Top 10 Power rankings and game previews for Week 11
Featured Image by James Vernacotola
- Bradford (9-0)- The Tornadoes made a statement against Palatka last week, defeating them 42-0. They quite possibly could’ve been making a statement to St. Augustine, as Palatka is a common opponent to the two undefeated teams in back to back weeks. The Tornadoes have a monumental matchup today against Suwannee (6-2) as they try to keep their undefeated season perfect. The Bulldogs bit the Tornadoes last year, so Bradford will be looking for revenge
2. St Augustine (8-0)- The Jackets remained perfect after a week 10 matchup besting Clay 49-9. They are district champions but still have unfinished business. They have 7-2 Palatka up next, the oldest rivalry in Florida. They also may want to make a statement to Northeast Florida that the yare the rightful top team in the area.
3. Bartram (5-4)- They won’t be district champions, but they will certainly be in the playoffs, if they can secure the win over powerhouse Mandarin. They’ve already matched up with some of the best teams in the state, so their FHSAA rankings should get them in. They defeated Oakleaf last week 45-42.
4. Creekside (5-4)- The Knights have had a brutal schedule and brutal district opponents. Although they’ve defeated several top teams, they needed to beat Bartram and Buchholz to have a strong shot for the playoffs. The6 lost to both. Now they need to win tonight against a very good Ponte Vedra team who is looking to get into the playoffs as well.
5. Mandarin (7-2)- District champs after defeating Sandalwood. It wasn’t much competition for the Mustangs in their District as their district opponents had a combined record of . Yet the Mustangs loaded the schedule with top teams which will payoff next week when the playoffs start. Question is will they rest their starters this week.
6. Raines (8-1)- The Vikings are sitting pretty as district champions after dominating Jackson 40-8 last week. The Vikings are in a great position and can choose to rest their starters if they so wish, and most likely still can win the game. They face winless Westside tonight.
7. Riverside (7-2)- Riverside wrapped up their district back in week 5 against Ed White. They’ve still managed to put together some very impressive wins against area teams. As the Generals prepare for the playoffs, they must see if their momentum inside Duval County can payoff in the playoffs outside of the county. It all depends on their first round opponents. Tonight they close out the regular season against Ribault (4-5).
8. Nease (6-3)- What an upset by Nease over Ponte Vedra, as the Panthers got the 24-23 victory in the last minute of the game. This team is rolling at the right time, winning 4 our of the last 5 games. Nease can wrap up their district with a win or tie against Tocoi Creek tonight. If they should lose, we’ll have a 3-way tie between Tocoi Creek, Nease, and our next team.
9. Ponte Vedra (7-2)- The Sharks had their district wrapped up. They had a playoff appearance in the bag. All they had to do was defeat Nease at home. They had a lead in the 4th quarter but let it slip away. Now they must win against a Creekside team who is in the same boat as them. Plus, they must hope for some help from Tocoi Creek, if they want a tie breaker for the district title.
10. Columbia (4-4)- The Tigers endured a vicious first half of the season against opponents like Madison County, Trinity Christian, and Bolles. Going 1-2 against that group isn’t bad, and the Tigers are fortunate that none of them are in their district. They are district champs after winning four in a row, three over district opponents. Yet more importantly, they are winning at the right time, heading to the playoffs.
Outside looking in:
Bolles (5-4), Trinity (6-3), First Coast (5-4), Fletcher (6-3), Ed White (5-4)
