News4Jax Super 10: Trinity Christian leads off season in the top spot

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The high school football season begins this week and News4Jax has you covered. The Super 10 rankings will be a fixture on Tuesday’s during the regular season. All games are Friday at 7 p.m. unless indicated.

Rank, School, Classification

1. Trinity Christian, Class 2A

Last season: 12-1, won Class 3A state championship.

This week: at No. 6 Raines, 6:30 p.m.

Why they’re here: The Conquerors won the Class 3A state championship last season and are back for more, this time in Class 2A. This team is once again stout, with RB Treyaun Webb powering a tough Trinity squad in a state-championship-or-bust season.

2. Bolles, Class 4A

Last season: 10-3, lost in Class 4A state championship.

This week: vs. West Nassau (Bold City Showcase)

Why they’re here: The Bulldogs have been very good in two seasons under Matt Toblin, reaching the state championship game in each of those. The challenge now is to close things out in December.

3. Riverside, Class 6A

Last season: 6-3, lost in regional quarterfinals.

This week: at Parker, 6:30 p.m.

Why they’re here: Coach O.J. Small has done a remarkable job of keeping this program moving along. The Generals have reached the state playoffs seven consecutive seasons and hit double-digit win totals four of those years.

4. Bartram Trail, Class 8A

Last season: 11-2, lost in regional final.

This week: vs. Tallahassee Rickards.

Why they’re here: The Bears haven’t lost to a local team since Week 4 of the 2018 season. They’re 47-15 in that span and played for a state title in 2017. Their game this week at Ware County was scratched due to COVID-19 problems within that school district, but the Bears landed a replacement game against Rickards.

5. Columbia, Class 6A

Last season: 5-6, lost in regional final.

This week: vs. Delray Beach American Heritage, 7:30 p.m.

Why they’re here: There’s a new coach in Tiger Town in Demetric Jackson, Sr., who replaces a very successful Brian Allen in Lake City. The returnees here give Columbia fans hope that a bounceback from a 5-6 season is in order.

6. Raines, Class 5A

Last season: 4-7, lost in regional quarterfinal.

This week: vs. No. 1. Trinity Christian, 6:30 p.m.

Why they’re here: Vikings played a tough schedule last year under first-year coach Donovan Masline. Quite a few impact returnees are back for the Vikings and so, too, are those expectations on 3663 Raines Avenue.

7. Baker County, Class 5A

Last season: 10-3, lost in regional final.

This week: at Bradford, 7:30 p.m.

Why they’re here: A heartbreaking loss in the regional final last year kept the Wildcats out of the final four. They return for another run, with a powerful backfield and a stout defense.

8. Fleming Island, Class 7A

Last season: 9-3, lost in regional final.

This week: at Clay.

Why they’re here: The Golden Eagles have been very consistent under coach Damenyum Springs. His worst season as Fleming’s head coach was 6-4 in 2018.The challenge this season is filling in the holes from a sizable senior class.

9. Oakleaf, Class 8A

Last season: 7-4, lost in regional quarterfinals.

This week: vs. Orange Park (Bold City Showcase, at Bolles), Saturday, 7 p.m.

Why they’re here: The Knights had a disappointing finish to the 2020 season, taken apart in a 41-point blowout against Bartram Trail. But there are still major expectations for Oakleaf.

10. Sandalwood, Class 8A

Last season: 9-3, lost in regional semifinals.

This week: at Fletcher, 6:30 p.m.

Why they’re here: The Saints had a strong 2020 season before losing to eventual state champ Seminole. The core of that unit returns. Can Sandalwood keep momentum going from last year?

On the bubble

Atlantic Coast (5-6, Class 7A); Baldwin (9-1, Class 3A); Clay (10-2, Class 5A); Creekside (5-5, Class 8A); Fletcher (6-3, Class 7A); Mandarin (4-6, Class 8A); Parker (2-7, Class 5A); St. Augustine (10-3, Class 6A); Suwannee (8-3, Class 5A); University Christian (9-5, Class 2A); White (5-5, Class 5A).

Week 1 schedule

All games at 7 p.m. unless indicated; district games indicated by an *

Friday

Atlantic Coast at Mandarin, 6:30 p.m.

Baker County at Bradford, 7:30 p.m.

Bishop Kenny at Providence

Bishop McLaughlin Catholic at North Florida Educational

Bishop Snyder at St. Edward’s

Clay at Fleming Island, 7:30 p.m.

Crescent City at Chiefland

Delray Beach American Heritage at Columbia, 7:30 p.m.

Eagle’s View at St. Joseph

Englewood at Paxon, 6:30 p.m.

Episcopal vs. Tocoi Creek (at St. Augustine High)

Fernandina Beach at Keystone Heights

Fort White at Union County, 7:30 p.m.

Harvest at Christ’s Church

Interlachen at Daytona Beach Father Lopez

Lake Weir at Palatka, canceled due to COVID-19

Matanzas at Menendez

Nease at Ponte Vedra*

Pine Ridge at Flagler Palm Coast, rescheduled due to COVID-19

Riverside at Parker, 6:30 p.m.

St. Augustine at Dunnellon

Sandalwood at Fletcher, 6:30 p.m.

Stanton at Middleburg

Suwannee at Dixie County, 7:30 p.m.

Tallahassee Rickards at Bartram Trail

Trinity Christian at Raines, 6:30 p.m.

University Christian at Pensacola Washington, 8 p.m.

West Nassau at Bolles (Bold City Showcase)

Westside at Jackson, 6:30 p.m.

Wakulla at White (this replaces the White/Baldwin which was canceled due to COVID-19)

Wolfson at Hilliard

Yulee at Hawthorne

Zarephath Academy at Young Kids in Motion, 6 p.m.

* Indicates district game

Saturday

Creekside vs. Ribault, 3:30 p.m. (Bold City Showcase at Bolles)

First Coast vs. Dakota Ridge (Littleton, Colo.), at Kissimmee

Oakleaf vs. Orange Park (Bold City Showcase at Bolles)

OFF: Baldwin, Flagler Palm Coast, Palatka, Ridgeview.

Week 2 Georgia

Friday (all games at 7:30 p.m.)

Brunswick (1-0) at McIntosh County (0-0-1)

Camden County (1-0) at Glynn Academy (0-0-1)

Eagle’s Landing Christian (1-0) at Ware County (1-0)

Pierce County (0-1) at Wayne County (0-1)

OFF: Charlton County.


About the Author:

Justin Barney joined News4Jax in February 2019, but he’s been covering sports on the First Coast for more than 20 years.