Friday, 7 p.m. (PREGAME) – High School Football, 7:30 p.m. (KICKOFF)
Bradford (Starke) at Newberry
Radio: “I am Country” 106.9 FM Gainesville
‘Live’ audio: https://streamdb6web.securenetsystems.net/cirrusencore/WPLL
Join Mainstreet Daily News Sports Director Mike Ridaught (Play-by-play) and former Gator football player Hank Rone (Color) for this FHSAA Class 2A-District 5 championship game.
Bradford (Starke) at Newberry – Football 2024 (Radio)
The Prep Zone Power Poll powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville – 2024 Football Poll #8
Bradford (Starke) still nearly unanimous No. 1 team as Hurricane Milton impacts schedule
GAINESVILLE — Two weeks ago, Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc with the high school football schedule.
Some games were still being made up earlier this week. Now it’s deja vu all over again, with Hurricane Milton causing postponements and cancellations this week.
Despite that, the Bradford (Starke) Tornadoes remain unbeaten and easily on top of The Prep Zone Power Poll.
Bradford improved to 6-0 by blanking Palatka, 41-0, and received nine of the 10 first-place votes to remain No. 1 for the fourth straight week.
The Tornadoes face a big challenge in a District 5-2A showdown at RV Newberry in one of the few games scheduled to be played on Friday night. The game will be broadcast on 106.9 FM “I am Country” and online (audio) at IamCountryRadio.com beginning at 7 p.m. with Mainstreet Daily News Sports Director Mike Ridaught (Play-by-play) and former Gator football player Hank Rone (Color) on the call.
Raines (Jacksonville) remained 2nd.
The Vikings (6-0) had no problem with rival Ribault (Jacksonville) in the Northwest Classic, pounding the Trojans 52-12. Raines also faces a huge test this Friday, hitting the road against 11th-ranked Madison County.
Nease (Ponte Vedra) stays 3rd. The Panthers (5-0), who took last week off, have another huge district game against RV Bartram Trail (St. Johns) in a game that has been moved to next Monday, October 14.
St. Augustine also took the week off and remained 4th. The Yellow Jackets (4-1) return to action on Friday against Clay (Green Cove Springs).
Bolles (Jacksonville) also rounds out the top five. The Bulldogs (5-1) had no problem with RV Columbia (Lake City), winning 42-17.
Hawthorne leads off the second five.
The Hornets (5-1) remained 6th, and are followed by Vanguard (Ocala) at No. 7. The Knights (5-1), who easily defeated North Marion (Citra), 41-12, travel to Lecanto for a District 5-4A game on Friday.
University (Orange City) is 8th after beating Jesuit (Tampa), 35-33, while Buchholz (Gainesville) moved back into the top 10 at No. 9 as they pounded city rival Gainesville, 52-7.
Rounding out the top 10 is Mandarin (Jacksonville).
The Mustangs (5-2) broke a two-game losing streak with a 24-7 win over Rockledge last Friday, then followed that up by beating First Coast (Jacksonville), 27-6, in a game moved up to this Monday.
Moving into the poll this week are No. 17 Beachside (St. Johns), No. 18 Springstead (Spring Hill) and No. 19T Taylor County (Perry). Dropping out from the previous poll are Dunnellon, DeLand, and Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine), which dropped out after losing, 29-26, to rival Beachside.
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 – 2024 FOOTBALL POLL #8
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, current record, and total voting points)
1. Bradford (Starke) (2A) (9) (6-0) – 191
2. Raines (Jacksonville) (3A) (1) (6-0) – 186
3. Nease (Ponte Vedra) (6A) (5-0) – 182
4. St. Augustine (5A) (4-1) – 164
5. Bolles (Jacksonville) (2A) (5-1) – 161
6. Hawthorne (Rural) (5-1) – 132
7. Vanguard (Ocala) (4A) (5-1) – 127
8. University (Orange City) (7A) (6-1) – 126
9. Buchholz (Gainesville) (6A) (4-3) – 124
10. Mandarin (Jacksonville) (6A) (5-2) – 115
11. Madison County (Rural) (4-2) – 98
12. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (7A) (5-2) – 96
13. Union County (Lake Butler) (Rural) (6-0) – 61
14. Chiefland (Rural) (6-0) – 56
15. Ponte Vedra (5A) (4-2) – 41
16. Middleburg (5A) (6-0) – 35
17. Beachside (St. Johns) (6A) (5-1) – 34
18. Springstead (Spring Hill) (5A) (6-0) – 25
19T. Baker County (Glen St. Mary) (3A) (3-2) – 21
19T. Taylor County (Perry) (2A) (5-0) – 21
Also receiving votes: Oakleaf (Orange Park) (6A) (4-2) – 15; Flagler Palm Coast (7A) (5-1) – 14; Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (1A) (3-3) – 13; Dunnellon (3A) (3-3) – 11; New Smyrna Beach (4A) (5-1) – 11; Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine) (6A) (4-2) – 11; Providence (Jacksonville) (1A) (5-1) – 7; South Sumter (Bushnell) (3A) (3-4) – 6; Newberry (2A) (4-2) – 4; Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (6A) (3-3) – 3; DeLand (7A) (4-3) – 3; Columbia (Lake City) (4A) (2-5) – 2; Eastside (Gainesville) (3A) (4-2) – 2; Riverside (Jacksonville) (4A) (4-3) – 2; Mount Dora (3A) (5-1) – 1.
