Buchholz (Gainesville) remains atop rankings as Bobcats receive all but one first-place vote
GAINESVILLE — The Buchholz (Gainesville) Bobcats continue to roll through the early part of the 2022 high school football season.
The Bobcats (2-0) blasted Riverview (Sarasota), 45-6, last Friday night at home and remain atop The Prep Zone Power Poll again this week, receiving 10 of the 11 first-place votes.
Buchholz will take on a much-improved Eastside (Gainesville) team this Friday at Citizens Field. The Rams are receiving votes this week after blanking Keystone Heights, 26-0, last week to go to 2-0.
Staying second is Trinity Christian (Jacksonville).
The Conquerors (2-0) overcame 200 penalty yards last week to take care of #12 Raines (Jacksonville), 41-28. Trinity Christian received the other first-place vote this week.
Trinity Christian warms up for a showdown with No. 3 Bolles (Jacksonville) next week by travelling to North Florida Educational Institute (Jacksonville) this Friday.
The 3rd-ranked Bulldogs improved to 2-0 by rallying past Mandarin (Jacksonville), 27-20. Bolles will head into South Georgia this week to take on Brunswick (GA), which is ranked No. 16 in Georgia AAAAAA classification.
Hawthorne moves up a spot to 4th despite having their game against P.K. Yonge (Gainesville) postponed last week due to COVID-19 in the Blue Wave program. The Hornets (1-0), who will now play P.K. Yonge on September 23, hit the road again this week to take on Terry Parker (Jacksonville).
Rounding out the top five is Mainland (Daytona Beach).
The Bucs (1-0) had a bye last week after being DeLand, 42-29, in week one. Mainland faces a tough test this week as No. 7 Bartram Trail (St. Johns) comes to town.
Madison County starts off the second five this week.
The No. 6 Cowboys (2-0) moved up a spot from 7th after rolling through Godby (Tallahassee), 35-8.
Bartram Trail (2-0) drops a spot despite a 38-27 road win against Seabreeze (Daytona Beach). The No. 7 Bears head right back to Daytona this Friday for the showdown with Mainland.
Fleming Island (Orange Park) moved up three slots into the top 10 at No. 8 after blasting Rickards (Tallahassee), 51-20, in the state capital.
Vanguard (Ocala) drops five spots to 9th as the Knights (1-1) took the six-hour bus ride to Niceville but came up short, 15-7.
North Marion (Citra) rounds out the top 10. The Colts (2-0) also rise four spots this week after a 35-0 blowout of then-No. 19 Dunnellon.
New to the rankings this week are No. 15 Creekside (St. Johns), No. 17 Trinity Catholic (Ocala), No. 19 Lake Minneola (Minneola), and Ed White (Jacksonville) and St. Augustine, who are tied for 20th.
Creekside is off to a 2-0 start after blasting Viera and then-No. 16T Nease (Ponte Vedra) by a combined score of 111-41.
Trinity Catholic moves back into the rankings as they rebounded from a tough week one loss at Florida High (Tallahassee) by knocking off Clearwater Central Catholic, 35-27.
Dropping out from last week are Columbia (Lake City), which is 0-2 after losing 31-27 at RV Union County (Lake Butler), Nease, Riverside (Jacksonville), and Dunnellon.
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 – 2022 FOOTBALL POLL #3
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, current record, and total voting points)
1. Buchholz (Gainesville) (4S) (10) (2-0) – 219
2. Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (1M) (1) (2-0) – 208
3. Bolles (Jacksonville) (2M) (2-0) – 200
4. Hawthorne (1R) (1-0) – 164
5. Mainland (Daytona Beach) (3S) (1-0) – 160
6. Madison County (1R) (2-0) – 158
7. Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (4S) (2-0) – 151
8. Fleming Island (Orange Park) (4S) (2-0) – 145
9. Vanguard (Ocala) (3S) (1-1) – 142
10. North Marion (Citra) (2S) (2-0) – 99
11. University Christian (Jacksonville) (1M) (2-0) – 91
12. Raines (Jacksonville) (2M) (1-1) – 71
13. Chiefland (1R) (2-0) – 66
14. Baker County (Glen St. Mary) (2S) (1-0) – 65
15. Creekside (St. Johns) (4S) (2-0) – 63
16. Bradford (Starke) (2S) (1-0) – 50
17. Trinity Catholic (Ocala) (1S) (1-1) – 33
18. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (4S) (1-1) – 32
19. Lake Minneola (Minneola) (4S) (2-0) – 31
20T. Ed White (Jacksonville) (2M) (1-1) – 24
20T. St. Augustine (3S) (1-1) – 24
Also receiving votes: Riverside (Jacksonville) (2M) (2-0) – 20; South Sumter (Bushnell) (2S) (2-0) – 18; Flagler Palm Coast (4S) (1-0) – 14; Union County (Lake Butler) (1R) (1-1) – 13; Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville) (2M) (2-1) – 11; Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (2M) (2-0) – 11; Eastside (Gainesville) (2S) (2-0) – 7; Columbia (Lake City) (3S) (0-2) – 6; Wildwood (1R) (2-0) – 6; Belleview (3S) (2-0) – 3; Palatka (2S) (2-0) – 2; Newberry (1R) (2-0) – 1.
