Northeast Florida-Our final power rankings of the season is out, and it’s the Top 25 teams in Northeast Florida. Some made the playoffs and some did not. However, none can deny that these teams are the best in the area and played some of the best in the state. The final week of the regular season saw upsets that shook up the Power Rankings. Check out the Top 25 below.
- Bartram Trail (10-0)- Bartram completed the perfect regular season in the “district of death” District 4S-3. Playoffs are next up as the #1 seed in arguably one of the toughest playoff brackets in the state.
2. Trinity Christian (10-0)- The Conquerors were #1 for most of the year until the ladder part of their season where they suffered injuries and faced teams with very low winning percentages. Nonetheless, Trinity is a 10-0 undefeated team, and looks to cruise through the playoffs before a potential matchup with University Christian.
3. University Christian (9-1)– The Christians finished the regular season with only one loss (Trinity Christian) and put up video game numbers on offense. They’ll be anticipating a potential rematch with Trinity in the playoffs.
4. Creekside (8-2)– The Knights jousted in the district of death suffering two losses from district opponents. Yet outside the district, the Knights were undefeated. Luckily for them, they’re first round playoff opponent Navarre is outside the district.
5. Fletcher(8-2)– Seven straight wins for the Senators have them finishing 5th on the power rankings. They lost to Jackson and Mandarin earlier in the season, but Fletcher finished strong winning the games that they should against weaker opponents. Those aforementioned teams can’t say that. They also won their district. Consistency is key when unlocking success for the playoff team.
6. Ed White (7-2)– The Commanders return to the Top 10 after rallying around Gabriel Garmon who converted from wide receiver to quarterback when starter Isiah Teal went down. They still went 3-1 from that point in the season, including a blowout of playoff bound Baldwin 28-0. As a district champion, Ed White was seeded #4 and will face #5 Raines in the first round.
7. Union County (6-2)– Union County’s two losses were to top teams in North Florida (University Christian and Hawthorne). Outside of those losses, the Tigers tore up the competition in 2022 like wins against playoff teams Columbia and Walton. They are playoff bound.
8. Bradford (9-1)– Bradford had an opportunity to go undefeated in the regular season, but fell to Suwannee in the finale. It still doesn’t take away from their magnificent regular season that now turns into a post-season push.
9. Jackson (8-2)- Jackson fell in the Top 10 after a regular season flop in their finale against First Coast. They still secured the #1 seed in the region with an 8-2 record, and went 8-1 in Florida. They’ll advance to the playoffs for the second year in a row.
10. Raines (7-2)- The playoff bound Vikings navigated a very compeitive and diverse regular season, filled with opponents from different regions. This will help them in the playoffs with experience against teams from outside Northeast Florida. But first, they must face a team in Duval (Ed White).
11. Fleming Island (5-4)- Fleming Island closed out their regular season with a win against Orange Park. Another winning season for the Eagles saw them waiting for the playoff call, but it never came. The district of death did them in going 0-4, but they played a much harder schedule than most teams on this list.
12. Bolles (6-4)– Bolles had an up and down season but ended their regular season with an impressive victory against powerhouse Buchholz. Advancing to the playoffs once again, the Bulldogs face Episcopal in round 1
13. Mandarin (5-4)– The Mustangs fell to #1 Bartram to conclude the regular season. But they still finished as district champions in Coach Toby Bullock‘s first year. They have lots of weapons which is what you need in the playoffs. Look out for the Mustangs.
14. Columbia (6-3)– The Tigers had a rough start to the season, but once their new players learned how to gel together and trust one another, they got on a winning streak. Playoffs on deck with a date with an old rival in Tallahassee Lincoln.
15. Oakleaf (5-5)– The Knights were another victim of the district of death going 1-3. However, they had big wins agaisnt playoff teams like Baker County and Madison County. They also could make a claim to a playoff spot, but unfortunately that claim was denied.
16. St. Augustine (7-3)– The Jackets have quietly put together a very good season with quality wins over tough opponents. As a playoff team, they always face some of the toughest opponents in Florida in their region. Choctaw is one of them this year, they have them first.
17. Ponte Vedra (5-5)– The Sharks lurked the waters for a winning season at 5-5. Big wins against playoff teams like Bishop Kenny and Middleburg highlight their season. Which leaves many to wonder why Ponte Vedra was left out?
18. Bishop Kenny (8-2)– The Crusaders marched through the competition in 2022 to a district championship. It also was the first time they defeated rival Bolles since 1976. They secured a #1 seed in the playoffs.
19. First Coast (6-3) – What a season by the Buccaneers. At 0-10 last year, Coach Marty Lee returned with a playoff season this year. They defeated top ranked Jackson the last week of the regular season gaining momentum to the playoffs.
20. Baldwin (8-2)– What a year by Baldwin with 8 wins and a district championship. That 2S region will be a battle in the playoffs. They host 7-3 Palatka in round 1.
21. Baker County (7-3)- Another playoff appearance for Baker County, the Wildcats finished the season strong against Sunlake 41-6. They now prepare for their district 2S-5 rural rival Yulee.
22. Middleburg (5-5)– Middleburg played one of the toughest schedules in the area starting out 0-4. But the Broncos stampeeded the rest of the way to a 4-1 finish and playoff appearance.
23. Episcopal (8-2)– The Eagles put together an 8-2 season, one of their best in recent years. Another playoff appearance, and another matchup against Bolles in the first round.
24. Yulee (6-4)– A playoff appearance for the Hornets is the buzz in Yulee. A rematch against Baker County is up, hopefully rebounding from the 31-30 loss during the regular season is what they hope.
25. Riverside (4-6)– The Generals fell off drastically from last year to start the season with a new coach and lots of young pieces. Yet, they rallied around one another after the opening of their new field and have played tough and won games. Playoffs again for the Generals. A rematch against Jackson whom they played extremely tough is in the first round.