GHS at Buchholz – Football 2024 (Radio)
Friday, 7 p.m. (PREGAME) – High School Football, 7:30 p.m. (KICKOFF)
GHS at Buchholz
Radio: “I am Country” 106.9 FM Gainesville
‘Live’ audio: https://streamdb6web.securenetsystems.net/cirrusencore/WPLL
Join Marty Pallman (Play-by-play) and former Gator football player Hank Rone (Color) for this city showdown at Citizens Field.
Part 1 – Pregame, first quarter, and part of the second quarter before the game was suspended due to unplayable conditions. The game will air ‘live’ and resume on Mainstreet Daily News at 6 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 7.
The Prep Zone Power Poll powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville – 2024 Football Poll #7
Bradford (Starke) still No. 1 after week of games affected by Hurricane Helene
GAINESVILLE — Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc on much of Florida, especially in the northern part of the state and the Big Bend.
The high school football schedule definitely took a hit as well, with some games canceled, postponed until later weeks, or moved to Monday this week.
But one team that got their game in before Helene hit was the Bradford (Starke) Tornadoes. And after a 40-0 shutout of Keystone Heights, Bradford continues as a nearly unanimous number one team in The Prep Zone Power Poll.
Coming off a bye, Bradford (5-0) had no trouble with rival Keystone Heights in their Homecoming game. The Tornadoes received nine of the 10 first-place votes this week to remain the top-ranked team for the third straight poll. They stay home this week to host Palatka in another District 5-2A game.
Remaining second is Raines (Jacksonville).
The Vikings received the other first-place vote after winning a 62-42 shootout over Riverside (Jacksonville) in a game that was moved to this past Monday. Raines hosts the annual Northwest Classic against Ribault (Jacksonville) this Saturday.
Nease (Ponte Vedra) stays 3rd. The Panthers (5-0) escaped against No. 11 Buchholz (Gainesville) 20-17 in overtime in a game moved to Monday.
For Buchholz, it was their third loss in a row. The Bobcats (3-3) dropped out of the top 10 for the first time this season, following losses to Manatee (Bradenton), Richmond Hill (GA), and Nease.
St. Augustine remained fourth. The Yellow Jackets (4-1) rebounded from the overtime loss to Nease with a 27-6 win at RV Columbia (Lake City) in a game that was played on Wednesday last week.
Bolles (Jacksonville) rounds out the top five. The Bulldogs (4-1) blanked Baldwin, 35-0, on Monday. They turn right around for another home game this Friday against Columbia.
Hawthorne (4-1) was off last week and leads off the second five, while Madison County, whose game was canceled due to Helene, moves up to 7th.
Vanguard (Ocala), University (Orange City), and Mandarin (Jacksonville) round out the top 10. Of those three teams, only University played last week, defeating RV Flagler Palm Coast, 34-19. That win moved the Titans (5-1) up three spots and right back into the top 10.
Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine) moved into the rankings for the first time at No. 20. The Toros (4-1) replaced Bartram Trail (St. Johns), which was 17th last week but was beaten 46-26 at Tocoi Creek.
