Up and down seems to be the trend each week as different teams put together wins and losses in Northeast Florida. After Bartram Trail’s loss, only four teams remain undefeated in the area. Fleming Island 4-0, Ponte Vedra 4-0, Clay (3-0) and Baldwin 4-0. Indeed their records are impressive, but it’s not just records but schedules that impress on these power rankings. Several teams moved up this week in the weekly Duval Sports Power Rankings. Let’s check them out.
1 Fleming Island (4-0) – The Golden Eagles have landed at number one, and after a big come from behind win over Creekside, they certainly deserve the spot. With wins over Fletcher and Creekside, Fleming as good wins over good teams. This week, a win against Oakleaf can validate them as the top team in our area. They move from #5 to #1.
2 Bartram (3-1) – A loss to one of the top teams in the nation wasn’t a knock on the Bears. But the way they lost was a concern. 28-3 at halftime at home was not the showing Bartram wanted. Let’s see if they can bounce back in impressive fashion against an undefeated Ponte Vedra team. They drop from #1 to #2.
3 Oakleaf (2-2)- Two losses to two south Georgia powerhouses is nothing to be ashamed of for Oakleaf. Yet, now they can fully focus on their Northeast Florida schedule to show that they belong at the top. Next up is a Clay county rival in Fleming Island. This one is going to be an intense matchup. They fall from #2 to #3.
4 Lee (3-0) 55-8 over Middleburg last week, the Generals took care of business like a top 10 team is supposed to. They did exactly what we said they needed to do last week, and that’s head into the bye week with big wins. Due to Fleming Island moving up, they drop from # 3 to #4.
5 Baker County (4-0) The Wildcats are undefeated and have dominated everyone on their schedule. They’ve done what they were supposed to do considering their opponents. Yet, the Wildcats run into their first true test this week against a Terry Parker team that just upset Raines. They move up from #6 to #5
6 Creekside (2-2)– It was a tough loss for the Knights who had a commanding lead at halftime at Fleming Island. A win undoubtedly puts them in the top two of everyone’s rankings. Yet with the loss, the Knights will need help from some other teams in order to move up, as the rest of their schedule is weak until potentially Ponte Vedra. They drop from #4 to #6.
7 Bolles (3-1)– As predicted the Bulldogs took their frustrations out on a Palatka team that was just in the wrong place at the wrong time on the schedule. Bolles has an intriguing matchup against Trinity Catholic, a team that knocked Trinity Christian out of the playoffs last year. They remain at #7.
8 Trinity (2-1) – Making short work of NFEI last week, the Conquerors now welcome Mandarin to Conqueror field this week. Mandarin had to cancel their game versus Nease last week due to potential Covid-19 exposure, so Trinity is walking into an unknown with the Mustangs. Will they wrangle the mustangs or get unexpectedly stampeded? They remain at #8.
9 Clay (3-0) The Blue Devils are itching to move up in the rankings, but their problem is strength of schedule. They definitely look like a top 10 team on the field after their win over Eastside last week. West Nassau is up next for them, who have lost three in a row. They move up from #10 to #9.
10 Columbia (0-2) – With the last spot of the power rankings, it’s time to get real. Columbia deserves to be in the Top 10 and here’s why. They have the toughest schedule in the area, having played Trinity Christian (2-1), FSU (3-0), and now Madison County (4-1) is on deck. If that’s not enough, Lee (3-0) awaits them on the 16th. No other team in our area would dare to put together a schedule like this except maybe Trinity, Raines, Oakleaf, Bolles and Bartram. They’ve played Trinity and FSU tough, so they pass the eye test for now. It’s interesting to see how they’ll fare against Madison Co. and Lee. Who they fill the schedule with on October 23rd and 30th will also be intriguing. They move up to #10, unranked last week, previously ranked #8 in Week 1.
On Deck : Baldwin 4-0, Ponte Vedra (4-0), Sandalwood (3-0)
Featured Image by : Ryan Grant
