Bolles (Jacksonville) remains unanimous No. 1 team after unexpected bye week
GAINESVILLE — The Bolles (Jacksonville) Bulldogs took over the top spot in The Prep Zone Power Poll last week after blowing out then-No. 1 Trinity Christian (Jacksonville), 35-0.
The Class 4A Bulldogs (6-0) remain the unanimous top-ranked team in the latest all-classification regional rankings as well, and they didn’t even have to take the field.
Bolles was scheduled to host Clearwater Academy International but the day of the game CAI declined to make the trip to Jacksonville due to weather issues.
This means Bolles, which received all seven first-place votes, will have two weeks off as their game with Marist (Atlanta, GA) scheduled for this Friday had already been cancelled.
The ‘Dogs will be back in action next Friday, October 22, in a neutral-site game in Starke against the team ranked right behind them, the Buchholz Bobcats.
Buchholz remaind 2nd after easing past city rival Gainesville, 34-3.
The Bobcats (5-1) pulled away from a 6-3 halftime lead to beat the Hurricanes for the third straight year. Buchholz faces a District 2-7A test this Friday on the road at Chiles (Tallahassee) before the showdown with Bolles next week.
Class 2A Trinity Christian moves up a spot to No. 3.
The Conquerors (6-1) rebounded from the Bolles loss by handling the 2nd-ranked team in 5A, American Heritage (Plantation), 27-14. It is the second year in a row the Conquerors have knocked off American Heritage.
Vanguard (Ocala) is 4th.
The Knights (6-0) travelled to Tampa and blanked Jefferson (Tampa), 26-0, last Friday. Vanguard stays on the road this week in a District 5-6A matchup at Lecanto.
Rounding out the top five is Bartram Trail (St. Johns).
The Bears (5-1) stay 5th after slipping past St. Johns County rival Ponte Vedra, 26-24. Bartram Trail faces another rival this week as they host No. 14 Creekside (St. Johns).
Creekside (6-1) dropped their first game of the season, 29-14, at Atlantic Coast (Jacksonville). The Knights drop five spots and out of the top 10.
Columbia (Lake City) leads off the second five, moving up two spots to sixth after rallying for a thrilling 28-26 win at then-No.3 Riverside (Jacksonville).
The loss dropped the Generals (6-1) five spots to 8th this week. The Tigers (6-1) are back on the road this week in another District 3-6A matchup at Orange Park.
Undefeated Spruce Creek (Port Orange) remains 7th after a bye last week. The Hawks (6-0) return to action this week on the road against another unbeaten, #12 University (Orange City).
After Riverside is Hawthorne at No. 9.
The Class 1A state runner-up Hornets (5-0) move up two spots and into the top 10 at 9th despite having their game against American Collegiate Academy (Clearwater) cancelled. Hawthorne is scheduled to return to action this week at 4A Astronaut (Titusville).
St. Augustine and Oakleaf (Orange Park) are tied for 10th.
The 6A Yellow Jackets (4-2) held on to win 28-21 at then-No. 19T Nease (Ponte Vedra) and moves up two slots.
Oakleaf (4-2) was off last week but made a big move up four spaces and into the top 10. The Knights are on the road at District 1-8A rival Mandarin (Jacksonville) on Friday.
The only team new to the poll this week is No. 20 Trinity Catholic (Ocala), which has won four in a row and moves back into the rankings after an 0-2 start.
Nease, which was tied for 19th with Dunnellon a week ago, is the only team to drop out this week.
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 – 2021 FOOTBALL POLL #8
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, current record, and total voting points)
1. Bolles (Jacksonville) (4A) (7) (6-0) – 140
2. Buchholz (Gainesville) (7A) (5-1) – 131
3. Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (2A) (6-1) – 127
4. Vanguard (Ocala) (6A) (6-0) – 118
5. Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (8A) (5-1) – 111
6. Columbia (Lake City) (6A) (5-2) – 102
7. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (7A) (6-0) – 99
8. Riverside (Jacksonville) (6A) (6-1) – 92
9. Hawthorne (1A) (5-0) – 77
10T. Oakleaf (Orange Park) (7A) (4-2) – 63
10T. St. Augustine (6A) (4-2) – 63
12. University (Orange City) (7A) (4-0) – 59
13. Union County (Lake Butler) (1A) (6-0) – 47
14. Creekside (St. Johns) (8A) (6-1) – 43
15. University Christian (Jacksonville) (2A) (4-2) – 39
16. Baker County (Glen St. Mary) (5A) (5-2) – 33
17. The Villages (4A) (5-0) – 30
18. Dunnellon (5A) (4-2) – 29
19. Ed White (Jacksonville) (5A) (4-1) – 28
20. Trinity Catholic (Ocala) (3A) (4-2) – 10
Also receiving votes: Chiefland (1A) (6-0) – 7; Madison County (1A) (4-3) – 7; Mainland (Daytona Beach) (6A) (3-3) – 7; South Sumter (Bushnell) (4A) (5-2) – 7; Clay (Green Cove Springs) (5A) (4-2) – 3; Raines (Jacksonville) (5A) (4-2) – 3; Hilliard (1A) (6-0) – 2; Belleview (5A) (6-1) – 1; Keystone Heights (4A) (7-0) – 1; Lafayette (Mayo) (1A) (5-1) – 1.