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 – 2024 FOOTBALL POLL #7
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, current record, and total voting points)
1. Bradford (Starke) (2A) (9) (5-0) – 194
2. Raines (Jacksonville) (3A) (1) (5-0) – 185
3. Nease (Ponte Vedra) (6A) (5-0) – 184
4. St. Augustine (5A) (4-1) – 165
5. Bolles (Jacksonville) (2A) (4-1) – 156
6. Hawthorne (Rural) (4-1) – 139
7. Madison County (Rural) (4-1) – 124
8. Vanguard (Ocala) (4A) (4-1) – 117
9. University (Orange City) (7A) (5-1) – 112
10. Mandarin (Jacksonville) (6A) (3-2) – 102
11. Buchholz (Gainesville) (6A) (3-3) – 99
12. Dunnellon (3A) (3-2) – 73
13. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (7A) (4-2) – 65
14. Chiefland (Rural) (5-0) – 53
15. Union County (Lake Butler) (Rural) (5-0) – 52
16. Baker County (Glen St. Mary) (3A) (3-1) – 48
17. DeLand (7A) (4-2) – 45
18. Middleburg (5A) (6-0) – 28
19. Ponte Vedra (5A) (3-2) – 20
20. Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine) (6A) (4-1) – 19
Also receiving votes: Oakleaf (Orange Park) (6A) (4-2) – 18; Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (1A) (3-2) – 17; Springstead (Spring Hill) (5A) (5-0) – 16; Beachside (St. Johns) (5A) (4-1) – 15; Flagler Palm Coast (7A) (4-1) – 13; Taylor County (Perry) (2A) (5-0) – 11; Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (6A) (3-3) – 8; South Sumter (Bushnell) (3A) (2-4) – 7; Columbia (Lake City) (4A) (2-4) – 5; Newberry (2A) (3-2) – 4; Fleming Island (Orange Park) (5A) (3-2) – 3; Leesburg (4A) (4-1) – 2; Mount Dora (3A) (4-1) – 1.
Dunnellon at Eastside – Football 2024 (Radio)
Thursday, 6:30 p.m. (PREGAME) – High School Football, 7 p.m. (KICKOFF)
Dunnellon at Eastside
Radio: “I am Country” 106.9 FM Gainesville
‘Live’ audio: https://streamdb6web.securenetsystems.net/cirrusencore/WPLL
Join Mainstreet Daily News Sports Director Mike Ridaught (Play-by-play), former Gator football player Hank Rone (Color), and Aiden Wacksman (Pregame, Halftime, Postgame) for the Class 3A-District 5 opener and Alachua County vs. Marion County showdown from Citizens Field.
Oak Hall swimming – 2024
Wednesday, 7-8 p.m. – “The Prep Zone” Sports Show (Archer Road)
‘Live’ audio: https://www.mainstreetdailynews.com/sports/live-stream/
Join Mike Ridaught as he talks high school sports from your locally owned Sonic Drive-In of Gainesville (Archer Road). His guests for this episode include Oak Hall girls and boys swimming coach Quinn Bohan, along with members of both Eagles swimming teams.
The Prep Zone Power Poll powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville – 2024 Football Poll #6
Bradford (Starke) nearly unanimous No. 1 team
GAINESVILLE – The Bradford (Starke) Tornadoes had a well-earned bye week coming off their 18-13 upset win over Mandarin (Jacksonville) on September 13.
Despite being off on Sept. 20, the Tornadoes (4-0) benefited from losses by No. 2T St. Augustine, No. 4 Mandarin and No. 5 Buchholz (Gainesville) and are a near unanimous choice as the top-ranked team in the The Prep Zone Power Poll, which ranks the top 20 high school football teams across 26 counties.
Bradford, which had their Homecoming game against Keystone Heights, a 40-0 win, moved up to Wednesday due to Hurricane Helene, received 11 of 12 first-place votes.
Raines (Jacksonville) remained 2nd.
The Vikings (4-0), who also had a bye last week and picked up the other first-place vote, will host Riverside (Jacksonville) on Monday.
Moving up to the 3rd spot is Nease (Ponte Vedra).
The Panthers stayed unbeaten at 4-0 after going on the road and knocking off St. Augustine, 35-34, in overtime. They have another tough matchup with No. 8T Buchholz (Gainesville) in a game that has been moved to Monday.
St. Augustine fell to 4th after the OT loss to rival Nease. The Yellow Jackets (3-1) rebounded with a 27-6 win at RV Columbia (Lake City) in another game that was moved to Wednesday due to Helene.
Rounding out the top five is Bolles (Jacksonville). The Bulldogs won a shootout for the second week in a row, rallying past RV Oakleaf (Orange Park), 57-50.
