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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Friday, 6:30 p.m. (PREGAME) – High School Football, 7 p.m. (KICKOFF)
Lecanto at GHS
Radio: “I am Country” 106.9 FM Gainesville
Join Mainstreet Daily News Sports Director Mike Ridaught (Play-by-play) and Aiden Wacksman (Color) for this Class 4A-District 5 game from Citizens Field in Gainesville.
Mandarin (Jacksonville) stays on top of regional rankings with top five matchup coming this week
GAINESVILLE – Life without quarterback Tramell Jones has been fine so far for Mandarin (Jacksonville).
But the competition picks up a bit for the Mustangs, who are ranked number one again this week in The Prep Zone Power Poll.
Jones, a four-star recruit who is committed to FSU, was hurt in Mandarin’s win at Atlantic Coast (Jacksonville) in week two. The Mustangs (3-0) had no problem without Jones against winless Sandalwood (Jacksonville), blanking the Saints 41-0.
But Mandarin, which received eight of the 12 first-place votes this week in the all-classification regional rankings, faces its toughest challenge of the 2024 season this Friday at fifth-ranked Bradford (Starke).
Bradford (3-0) moved up a spot to 5th after disposing of No. 17 South Sumter (Bushnell), 28-7.
Buchholz (Gainesville) remained second.
The Bobcats (3-0), who are ranked third in the state in Class 6A, picked up a first-place vote after they struggled for three quarters but pulled away from city rival Eastside (Gainesville), 35-7. They host 5A No. 7 Manatee (Bradenton) this week in a game that has been moved to Santa Fe High School in Alachua.
St. Augustine remained 3rd despite not playing last week. The Yellow Jackets (2-0) received three first-place votes, but their big matchup with No. 6 Bolles (Jacksonville) was canceled due to weather and will not be made up.
Raines (Jacksonville) is 4th.
The Vikings (3-0), who took care of then-No. 14 Trinity Christian (Jacksonville), 48-23, hosts defending state champion Mainland (Daytona Beach) this week.
The Bucs, who are 0-3 after a 7-2 loss at RV Flagler Palm Coast last week, were 16th a week ago but dropped out of the poll this week.
Bolles is 6th, followed by No. 7 Nease (Ponte Vedra).
Nease also saw their game against Ridge Community (Davenport) wiped out because of bad weather in St. Johns County and their game will also not be made up.
University (Orange City) won again to improve to 3-0 and settles in at No. 8, followed by No. 9 Bartram Trail (St. Johns), which moved up six spots after a 43-42 overtime win on the road at Ware County (GA).
Rounding out the top 10 is two-time defending state champion Hawthorne.
The Hornets (2-1) saw their 27-game winning streak come to an end with a 41-27 loss at Florida High (Tallahassee). It was Hawthorne’s first loss since falling to Madison County in the 1A state championship game in 2021.
Hawthorne faces another big test this week as they host 18th-ranked Oakleaf (Orange Park).
Oakleaf (3-0), Ponte Vedra (1-1), and Union County (Lake Butler) (3-0) are new to the poll, while Newberry, Trinity Christian, and Mainland dropped out.
The Prep Zone Power Poll ranks the top 20 high school football, girls basketball, boys basketball, softball & baseball teams (regardless of FHSAA classification) across 26 counties in North Florida (Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Citrus, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hernando, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Levy, Madison, Marion, Nassau, Putnam, Sumter, St. Johns, Suwannee, Taylor, Union & Volusia counties). It is voted on weekly by sportswriters and sportscasters and it is powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville.
THE PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2024 FOOTBALL POLL #4
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, current record, and total voting points)
1. Mandarin (Jacksonville) (6A) (8) (3-0) – 232
2. Buchholz (Gainesville) (6A) (1) (3-0) – 224
3. St. Augustine (4A) (3) (2-0) – 218
4. Raines (Jacksonville) (3A) (3-0) – 204
5. Bradford (Starke) (2A) (3-0) – 189
6. Bolles (Jacksonville) (2A) (1-1) – 148
7. Nease (Ponte Vedra) (6A) (2-0) – 145
8. University (Orange City) (7A) (3-0) – 143
9. Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (6A) (2-1) – 128
10. Hawthorne (Rural) (2-1) – 127
11. DeLand (7A) (2-1) – 120
12. Madison County (Rural) (2-1) – 113
13. Vanguard (Ocala) (4A) (2-1) – 99
14. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (7A) (3-0) – 74
15. Dunnellon (3A) (2-1) – 59
16. Chiefland (Rural) (3-0) – 48
17. South Sumter (Bushnell) (3A) (1-2) – 33
18. Oakleaf (Orange Park) (6A) (3-0) – 28
19. Ponte Vedra (5A) (1-1) – 22
20. Union County (Lake Butler) (Rural) (3-0) – 20
Also receiving votes: Columbia (Lake City) (4A) (2-1) – 19; Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (3A) (3-0) – 16; Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (1A) (1-2) – 13; Leesburg (4A) (3-0) – 11; Baker County (Glen St. Mary) (3A) (1-1) – 10; Deltona (4A) (1-1) – 8; Gainesville (4A) (3-0) – 7; Mainland (Daytona Beach) (5A) (0-3) – 7; Fletcher (Neptune Beach) (6A) (3-0) – 6; University Christian (Jacksonville) (1A) (1-2) – 6; Riverside (Jacksonville) (4A) (2-1) – 5; Flagler Palm Coast (7A) (2-0) – 2; Nature Coast Tech (Brooksville) (3A) (3-0) – 2; Springstead (Spring Hill) (5A) (3-0) – 2; Fort White (Rural) (2-1) – 1; Newberry (2A) (1-2) – 1; Palatka (2A) (2-1) – 1; Suwannee (Live Oak) (3A) (1-2) – 1; Williston (Rural) (1-1) – 1.
