Raines (Jacksonville) nips Nease (Ponte Vedra) in split voting as top team in regional rankings
GAINESVILLE — As the high school football season heads into the homestretch, two teams have pulled ahead of everyone else for the voters in The Prep Zone Power Poll.
And again this week, it’s the Raines (Jacksonville) Vikings barely staying on top.
Raines (7-0) pulled away for a 44-14 win at then-RV Creekside (St. Johns) last Friday to stay unbeaten and also remain the top-ranked team in the rankings for another week.
The Vikings, who received six of the 11 first-place votes, hit the road again this week to Yulee. They edged No. 2 Nease (Ponte Vedra) by two points for the number one ranking.
Nease, which received five first-place votes, also stayed unbeaten at 6-0 as they pounded Atlantic Coast (Jacksonville), 44-12, after two weeks off. The Panthers travel to Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine) on Friday night.
St. Augustine (6-1) remained third.
The Yellow Jackets had no problem with rival RV Bartram Trail (St. Johns), pounding the Bears, 48-21. St. Augustine, whose only loss was by one point in overtime to Nease, hosts Ridgeview (Orange Park) on Friday.
Bolles (Jacksonville) stays 4th.
The Bulldogs (7-1) won another road game, this time 38-19 at then-RV Riverside (Jacksonville), and they stay on the road on Friday at Wolfson (Jacksonville).
The only change in the top five is Buchholz (Gainesville), which moved into the 5th spot despite a bye. The Bobcats (5-3), who hit the road tonight for a big district game at Bartram Trail, edged Bradford (Starke) by one point to get back into the top five.
Bradford (7-1) rebounded from its loss at No. 12 Newberry two weeks ago with a 43-7 romp at Leon (Tallahassee).
Vanguard (Ocala) is still No. 7. The Knights, who host district rival Gainesville tonight, edged RV South Sumter (Bushnell), 7-0, in a defensive slugfest.
Rounding out the top 10 are No. 8 University (Orange City), 9th-ranked Hawthorne and No. 10 Mandarin (Jacksonville).
University switches spots with Hawthorne after a 30-20 win at Oviedo, and despite a 35-14 triumph at IMG Academy White (Bradenton), the Hornets (6-1) drop to 9th.
Mandarin (6-2) won another defensive battle, 8-0 at Fletcher (Neptune Beach), and the Mustangs are on the road again on Friday at No. 16 Oakleaf (Orange Park).
The only team new to the poll this week is No. 20 Flagler Palm Coast. The Bulldogs (6-1) replace Taylor County (Perry).
Taylor County (6-2), which was ranked 16th last week, dropped two games to Florida High (Tallahassee) and Suwannee.
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 #10
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, current record, and total voting points)
1. Raines (Jacksonville) (3A) (6) (7-0) – 215
2. Nease (Ponte Vedra) (6A) (5) (6-0) – 213
3. St. Augustine (5A) (6-1) – 193
4. Bolles (Jacksonville) (2A) (7-1) – 180
5. Buchholz (Gainesville) (6A) (5-3) – 164
6. Bradford (Starke) (2A) (7-1) – 163
7. Vanguard (Ocala) (4A) (7-1) – 155
8. University (Orange City) (7A) (7-1) – 136
9. Hawthorne (Rural) (6-1) – 134
10. Mandarin (Jacksonville) (6A) (6-2) – 126
11. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (7A) (5-2) – 107
12. Newberry (2A) (6-2) – 88
13. Union County (Lake Butler) (Rural) (7-0) – 78
14. Ponte Vedra (5A) (6-2) – 68
15. Baker County (Glen St. Mary) (3A) (5-2) – 45
16. Oakleaf (Orange Park) (6A) (6-2) – 42
17. Madison County (Rural) (4-3) – 41
18. Chiefland (Rural) (7-1) – 38
19. Springstead (Spring Hill) (5A) (6-1) – 20
20. Flagler Palm Coast (7A) (6-1) – 14
Also receiving votes: New Smyrna Beach (4A) (6-1) – 13; Taylor County (Perry) (2A) (6-2) – 13; Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (1A) (5-3) – 12; Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (6A) (3-4) – 9; Beachside (St. Johns) (5A) (6-2) – 9; Eastside (Gainesville) (3A) (5-2) – 7; Providence (Jacksonville) (1A) (7-1) – 7; Columbia (Lake City) (4A) (3-5) – 6; Dunnellon (3A) (5-3) – 4; South Sumter (Bushnell) (3A) (3-5) – 4; Fleming Island (Orange Park) (5A) (5-3) – 3; Palatka (2A) (5-3) – 2; Suwannee (Live Oak) (2-5) – 1.
