Gainesville – There were a couple of surprises in this week’s Prep Zone Power Poll.
Previously unbeaten Fleming Island (Orange Park) (10-1), along with District 3-6A champion Ed White (Jacksonville) (8-3), ranked 4th and 9th respectively, were upset at home and had their seasons come to an end in the first round of the FHSAA state football playoffs. Four other ranked teams (No. 11 Jacksonville Sandalwood, #14 Inverness Citrus, #15 St. Augustine & #17 Fort White) also lost and were eliminated from the postseason.
Top-ranked First Coast (Jacksonville) remained No. 1 following a 28-10 win against Lake Brantley (Altamonte Springs) in the 8A-Region 1 Quarterfinals. The Bucs (10-1), who will now travel to unbeaten Lake Mary, received four of the seven first-place votes to remain ahead of No. 2 South Sumter (Bushnell) in total voting points, 136-133.
The Raiders (11-0), who received two first-place votes, remained second by defeating RV Suwannee (Live Oak), 31-12, in the 5A-Region 2 Quarterfinals. They will travel to No. 13 North Marion (Sparr) (9-2), which defeated Pasco (Dade City), 17-7, in the regional semifinals.
Mainland (Daytona Beach), which received the other first-place vote, remained No. 3. The Bucs (10-1) opened the 6A playoffs with a 49-0 win over Lake Minneola. They travel to RV Leesburg (8-3) next.
Class 3A Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) moved up one spot to fourth. The Conquerors (9-1) rolled to a 49-7 win over Father Lopez (Daytona Beach) and will get No. 20 Trinity Catholic (Ocala) (8-3) at home on Friday in the regional finals.
Rounding out the top five is Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville), a 44-22 winner against Palatka in the 5A-Region 1 Quarterfinals. The Crusaders (11-0) will host Clay (Green Cove Springs) in the next round.
Columbia (Lake City) moved up one spot to sixth following a 42-24 win at St. Augustine in a 6A-Region 1 Quarterfinal. The Tigers (10-1) will host RV Bartram Trail (St. Johns), which upset Ed White on the road, 50-20, in the 6A-Region 1 Quarterfinals. The Bears (6-5) began the season 0-5 but have now won six in a row and are averaging 39 points per game during their current win streak.
Class 4A Raines (Jacksonville) (9-2), 7A Fletcher (Neptune Beach) (9-2), 1A Dixie County (Cross City) (9-0) and 6A Gainesville (9-2) all won their regional games to advance, and each moved up in the poll to round out the top 10.
Ed White dropped seven spots to No. 16 with their season-ending loss, while Citrus, St. Augustine and Fort White all fell out of the poll. Meanwhile, Warner Christian (South Daytona), Union County (Lake Butler) and Trinity Catholic (Ocala) all re-entered the poll at Nos. 17, 19 and 20, respectively.
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 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 by sportswriters and sportscasters. This is the last poll until the FHSAA Football Finals have been completed.
PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2013 FOOTBALL POLL #13
(School, followed by first-place votes, classification, record and total voting points)
1. First Coast (Jacksonville) (4) (8A) (10-1) – 136
2. South Sumter (Bushnell) (2) (5A) (11-0) – 133
3. Mainland (Daytona Beach) (1) (6A) (10-1) – 125
4. Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (3A) (9-1) – 121
5. Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (5A) (10-0) – 112
6. Columbia (Lake City) (6A) (10-1) – 108
7. Raines (Jacksonville) (4A) (9-2) – 98
8. Fletcher (Neptune Beach) (7A) (9-2) – 90
9. Dixie County (Cross City) (1A) (9-0) – 77
10. Gainesville (6A) (9-2) – 75
11. Fleming Island (Orange Park) (7A) (10-1) – 63
12. University Christian (Jacksonville) (2A) (9-2) – 62
13. North Marion (Sparr) (5A) (9-2) – 55
14. Springstead (Spring Hill) (6A) (10-1) – 52
15. Bolles (Jacksonville) (4A) (8-3) – 29
16. Ed White (Jacksonville) (6A) (8-3) – 28
17. Warner Christian (South Daytona) (2A) (9-1) – 23
18. Sandalwood (Jacksonville) (8A) (8-3) – 20
19. Union County (Lake Butler) (1A) (10-1) – 17
20. Trinity Catholic (Ocala) (3A) (8-3) – 13
Also receiving votes: Leesburg (6A) (8-3) – 10; Trenton (1A) (9-1) – 8; Citrus (Inverness) (6A) (9-2) – 6; St. Augustine (6A) (8-3) – 4; Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (6A) (6-5) – 4.
