The high school football season flew right through Week 2 last week with a few surprises.
Meanwhile the race to the top of The Prep Zone Power Poll continues to tighten.
Raines (Jacksonville) opened its 2025 season with a 77-0 stomping of Sandalwood (Jacksonville). The Vikings, who had their opener against Central (Miami) cancelled the previous week due to a scheduling issue, were either first or second on all 10 ballots and received five first-place votes.
But Bolles (Jacksonville) is right on the Vikings’ tail. Bolles (2-0), who pounded then-No. 20 Trinity Christian (Jacksonville), 35-12, received four first-place votes to move up a spot to No. 2 this week. The Bulldogs host No. 3 St. Augustine on Friday in what should be a classic battle.
St. Augustine (2-0) moved up a spot as well after pounding rival Menendez (St. Augustine), 48-6. The Yellow Jackets have won 22 of 23 meetings with the Falcons.
Buchholz (Gainesville) fell two spots after dropping their first game of the season to 7A No. 2 Vero Beach, 28-24. The Bobcats (1-1) are now tied at No. 4 with Nease (Ponte Vedra). The Panthers improved to 2-0 with an easy 50-8 romp over RV (received votes) Creekside (St. Johns).
Oakleaf (Orange Park) starts off the second five at No. 6. The Knights (2-0) defeated Clay County rival Orange Park, 56-7, and now face another big test against another county rival, No. 17 Fleming Island (Orange Park).
The rest of the top 10 are Bradford (Starke) at No. 7, Mandarin (Jacksonville) at No. 8, Vanguard (Ocala) at No. 9 and 10th-ranked DeLand.
Bradford pitched its second straight shutout, this time blanking Dunnellon on the road 35-0. The Tornadoes, who received the other first-place vote, travel to 15th-ranked South Sumter (Bushnell) on Friday and are at Mandarin on Sept. 12.
Among the Mainstreet Daily News teams in the second 10 are 12th-ranked Hawthorne, who improved to 2-0 with a 32-7 win over Newberry. Columbia (Lake City) is 14th after a 20-14 win over Coffee County (GA).
Union County and Eastside (Gainesville) are receiving votes. The Rams improved to 2-0 with a 28-25 comeback win over Rickards (Tallahassee). The Rams, who trailed 19-0 at one point against Rickards, are back at Citizens Field on Friday against rival Buchholz in a game that will be broadcast on 106.9 FM.
Fleming Island moved back into the poll this week, along with No. 19 Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville). The Crusaders (1-0) held on to win their opener against 20th-ranked University Christian (Jacksonville) 21-20.
Dropping out from last week are University (Orange City) and Trinity Christian.
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 #3
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) (5) (1-0) – 195
2. Bolles (Jacksonville) (2A) (4) (2-0) – 189
3. St. Augustine (4A) (2-0) – 173
4T. Buchholz (Gainesville) (6A) (1-1) – 155
4T. Nease (Ponte Vedra) (6A) (2-0) – 155
6. Oakleaf (Orange Park) (6A) (2-0) – 139
7. Bradford (Starke) (2A) (1) (2-0) – 129
8. Mandarin (Jacksonville) (6A) (2-0) – 122
9. Vanguard (Ocala) (4A) (1-1) – 103
10. DeLand (7A) (2-0) – 101
11. Mainland (Daytona Beach) (5A) (1-0) – 98
12. Hawthorne (Rural) (2-0) – 95
13. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (7A) (2-0) – 77
14. Columbia (Lake City) (4A) (2-0) – 74
15. South Sumter (Bushnell) (3A) (2-0) – 53
16. Ed White (Jacksonville) (4A) (1-0) – 44
17. Fleming Island (Orange Park) (5A) (2-0) – 40
18. Madison County (Rural) (0-2) – 31
19. Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (3A) (1-0) – 25
20. University Christian (Jacksonville) (1A) (1-1) – 18
Also receiving votes: Union County (Lake Butler) (Rural) (1-1) – 10; University (Orange City) (7A) (1-1) – 8; South Lake (Groveland) (6A) (2-0) – 7; Baldwin (2A) (2-0) – 6; Fletcher (Neptune Beach) (6A) (2-0) – 6; Ponte Vedra (5A) (1-1) – 6; Baker County (Glen St. Mary) (3A) (1-1) – 5; Eastside (Gainesville) (3A) (2-0) – 5; Lafayette (Mayo) (Rural) (2-0) – 5; Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (1A) (0-2) – 5; Trinity Catholic (Ocala) (1A) (1-0) – 2; Creekside (St. Johns) (7A) (0-2) – 1; Forest (Ocala) (6A) (1-0) – 1; Taylor County (Perry) (Rural) (2-0) – 1.