After the first week in Northeast Florida, we discovered who’s bark was harder than their bite. Lots of talking in the off-season led up to this moment where it all counted for most teams. Let’s take a look at this week’s Duval Sports Power Rankings Top 10
#1. Bradford- The Tornadoes decimated Baker County with defense, holding the Wildcats to less than 100-yards rushing and less than 100-yards passing. Gino Addison scored on offense and Neo Addison had an interception on defense. Baker County has some good players and is well coached, so this win on the road in a hostile environment was extremely impressive. Many from Baker County thought this was the year they’d snap the losing streak, but Bradford showed why the Wildcats bit off more than they could chew. The Tornadoes are home this week with another tough test, the Dunnellon Tigers.
#2. Mandarin- The Mustangs wanted their revenge against Creekside, and they finally got it after 3 straight losses. Mandarin dominated the contest in every phase of the game. Tramell Jones Jr (FSU commit) passed for 297 yards and 3 TDs. Four different running backs raked up nearly 300-yards rushing. The Mustangs are balanced and extremely talented. Players like Shareef Jackson and Tamajh Mitchell both had picks in the game. They’d be the main headliners on any other team, but Mandarin is different. Five star wideout Jaime Ffrench committed to Texas today. Five star safety Hylton Drake Stubbs committed to Miami earlier this summer. Mustangs have neighborhood rival Atlantic Coast this week.
#3. Raines- Raines moves up three spots after their tough, hard and tenacious win over Bolles on the road in week 1. The Vikings showed why they are a team to be feared and their bite is nothing to play with. Not only are they the largest team in Northeast Florida. They might be the most athletic. Adron Walker came over from First Coast and Timothy Cole II from Ribault and immedietly made an impact. Cole passed for 3 TDs. Walker won the Duval Sports Player of the Week for his 2 touchdown receiving performance against Bolles. Raines will roll this week against a very bad Sandalwood team.
#4. St. Augustine- The Jackets won their 11th straight game against Palatka in the oldest rivalry in Florida. The Jackets won 42-6, scoring 4 touchdowns on the ground. They’re back on the road against rival Menendez (1-0) this week. Menendez blanked Sandalwood 34-0 in week 1. The Jackets have some dogs in Locklan Hewlett, Carl Jenkins Jr, and S๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง W๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ Jr that lead a ferocious offensive attack.
#5. Bartram Trail- Bartram got off to a winning note playing the tune of 34 points as they took care of Sumner 34-12. Jaden Weatherly tossed 3 touchdowns and ran for another. Runningback Arthur Lewis IV rushed for 124 yards. Senior Neko Dawkins caught two touchdowns in the contest. The Bears stay home versus Ponte Vedra (0-1) and look to protect their backyard.
#6. Oakleaf- The biggest upset of the week came from Oakleaf as the Knights handed Riverside a 35-7 shellacking. Coach Christopher Foy was overheard pregame yelling ” This what yall wanted”, in the direction of Riverside during warmups. Instituting a warning for anyone who barks at or underestimates Oakleaf. His team looked extremely prepared and physical. Quarterback Jack Mckissock tossed 3 touchdowns to three different receivers. The defense had 5.5 sacks, and an interception. They travel to rival Orange Park (1-0) this week. They were unranked last week in the Top 10.
#7. Nease- The Panthers shocked several last week with their dominating performance against Ponte Vedra. The Panthers bit the Sharks before the Sharks knew what happened. Brayden Felder caught two touchdowns, while Maddox Spencer caught another from the gun slinger senior Nate Harry. Nease visits (0-1) Creekside. They were unranked in the Top 10 last week.
#8. Bolles- It was a disappointing loss week 1 for Bolles. Apparently there was a lot of barking by the Bulldogs by the ball club and maybe even parents leading up to the matchup against Raines. So much so, that the school released a statement apologizing for the comments. Coach Toblin will make sure his team is focused on biting Trinity this week, instead of barking without backing it up. This team is too talented to allow 300 yards passing and nearly 150 yards rushing.
#9 Trinity- The Conquerors crack the top 10 for the first time, not common for them to be left out. But, this was an uncommon year for them. Nearly 30 sophomores, and rotating a freshman at quarterback and they still managed to beat a good Ed White team on the road. Many predicted they’d fall in week 1, including myself. But they proved everyone wrong. Can they do it again this week at home versus Bolles?
#10 Fletcher- The Senators also crack the Top 10 this week, after being on the outside looking in last week. They defeated Ribault 42-0 in week 1. Coach Fason had his team well prepared and they handled business. Jahmyri Jennings rushed for 91 yards and 2 TDs. Solomon Pinkney went for 117 yards receiving and caught a touchdown from quarterback James Cruz. Cruz tossed 2 in the game. Fletcher is home versus a tough Terry Parker team (0-1) who lost a close one to Atlantic Coast last week.
Outside looking in:
Baldwin, Fleming Island, Columbia, Tocoi Creek, Beachside
