Head-to-head scores may not matter much in FHSAA high school football ranking. Here's why (2024)

First Coast took flight last Friday night for four Rodney Tisdale Jr. passing touchdowns against Englewood.

Did it pay off in the Florida High School Athletic Association rankings? Not so much.

Despite the Buccaneers' head-to-head win, they remain behind Englewood in the latest FHSAA high school football rankings, a trend in the computer formula that will eventually decide at-large playoff participants at season's end.

On the field, First Coast beat Englewood 31-8. In the ranking formula, though, Englewood still holds an edge of 0.341 points over the Buccaneers in District 1-3M and Region 1-3M.

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The FHSAA doesn't disclose the formula behind its ranking system, which is considered a variant of the MaxPreps system. But it's clear that won-lost record continues to trump several other factors, like head-to-head results and strength of schedule, in the early going.

A similar pattern is playing out throughout the state, and it's one of several factors that's raising a few eyebrows from football observers. First Coast is far from alone:

• The FHSAA rankings place Ponte Vedra (4-1) nearly two points ahead of Bartram Trail (3-2) in Region 1-4S. Bartram Trail defeated Ponte Vedra 20-17 on Aug. 25.
• In District 5-2S and Region 2-2S, Baldwin (3-2) ranks ahead of Baker County (2-3). Baker County defeated Baldwin 12-7 on Sept. 15.

A four-qualifier district? It could happen

Move over for a moment, District 3-4S.

There's no doubt about the strength of the five-team district (Bartram Trail, Creekside, Fleming Island, Oakleaf and Gainesville Buchholz), likely the strongest and deepest in Northeast Florida.

But it's two other districts — 2-2M and 5-2S — that are currently positioned to send the most Jacksonville-area teams to the Florida High School Athletic Association football playoffs.

If the season ended today, based on this week's new FHSAA rankings, both districts would qualify four schools. In District 2-2M, that's Bolles, Bishop Kenny, Episcopal and Wolfson. In District 5-2S, it's Yulee, Baldwin, Baker County and Fernandina Beach.

Going by the numbers, Bolles and Bishop Kenny appear near-locks to earn playoff spots in Region 1-2M, occupying the second and third seeds behind Raines.

The picture in Region 2-2S is a little more chaotic. Yulee, coming off a big win over Fernandina Beach, holds the top spot for now, but that could change quickly depending on the Hornets' next two games against Baldwin on Friday and Baker County on Oct. 13.

Super sweep: Bishop Kenny, Ponte Vedra, Bolles dominate Pre-State cross country

Fletcher in Gateway volleyball hunt

After losing the Gateway Conference volleyball trophy for the first time since 2014 last season, what's the mission for Fletcher this month?

Take it right back.

"It motivated us a lot, extremely," Fletcher senior outside hitter Nadia Ewton said.

Gateway Conference season is here, with Oct. 10-12 marking the beginning of a volleyball tournament that in recent years has become a two-horse race. Mandarin ended Fletcher's seven-year reign last fall, toppling the Senators 26-24, 13-25, 25-23, 22-25, 15-7. In 2019, 2020 and 2021, Fletcher downed the Mustangs in the final.

Fletcher (18-3) got the upper hand in this year's first meeting, beating Mandarin in four sets on Sept. 21 behind 19 kills from junior Katie Issendorf, 29 assists from sophom*ore Keely Pou and 21 digs from junior Addison Hilton. The Senators also placed second to a resurgent Bartram Trail in the weekend's JJVA Block Cancer tournament, with Ewton and Issendorf earning all-tournament honors.

Fletcher, seeded first, opens the tournament Tuesday against either Paxon or Englewood.

"We're really close to each other, and the communication with our setters is great," Ewton said.

Volleyball is only one of five Gateway events within a seven-day span, beginning with swimming and diving across two days this week (diving Thursday, swimming Saturday) at Cecil Field Aquatic Center. Fletcher has brought home the last four Gateway girls swimming titles, while Stanton ended the Fletcher boys' three-year reign last year.

Then, Jacksonville Beach Golf Course is the site for the Gateway golf tournaments, with boys playing Oct. 10 and girls following on Oct. 12. Atlantic Coast won its first Gateway boys title last season, overcoming a 68 by Jackson Sullivan of Sandalwood, while Stanton and Alyssa Hardy are aiming to defend their girls team and individual trophies.

Still to come are Gateway bowling, set for Oct. 18 at Batt Family Fun Center on Cassat Avenue, and cross country, on Oct. 19 at the New World Sports Complex near Cecil Field.

Harvest lifts SSAA volleyball trophy

Harvest Community made it a winning week on the volleyball court.

The Warriors (15-5) went 5-0 on the week, wrapping it up with victories in the Sunshine State Athletic Association tournament in Winter Haven.

