St. Augustine still No. 1 in the all-class regional rankings
GAINESVILLE — The high school football season comes to an end this week, and the undefeated teams continue to dwindle.
But the team once again at the top of The Prep Zone Power Poll, the St. Augustine Yellow Jackets, have a tough test if they hope to finish an undefeated regular season.
The Yellow Jackets (9-0), who already had clinched the FHSAA Class 4A-District 3, had no trouble last week in a 66-6 romp at Ridgeview (Orange Park) to finish their district schedule. This week though, St. Augustine hosts 6th-ranked Mandarin (Jacksonville) on Thursday in their bid for a 10-0 regular season.
St. Augustine received eight of the 11 first-place votes in the all-classification regional rankings to stay in the top spot of the poll, which ranks the top 20 high school football teams across 26 counties.
There is a tie for 2nd this week between Buchholz (Gainesville) and Raines (Jacksonville). Both teams clinched their respective districts last week.
The Bobcats (8-1) pounded Bartram Trail (St. Johns), 50-16, and wrapped up the 6A-District 3 title. Buchholz finishes its regular season on Friday with a long trip to Cardinal Newman (West Palm Beach).
Raines had no problem with RV Yulee, obliterating the Hornets, 58-7, to clinch the 3A-3 championship. Raines (8-0) earned two first-place votes.
Bolles (Jacksonville) is 4th. The Bulldogs (8-1) have a big test to end the regular season on Friday at No. 8 Columbia (Lake City).
Unbeaten DeLand rounds out the top five. The Bulldogs (8-0) host Lake Gibson (Lakeland) on Friday, and will finish up a game at No. 9 Spruce Creek (Port Orange) next week that was postponed earlier this month. That game will decide the 7A-District 2 title, and will pick up on Tuesday with DeLand leading Spruce Creek 14-0 in the first quarter.
DeLand picked up the final first-place vote.
Mandarin moves up to 6th. The Mustangs (8-1) won the District 2-6A title with a 31-14 win over No. 12 Oakleaf (Orange Park) last Friday.
They finish their regular season on Thursday at top-ranked St. Augustine.
Nease (Ponte Vedra) is 7th, Columbia No. 8, Spruce Creek 9th, and Bradford (Starke) moves up a spot to close out the top 10. The Tornadoes finished their regular season at 9-1 and won the 2A-5 district title with a 21-7 triumph over Santa Fe (Alachua).
Among the district champions in the second ten are No. 13 Vanguard (Ocala) and 15th-ranked Mainland (Daytona Beach).
Teams receiving votes who took their district crowns are Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville), Ed White (Jacksonville), University Christian (Jacksonville), and Trinity Christian (Jacksonville).
Williston (8-1) is the only team to move into the top 20 this week. The Red Devils replace Middleburg (7-2), who was 18th a week ago but lost 21-10 at Fleming Island (Orange Park).
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 – 2025 FOOTBALL POLL #11
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, current record, and total voting points)
1. St. Augustine (4A) (8) (9-0) – 215
2T. Buchholz (Gainesville) (6A) (8-1) – 203
2T. Raines (Jacksonville) (3A) (2) (8-0) – 203
4. Bolles (Jacksonville) (2A) (8-1) – 184
5. DeLand (7A) (1) (8-0) – 179
6. Mandarin (Jacksonville) (6A) (8-1) – 156
7. Nease (Ponte Vedra) (6A) (7-2) – 149
8. Columbia (Lake City) (4A) (8-1) – 140
9. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (7A) (7-1) – 115
10. Bradford (Starke) (2A) (9-1) – 114
11. Hawthorne (Rural) (7-1) – 104
12. Oakleaf (Orange Park) (6A) (7-2) – 92
13. Vanguard (Ocala) (4A) (7-2) – 87
14. Chiefland (Rural) (8-1) – 68
15. Mainland (Daytona Beach) (5A) (6-2) – 66
16. The Villages (2A) (8-1) – 56
17. Ponte Vedra (5A) (7-2) – 48
18. Eastside (Gainesville) (3A) (7-2) – 32
19. Williston (Rural) (8-1) – 27
20. South Lake (Groveland) (6A) (8-1) – 14
Also receiving votes: Lafayette (Mayo) (Rural) (8-1) – 10; Madison County (Rural) (4-5) – 10; Beachside (St. Johns) (5A) (6-2) – 8; Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (3A) (7-2) – 8; Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (1A) (5-4) – 8; Middleburg (5A) (7-2) – 6; University Christian (Jacksonville) (1A) (6-3) – 4; Ed White (Jacksonville) (4A) (7-2) – 3; Taylor County (Perry) (Rural) (8-1) -1.