Wednesday, 7-8 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 GHS volleyball coach Jerica Carter-Mitchell, along with members of the Hurricanes volleyball team.
Friday, 7 p.m. (PREGAME) – High School Football, 7:30 (KICKOFF)
Newberry at Vanguard (Ocala)
Radio: “I am Country” 106.9 FM Gainesville
Join Mainstreet Daily News Sports Director Mike Ridaught (Play-by-play) and former Gator football player Hank Rone (Color) for this Alachua County vs. Marion County showdown. Both teams are ranked top 10 in the state.
Mandarin (Jacksonville) stays on top of regional rankings
GAINESVILLE – For now, the Mandarin (Jacksonville) football team remains on top of The Prep Zone Power Poll.
But a key injury for the Mustangs could shake up their season.
Mandarin (2-0) had no trouble winning 47-0 at Atlantic Coast (Jacksonville), but in that win senior quarterback Tramell Jones, a four-star FSU commit, was carted off the field with a leg injury and will miss significant time.
The Mustangs, who host winless Sandalwood (Jacksonville) this Friday before a giant road trip to No. 6 Bradford (Starke) next week, still received eight of the 12 first-place votes to stay on top of the all-classification regional rankings for the second straight week.
Buchholz (Gainesville) picked up another road win, rallying for 21 points in the fourth quarter to defeat Vero Beach, 38-23, on the road. The Bobcats (2-0), who picked up a first-place vote and remained 2nd, play at city rival Eastside (Gainesville) on Friday at Citizens Field.
St. Augustine remained 3rd despite three first-place votes. The Yellow Jackets (2-0) won easily at Menendez (St. Augustine), 34-14, and host No. 7T Bolles (Jacksonville) on Friday.
Hawthorne escaped a scare against Newberry and remains 4th. The Hornets (2-0) won their 27th game in a row but had to work for it as they held off a two-point attempt in overtime by No. 13 Newberry to win 28-27.
Rounding out the top five is Raines (Jacksonville). The Vikings (2-0) blanked Sandalwood, 43-0, and host 14th-ranked Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) this week.
Bradford moved up a spot to 6th after knocking off No. 20 Dunnellon, 29-14, while Bolles and University (Orange City) are tied for the 7th spot.
University (2-0) moved up five spots after a 49-20 romp over North Miami.
Nease (Ponte Vedra) moved up eight spots and into the top 10 at No. 9 after pounding RV Creekside (St. Johns), 45-7, and DeLand rounds out the top 10 as they evened their record at 1-1 after blasting New Smyrna Beach, 56-21.
Mainland (Daytona Beach), which was ranked number one in the preseason poll, fell to 0-2 after being leveled by Cocoa, 51-0. The Buccaneers fall 11 spots to 16th this week.
New to the poll this week is Spruce Creek (Port Orange), which moved to No. 19, and falling out from the previous poll are Columbia (Lake City) and University Christian (Jacksonville), which were tied for 19th a week ago.
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 #3
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, current record, and total voting points)
1. Mandarin (Jacksonville) (6A (8) (2-0) – 230
2. Buchholz (Gainesville) (6A) (1) (2-0) – 225
3. St. Augustine (4A) (3) (2-0) – 212
4. Hawthorne (Rural) (2-0) – 200
5. Raines (Jacksonville) (3A) (2-0) – 195
6. Bradford (Starke) (2A) (2-0) – 165
7T. Bolles (Jacksonville) (2A) (1-1) – 123
7T. University (Orange City) (7A) (2-0) – 123
9. Nease (Ponte Vedra) (6A) (2-0) – 106
10. DeLand (7A) (1-1) – 104
11. Madison County (Rural) (1-1) – 100
12. South Sumter (Bushnell) (3A) (1-1) – 96
13. Newberry (2A) (1-1) – 90
14. Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (1A) (1-1) – 72
15. Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (6A) (1-1) – 69
16. Mainland (Daytona Beach) (5A) (0-2) – 61
17. Vanguard (Ocala) (4A) (1-1) – 46
18. Chiefland (Rural) (2-0) – 38
19. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (7A) (2-0) – 37
20. Dunnellon (3A) (1-1) – 34
Also receiving votes: Oakleaf (Orange Park) (6A) (2-0) – 31; Union County (Lake Butler) (Rural) (2-0) – 28; Springstead (Spring Hill) (5A) (2-0) – 20; Ponte Vedra (5A) (1-1) – 17; Baker County (Glen St. Mary) (3A) (1-1) – 16; Columbia (Lake City) (4A) (1-1) – 13; North Marion (Citra) (3A) (2-0) – 11; Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (3A) (2-0) – 8; Deltona (4A) (1-0) – 8; University Christian (Jacksonville) (1A) (0-2) – 5; Riverside (Jacksonville) (4A) (1-1) – 3; Suwannee (Live Oak) (3A) (1-1) – 3; Creekside (St. Johns) (7A) (0-2) – 2; Nature Coast Tech (Brooksville) (2-0) – 2.