GAINESVILLE – The top two teams are neck-and-neck in this week’s Prep Zone Power Poll.
Class 8A Fletcher (Neptune Beach) edged 6A Gainesville by just one total voting point, 137-136. Plus, GHS (5-0) received just one less first-place vote this week, 4-3, than the Senators (5-0). Both teams cruised to victory last Friday. Fletcher routed Forrest (Jacksonville), 51-0, and the ‘Canes shutout city rival Eastside (Gainesville), 40-0.
Madison County remained third. The Cowboys (5-0), who will host GHS at the end of the month, defeated Providence (Jacksonville), 38-6. First Coast (Jacksonville) (5-0) and South Sumter (Bushnell) (5-0) rounded out the top five.
In fact, there was no movement in the top 10 this week. St. Augustine (5-0), Fleming Island (Orange Park) (5-0), Columbia (Lake City) (4-1), Union County (Lake Butler) (5-0) and Trenton (4-0) all remained sixth through 10th.
Yulee (4-1), which defeated Glades Day (Belle Glade), 42-6, behind Derrick Henry’s 362 yards, is back in the poll, along with Chiefland (4-1), a 34-0 winner at Crescent City. The Hornets and Indians are ranked 19th and 20th respectively.
The Prep Zone Power Poll ranks the top 20 high school football, basketball and baseball teams (regardless of classification) across 26 counties in north Florida (Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Citrus, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hernando, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Levy, Marion, Nassau, Putnam, Sumter, St. Johns, Suwannee, Taylor, Union & Volusia counties). It is voted on weekly
PREP ZONE POWER POLL – WEEK #6
(School, followed by first-place votes, classification, overall record and total voting points)
1. Fletcher (Neptune Beach) (4) (8A) (5-0) – 137
2. Gainesville (3) (6A) (5-0) – 136
3. Madison County (3A) (5-0) – 126
4. First Coast (Jacksonville) (7A) (5-0) – 119
5. South Sumter (Bushnell) (4A) (5-0) – 112
6. St. Augustine (6A) (5-0) – 102
7. Fleming Island (Orange Park) (7A) (5-0) – 101
8. Columbia (Lake City) (6A) (4-1) – 87
9. Union County (Lake Butler) (1A) (5-0) – 75
10. Trenton (1A) (4-0) – 72
11. Bolles (Jacksonville) (4A) (4-1) – 70
12. Raines (Jacksonville) (4A) (4-0) – 63
13. New Smyrna Beach (6A) (4-0) – 62
14. Ridgeview (Orange Park) (6A) (5-0) – 57
15. Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (3A) (3-1) – 38
16. Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (6A) (4-1) – 34
17. Warner Christian (South Daytona) (2A) (4-1) – 24
18. Crystal River (5A) (4-0) – 22
19. Yulee (4A) (4-1) – 20
20. Chiefland (1A) (4-1) – 7
Also receiving votes – Mainland (Daytona Beach) (6A) (2-2) – 3; Keystone Heights (4A) (4-1) – 2; Ed White (Jacksonville) (7A) (4-1) – 1; Dixie County (1A) (4-1) – 1.