![Buchholz (Gainesville) QB Isabella Alexander runs with the ball during their game against Eastside (Gainesville) on Friday, March 6, 2026. [Joshua Wilson/FloridaHSFootball.com]](https://i0.wp.com/floridahsfootball.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/FPRI-North-Central-Florida-Flag-Football-Week-4.jpg?fit=1920%2C1080&ssl=1)
The latest rankings from the Florida Power Rankings Index are out for the North Central Florida Region along with the latest anaylsis for the North Central Florida Region Top 10 going into Week 4. For full view of all 24 teams in the North Central Florida region requires a Premium Season Ticket Membership (Yearly) or the Premium Monthly Season Ticket Membership. To subscribe, click here.
Rankings compiled from all games played through Saturday, March 7, 2026.
TOP 10 RANKINGS
| Rank | Trend | Team | Class | Record | Rating | PF | PA | Point Diff | SOS |
| 1 | — | Wildwood | 1A | 0-0 | 70.02 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| 2 | ↑ 5 | Buchholz (Gainesville) | 3A | 3-0 | 46.03 | 120 | 6 | 114 | -6.48 |
| 3 | ↓ 1 | Bradford (Starke) | 1A | 0-2 | 39.78 | 18 | 67 | -49 | 49.50 |
| 4 | ↑ 1 | Trinity Catholic (Ocala) | 1A | 4-1 | 36.48 | 154 | 66 | 88 | 3.15 |
| 5 | ↓ 2 | Belleview | 3A | 5-3 | 28.52 | 187 | 83 | 104 | 12.22 |
| 6 | ↑ 2 | Forest (Ocala) | 4A | 4-2 | 25.40 | 105 | 32 | 73 | 8.63 |
| 7 | ↓ 1 | Suwannee (Live Oak) | 1A | 3-2 | 24.71 | 87 | 47 | 40 | 5.39 |
| 8 | ↑ 2 | Vanguard (Ocala) | 2A | 2-0 | 24.03 | 40 | 20 | 20 | 8.78 |
| 9 | ↓ 5 | Santa Fe (Alachua) | 1A | 3-2 | 23.82 | 136 | 72 | 64 | -2.83 |
| 10 | ↓ 1 | South Sumter (Bushnell) | 1A | 4-0 | 18.87 | 125 | 6 | 119 | -12.08 |
TOP 10 ANALYSIS – AFTER WEEK 3
The Big Picture
The North Central Florida region took meaningful shape in Week 3, and Trinity Catholic is the story. The Celtics went 2-0 on the week — beating Redeemer Christian 26-6 and then Santa Fe 41-15 — to climb from No. 5 to No. 4 and simultaneously send the Raiders from No. 4 to No. 9 in one of the biggest single-week drops in the region. Buchholz finally took the field and answered every question about their preseason standing, going 3-0 to jump five spots to No. 2. Forest went 2-0 to climb two spots to No. 6. Bradford took their second loss of the season, falling to Paxon 41-12, and dropped one spot to No. 3 while their SOS remains the strongest in the region. Belleview went 1-2 at the She Is Football Invitational in Tampa — beating Apopka 27-0 but losing to East Bay 26-0 and Steinbrenner 24-14 — to fall two spots to No. 5. Wildwood and South Sumter both did not play, Wildwood still awaiting their March 19 opener against Citrus and South Sumter on spring break.
No. 1 Wildwood — Wildcats Hold the Top Spot With Season Opener Still Two Weeks Away
Wildwood remains at No. 1 in North Central Florida with their rating of 70.02 and SOS of 50.00, still carrying entirely preseason weight with no games played. Their season opener against Citrus is March 19 — now two weeks away rather than three. Nothing has changed about their standing from last week except the programs below them have been building bodies of work that will eventually pressure that No. 1 position. Buchholz is now at No. 2 and actively producing results. Trinity Catholic is climbing. The Wildcats have held this spot by reputation and preseason metrics alone, and the longer they wait to play, the more the programs below them are establishing cases that could challenge that standing once the field-level data starts coming in.
No. 2 Buchholz — Bobcats Answer Every Preseason Question With a 3-0 Week
Buchholz entered Week 3 at No. 7 in the region with no games played — two weeks of preseason weight and unanswered questions. They leave it at No. 2 after going 3-0 across their season opener and the Columbia Flag Football Challenge. They beat Florida Deaf and Blind 33-6 on Tuesday in their season opener, beat Eastside 66-0 on Friday, then beat Columbia 21-0 on Saturday at the Columbia Flag Football Challenge. Three wins, 120 points scored, six allowed, a plus-114 point differential. The Bobcats answered every question about whether their preseason standing was justified, and the jump of five spots — from No. 7 to No. 2 — reflects a week that validated everything the system projected about this program before the season started. Their SOS of -6.48 reflects early-season competition that has not fully validated the results yet, but the dominant margins leave little room for doubt about the quality of the program.
No. 3 Bradford — Tornadoes Hold at No. 3 Despite Second Loss, SOS Remains Region’s Strongest
Bradford dropped their second game of the season on Tuesday, falling to Paxon 41-12 — a Northeast Florida program that has been one of the more competitive teams in their region this season. The Tornadoes are now 0-2 with both losses coming against out-of-region opponents with legitimate standing. Their SOS of 49.50 remains the strongest in the entire North Central Florida region — they are scheduling at a level that no other program in the top 10 is approaching. The losses are real, but the context matters. A program that goes 0-2 against top-tier out-of-region competition is building a different kind of resume than one that goes 2-0 against regional bottom-feeders. Bradford holds at No. 3 because the system recognizes what their schedule is doing even when the results do not go their way. The question heading into Week 4 is whether they can start converting that scheduling courage into wins.
To continue reading the complete North Central Florida Region Top 10 analysis and complete regional rankings for all 24 teams — including schedule strength figures, statewide SOS rankings, and full breakdowns for every team — consider becoming a Premium Season Ticket Member at FloridaHSFootball.com. Annual and monthly options are available. Your support helps keep independent high school sports journalism alive in Florida, and as one of the few truly independent outlets still covering prep sports in the state, every membership makes a difference.
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