JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The high school football regular season in Florida starts up on Friday and our News4JAX Varsity 4 Super 10 is here. It will be published on Tuesday through the end of the regular season. Think we’ve got a team ranked too high or a program not ranked at all? Send us a message on Instagram (@Sports4Jax) or sports@wjxt.com.
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News4JAX Varsity 4 Week 1 top 10 football rankings
Rank, school, classification
1. Mandarin, 6A
Last season: 11-4. Preseason rank: 1.
This week: vs. Creekside, 6:30 p.m. Next week: at Atlantic Coast, 6:30 p.m.
Glance: The unquestioned top team in the area will try and do something this week that the senior class hasn’t been able to accomplish yet — beat Creekside. The Mustangs are highly motivated for that one. This team has state championship-sized expectations and the talent to match. QB Tramell Jones and WR Jaime Ffrench are the big names on offense. S Drake Stubbs is the reigning All-News4JAX defensive player of the year. And that’s just scratching the surface of one of the most prospect-heavy teams in area history.
2. St. Augustine, 4A
Last season: 13-1. Preseason rank: 2.
This week: at Palatka. Next week: at Menendez.
Glance: The Yellow Jackets ended last season at the top of the Super 10 and played for the Class 3S state championship. St. Augustine opens the season (and doesn’t end it) with its annual clash with the Panthers. They’ve won 10 straight in this series. QB Locklan Hewlett has the area’s deepest receiving corps at his fingertips.
3. Bolles, 2A
Last season: 8-6. Preseason rank: 3.
This week: vs. (4) Raines, 7:30 p.m. Next week: at Trinity Christian, 7:30 p.m.
Glance: The Bulldogs have reached at least the state semifinals in each of Matt Toblin’s five seasons. The last two of those have included wins over Raines to get there. Bolles, like Mandarin and St. Augustine in front of it, has championship expectations annually. It has an area-high 11 state titles, two ahead of second-place teams Trinity Christian and University Christian. This is a major test out of the gate against a loaded Raines team.
4. Raines, 3A
Last season: 10-2. Preseason rank: 4.
This week: at (3) Bolles, 7:30 p.m. Next week: at Sandalwood, 6:30 p.m.
Glance: Raines has the best team that it has had since Deran Wiley’s championship season in 2018. Will that translate into a state title? That’s the mindset for coach Donovan Masline and a loaded Vikings team. Raines has talent at every level.
5. Bartram Trail, 6A
Last season: 8-5. Preseason rank: 5.
This week: vs. Sumner. Next week: vs. Ponte Vedra.
Glance: The Bears played well in a kickoff classic comeback win over Riverside. They’ve got a rugged first month of the season and a shot for some younger players to grow into new roles. Look for ATH Arthur Lewis IV and QB Jaden Weatherly to become well-known names playing behind the area’s best offensive line.
6. Riverside, 4A
Last year: 9-3. Preseason rank: 6.
This week: at Oakleaf. Next week: vs. Fleming Island, 6:30 p.m.
Why we like them: The Generals are going to be able to put up some numbers this year. That’s a given. They’ve got a difficult schedule dotted with heavyweights (Bolles, Raines, St. Augustine), so Riverside is going to get tested often. There’s something to be said about teams who return their starting QB and top pass catching target. The Generals have Glenn Foreman III and Tae’shaun Gelsey back to lead the offense.
7. Bradford, 2A
Last season: 14-1. Preseason rank: 7.
This week: at (8) Baker County. Next week: vs. Dunnellon, 7:30 p.m.
Glance: A Jamie Rodgers-coached team is always a pick for a deep playoff run. The Tornadoes played for a championship last year and have had the area’s toughest defense two years running. They’ve also beaten rival Baker County four consecutive games. They’ve lost quite a bit of talent due to graduation, but that won’t show in the win-loss column.
8. Baker County, 2A
Last season: 8-4. Preseason rank: 8.
This week: vs. (7) Bradford. Next week: Melbourne Palm Bay.
Glance: Kevin Mays has built something in Glen St. Mary. Mays’ worst season was his first (6-5) and Baker County hasn’t missed the playoffs since his arrival in 2019. They’re 44-19 in that span and are rooted in tough defense and a versatile ground game. That won’t change this year.
9. Creekside, 7A
Last year: 6-5. Preseason rank: 10.
This week: at (1) Mandarin, 6:30 p.m. Next week: vs. Nease.
Glance: Offense, offense, offense. That’s what the Knights do and do well. QB Sean Ashenfelder, RB Harrison Garrido and WR Kaleb Taylor-Burch are all back, so don’t look for a slide from the Creekside offense. This is the first in a tough, tough opening month of the season for the Knights.
10. Ponte Vedra, 5A
Last year: 8-4. Preseason rank: Not ranked.
This week: at Nease. Next week: at (5) Bartram Trail.
Glance: The Sharks went two rounds deep into the playoffs last year and bring back a solid number of playmakers, including LB Talan Babin, RB Brian Case, DL JP Dolan and DE Robbie Grieco. Coach Steve Price’s team is sneaky good, one you may not pay attention to, then look up and see them sitting at 7-3 or 8-2.
Others: Columbia (4A), Fleming Island (6A), Fletcher (6A), Fort White (Rural), Nease (6A), Oakleaf (6A), Providence (1A), Trinity Christian (1A), University Christian (1A), White (4A).
Florida schedule, Week 1
Friday, Aug. 23, all games 7 p.m. unless noted
Baldwin at Englewood, 6:30 p.m.
Bishop Kenny at Matanzas
Bradford at Baker County
Cedar Creek Christian (1-0) at St. Joseph (1-0)
Creekside at Mandarin, 6:30 p.m.
Crescent City at Deltona
Eagle’s View (1-0) at Bell Creek Academy (0-1)
Fernandina Beach (0-1) at Hilliard
Fleming Island at Clay
Frederica Academy (Ga.) (1-0) at West Nassau (0-1)
Frostproof at Providence
Harvest Community (0-1) at Christ’s Church (1-0)
Jackson at KIPP Bold City, 6:30 p.m.
Keystone Heights at Interlachen (0-1), 7:30 p.m.
Merritt Island at Impact Christian
NFEI at Hollis Christian
Orange Park at Ridgeview
Orlando Christian Prep at Beachside
Parker at Atlantic Coast, 6:30 p.m.
Paxon (1-0) at Wolfson, 6:30 p.m.
Ponte Vedra at Nease
Port Orange Atlantic at Flagler Palm Coast
Raines at Bolles, 7:30 p.m.
Ribault at Fletcher, 6:30 p.m.
Riverside at Oakleaf
St. Augustine at Palatka
Sandalwood at Menendez
Seffner Christian (0-0) at Duval Charter (0-1)
Stanton (0-1) at Bishop Snyder (1-0)
Suwannee at Columbia, 7:30 p.m.
Sumner at Bartram Trail
Taylor County at Fort White, 7:30 p.m.
Tocoi Creek at First Coast, 6:30 p.m.
Trinity Christian at White, 6:30 p.m.
Union County at Yulee
University Christian at Newberry, 7:30 p.m.
Westside at Middleburg
YKIM at Windermere Prep, 4 p.m.
Zarephath Academy (1-0) at Episcopal
OFF: Old Plank Christian
Georgia schedule, Week 2
Friday’s games, all start at 7:30 p.m.
Brunswick (0-1) at Wayne County (0-1)
Charlton County (1-0) at McIntosh County Academy (1-0)
Coosa Christian (0-0) at Pierce County (0-0)
East Lake (0-1) at Camden County (1-0)
Richmond Hill at Glynn Academy
Ware County at Coffee