Mainland (Daytona Beach) remains unanimous #1 team heading into final week of regular season
GAINESVILLE – District play is over, and the playoffs are only a week away for football teams in the Prep Zone Power Poll.
But no change at the top, as Mainland (Daytona Beach) continues to dominate and remains the unanimous #1 team once again this week.
The Bucs improved to 9-0 and finished District 13-6A play unbeaten as well with a 70-7 romp over Seabreeze (Daytona Beach). Mainland receives all nine first-place votes again this week and have been the top team in the power poll since the opening week of the regular season. The Bucs regular season is over and they will open play in the 6A state playoffs next week against Okeechobee.
Vanguard (Ocala) remains 2nd after clinching another District 5-6A championship by routing city rival then-#20 Forest 57-3 at Booster Stadium. The Knights (8-0) have a tough assignment to finish an undefeated regular season this week as they travel to Lakeland to play another unbeaten, Lake Gibson.
Bolles (Jacksonville) remains 3rd after slipping past then-4th ranked Raines (Jacksonville) 24-23. The Bulldogs (8-0) wrap up the District 2-4A title with the win over the Vikings, and will finish the regular season this week in Jacksonville against Monterrey Tech from Mexico.
Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) moves up to 4th after a wild week which included a near district tiebreaker for the Conquerors. Trinity Christian found out last Friday afternoon they would have to forfeit their previous five wins due to an ineligible player, then routed previously unbeaten Episcopal (Jacksonville) 44-17 later that night to force an apparent three-way tiebreaker in District 2-3A between the Conquerors, Episcopal, and Providence (Jacksonville). But Trinity Christian appealed the decision and the FHSAA granted the appeal Sunday, giving the Conquerors (6-3) the district title and making Episcopal the runner-up. The three-time defending 3A state champion Conquerors will finish their regular season this week at 6A Pine Forest (Pensacola).
Rounding out the top five is this week is 1A Madison County. Despite being off last week, the Cowboys (8-0) moved up one spot and will finish their regular season with a big-time matchup against #6 Baker County (Glen St. Mary).
Baker County had already wrapped up the District 5-5A title the previous week, but improved to 8-0 with a 49-17 win at Ridgeview (Orange Park). The Wildcats moved up two spots this week to set up the showdown in Madison.
Raines falls to 7th after the one-point loss to Bolles. The Vikings host Ribault this Saturday in the annual backyard brawl. Ribault (4-3) defeated Yulee 14-7 last week to force a three-way tiebreaker with Yulee and Suwannee (Live Oak) for the District 3-5A championship. The Trojans defeated Yulee 14-0 and Suwannee 14-7 to capture the district title and are receiving votes. Yulee defeated Suwannee 15-14 in overtime of the third quarter to eliminate Suwannee from the postseason.
Rounding out the top 10 this week is Ponte Vedra (8-0) at #8, St. Augustine 9th, and South Sumter (Bushnell) rounds out the top ten. The Yellow Jackets (8-1) won at Middleburg 44-18 to wrap up another District 4-6A championship.
Moving back into the rankings 17th is Spruce Creek (Port Orange). The Hawks (6-3) were off a week ago, but won a three-way tiebreaker for the District 1-8A title by beating Sandalwood (Jacksonville) 20-14 in 2 OT’s in the opening quarter, the winning the district with a 3-0 OT win over Mandarin (Jacksonville) in the 2nd quarter. Sandalwood (6-1) then eliminated Mandarin (6-1) from playoff contention with a 7-0 victory in the third quarter. The Saints are 14th while the Mustangs drop 9 spots from a week ago but remain in the rankings at #20.
University (Orange City) finished the regular season 8-2 and remains 19th, but loses out on a tiebreaker to Lake Brantley (Altamonte Springs) for the runner-up spot in District 2-8A, and won’t advance to the playoffs for the second year in a row despite the Titans second consecutive 8-2 final slate.
The only team dropping out of the rankings this week is Forest (6-1), who was 20th last week but was blown out by Vanguard.
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 Central 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. It is powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville.
The Prep Zone Power Poll – 2016 Football Poll #10
(School, followed by classification, first place votes, overall record, and total voting points).
1. Mainland (Daytona Beach) (6A) (9) (9-0) – 180
2. Vanguard (Ocala) (6A) (8-0) – 170
3. Bolles (Jacksonville) (4A) (8-0) – 162
4. Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (3A) (6-3) – 153
5. Madison County (1A) (8-0) – 130
6. Baker County (Glen St. Mary) (5A) (8-0) – 129
7. Raines (Jacksonville) (4A) (6-1) – 123
8. Ponte Vedra (5A) (8-0) – 119
9. St. Augustine (6A) (8-1) – 107
10. South Sumter (Bushnell) (4A) (8-1) – 90
11. Lee (Jacksonville) (7A) (6-1) – 75
12. Buchholz (Gainesville) (7A) (6-2) – 73
13. Nature Coast (Brooksville) (5A) (9-0) – 59
14. Sandalwood (Jacksonville) (8A) (6-1) – 58
15. Dunnellon (4A) (7-1) – 57
16. Trenton (1A) (7-1) – 51
17. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (8A) (6-3) – 35
18. Newberry (1A) (7-1) – 28
19. University (Orange City) (8A) (8-2) – 20
20. Mandarin (Jacksonville) (8A) (6-1) – 11
Also receiving votes: University Christian (Jacksonville) (2A) (6-2) – 9; Columbia (Lake City) (7A) (5-3) – 7; Ribault (Jacksonville) (5A) (4-3) – 5; Episcopal (Jacksonville) (3A) (8-1) – 4; Matanzas (Palm Coast) (6A) (6-2) – 4; Fort White (1A) (7-2).
