NORTHEAST FLORIDA POWER 15: Raines, St. Augustine Hold Top Two as Bartram Trail Breaks Through

The top of Northeast Florida held firm after Week 2, but the rest of the Power 15 became considerably more interesting.

Raines remains No. 1 after beating Baldwin 52-14, while St. Augustine stays No. 2 following a 28-22 victory over Nease. Mandarin added one of the most dominant performances of the week with a 50-0 shutout of Atlantic Coast, and Bolles responded to its opening loss by beating Archbishop McCarthy 21-14.

The biggest movement came farther down the rankings. Nease drops from No. 5 to No. 9 after falling to 0-2, while Bartram Trail surges into the Power 15 after beating Middleburg 23-12. Bishop Kenny also strengthened its position with a 28-21 win over Ponte Vedra, giving the middle of the rankings several important head-to-head results to sort through.

Raines and St. Augustine Stay in Control

Raines has done little through two weeks to loosen its grip on the No. 1 position. The Vikings followed a 21-7 opening victory over Oakleaf by putting up 52 points against Baldwin in Week 2, improving to 2-0 while outscoring their first two opponents 73-21.

St. Augustine has been equally effective directly behind them, although the Yellow Jackets have taken a different route. After overwhelming Palatka 49-0 in the opener, St. Augustine had to finish a much tighter game against Nease, winning 28-22. That gives the Yellow Jackets a shutout and a six-point victory through two weeks, enough to keep the region’s top two unchanged.

The contrast underneath them is becoming more pronounced. Nease entered Week 2 at No. 5 after losing 21-14 to Creekside in the opener, then suffered another close loss against St. Augustine. At 0-2, the Panthers fall four positions to No. 9 as current-season results begin carrying more weight.

Mandarin Rolls, Bolles Responds

Mandarin continues to look like one of the strongest challengers beneath the top two. The Mustangs followed their 38-21 win over McArthur with a 50-0 demolition of Atlantic Coast, giving them an 88-21 scoring margin through two games.

Bolles also gave the FPRI an important second result. The Bulldogs opened with a 20-19 loss to Columbia, but responded by beating Archbishop McCarthy 21-14. That leaves Bolles 1-1, with both games decided by seven points or fewer, and keeps the Bulldogs firmly in the upper portion of the regional picture.

Those results illustrate why two games tell a much more useful story than one. Mandarin has now stacked two victories, while Bolles has paired a narrow loss with a quality win. As preseason influence fades, those actual performances increasingly define where each belongs.

Bartram Trail Forces Its Way Into the Power 15

Bartram Trail has produced one of the most dramatic early rises in Northeast Florida.

The Bears opened the season with a 25-21 win over Tocoi Creek, then entered Week 2 against Middleburg as the FPRI underdog. Bartram Trail won 23-12, handing the Broncos their first loss and forcing its way into the regional Power 15.

That second win matters because Middleburg had opened with a 23-6 victory over Menendez and was already sitting inside the rankings. Bartram Trail did not need an indirect comparison to make its case; the Bears beat Middleburg head-to-head.

Menendez also responded well after that opening loss, beating Ridgeview 32-13 in Week 2. With Bartram Trail rising and Menendez bouncing back, several teams around the Power 15 cutoff are already providing stronger current-season résumés than their preseason positions suggested.

Bishop Kenny Wins Another Tight One

Bishop Kenny and Ponte Vedra delivered another result that should matter around the middle of the rankings, with the Crusaders winning 28-21.

Ponte Vedra has now dropped consecutive competitive games, losing 31-29 to University Christian in Week 1 before falling by seven to Bishop Kenny. The Sharks are 0-2, but their combined margin of defeat is only nine points, which provides more context than the record alone.

University Christian experienced the opposite swing in Week 2. After beating Ponte Vedra in the opener, the Christians lost 14-8 to Trinity Christian. That gives both University Christian and Trinity Christian 1-1 records and adds another direct result among teams fighting for position in a crowded portion of the region.

Fleming Island also took its first loss after opening with a shutout. The Golden Eagles beat Atlantic Coast 33-0 in Week 1 before Creekside handed them a 45-28 defeat, another result that adds pressure around the lower half of the Power 15.

Week 3 Spotlight: Bishop Kenny and Bartram Trail Meet

Few Week 3 games have more immediate implications for the middle of the Northeast Florida Power 15 than Bishop Kenny at Bartram Trail.

Bartram Trail enters after consecutive wins over Tocoi Creek and Middleburg, while Bishop Kenny is coming off its 28-21 victory over Ponte Vedra. With both teams already involved in the regional rankings, Friday provides a clean head-to-head comparison that could affect next week’s order.

St. Augustine also faces another regional opponent when the Yellow Jackets travel to Menendez. St. Augustine is trying to reach 3-0 and protect the No. 2 position, while Menendez has an opportunity to build on its 32-13 response against Ridgeview.

Raines travels to Ed White looking to remain perfect, and Nease hosts Mainland with the Panthers searching for their first victory after consecutive losses to Creekside and St. Augustine. Beachside returns from its Week 2 open date against Tocoi Creek after its 58-0 opening win over KIPP Bold City, while Oakleaf and Fleming Island meet in another game that should help sort the middle of the regional picture.

The Top Two Are Stable, but the Chase Is Changing

Raines and St. Augustine remain the constants through two weeks. Both are 2-0, both have added convincing victories and neither has given the FPRI a reason to move them from the first two positions.

The more interesting story is developing behind them. Mandarin has stacked two strong wins, Bolles has answered its opening loss, Bishop Kenny picked up an important head-to-head victory and Bartram Trail has gone from outside the Power 15 to inside it. Nease, meanwhile, has moved in the opposite direction after starting 0-2.

That is the kind of movement expected this early in the season. Preseason information still matters, but every completed game gives the FPRI more current evidence and less reason to lean on where teams started.

Northeast Florida’s top two survived Week 2 unchanged. The group chasing them is becoming much harder to predict.

Explore the Complete Florida Power Rankings Index

The Northeast Florida Power 15 is part of FloridaHSFootball.com’s Enhanced Florida Power Rankings Index, which ranks all 587 football teams in Florida — 563 11-man teams and 24 8-man teams — while also powering the Florida Power 25, classification rankings and eight regional rankings throughout the season.

As more games are played, current performance and opponent strength will continue replacing preseason information within the ratings.

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