Hawthorne (4-1) won its second game in a row since the loss at Florida High (Tallahassee).
The Hornets, who lead off the second five at No. 6, defeated RV South Sumter (Bushnell), 26-20, on the road.
DeLand is 7th, followed by Buchholz, which is tied with Madison County for the 8th spot.
Buchholz (3-2) dropped it’s second straight game, travelling to Savannah and losing a close game 35-28 at Richmond Hill (GA).
Madison County (4-1) easily knocked off Bay (Panama City), 42-14.
Rounding out the top 10 is another team which lost its second straight game, Mandarin (Jacksonville). The Mustangs (3-2) lost 49-6 at the number one team in Florida according to MaxPreps, IMG Academy (Bradenton).
Oakleaf (3-2) dropped out this week. The Knights are replaced by Middleburg, which is ranked No. 19 after a 5-0 start to their 2024 season.
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 – 2024 FOOTBALL POLL #6
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, current record, and total voting points)
1. Bradford (Starke) (2A) (11) (4-0) – 232
2. Raines (Jacksonville) (3A) (1) (4-0) – 226
3. Nease (Ponte Vedra) (6A) (4-0) – 217
4. St. Augustine (5A) (3-1) – 187
5. Bolles (Jacksonville) (2A) (3-1) – 169
6. Hawthorne (Rural) (4-1) – 164
7. DeLand (7A) (4-1) – 150
8T. Buchholz (Gainesville) (6A) (3-2) – 146
8T. Madison County (Rural) (4-1) – 146
10. Mandarin (Jacksonville) (6A) (3-2) – 141
11. Vanguard (Ocala) (4A) (4-1) – 128
12. University (Orange City) (7A) (4-1) – 93
13. Ponte Vedra (5A) (3-1) – 70
14. Dunnellon (3A) (3-2) – 64
15. Chiefland (Rural) (5-0) – 62
16. Union County (Lake Butler) (Rural) (5-0) – 53
17. Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (6A) (3-2) – 49
18. Baker County (Glen St. Mary) (3A) (3-1) – 44
19. Middleburg (5A) (5-0) – 23
20. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (7A) (3-2) – 21
Also receiving votes: Flagler Palm Coast (7A) (4-0) – 17; Springstead (Spring Hill) (5A) (4-0) – 16; Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (1A) (3-2) – 16; Beachside (St. Johns) (5A) (3-1) – 13; Taylor County (Perry) (2A) (5-0) – 12; Columbia (Lake City) (4A) (2-3) – 9; Deltona (4A) (1-3) – 8; Oakleaf (Orange Park) (6A) (3-2) – 8; South Sumter (Bushnell) (3A) (1-4) – 5; Leesburg (4A) (4-1) – 3; Palatka (2A) (4-1) -3; University Christian (Jacksonville) (1A) (2-3) – 3; Newberry (2A) (2-2) – 2.
Williston at Eastside – Football 2024 (Radio)
Friday, 7 p.m. (PREGAME) – High School Football, 7:30 p.m. (KICKOFF)
Williston at Eastside
Radio: “I am Country” 106.9 FM Gainesville
‘Live’ audio: https://streamdb6web.securenetsystems.net/cirrusencore/WPLL
Join Mainstreet Daily News Sports Director Mike Ridaught (Play-by-play), former Gator football player Hank Rone (Color), and Aiden Wacksman (Pregame, Halftime, Postgame) for all the action. It’s the first meeting between the two teams in six years. Eastside won the last meeting, 42-20, on Aug. 31, 2018. Williston coach Robby Pruitt goes for career win No. 400.
The Prep Zone Power Poll powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville – 2024 Football Poll #5
Bradford (Starke) new No. 1 after knocking off previous top-ranked Mandarin (Jacksonville)
GAINESVILLE – One of the biggest games of this early part of the high school football season took place last Friday in Starke.
Bradford, a state runner-up a year ago, knocked off another state runner-up in Mandarin (Jacksonville), 18-13. The win moved the Tornadoes (4-0) into the number one ranking in The Prep Zone Power Poll.
They received six of the 11 first-place votes after one of the biggest wins in program history.
The loss dropped Mandarin, which had been ranked first the last three weeks, to 4th this week. The Mustangs (3-1) face an even tougher test this Friday at nationally-ranked IMG Academy (Bradenton).