Harvest fought back for a 22-25, 23-25, 25-11, 25-21, 15-10 semifinal win over All Saints' Academy, including 20 kills from Madison Maple, 16 from Elina Adhikari and 14 from Taylor Marts. Then, they swept the final 25-20, 27-25, 25-14 against Fort Myers Southwest Florida Christian.

Volleyball marathon for Baldwin, First Coast

It was the set that wouldn't end.

First Coast and Baldwin played a near-interminable third set in Thursday's volleyball match, one that bounced back and forth until the Buccaneers came out on top, 37-35.

That's right: a 72-point set, one that appears to rank as the longest on record for at least this year in Northeast Florida. Freshman Carmen Overstreet led First Coast with 16 kills.

Despite ending the third set on the wrong end, Baldwin went on to win the match in four sets with Chloe Gotto's 22 assists and 25 digs, Olivia Hartung's nine kills and Kendall North's eight aces. At 14-3 entering the week and 10th in the Region 1-3A ranking, Baldwin remains in contention for its first-ever FHSAA regional visit.

County may honor Barrett at Riverside field

The Duval County School Board is scheduled to consider renaming Riverside's football stadium in honor of former coach and athletic director Leon Barrett at Tuesday evening's meeting.

A 1961 graduate from the school's 94-year period as Lee High, Barrett has more than six decades of service to the school and remains a volunteer and substitute teacher.

He worked more than a quarter-century as defensive coordinator for Generals football, including 17 seasons under fellow Lee graduate Corky Rogers, and also coached the school's softball team to the FHSAA final four in the 1995 and 1996.

The process, initiated by District 6 School Board member Charlotte Joyce, has met with some controversy.

The School Board's facility naming committee Sept. 6 voted unanimously Sept. 6 in favor of renaming the stadium for Barrett. However, Riverside High's School Advisory Council -- a body that has only advisory powers -- voted 8-0 in opposition to a name change on Monday.

Members raised concerns about whether Barrett's name had been fully vetted. The member substitute-chairing the meeting, parent Monique Tookes, said Barrett's part in debate about renaming the high school in 2021 could reopen sore feelings.

"The school has been through a lot on naming. A lot," Tookes said, who had earlier suggested the School Board delay a decision to allow the school community to fully discuss it.

Joyce said the naming was simply intended to recognize a lifetime of contributions Barrett had made.

"I'm looking at the merits of a gentleman who gave 68 years of his life to this school," Joyce said.

Under county policy, any costs for new signs or related expenses would be raised through private donors rather than taxpayer funds.

Lee's field was originally known as Cawthon Field, a name in use at least since the mid-1930s, in honor of former Generals head coach Rainey Cawthon, who led the football team from 1930 to 1932. However, the original name has seen diminishing use during recent decades.

Riverside's stadium was the school district's first selected for an artificial turf installation last year, part of a project financed through a property tax hike approved by voters. The school opened the renovated field last October.

Around the area

Bishop Kenny senior Rachel Howard committed to Duquesne women's swimming. … Mandarin opposite hitter Paola Aviles-Morales committed to St. Johns River State College volleyball. … Bolles midfielder Ethan Binns committed to Grove City College men's lacrosse. … Bartram Trail junior midfielder Emily Barnette committed to Charlotte women's lacrosse. … Wolfson named Chris Brunner head girls soccer coach. … Trinity Christian named Robert Roop head softball coach. … Fleming Island senior Samantha Rupert surpassed the school volleyball record Monday with 116 career aces. ... Ridgeview senior setter Mariah Bostic-Jones recorded her 1,500th career assist Wednesday. … Beachside sophom*ore Erica Duffy reached 500 career assists Wednesday. … Former Paxon right side Madyson Brinson was named Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association rookie of the week after 14 kills for Bowie State volleyball. … Former Nease runner Samuel Myers was named Alabama Community College Conference runner of the week for Marion Military Institute men's cross country. … Trinity Christian leads all Northeast Florida schools at No. 9 in the FHSAA volleyball rankings, and stands No. 4 in Class 3A. ... The Raines-Ribault alumni basketball game is now scheduled for 7 p.m. Oct. 12. … The Jacksonville Basketball Coaches Clinic is scheduled for 9 a.m. Oct. 21 at Potter's House, with scheduled coaches including Johnnie Harris (Auburn), Michael Fly (FGCU/Jacksonville), Tom McCorry (Five Star Basketball Camp) and Mike Taylor (Canadian Elite Basketball League). … Bolles Sharks club swimmers Dillon Brigman, Neala Klein, Carter Lancaster, Alex Primavera, Xavier Sohovich and Rylan Sepulveda (Creekside) were selected to the USA Swimming National Select Camp, set for Oct. 12-15 (boys) and Oct. 26-29 (girls) in Colorado Springs, Colo.

The Times-Union's Steve Patterson contributed to this report.