Football Power Poll: What Gainesville's top 10 would look like if it were up to the FHSAA
It was an odd week of high school football last week thanks to the uncertainty of Hurricane Ian, which caused Gainesville-area programs to cancel or reschedule their Week 6 matchups early last week.
While some teams moved their games up, many moved their games back to Monday or Tuesday night. But still, of last week's top-10 teams, only five played in Week 6, making it difficult to come up with a power poll.
So this week, we're doing something a bit different.
Considering the FHSAA came out with its first set of high school football rankings last week, we're going to take a look at what Gainesville's top-10 would look like if we used the first set of the governing body's rankings, which were released on Sept. 27.
The first set it is out: Six Gainesville area teams ranked in top 100 of FHSAA's first set of football rankings
Who was No. 1 last week?: Power Poll: Ranking Gainesville area's top 10 high school football teams after Week 5
DISCLAIMER: The FHSAA released its second set of rankings shortly after this writing. The following is based off of the first set of rankings.
Take a look.
1. Bradford (6-0)
FHSAA STATE RANKING: No. 10
LAST WEEK: No. 2 in Gainesville rankings; def. Keystone Heights 38-0
THE ARGUMENT: This one shocked me a little bit. Granted, I haven't had an opportunity to see Bradford play, but I thought for sure that Buchholz would come in as the top-ranked team from the Gainesville area. However, the FHSAA really likes this Tornadoes team — and for good reason. Through six games, Bradford's defense has given up seven points. That includes five shutouts while averaging more than 27 points per game on offense. That's about as lopsided as it can get, and, apparently, the FHSAA puts a big weight on that.
2. Buchholz (4-0)
FHSAA STATE RANKING: No. 11
LAST WEEK: No. 1 in Gainesville rankings; did not play
THE ARGUMENT: All things considered, with money on the line, I still think I'd take Buchholz over Bradford — hence why the Bobcats have been No. 1 in Gainesville's power polls. While the top-ranked Tornadoes have plenty of talent, it's near impossible not to recognize Buchholz as the area's program with the most college-caliber guys on the field. However, the Bobcats have found themselves scratching and clawing for a win their last two times out, winning their last pair of games by single digits. And while Buchholz competes in the deep and talented 4S classification, so far, the Bobcats' opponents average a FHSAA ranking of 175, compared to Bradford's 168. Again, I see where FHSAA is coming from, I'm just not sure I'd bet against the Bobcats if put up against the Tornadoes.
3. Chiefland (4-0)
FHSAA STATE RANKING: No. 35
LAST WEEK: No. 6 in Gainesville rankings; did not play
THE ARGUMENT: It's been two weeks since Chiefland last took the field, hence it checking in at No. 6 in last week's rankings. The Indians have generally hovered around the No. 4 or 5 spot this season. And while I think Chiefland is bound to put together another impressive playoff run, I haven't been super high on the Indians considering their underwhelming schedule. Chiefland has played three FHSAA-member programs and one independent program in West Oaks Academy. The average ranking of the three member programs Chiefland has played is 260. The Indians' schedule stiffens down the stretch with games against Florida High, Fort White and Williston. Should the Indians win those, I won't bat an eye at the FHSAA having them so high.
4. Williston (5-0)
FHSAA STATE RANKING: No. 40
LAST WEEK: No. 5 in Gainesville rankings; def. Newberry 42-19
THE ARGUMENT: I finally got to see the Red Devils in action on Monday night. And boy, do I get it. Trying to figure out Williston's offense frustrated me and I'm not the one having to defend it. With Robby Pruitt at the helm, everyone knew Williston's turnaround was imminent. However, anyone who says they saw it coming this quick is lying. After going 1-8 last fall, the Red Devils are out to a 5-0 start and have outscored opponents 245-47, thanks to their dizzying and deceptive wing-T offense. Giving up less than 10 points per game is something Williston should hang its hat on, too. I like the Red Devils here.
5. Union County (3-1)
FHSAA STATE RANKING: No. 48
LAST WEEK: No. 4 in Gainesville rankings; did not play
THE ARGUMENT: Union County might not be undefeated, but it's important to note that the Fightin' Tigers' lone loss came in Week 1 to Jacksonville's University Christian, which came in ranked as the third-best team in the state. And at that, it's not like the Tigers were embarrassed by the Christians. Union County fell to University Christian, a 1M program, 33-14. Since then, the Tigers have been perfect — picking up a statement win over Lake City Columbia and rolling over P.K. Yonge and Newberry. However, the big test for Union County lies ahead as it prepares to host the Hawthorne Hornets on Oct. 14 in a battle of two of Class 1R's top teams. A win against Hawthorne will likely solidify Union County as a legitimate state contender.
6. Hawthorne (5-0)
FHSAA STATE RANKING: No. 62
LAST WEEK: No. 3 in Gainesville rankings; def. Gibbs 21-12
7. Lafayette (4-1)
FHSAA STATE RANKING: No. 124
LAST WEEK: No. 9 in Gainesville rankings; did not play
8. Lake City Columbia (2-3)
FHSAA STATE RANKING: No. 144
LAST WEEK: No. 8 in Gainesville rankings; did not play
9. Eastside (3-1)
FHSAA STATE RANKING: No. 149
LAST WEEK: No. 19 in Gainesville rankings; def. North Marion 14-6
10. Newberry (3-2)
FHSAA STATE RANKING: No. 184
LAST WEEK: Unranked in Gainesville rankings; lost to Williston 42-19
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: FHSAA: Which high school football teams are the best in Gainesville area?
