguard (Ocala) at Gainesville
‘Live’ and ‘archived’ audio available online at www.ThePrepZone.com & www.Floridacast.com
RADIO: 92.1 FM & 1230 AM in Gainesville; 100.1 FM & 900 AM in Ocala
Join Mike Ridaught (Play-by-play) and Sam Ellis (Color) for this Alachua County vs. Marion County showdown and battle for first place in Class 6A-District 5.