St. Augustine and Raines (Jacksonville) are tied for 2nd.
The Yellow Jackets (3-0) beat Riverside (Jacksonville), 47-35, and picked up three first-place votes. They face a huge St. Johns County test this Friday against 6th-ranked Nease (Ponte Vedra).
Raines (4-0) gained two first-place votes as the Vikings eased past winless RV Mainland (Daytona Beach), 35-14.
Buchholz (Gainesville), which was ranked 2nd previously, dropped to 5th after the Bobcats (3-1) lost their first regular-season game since 2022. Buchholz, which travels north for a game this Friday at Richmond Hill (GA), was edged by Manatee (Bradenton), 34-27, in a game that was played at Santa Fe High School in Alachua.
Nease is 6th after the Panthers (3-0) blanked previously unbeaten Fletcher (Neptune Beach), 39-0.
University (Orange City) improved to 4-0 with a 46-7 blowout of RV Deltona, and the Titans settled in this week at No. 7.
Hawthorne rebounded from their first regular-season loss in four years a week ago to Florida High (Tallahassee) by beating No. 19 Oakleaf (Orange Park), 27-21. The Hornets, who are ranked eighth, scored on a Hail Mary on the final play of the game to improve to 3-1.
Bolles (Jacksonville) dropped three spots to 9th this week despite a come-from-behind 35-28 triumph over rival RV Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville). The Bulldogs (2-1) host Oakleaf this Friday.
Rounding out the top 10 is DeLand.
The Bulldogs (3-1) won their third game in a row after an opening week loss to No. 11 Madison County, pounding Appling County (GA), 38-7.
Baker County (Glen St. Mary) moved into the poll this week at No. 20. The Wildcats (2-1) replaced South Sumter (Bushnell), which was 17th in the previous poll but fell to 1-3 with a 21-14 loss to undefeated Wiregrass Ranch (Wesley Chapel).
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 – 2024 FOOTBALL POLL #5
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, current record, and total voting points)
1. Bradford (Starke) (2A) (6) (4-0) – 205
2T. St. Augustine (4A) (3) (3-0) – 203
2T. Raines (Jacksonville) (3A) (2) (4-0) – 203
4. Mandarin (Jacksonville) (6A) (3-1) – 181
5. Buchholz (Gainesville) (6A) (3-1) – 171
6. Nease (Ponte Vedra) (6A) (3-0) – 159
7. University (Orange City) (7A) (4-0) – 154
8. Hawthorne (Rural) (3-1) – 129
9. Bolles (Jacksonville) (2A) (2-1) – 127
10. DeLand (7A) (3-1) – 124
11. Madison County (Rural) (3-1) – 110
12. Vanguard (Ocala) (4A) (3-1) – 105
13. Dunnellon (3A) (3-1) – 78
14. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (7A) (3-1) – 55
15T. Chiefland (Rural) (4-0) – 45
15T. Ponte Vedra (5A) (2-1) – 45
17. Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (6A) (2-2) – 42
18. Union County (Lake Butler) (Rural) (4-0) – 33
19. Oakleaf (Orange Park) (6A) (3-1) – 24
20. Baker County (Glen St. Mary) (3A) (2-1) – 22
Also receiving votes: Flagler Palm Coast (7A) (3-0) – 13; Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (3A) (3-1) – 10; Columbia (Lake City) (4A) (2-2) – 9; Middleburg (5A) (4-0) – 9; Deltona (4A) (1-2) – 8; Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (1A) (2-2) – 8; Nature Coast Tech (Brooksville) (3A) (2-1) – 6; Taylor County (Perry) (2A) (4-0) – 5; Leesburg (4A) (3-1) – 4; Mainland (Daytona Beach) (5A) (0-4) – 3; Springstead (Spring Hill) (5A) (3-0) – 3; Newberry (2A) (2-2) – 2; Palatka (2A) (3-1) – 2; Fort White (Rural) (3-1) – 1; Williston (Rural) (2-1) -1.
Buchholz volleyball – 2024
Wednesday, 4:30-5:30 p.m. – “The Prep Zone” Sports Show (39th Avenue)
‘Live’ audio: https://www.mainstreetdailynews.com/sports/live-stream/
Join Mike Ridaught as he talks high school sports from your locally owned Sonic Drive-In of Gainesville (39th Avenue). His guests for this episode include first-year Buchholz volleyball coach Andre Medina, along with members of the Bobcats volleyball team.