Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc on much of Florida, especially in the northern part of the state and the Big Bend. 

The high school football schedule definitely took a hit as well, with some games canceled, postponed until later weeks, or moved to Monday this week. 

But one team that got their game in before Helene hit was the Bradford (Starke) Tornadoes. And after a 40-0 shutout of Keystone Heights, Bradford continues as a nearly unanimous No. 1 team in the latest Prep Zone Football Power Poll. 

Coming off a bye, Bradford (5-0) had no trouble with rival Keystone Heights in their homecoming game. The Tornadoes receive nine of the 10 first-place votes this week to remain the top-ranked team for the third straight poll. Bradford stays home this week to host Palatka in another District 5-2A game. 

Remaining second is Raines (Jacksonville). The Vikings received the other first-place vote after winning a 62-42 shootout over Riverside (Jacksonville) in a game that was moved to this past Monday. Raines hosts the annual Northwest Classic against Ribault (Jacksonville) this Saturday. 

Nease (Ponte Vedra) stays at No. 3. The Panthers (5-0) escaped against No. 11 Buchholz (Gainesville), 20-17, in overtime in a game moved to Monday. 

For Buchholz, it was their third loss in a row. The Bobcats (3-3) dropped out of the top 10 for the first time this season, following losses to Manatee (Bradenton), Richmond Hill (GA) and Nease. 

St. Augustine remains at No. 4. The Yellow Jackets (4-1) rebounded from the overtime loss to Nease with a 27-6 win at RV (receiving votes) Columbia (Lake City), in a game that was played on Wednesday last week. 

Bolles (Jacksonville) rounds out the top five. The Bulldogs (4-1) blanked Baldwin, 35-0, on Monday and turn right around for another home game on Friday against Columbia. 

Hawthorne (4-1) was off last week and leads off the second five. Madison County, whose game was canceled due to Helene, moves up to No. 7. 

Vanguard (Ocala), University (Orange City) and Mandarin (Jacksonville) round out the top 10. Of those three teams, only University played last week, defeating RV Flagler Palm Coast, 34-19. That win moved the Titans (5-1) up three spots and back into the top 10. 

Among the Mainstreet Daily News schools in the second 10 are 11th-ranked Buchholz, No. 14 Chiefland and No. 15 Union County (Lake Butler). The Indians and Tigers remained unbeaten after both had their games postponed. 

Also receiving votes are Columbia and Newberry. 

Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine) moves into the rankings for the first time at No. 20. The Toros (4-1) replace Bartram Trail (St. Johns), who was No. 17 last week but was beaten 46-26 at Tocoi Creek. 

The Prep Zone Power Poll ranks the top 20 high school football, girls basketball, boys basketball, softball & baseball teams (regardless of FHSAA classification) across 26 counties in North Florida (Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Citrus, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hernando, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Levy, Madison, Marion, Nassau, Putnam, Sumter, St. Johns, Suwannee, Taylor, Union & Volusia counties). It is voted on weekly by sportswriters and sportscasters and it is powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville.

THE PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2024 FOOTBALL POLL #7

(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, current record, and total voting points)

Teams in bold are inside the Mainstreet Daily News coverage area

1. Bradford (Starke) (2A) (9) (5-0) – 194

2. Raines (Jacksonville) (3A) (1) (5-0) – 185

3. Nease (Ponte Vedra) (6A) (5-0) – 184

4. St. Augustine (5A) (4-1) – 165

5. Bolles (Jacksonville) (2A) (4-1) – 156

6. Hawthorne (Rural) (4-1) – 139

7. Madison County (Rural) (4-1) – 124

8. Vanguard (Ocala) (4A) (4-1) – 117

9. University (Orange City) (7A) (5-1) – 112

10. Mandarin (Jacksonville) (6A) (3-2) – 102

11. Buchholz (Gainesville) (6A) (3-3) – 99

12. Dunnellon (3A) (3-2) – 73

13. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (7A) (4-2) – 65

14. Chiefland (Rural) (5-0) – 53

15. Union County (Lake Butler) (Rural) (5-0) – 52

16. Baker County (Glen St. Mary) (3A) (3-1) – 48

17. DeLand (7A) (4-2) – 45

18. Middleburg (5A) (6-0) – 28

19. Ponte Vedra (5A) (3-2) – 20

20. Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine) (6A) (4-1) – 19

Also receiving votes: Oakleaf (Orange Park) (6A) (4-2) – 18; Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (1A) (3-2) – 17; Springstead (Spring Hill) (5A) (5-0) – 16; Beachside (St. Johns) (5A) (4-1) – 15; Flagler Palm Coast (7A) (4-1) – 13;  Taylor County (Perry) (2A) (5-0) – 11; Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (6A) (3-3) – 8; South Sumter (Bushnell) (3A) (2-4) – 7; Columbia (Lake City) (4A) (2-4) – 5; Newberry (2A) (3-2) – 4; Fleming Island (Orange Park) (5A) (3-2) – 3; Leesburg (4A) (4-1) – 2; Mount Dora (3A) (4-1) – 1.