Mainland (Daytona Beach) moves to top spot in regional poll after Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) drops opening game
GAINESVILLE — One week into the 2017 high school football regular season, and already a change at the top of The Prep Zone Power Poll.
Four-time defending state champion Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) dropped a back-and-forth 24-21 decision to defending state champion and 4A #2 Cocoa. This dropped the Conquerors (0-1) from the #1 spot after last week’s preseason poll to 2nd this week.
The new #1 team is Mainland (Daytona Beach), which is ranked third in the Associated Press Class 6A state rankings.
The Bucs (1-0) opened their 2017 season with a 24-0 blanking of DeLand. Mainland received four of the eight first-place votes this week and will host fifth-ranked Bartram Trail (St. Johns) this Friday night.
Trinity Christian received three first-place votes after the close loss to Cocoa. The Conquerors are back in action this Friday night at #18 Ribault (Jacksonville).
Receiving the other first-place vote this week is #3 Robert E. Lee (Jacksonville). The Generals (1-0) rallied to win a tough 20-16 opener against #8 Raines (Jacksonville) last week, and remains in the third spot.
Vanguard (Ocala) moves up a spot to #4 this week, replacing Bartram Trail. The Knights (1-0) easily dispatched of Kathleen (Lakeland), 38-0, to win their opener. They will travel to Citizens Field to play 13th-ranked Buchholz (Gainesville) on Thursday night in a game that can be seen on ThePrepZone.com (LIVE VIDEO BROADCAST).
Bartram Trail rounds out the top five after losing a close 52-45 slugfest at Georgia AAAA defending state champion Cartersville in a game that was played on national TV. The Bears rallied from a 38-10 deficit to tie the game before Cartersville held on late for the win. Another tough test awaits Bartram Trail this week as they travel to Mainland.
Class 5A #5 Bolles (Jacksonville) is ranked sixth. The Bulldogs were off on opening week and will start life after Corky Rogers this Friday night at home against 6A Deltona.
Two-time defending 2A state champion University Christian (Jacksonville) is off to a 2-0 start already on the young season, and moved up a spot to #7. The Christians followed up a 44-14 win at Ben Lippen (SC) with a 42-14 home win over Providence (Jacksonville) last week.
Raines (Jacksonville) drops two spots to 8th after the close loss at Lee.
Madison County moves up from 10th to 9th after rallying from a 21-point deficit to win at Wakulla (Crawfordville), 28-27. The Cowboys (1-0) travel to RV Newberry (1-0) this Friday night.
Rouding out the top 10 is St. Augustine.
The Yellow Jackets (1-0) moved up one space and into the top 10 after a 31-14 triumph over then-#14 Baker County (Glen St. Mary). The victory avenged a Yellow Jackets loss at Baker County in the opening game a season ago.
New to the poll this week is Fleming Island (Orange Park). The Golden Eagles are tied for 14th with Clay (Green Cove Springs), which Fleming Island defeated on the road, 27-6. Clay falls eight spots from a week ago.
Ribault moves in at 18th after a 14-13 win at then-#19 Sandalwood (Jacksonville).
Class 8A Sandalwood (0-1) drops out from last week, as does South Sumter (Bushnell) (0-1), which dropped its opener 35-20 to Leesburg, and Trenton (1-0), which despite a 37-21 win at rival Chiefland, drops from 20th to receiving votes this week.
Fort White (1-0), which is receiving votes in the Class 3A state rankings, also enters the poll, at No. 20, after a 13-10 win over Suwannee (Live Oak).
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 fueled by Divine Power Wear.
The Prep Zone Power Poll fueled by Divine Power Wear – 2017 Football Poll #2
(School, followed by classification, first place votes, overall record, and total points)
1. Mainland (Daytona Beach) (6A) (4) (1-0) – 155
2. Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (5A) (3) (0-1) – 152
3. Robert E. Lee (Jacksonville) (7A) (1) (1-0) – 149
4. Vanguard (Ocala) (6A) (1-0) – 134
5. Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (7A) (0-1) – 122
6. Bolles (Jacksonville) (5A) (0-0) – 110
7. University Christian (Jacksonville) (2A) (2-0) – 109
8. Raines (Jacksonville) (5A) (0-1) – 108
9. Madison County (1A) (1-0) – 100
10. St. Augustine (6A) (1-0) – 99
11. Columbia (Lake City) (7A) (1-0) – 82
12. Ponte Vedra (5A) (1-0) – 68
13. Buchholz (Gainesville) (7A) (1-0) – 47
T-14. Clay (Green Cove Springs) (5A) (0-1) – 44
T-14. Fleming Island (Orange Park) (7A) (1-0) – 44
16. Dunnellon (4A) (1-0) – 40
17. Nature Coast (Brooksville) (5A) (0-0) – 30
18. Ribault (Jacksonville) (5A) (1-0) – 23
19. Baker County (Glen St. Mary) (5A) (0-1) – 17
20. Fort White (3A) (1-0) – 10
Also receiving votes: Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (8A) (1-0) – 9; Trenton (4A) (1-0) – 9; Newberry (3A) (1-0) – 8; Oakleaf (Orange Park) (7A) (1-1) – 5; University (Orange City) (8A) (0-1) – 5; Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (5A) (1-0) – 4; South Sumter (Bushnell) (4A) (0-1) – 4; Palatka (5A) (1-0) – 3; New Smyrna Beach (6A) (1-0) – 1; Union County (Lake Butler) (1A) (1-0) – 1.
