Mike Ridaught
Following a close 16-7 loss to defending 4A state champion Cardinal Gibbons (Fort Lauderdale), the Buchholz (Gainesville) football team only dropped one spot in the state rankings.
The Bobcats (3-1) had the ball down only six with 3:20 to play in the game. However, quarterback Creed Whittemore, who had thrown just one interception through the first three games, tossed his third pick of the game. It led to a 23-yard field goal with 1:20 to play to put the game out of reach.
With the loss, Buchholz dropped from fifth to sixth in the Class 7A state rankings, which are released weekly by the USA Today Florida Network.
Buchholz is off this week. They will host Leon (Tallahassee) next Friday, Oct. 1.
Meanwhile, the Union County (Lake Butler) football team stayed unbeaten with a 28-13 win against Class 3A P.K. Yonge (Gainesville). The Tigers (3-0) moved into the No. 5 spot in the Class 1A state rankings. Union County will travel to Williston on Friday.
Hawthorne (3-0) is ranked fourth in Class 1A. The Hornets’ defense pitched a shutout in a 48-7 win at Newberry, allowing only a kickoff return for a score on the first play of the game. Hawthorne has only allowed one defensive touchdown through three games.
Hawthorne will host Class 8A West Port (Ocala) on Friday as part of the MainStreetDailyNews.com Game of the Week.
The new No. 1 team in Class 1A is Baker High School, which defeated Hawthorne for the Class 1A state title last season.
Last Friday, junior running back Kayleb Wagner set a new single-game Florida high school football rushing record with 535 yards and six touchdowns in a 49-48 win over South Walton.
As a sophomore last year, Wagner rushed for 152 yards on only 12 carries in the 27-14 win against the Hornets in the Class 1A state championship game.
The other area team receiving recognition is Columbia (Lake City).
The Tigers (3-1), who are receiving votes in Class 6A, defeated Englewood (Jacksonville), 41-18, last Friday. Their only loss was at home to 4A No. 3 Bolles (Jacksonville) in Week 2.
However, Columbia gets another tough test on Friday at home against 2A No. 1 Trinity Christian (Jacksonville).
USA Today Florida Network (state football poll – Week #4)
Area teams in bold.
Class 8A
1. Venice 3-0 (8 first-place votes)
2. Seminole (Sanford) 4-0 (1 first-place vote)
3. Treasure Coast 3-0
4. Apopka 3-0
5. Lake Mary 3-0
6. Deerfield Beach 3-1
7. Bartram Trail (St. Johns) 3-1
8. Columbus (Miami) 1-2
9. Vero Beach 2-1
10. Western (Davie) 3-1
ARV: Creekside (St. Johns), West Orange (Winter Garden), Osceola (Kissimmee), Riverview (Sarasota), Palm Beach Central (Wellington).
Class 7A
1. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) 3-1 (6 first-place votes)
2. Dillard (Fort Lauderdale) 4-0 (3 first-place votes)
3. Niceville 4-0
4. Edgewater (Orlando) 3-1
5. Tampa Bay Tech 3-0
6. Buchholz (Gainesville) 3-1
7. Lake Gibson (Lakeland) 2-2
8. Lakeland 3-1
9. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) 4-0
10. Armwood (Seffner) 3-1
ARV: Gaither (Tampa), Viera, Bartow, University (Orange City), Doral Academy.
Class 6A
1. Jesuit (Tampa) 4-0 (8 first-place votes)
2. Miami Northwestern 3-1 (1 first-place vote)
3. Riverside (Jacksonville) 4-0
4. Naples 2-0
5. Jones (Orlando) 2-2
6. Dunbar (Fort Myers) 3-0
7. St. Augustine 2-1
8. Mosley (Lynn Haven) 4-0
9. Hillsborough (Tampa) 2-2
10. Rickards (Tallahassee) 3-1
ARV: Vanguard (Ocala), Columbia (Lake City), Pinellas Park (Largo), South Fort Myers, Auburndale.
Class 5A
1. Miami Central 2-2 (9 first-place votes)
2. American Heritage (Plantation) 1-2
3. Miami Killian 4-0
4. Rockledge 4-0
5. Raines (Jacksonville) 2-1
6. West Florida (Pensacola) 3-0
7. Baker County (Glen St. Mary) 3-1
8. Satellite (Satellite Beach) 4-0
9. Merritt Island 4-0
10. Zephyrhills 4-0
ARV: Clearwater, Nature Coast Tech (Brooksville), Clay (Green Cove Springs), Stranahan (Fort Lauderdale), Sebring.
Class 4A
1. Cardinal Gibbons (Fort Lauderdale) 3-0 (9 first-place votes)
2. Gulliver Prep (Miami) 3-0
3. Bolles (Jacksonville) 4-0
4. Cocoa 2-1
5. Lakewood (St. Peterburg) 4-0
ARV: Booker T. Washington (Miami), The Villages, Glades Central (Belle Glade), LaSalle (Miami), Lemon Bay (Englewood).
Class 3A
1. Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood) 3-1 (9 first-place votes)
2. Miami Edison 2-1
3. Berkeley Prep (Tampa) 4-0
4. Florida State (Tallahassee) 4-0
5. Clearwater Central Catholic 3-1
ARV: Lakeland Christian, Calvary Christian (Clearwater), Tampa Catholic, Florida Christian (Miami).
Class 2A
1. Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) 4-0 (9 first-place votes)
2. Champagnat Catholic (Hialeah) 3-1
3. University Christian (Jacksonville) 3-1
4. First Baptist (Naples) 3-0
5. Munroe (Quincy) 4-0
ARV: Dade Christian (Miami), Foundation Academy (Winter Garden), Holy Trinity (Melbourne), John Carroll Catholic (Fort Pierce), Bradenton Christian.
Class 1A
1. Baker 2-0 (9 first-place votes)
2. Wildwood 2-0
3. Madison County (Madison) 2-2
4. Hawthorne 3-0
5. Union County (Lake Butler) 3-0
ARV: Pahokee, Port St. Joe, Fort Meade, Blountstown, Hilliard.