- Raines (Jacksonville) remains No. 1 in the Prep Zone Football Power Poll with an undefeated 4-0 record and eight first-place votes.
- DeLand and Hawthorne are tied for sixth place, with Hawthorne defeating defending 4A state runner-up Northwestern but losing QB Richard Roundtree to injury.
- Fletcher (Neptune Beach) and Fort White entered the top 20 this week at No. 17 and No. 20 after notable wins, while Bartram Trail and Nease dropped out.
Nearly halfway through the high school football regular season, The Prep Zone Power Poll remains steady.
The top 10 is unchanged this week after every ranked team won in Week 4, with Raines (Jacksonville) holding the No. 1 spot.
The Vikings improved to 4-0 with an easy 43-8 win at Terry Parker (Jacksonville) and received eight of the 11 first-place votes this week to stay No. 1. Raines faces their toughest test of the 2026 season on Friday as they host fourth-ranked Mandarin (Jacksonville).
Buchholz (Gainesville) stays at No. 2 and picks up two first-place votes again this week. The Bobcats (4-0) also face a tough test as they hit the road to play 4A powerhouse Jesuit (Tampa) on Friday.
Columbia (Lake City) is still at No. 3. The Tigers (4-0) pounded Ribault (Jacksonville), 49-0, in their District 3-4A opener last Friday. Columbia returns to Jacksonville this week to face 13th-ranked Trinity Christian.
Mandarin is at No. 4. The Mustangs improved to 3-0 with a 32-14 win at then-No. 17 Nease (Ponte Vedra). Mandarin heads to Raines on Friday and looks to stay unbeaten.
St. Augustine rounds out the top five. The Yellow Jackets (4-0) had no problem at Middleburg with a 48-6 win in their District 4-4A opener.
DeLand is tied for sixth this week with Hawthorne.
The Hornets had the biggest win of the week in the poll after knocking off defending 4A state runner-up Northwestern (Miami), 16-12, on a stormy Sept. 10 night in Hawthorne. Unfortunately, the Hornets lost junior quarterback Richard Roundtree for the season with a broken fibula.
Bolles (Jacksonville) stays in eighth place after defeating Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville), 35-13, last week. The Bulldogs (2-1) host No. 15 Oakleaf (Orange Park) this week.
Bradford (Starke) is No. 9 and Spruce Creek (Port Orange) remains at No. 10.
The Tornadoes blanked visiting Trinity Catholic (Ocala), 49-0, and improved to 4-0, while the Hawks won two games last week, 34-8 at Deltona on Friday and then made up a postponed game on Monday with a 10-3 win at Rockledge.
Fort White is the only Mainstreet Daily News area team in the second 10 this week, moving in at No. 20. Santa Fe, Newberry and Suwannee are receiving votes.
Along with Fort White, Fletcher (Neptune Beach) moves into the poll this week at No. 17. The Senators (3-1) move in after knocking off then-No. 15 Bartram Trail (St. Johns), 30-7.
Bartram Trail drops out from last week along with Nease.
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 Be Well Fitness.
THE PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2026 FOOTBALL POLL #5
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, current record, and total voting points)
Teams in the Mainstreet Daily News coverage area are in bold
1. Raines (Jacksonville) (3A) (8) (4-0) – 216
2. Buchholz (Gainesville) (5A) (2) (4-0) – 205
3. Columbia (Lake City) (4A) (1) (4-0) – 204
4. Mandarin (Jacksonville) (5A) (3-0) – 178
5. St. Augustine (4A) (4-0) – 163
6T. DeLand (6A) (2-1) – 159
6T. Hawthorne (1A) (4-0) – 159
8. Bolles (Jacksonville) (2A) (2-1) – 151
9. Bradford (Starke) (2A) (4-0) – 125
10. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (6A) (4-0) – 118
11. Vanguard (Ocala) (4A) (2-2) – 106
12. Ed White (Jacksonville) (4A) (2-1) – 93
13. Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (1A) (2-2) – 69
14. Madison County (1A) (3-1) – 68
15. Oakleaf (Orange Park) (5A) (2-1) – 66
16. Creekside (St. Johns) (6A) (3-1) – 43
17. Fletcher (Neptune Beach) (5A) (3-1) – 30
18. The Villages (3A) (3-0) – 23
19. University Christian (Jacksonville) (1A) (2-2) – 20
20. Fort White (1A) (3-0) – 16
Also receiving votes: West Nassau (Callahan) (SSAA) (3-0-1) – 9; Mainland (Daytona Beach) (6A) (1-1) – 8; Santa Fe (Alachua) (3A) (3-0) – 8; Dunnellon (3A) (4-0) – 7; Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (5A) (3-1) – 6; Yulee (4A) (3-1) – 6; Baker County (Glen St. Mary) (3A) (3-1) – 5; Paxon (Jacksonville) (SSAA) (4-1) – 4; Newberry (2A) (2-2) – 2; Suwannee (Live Oak) (3A) (4-0) – 2; Forest (Ocala) (5A) (4-0) – 1; Nease (Ponte Vedra) (5A) (1-3) – 1; South Sumter (Bushnell) (3A) (3-1) – 1.