- The top 10 teams in The Prep Zone Football Power Poll remain unchanged as the high school football season reaches its halfway point.
- DeLand moved up to No. 4 after defeating then-No. 12 Spruce Creek 42-14, improving their record to 4-1 this season.
- Mainland (Daytona Beach) entered the rankings at No. 20, replacing Madison County, with Bradford and Santa Fe also achieving key victories this week.
As the high school football regular season reaches the halfway point, it was a pretty quiet week for the teams in The Prep Zone Power Poll.
And the team at the top and the top 10 teams remain the same in the all-classification regional rankings.
Top-ranked Raines (Jacksonville) had a bye in Week 6. Now coming up this week is a showdown with Venice, who is ranked 2nd in 6A, 12th overall in Florida, and 41st nationally according to MaxPreps. The Vikings (5-0) received seven of the 11 first-place votes this week.
Buchholz (Gainesville) remains at No. 2. The Bobcats improved to 6-0 as they rallied past RV (receiving votes) Forest (Ocala), 38-20, in a big District 3-5A matchup last Thursday. Buchholz gets three first-place votes this week and faces another undefeated matchup this Thursday as the Bobcats travel to No. 14 Santa Fe (Alachua), who is 5-0 for the “War on I-75.”
Columbia (Lake City) also stayed at No. 3 after easing past Riverside (Jacksonville), 35-17. The Tigers again earned a first-place vote but face another tough test on the road this week at Manatee (Bradenton).
DeLand moves up one spot to No. 4 after blowing out then-No. 12 Spruce Creek (Port Orange), 42-14. The Bulldogs (4-1) host Centennial (Port St. Lucie) this week.
St. Augustine rounded out the top five. The Yellow Jackets (6-0) had no problem with Clay (Green Cove Springs), as they pounded the Blue Devils, 37-13. St. Augustine takes their bye this week.
Mandarin (Jacksonville) and Hawthorne switch spots this week, as the Mustangs climbed to No. 6 after defeating then-No. 13 Fletcher (Neptune Beach), 31-10, while Hawthorne improved to 6-0 but dropped a spot to No. 7 despite a 37-0 blanking of Williston.
Bolles (Jacksonville) is at No. 8, followed by ninth-ranked Bradford (Starke) and No. 10 Ed White (Jacksonville).
Bradford (6-0) picked up its biggest win of the season, blowing out then-No. 17 Madison County, 52-24, at Boot Hill in Madison.
The only Mainstreet Daily News Area team in the second ten this week is Santa Fe. The Raiders prepared for Buchholz with a 47-0 thrashing of North Marion (Citra). Fort White also received votes.
The only team to move into the rankings this week is No. 20 Mainland (Daytona Beach). The Bucs replace Madison County.
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 #7
(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) (7) (5-0) – 216
2. Buchholz (Gainesville) (5A) (3) (6-0) – 206
3. Columbia (Lake City) (4A) (1) (6-0) – 197
4. DeLand (6A) (4-1) – 175
5. St. Augustine (4A) (6-0) – 173
6. Mandarin (Jacksonville) (5A) (4-1) – 165
7. Hawthorne (1A) (6-0) – 164
8. Bolles (Jacksonville) (2A) (4-1) – 150
9. Bradford (Starke) (2A) (6-0) – 136
10. Ed White (Jacksonville) (4A) (4-1) – 121
11. Vanguard (Ocala) (4A) (3-2) – 107
12. Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (1A) (3-3) – 86
13. Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (5A) (5-1) – 67
14. Santa Fe (Alachua) (3A) (5-0) – 52
15. The Villages (3A) (5-0) – 49
16. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (6A) (4-2) – 47
17. Fletcher (Neptune Beach) (5A) (4-2) – 34
18. Dunnellon (3A) (6-0) – 30
19. University Christian (Jacksonville) (1A) (4-2) – 29
20. Mainland (Daytona Beach) (6A) (2-2) – 21
Also receiving votes: Madison County (1A) (3-3) – 19; Creekside (St. Johns) (6A) (4-2) – 15; Fort White (1A) (4-1) – 10; Oakleaf (Orange Park) (5A) (3-2) – 6; Yulee (4A) (3-3) – 6; West Nassau (Callahan) (SSAA) (5-0-1) – 5; Baker County (Glen St. Mary) (3A) (4-2) – 4; Forest (Ocala) (5A) (5-1) – 4; South Sumter (Bushnell) (3A) (5-1) – 3; Interlachen (SSAA) (4-1) – 1; Lake Weir (Ocala) (4A) (5-0) – 1.