Championship week is upon us.
Yes, there's still a full three weeks left on the high school football calendar, but for the Volusia-Flagler-St. Johns area, Friday might as well be judgment day.
The area's top four teams in this set of power rankingspair off with titles potentially at stake. Mainland, Nease and Seabreeze also encounter expected do-or-die scenarios.
Expect this list to look a whole lot different — and a whole lot more defined — seven days from now.
Vote now:Volusia-Flagler-St. Johns High School Athlete of the Week poll: Oct. 11
Week 7 scores:High school football roundup: Cundiff leads Matanzas while Menendez wins an OT thriller
1. Bartram Trail (5-1)
The Bears got everything they could handle from a scrappy Ponte Vedra squad, but Liam Padron's fourth-quarter field goal lifted them to a 26-24 win.
AJ Megas rushed for a season-high 105 yards, Riley Trujillo threw a touchdown and ran for another and Michigan commit Micah Pollard had a big night defensively (nine tackles, two TFLs and a sack).
Bartram Trail puts its three-game winning streak, and possibly the District 1-8A title, on the line when Creekside makes the trip across Longleaf Pine Parkway on Friday.
Last Week: 1
2. Spruce Creek (6-0)
The Hawks canceled their previously scheduled Week 7 home game against Jacksonville private school Young Kids in Motion, opting instead to rest up ahead of a season-defining trip to University.
MIDSEASON AWARDS:Here are the Most Valuable Players from the first half of the high school football season
Kevin Minckler earned Midseason Offensive MVP honors for Volusia-Flagler last week. The senior has totaled 778 rushing yards and six touchdowns, and added20 receptions for 331 yards and four more scores.
Last Week: 2
3. University (4-0)
The Titans ended up getting an impromptu bye week when heavy rains flooded Sperling Sports Complex, washing out an intriguing home matchup with Flagler Palm Coast.
Only one undefeated team will remain in the tri-county area following Friday night as University hosts No. 2 Spruce Creek for the District 4-7A championship.
Last Week: 4
4. Creekside (6-1)
Creekside walked the tightrope the last few weeks, prevailing in several back-and-forth affairs, but the Knights fell for the first time this season— to Atlantic Coast in a 29-14 defeat. Jacob Dennie threw a pair of touchdowns, a 33-yarder to Paul Wood and a 42-yarder to Brendon McMillan.
The Knights entered Week 7 with the highest RPI ranking among any program in Volusia, Flagler or St. Johns counties. However, reaching the playoffs could require rewriting history.
Creekside is 2-16 all-time against its next two opponents, Bartram Trail and Oakleaf— a pair of roadblocks standing between the Knights and an unlikely District 1-8A crown.
Last Week: 3
5. St. Augustine (3-2)
The Yellow Jackets rallied from a quick 14-0 deficit and survived a last-minute scare to score a fourth straight win over Nease, 28-21.
Trevon Dirden threw a touchdown and ran for another, and Devonte Lyons gutted through pain in carrying the ball 18 times for 71 yards and a pair of TDs. Perhaps the play that ignited the Jackets' comebackcame on special teams when Raidon Olores-Maeda snuffed out a fake punt near midfield, leading to the tying score.
St. Augustine enters its bye week before hosting Matanzas and Gainesville on consecutive Fridays in its bid to win District 4-6A.
Last Week: 5
6. Mainland (3-3)
The Bucs' offense has finally gotten going, scoring 78 combined points in wins over Seabreeze and, most recently, Benjamin. James Randle caught two touchdowns— his first scores since Week 1— and both Eddie Whipple and Isaiah Gordon popped off for big games on the ground.
3 TAKEAWAYS:Mainland football goes south to thump Benjamin for Thursday win
Mainland can seize control of District 6-6A if it can upset Jones in Orlando this week. Otherwise, the Bucs will need to take down New Smyrna Beach and South Lake (at the very least)and hope for the RPI math to work out in their favor.
Last Week: 7
7. Nease (5-2)
Panthers head coach Collin Drafts believes his team let one get away against St. Augustine, not only squandering the early two-touchdown advantage but failing to cash in a surprising late interception for the tying score.
Dom Henry was unstoppable for most of the night, catching 12 passes for 183 yards and a touchdown and adding a TD pass in Nease's rendition of the Philly Special. The 5-foot-11, 170-pound senior, who is up to 813 yards and seven scores on the year, picked up an offer from Robert Morris on Saturday.
Nease faces a crucial trip to Fletcher, putting its unblemished 3-0 record in District 3-7A and potentially its playoff hopes on the line.
Last Week: 6
8. Flagler Palm Coast (2-3)
FPC will look for an opponent to replace this past week's lost game with University, considering the Bulldogs already have a Monday matchup pegged for Oct. 25 against Pine Ridge. Its planned bye is set for Oct. 29.
Undefeated Lake Mary pays FPC a visit on Friday, a real chance for a shock win and a chance to jump right back into the Region 1-8A wild card hunt.
Last Week: 8
9. DeLand (2-2)
Sophom*ores TJ Moore and Javon Ross linked up for three touchdowns as the Bulldogs nicked Deltona 29-16 in the "Battle for the Bone."
DeLand projects as a team that will continue to improve down the stretch, despite a difficult run of games on the horizon that includes FPC and Seminole.
Last Week: 10
10. New Smyrna Beach (5-2)
Jarrett Reddin returned from injury and had his most prolific game of the season, throwing for 201 yards and accounting for four touchdowns in a 35-0 shutout of Winter Springs last Thursday.
'Cudas head coach John Wilkinson knows his team likely controls its own fate in the final month, targeting at least two more wins. New Smyrna's final three games, after this week's bye, come at home— Mainland, Space Coast and Harmony.
Last Week: NR
