Week One of high school football in 2025 saw some surprises and some movement in the Prep Zone Football Power Poll.
Raines (Jacksonville) had its opener against Central (Miami) cancelled due to a scheduling issue. Despite that, the Vikings are still the No. 1 team in the regional rankings this week. Raines, who opens the season on Friday against Sandalwood (Jacksonville), received three of the nine first-place votes and that was enough to stay on top.
Right behind Raines, and remaining second this week, is Buchholz (Gainesville). The Bobcats (1-0) edged No. 9T Vanguard (Ocala), 15-13, in a weather-delayed opener at Citizens Field last Thursday night. Buchholz, who also receives three first-place votes, welcomes a 7A state-ranked team in Vero Beach to Citizens Field on Friday.
The third team to receive three first-place votes this week is Bolles (Jacksonville). The Bulldogs move up a spot to third this week and receive the final three first-place votes after travelling to South Florida and pounding Monarch (Coconut Creek), 34-15. Bolles plays its home opener on Friday against 20th-ranked Trinity Christian (Jacksonville).
St. Augustine (1-0) drops a spot to fourth despite beating rival Palatka for the 21st time in 22 meetings. The Yellow Jackets took advantage of eight Panthers fumbles for a 41-0 romp.
Rounding out the top five is Nease (Ponte Vedra). The Panthers beat rival Ponte Vedra once again, defeating the RV (receiving votes) Sharks 38-28. Nease hosts another St. Johns County rival in RV Creekside (St. Johns) this week.
Oakleaf (Orange Park) leads off the second five. The Knights (1-0) opened their 2025 season with a 23-14 triumph at Riverside (Jacksonville). Bradford (Starke) is seventh, Mandarin (Jacksonville) is at No. 8, and Vanguard and Hawthorne are tied for ninth to round out the top 10.
Bradford blanked Baker County (Glen St. Mary), 24-0, in their opening game, while Mandarin won 42-20 at Creekside and Hawthorne hammered Discovery (Lake Alfred), 42-0.
Columbia (Lake City) is the only Mainstreet Daily News area team in the second 10, moving up five spots last week to 14th after romping 42-6 over rival Suwannee (Live Oak).
Newberry, Chiefland and Williston are the Mainstreet Daily News area teams receiving votes. The Panthers (0-1) dropped from 11th in the preseason poll after a 47-14 loss at University Christian (Jacksonville). The Christians moved from out of the poll last week all the way to No. 15.
Chiefland and Williston are both receiving votes. The Indians edged the Red Devils in a classic opener 36-35, in overtime last week.
Ed White (Jacksonville) is new to the rankings this week, moving in at 17th after winning 45-28 at Trinity Christian. The Conquerors (0-1) dropped eleven spots from last week’s poll to No. 20.
DeLand also moves all the way up to 12th from unranked last week after a 21-20 upset win at then-No. 5 Madison County. The Cowboys drop down to 11th with the loss.
South Sumter (Bushnell) also moves in at No. 19.
Other than Newberry, Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville), Flagler Palm Coast, Ponte Vedra, and Union County (Lake Butler) dropped out from last week.
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 – 2025 FOOTBALL POLL #2 (PRESEASON POLL)
Teams in the Mainstreet Daily News coverage area are in bold
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, current record, and total voting points)
1. Raines (Jacksonville) (3A) (3) (0-0) – 172
2. Buchholz (Gainesville) (6A) (3) (1-0) – 169
3. Bolles (Jacksonville) (2A) (3) (1-0) – 164
4. St. Augustine (4A) (1-0) – 158
5. Nease (Ponte Vedra) (6A) (1-0) – 120
6. Oakleaf (Orange Park) (6A) (1-0) – 108
7. Bradford (Starke) (2A) (1-0) – 106
8. Mandarin (Jacksonville) (6A) (1-0) – 104
9T. Hawthorne (Rural) (1-0) – 90
9T. Vanguard (Ocala) (4A) (0-1) – 90
11. Madison County (Rural) (0-1) – 87
12. DeLand (7A) (1-0) – 81
13. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (7A) (1-0) – 62
14. Columbia (Lake City) (4A) (1-0) – 55
15. University Christian (Jacksonville) (1A) (1-0) – 48
16. Mainland (Daytona Beach) (5A) (0-0) – 46
17. Ed White (Jacksonville) (4A) (1-0) – 34
18. University (Orange City) (7A) (1-0) – 32
19. South Sumter (Bushnell) (1-0) – 26
20. Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (1A) (0-1) – 22 Also receiving votes: Newberry (2A) (0-1) – 19; Ponte Vedra (5A) (0-1) – 17; Flagler Palm Coast (7A) (1-0) – 15; Fleming Island (Orange Park) (5A) (1-0) – 14; Chiefland (Rural) (1-0) – 12; Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (3A) (0-0) – 11; Creekside (St. Johns) (7A) (0-1) – 5; Forest (Ocala) (6A) (1-0) – 5; Williston (Rural) (0-1) – 1