Gainesville – There was a shakeup at the top of the Prep Zone Power Poll.
That’s because the top three teams all lost last week, catapulting Class 7A Fletcher (Neptune Beach) up four spots to No. 1. The Senators (5-1) received three of the seven first-place votes.
Top-ranked Columbia (Lake City) suffered its first defeat at 6A-District 3 foe Ed White (Jacksonville), which moved up seven spots to No. 11 following a 34-17 win against the Tigers (6-1), who dropped four spots to fifth.
Second-ranked Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) also lost its first game of the season. The Class 3A Conquerors (5-1) were crushed at 5A Godby (Tallahassee), 42-6, and fell four spots as well to sixth.
Plus, No. 3 Raines (Jacksonville) lost on the final play of the game at Fletcher, 17-14, and actually dropped six spots to ninth after the Vikings’ second loss of the season.
Fletcher leap-frogged unbeaten South Sumter (Bushnell) in the poll, but the 5A Raiders (7-0), who defeated Hernando (Brooksville), 34-14, received two first-place votes and narrowly missed the No. 1 ranking as they were edged in total voting points, 132-131.
Following a 59-0 win over Jackson (Jacksonville), First Coast (Jacksonville) moved up three spots to third. The Buccaneers (5-1), who defeated Fletcher in overtime in Week #3, received one first-place vote. The only loss this season for the preseason No. 1 team was at Raines.
Mainland (Daytona Beach) received the other first-place vote. The Bucs (6-1) defeated Oviedo on the road, 47-6, and moved up three spots to No. 4.
A total of seven ranked teams lost last week, including previously unbeaten Chiefland (5-1), which lost at defending 1A state runner-up Trenton with five seconds to play in the game.
The Class 1A Indians dropped out of the poll, making room for Fort White, which was idle last week. The Class 4A Indians (4-0) are in the poll for the first time this season at No. 20, while 2A Warner Christian (South Daytona) (6-1) also enters the poll for the first time at No. 19 following their fifth consecutive victory.
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.
PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2013 FOOTBALL POLL #8
(School, followed by first-place votes, classification, record and total voting points)
1. Fletcher (Neptune Beach) (3) (7A) (5-1) – 132
2. South Sumter (Bushnell) (2) (5A) (7-0) – 131
3. First Coast (Jacksonville) (1) (8A) (5-1) – 128
4. Mainland (Daytona Beach) (1) (6A) (6-1) – 116
5. Columbia (Lake City) (6A) (6-1) – 102
6. Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (3A) (5-1) – 101
7. Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (5A) (5-0) – 95
8. Fleming Island (Orange Park) (7A) (6-0) – 90
9. Raines (Jacksonville) (4A) (4-2) – 89
10. Sandalwood (Jacksonville) (8A) (5-1) – 79
11. Ed White (Jacksonville) (6A) (5-1) – 75
12. St. Augustine (6A) (6-1) – 67
13. Gainesville (6A) (5-1) – 58
14. Citrus (Inverness) (6A) (6-0) – 47
15. Bolles (Jacksonville) (4A) (4-2) – 43
16. Dixie County (Cross City) (1A) (5-0) – 39
17. University Christian (Jacksonville) (2A) (4-2) – 18
18. Seabreeze (Daytona Beach) (6A) (4-1) – 16
19. Warner Christian (South Daytona) (2A) (6-1) – 13
20. Fort White (4A) (4-0) – 12
Also receiving votes: Trenton (1A) (4-1) – 7; North Marion (5A) (5-2) – 4; Union County (Lake Butler) (1A) (5-1) – 4; Chiefland (1A) (5-1) – 3; Suwannee (Live Oak) (5A) (4-1) – 1; Trinity Catholic (Ocala) (3A) (4-3) – 1.
