PANHANDLE POWER 10: Pensacola Catholic Takes Over No. 1 After Statement Win Over Pace

Editor’s Note: An incorrect score was originally recorded for the Week 2 game between Florida High and Chiles, with the teams reversed. Florida High won the game 24-14. The rankings and analysis below reflect the accurate result.

Pensacola Catholic has taken control of the Panhandle Power 10 after one of the region’s biggest early-season games, but the movement behind the Crusaders is just as noteworthy after two weeks of regular-season football.

The Crusaders move from No. 3 to No. 1 after defeating previous No. 1 Pace 51-33, while Madison County climbs two positions to No. 2 following another convincing victory. Pace falls to No. 3, Mosley moves up to No. 4, and Florida High makes one of the region’s biggest jumps by climbing five spots to No. 5 after its 24-14 victory over Chiles.

The bottom half also changes considerably. Blountstown falls four positions after losing to Bay, Tate climbs four spots, and Bay completes a 10-position surge into the Power 10 after beginning the season well outside it.

Pensacola Catholic Takes Over the Top Spot

Pensacola Catholic entered Week 2 at No. 3, but the Crusaders had an immediate opportunity to change the conversation when No. 1 Pace came to Gorecki-LeBeau Stadium.

They took full advantage.

Pensacola Catholic defeated Pace 51-33, improving to 2-0 after opening the season with a 20-0 shutout of Milton. The Crusaders now own a 71.63 FPRI rating and move two positions into the No. 1 spot.

Pace falls two places to No. 3 with a 66.75 rating. The Patriots remain firmly among the Panhandle’s highest-rated teams, but the head-to-head result gives Pensacola Catholic the early advantage as regular-season information continues replacing preseason data within the FPRI.

Madison County Climbs to No. 2

Madison County continues to quietly assemble one of the strongest starts in the region.

The Cowboys followed their 38-0 opening victory over Lecanto with a 34-6 win over Gadsden County. That moves Madison County two positions from No. 4 to No. 2 with a 68.10 rating.

Through two games, Madison County has outscored its opponents 72-6. The schedule becomes considerably more demanding in Week 3, but the Cowboys have done enough through the opening two weeks to put themselves directly behind Pensacola Catholic in the regional order.

Mosley also moves up one position to No. 4 after surviving Godby 32-31. After beating Choctawhatchee 15-13 in the opener, the Dolphins have now won consecutive close games and sit at 2-0 with a 66.46 rating.

Florida High Surges Into the Top Five

Florida High makes one of the most significant moves in this week’s Power 10, climbing five positions from No. 10 to No. 5.

The Seminoles defeated Chiles 24-14 after opening the season with a 37-13 victory over Navarre. At 2-0, Florida High now carries a 63.61 FPRI rating and has moved directly into the upper half of the regional rankings.

That rise also changes the shape of the middle of the Power 10. Instead of a large gap developing behind the top four, Florida High now sits less than three rating points behind Mosley and gives the Panhandle another unbeaten team within striking distance of the leaders.

Blountstown Falls, Tate Moves Up

Blountstown entered Week 2 at No. 2 after a dominant 49-14 opening victory over Ariton (Ala.), but Bay changed that trajectory with a 21-6 victory over the Tigers.

Blountstown falls four positions to No. 6 with a 63.22 rating. The Tigers remain inside the Power 10, but the loss creates another example of how quickly early-season results can reshape the rankings while the sample remains small.

Tate heads in the opposite direction. The Aggies beat Milton 24-21 and climb four positions to No. 7 with a 58.78 rating. After sitting outside the Power 10 following Week 1, Tate has now pushed itself firmly into the regional picture.

Aucilla Christian falls two places to No. 8 after Holmes County handed the Warriors a 54-7 loss. Taylor County also drops two positions to No. 9 following a 25-19 loss to Wakulla.

Bay Completes a 10-Spot Climb

Bay owns the largest move inside this week’s Power 10.

The Tornadoes climb 10 positions to No. 10 after defeating Blountstown 21-6, giving them a 55.02 FPRI rating. That puts Bay barely ahead of Wakulla, which sits immediately outside the rankings at 55.00 after beating Taylor County.

The cutoff remains exceptionally tight. Only 0.52 rating points separate No. 10 Bay from No. 15 Choctawhatchee, with Wakulla, Maclay, Walton and Lincoln all packed between them.

That kind of compression means one result can dramatically alter the bottom of the Power 10 from week to week. Bay is the beneficiary this time, but several teams sitting just outside the rankings are close enough to force their way in quickly.

The Chase Just Outside the Power 10

Wakulla is the first team out at No. 11 after its win over Taylor County, trailing Bay by just 0.02 rating points.

Maclay sits No. 12 at 54.54, Walton is No. 13 at 54.52, Lincoln is No. 14 at 54.50 and Choctawhatchee is No. 15 at 54.35.

Walton strengthened its résumé with a 41-6 victory over Arnold, while Lincoln absorbed a difficult 63-14 loss against Thomas County Central (Ga.). Choctawhatchee dropped to 0-2 after a 31-21 loss to Auburn (Ala.), but its early schedule continues to provide the FPRI with significant opponent-strength information.

With six teams separated by less than one rating point around the No. 10 cutoff, this portion of the Panhandle rankings could remain volatile for several weeks.

Week 3 Spotlight: Madison County Heads to Columbia

Pensacola Catholic has taken over No. 1, but one of the most intriguing Week 3 tests belongs to Madison County.

The No. 2 Cowboys travel to Lake City on Friday night to face Columbia at Tiger Stadium. Madison County has dominated its first two opponents, but Columbia enters after opening the season with wins over Bolles and Lakewood, making this a significant early-season measuring stick.

Pensacola Catholic also faces a quick turnaround after its statement victory over Pace, traveling to Gene Cox Stadium on Thursday night to face Godby.

Pace looks to rebound when Choctawhatchee visits Patriots Stadium, while Mosley gets another major Northwest Florida matchup against Niceville at Tommy Oliver Stadium. Wakulla travels to Chiles, Maclay visits Aucilla Christian, Bozeman goes to Blountstown, Tate hosts Escambia, Taylor County welcomes Marianna and Bay faces Gadsden County.

The region has already undergone substantial movement through two weeks, and a schedule filled with head-to-head Panhandle matchups should provide even more clarity.

The Panhandle Picture Is Starting to Take Shape

Pensacola Catholic owns the headline after taking down the previous No. 1, but the bigger story is how much the entire regional structure has changed in only two weeks.

Madison County has climbed into the No. 2 position, Florida High has surged into the top five, Tate has moved into the upper half of the Power 10, and Bay has climbed 10 positions. Meanwhile, Pace and Blountstown have both been pushed downward after losses despite entering Week 2 as the region’s top two teams.

Those swings are exactly what should be expected this early in the season. Preseason information still exists within the FPRI, but every completed game gives the system more current evidence about team performance and opponent strength.

With only 0.52 points separating No. 10 from No. 15, the Panhandle remains particularly unsettled heading into Week 3.

Explore the Complete Florida Power Rankings Index

The Panhandle Power 10 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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