Rickards tops preseason power rankings

Preseason games on Thursday and Friday are largely treated as warm-ups comprised of base defenses and little game-planning.

But they do illuminate more about a team than can be ascertained from practice alone.

With Week 1 of the regular season going into full effect Monday in anticipation of 16 local games at the end of the week, now’s a good time to do a little posturing.

This is a preseason-power ranking list. But as can always be warned, it’s just a snapshot of a team’s image, not a head-to-head comparison. And until we actually see a team play four quarters with starters and using its full strategy to win, a lot can change.

But for now, here’s what I think. Feel free to disagree.

1. Rickards Raiders

The Raiders are loaded with weapons and a 36-19 preseason win over Panama City Bay showed just some of the ways Rickards will be dangerous. Quarterback D.J. Phillips, who often gets overlooked as the less mobile of two quarterbacks when mentioning Marcus Riley, ran for a 65-yard touchdown. Riley threw just one pass and it went for a 53-yard touchdown to Javon Wooten. Junior running back Destin Coates, a transfer from Mosley, did just what he was expected to do, running for 142 yards and two touchdowns. It may be hard to slow Rickards down this season.

Rickards football preview: Raiders ready to be among state's best

2. Madison County Cowboys

What’s better than a No. 1 vs. No. 2 match-up to start the season? That’s what will happen when Rickards plays at Boot Hill Stadium this coming Friday. Don’t overlook Madison County in that game, however. Last year at Cox Stadium, the Cowboys fell 20-14. After a 35-7 dismantling of Class 5A Suwannee in a preseason game, the perennial state semifinalist Cowboys have a lot to feel good about offensively and defensively heading into a showdown where they’ll need both units on their A-game.

Rickards' defense seals win over Madison County

3. Chiles Timberwolves

Timberwolves coach Garrett Jahn said he’d know a lot more about his team after playing a big, 6A-ranked Navarre team in the preseason. Chiles jumped out to a 21-0 lead on the Raiders before letting off the gas. It was the kind of start the Timberwolves needed to prove they’ve moved on from last year’s successful season but disappointing finish. Chiles has more depth than last year, an experienced defense with nine returning starters, and tons of skilled playmakers on both sides of the ball to feel comfortable with.

Chiles football preview: Expectations raised but T'Wolves must prove worth

4. Lincoln Trojans

Armed with perhaps the area’s best passing quarterback, the Trojans can move the ball through the air. The Trojans may need to gun their way to wins early while they figure out what to do in the run game. Defensively against Escambia, Lincoln showed an aggressive tackling presence that was missing the last two years. If the Trojans can keep from giving up the big play then they’ll be a more imposing force.

Lincoln football preview: History says don't discount the Trojans

5. Godby Cougars

There are a lot of new pieces to this Cougars’ team. The best thing about coming off a 3-6 season for Godby is it is playing with a chip on its shoulder. The defense, which looked very good against Bainbridge, will be leading the charge while the offense figures itself out. If Kevin Shuler – who didn’t play against Bainbridge – can be the type of elusive running quarterback Godby needs, the Cougars will be potent. If not, the window opens for other teams to come away with wins.

Godby football preview: Cougars aim to bounce back from "strange year"

6. Florida High Seminoles

Shutouts are something to be proud of, even in the preseason. The fact that a new Seminoles defense, which got hammered by Chiles in the spring, held 1A runner-up Port St. Joe scoreless in a 15-0 win gave coach Jarrod Hickman a lot to smile about. The defense recorded a safety for the first points, effectively winning the game. Florida High’s offense, starting freshman quarterback Bryson Hill who played only in the fourth quarter in the spring, also generated a touchdown. Two running backs hit 100 yards rushing and kicker Chase Allbaugh made two field goals. Things look bright in Southwood.

Florida High football preview: Seminoles' moving parts coming together

7. Leon Lions

Shutting out Wakulla on the road was a big accomplishment. Needing a 40-yard touchdown run by Lions junior quarterback John Carey in the fourth quarter to win 7-0 shows the offense still has a long way to go. That was the story last year as well, riding the defense to close games and surprising wins but letting other opportunities slip away with a lack of points. But as preseason games go, it was a nice victory for the Lions, who face Suwannee on the road this week as they attempt to get win No. 600 as a program.

Leon football preview: In chase of 600 wins, Lions must finish

8. Wakulla War Eagles

It’s going to take a few games for the defending 5A state runner-up War Eagles to feel totally comfortable switching gears from last year’s powerful run-pass offense. New quarterback Derek Allen and running backs Demarcus Lindsey and Brandon Berry will find their footing. The biggest challenge lies with the offensive and defensive lines, which are fielding nearly entirely new starters and not much depth. Wakulla will sprout quickest with the growth of those units.

Wakulla football preview: War Eagles moving on from 2015 title-game run

9. North Florida Christian Eagles

A 13-0 win at West Gadsden went about exactly how it should have gone for NFC. Brand new sophomore and freshman quarterbacks didn’t generate much in the passing game (62 yards), but Terrell Powell (92 yards) looked great as a back. And the defense stopped a potentially explosive Panthers offense because of its abundance of talent. The Eagles will gladly take these results as its quarterbacks get more seasoned week by week.

NFC football preview: Eagles seek state title No. 8, no change to status quo

10. John Paul II Panthers

The only team among the top 10 that didn’t play a preseason game, JP2 may be a small, independent school, but it returns a lot of key skill positions off a team that competed for its conference title last year. They’d get beat playing larger schools, sure, but that’s not the debate. Although, I’m betting Panthers coach Cedric Jones would throw junior quarterback Brian Woodend and junior receiver Sam Smith up against anyone for that argument.

JP2 football preview: Panthers out for consistency after record year

• Outside looking in: East Gadsden, West Gadsden, Taylor County, Jefferson County, Maclay, FAMU DRS, Franklin County, Aucilla Christian, Munroe.

Now let the real games begin.