- Raines (7-0)- We have a new team atop the Power Rankings this week, after a dominating performance against Creekside. The Knights had been playing great football, but Raines knocked their starting running back out of the game in the first half. Then they knocked their starting quarterback out of the game in the second half. The Vikings don’t just beat you, they punish you. And they made Creekside pay for the several egregious missed calls by the officials that contributed to both Creekside scoring drives. Without them, it would’ve been a shut-out. Raines wraps up the district title tonight versus Yulee.
2. Nease (6-0)- The Panthers were jumped one spot, but of no fault of their own. They defeated common Raines opponent Creekside 45-7 in week 2. Yet, at the time Creekside was in the midst of a 3-game losing streak. Still, Nease has validated their top position on the power rankings because of their dominated ply. They dominated Atlantic Coast last week 44-12. They have Tocoi Creek coming up tonight, another big district game.
3. St. Augustine (6-1)– What a performance for the Jackets defeating their rival Bartram Trail 48-21 by three scores! After falling behind, St. Augustine switched the momentum by gaining a possession and it was over. Their offense is outstanding, scoring on nearly every possession in the game. They are arguably the best offense in Northeast Florida. They wrap up the district this week against Ridgeview.
4. Bolles (7-1)– Bolles jumps up two spots from their 6th position last week after dismantling Riverside 38-19. Not only is the Bulldog offense clicking on all cylinders now, but their defense is playing really good ball right now too. They held Riverside to their lowest point total in a loss since their week 1 loss to Oakleaf. Ty Neal rushed for 121 yards and a TD. Freshman defensive lineman Asher Ghioto had 2 sacks in the game. Senior CJ Ennis had 2 interceptions in the game, helping to lock down the vaunted Riverside receiving core. Bolles sweeps their district tonight versus Wolfson.
5. Bradford (7-1) – Bradford defeated Leon last week 43-7. Zack Paul led an arial offensive attack passing for 3 TDs. Gino Addison rushed for 151 and a TD. Jyquez Cason, Michael Oliver and Branden Williams caught touchdowns. Leon is an 0-8 team, so Bradford did what they are supposed to do. They have 1-7 Santa Fe this week. So their strength of schedule is making them fall one spot in the rankings. Bradford’s loss to Newberry two weeks ago, gave up their district title hopes.
6. Mandarin (6-2)- The Mustangs fell from number five this week, and it wasn’t an impressive showing versus Fletcher last week. They won the game 8-0, but emerged with more doubts about their offense. Back up quarterback Knox Annis has played as well as Damarcus Ganaway Jr. But since 4-star quarterback Tramel Jones Jr went down, they haven’t been able to replicate production from the position. There are rumblings that 5-star wide receiver Jaime Ffrench may see some time at quarterback. This proves that this district matchup against Oakleaf is extremely important for the Mustangs.
7. Oakleaf (6-2)– The Knights defeated Ed White last week 28-14 and the game was never in doubt after the first quarter. Jack McKissock passed for 2 TDs, Fareed Coleman rushed for over 100 yards, while Christopher Foye II scored twice. Jordin Price and Aidan Justilien caught TDs in the contest. Now they focus on Mandarin, and they’ll need their defense to step up like line backer Bryan Copeland (89 tackles) and Anthony Smith 12 sacks if they want to win the district championship.
8. Baker County (5-2)- Hudson Register has passed for 1,265 yards 10 TDs. Ke’nais Williams rushed for 7 TDs, Hudson Hodges has caught 5 TDs. Seth Chestnut has 80 tackles and 2 interceptions, while Phillip Jackson has 13 sacks. They have put up the numbers in stats and points, defeating Satellite 37-14 last week. As of now, their body of work has proven they deserve a Top 10 position. Their loss to Godby now puts them in a test against Wakulla to decide their district runner up.
9. Riverside (5-4) –It wasn’t pretty against Bolles. The Generals could’ve sent shock waves around town with a win, but instead fell way short of making the game competitive. Still, they have a chance to win their district tonight versus Ed White. They’ve had the Commander’s number the last couple of years. We’ll see if that trend continues tonight.
10). Fleming Island (5-3)- If Fleming Island played Riverside now, I’m not sure if the same outcome happens. But since the Golden Eagles couldn’t defeat the Generals head to head, they can’t jump them in the power rankings. Not yet at least. Still, the team is playing exceptional football, smashing Terry Parker 51-24 last week. Demihir Jackson was name the Duval Sports Player of the week, after rushing for 218 yards and 3 TDs. But Trace Burney stood out as well, catching 4 touchdown passes in the game. Even though they have Middleburg tonight, they have already solidified the district championship after Middleburg lost last week to Beachside.
Outside Looking In: Trinity Christian (5-3), Creekside ( 4-4), Ponte Vedra (7-2), Ed White (5-2), Beachside (7-2)
