Raines (Jacksonville) finishes unanimous No. 1 in regional rankings after state runner-up finish
GAINESVILLE — The high school football season has come to a end for 2024, and only one team in The Prep Zone Power Poll area brought home a state title, the Madison County Cowboys.
But the team that finished at the top of the final all-classification regional rankings made it all the way to the state title game before tasting defeat.
The Raines (Jacksonville) Vikings went undefeated up to the 3A state championship game, before they ran into the Northwestern (Miami) Bulls at Pitbull Stadium at FIU in Miami. Raines came up short of their third state title since 2017, and they were blanked by Northwestern, 41-0.
But the state runner-up finish was enough to make Raines the unanimous number one team in The Prep Zone Power Poll as the Vikings (13-1) received all 10 first-place votes and moved up from 2nd in the previous poll.
St. Augustine finishes 2nd. The Yellow Jackets (11-2) advanced to the 4A state semifinals before being eliminated on the road at eventual state champion American Heritage (Plantation), 38-28.
Another state semifinalist, Buchholz (Gainesville), ends up 3rd.
The Bobcats (10-4) advanced to the state semifinal round for the fourth straight year, but unfortunately for the fourth straight year Buchholz was bounced in that round, this time, 41-35, by Osceola (Kissimmee).
The only state champion in the final poll, Madison County, finished fourth.
Champions of the Rural Classification, the Cowboys (10-3) moved up nine spots from the previous rankings as they defeated two-time defending state champion Hawthorne, 21-14, in the state title game at The Villages to win their first state title since 2021 and their seventh state football title overall, tying the Cowboys for fifth all-time.
Rounding out the top five is the previous number one ranked team, Nease (Ponte Vedra).
The Panthers (10-1) were undefeated in the regular season but were upset in the second round of the 6A playoffs by No. 11 Oakleaf (Orange Park), 31-14.
Leading off the second 10 are two teams tied for sixth, Vanguard (Ocala) and Hawthorne.
Vanguard (11-2) lost in the Region 2-4A final at eventual state runner-up Jones (Orlando), 27-13, while Hawthorne (10-2) played in its fifth consecutive title game but came up just a bit short against Madison County.
Bolles (Jacksonville) ended up 8th, followed by Newberry at No. 9, and Bradford (Starke) finished 10th. Newberry defeated Bradford, 34-19, in the Region 2-2A semifinal before being eliminated in the next round at eventual state champion Cocoa.
Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) moved up eight spots in the final rankings to No. 12 as the Conquerors (10-4) advanced to the 1A state semifinal.
New to the rankings in the final poll are 19th-ranked Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) along with University Christian. The Crusaders (9-4) moved into the poll after knocking off Baker County (Glen St. Mary) and Godby (Tallahassee) before being eliminated in the Region 1-3A final at Raines.
University Christian (7-6) also advanced to the Region 1-1A final, where they were knocked out by Trinity Christian.
Springstead (Spring Hill) and New Smyrna Beach dropped out from the previous poll.
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 – 2024 FOOTBALL POLL #13 (FINAL POLL)
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, final 2024 record, and total voting points)
1. Raines (Jacksonville) (3A) (10) (13-1) – 200
2. St. Augustine (5A) (11-2) – 180
3. Buchholz (Gainesville) (6A) (10-4) – 174
4. Madison County (Rural) (10-3) – 155
5. Nease (Ponte Vedra) (6A) (10-1) – 145
6T. Hawthorne (Rural) (10-2) – 143
6T. Vanguard (Ocala) (4A) (11-2) – 143
8. Bolles (Jacksonville) (2A) (10-2) – 141
9. Newberry (2A) (10-3) – 112
10. Bradford (Starke) (2A) (9-2) – 96
11. Oakleaf (Orange Park) (6A) (9-4) – 91
12. Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (1A) (10-4) – 89
13. University (Orange City) (7A) (9-3) – 76
14. Union County (Lake Butler) (Rural) (10-2) – 73
15. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (7A) (8-4) – 60
16. Ponte Vedra (5A) (9-3) – 59
17. Mandarin (Jacksonville) (6A) (7-4) – 46
18. Flagler Palm Coast (7A) (9-2) – 35
19. Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (3A) (9-4) – 22
20T. Chiefland (Rural) (9-2) – 14
20T. University Christian (Jacksonville) (1A) (7-6) – 14
Also receiving votes: Williston (Rural) (8-5) – 13; Fleming Island (Orange Park) (8-4) – 9; Springstead (Spring Hill) (5A) (8-3) – 5; Dunnellon (3A) (8-4) – 2; Mainland (Daytona Beach) (5A) (5-6) – 2; New Smyrna Beach (4A) (8-3) – 2; Beachside (St. Johns) (5A) (7-4) – 1.
