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The Trophy Shop Athlete of the Week – Lain Shahboz (P.K. Yonge)

Mike Ridaught
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The Trophy Shop Athlete of the Week – Lain Shahboz (P.K. Yonge)

The Trophy Shop Athlete of the Week for the week of November 4 is LAIN SHAHBOZ* of the P.K. Yonge (Gainesville) girls’ swim team.

*The University of Florida signee won a second consecutive state title in the 100-backstroke and helped lead the Lady Blue Wave to a third place finish, their highest finish in school history. She was the lead off for the Medley Relay team which finished fourth and the anchor for the 400 Free Relay, which finished third. She also placed 3rd in the 500 Free for the 2nd year.

Nominate an Athlete of the Week each week no later than Sunday at 6 p.m.
Email your nominations to mike@ThePrepZone.com

Previous 2019-20 winners:

October 28 – Austin Montini (Oak Hall boys cross country)
The junior won his second regional title with a time of 16:24.77. He helped lead the No. 3 Oak Hall boys to the team title, beating No. 5 ranked and defending state champion Mount Dora Christian Academy.

October 21 – Alexa Schmidt (Vanguard volleyball)
After missing 20 matches with a left ankle sprain and bone bruise, the Star-Banner’s 2018 co-player-of-the-year helped lead the defending Class 7A state champion Knights to a sweep of visiting Gateway (Kissimmee) in the FHSAA Class 5A-Region 3 quarterfinals. The senior outside hitter made her presence known with 15 kills and seven aces as Vanguard advanced to the regional semifinals.

October 14 – Cole Gonzales (Oak Hall football)
Gonzales helped lead the Eagles to a 49-14 win on Homecoming against visiting Niceville Rocky Bayou Christian (Niceville). The sophomore quarterback threw for 218 yards, rushed for 103, and accounted for five touchdowns – including a pick-6.

October 7 – Elise Bauer (Forest swimming)
Bauer won two events to help Forest win the Mid-Florida Conference meet out of 17 teams. The University of Florida commit won the 200 free (1:57.24) and the 500 free (5:01.73).

September 30 – Taria Liles (Bell volleyball)
The junior helped lead the Class 1A No. 1-ranked Bulldogs to a 3-0 week with wins against Taylor (Pierson), Branford, and Union County. Liles finished the week with 55 kills, 59 digs, and five aces, as Bell improved to 21-1 overall.

September 23 – Trevor McGovern (P.K. Yonge boys swimming)
McGovern won two events at the Rob Ramirez City Championships in Gainesville to help lead the boys’ team to its first city title since 2007. The senior won the 50 free with a time of 21.79. He also won the 100 back with a time of 50.83.

September 16 – Jamarian Samuel (Trinity Catholic football)
Samuel had a monster game as the Celtics crushed defending 2A state champion North Florida Christian (Tallahassee), 42-13. The junior tailback started slow, with just 12 yards on his first five carries. However, by halftime, Samuel would finish with 17 carries for 262 yards and four touchdowns. It was his fourth straight game over 100 yards, which also put him over 1,000 yards at the halfway point of the season (1,078 yards) for the Celtics (5-0).

September 9 – Deiontae Simpkins (Lake Weir football)
Simpkins completed 10-of-14 passes for 228 yards and three touchdowns as the Hurricanes blew past Belleview, 48-0, in the annual War for the Oar to win their first game of the season. The senior quarterback led his team to a TD on its opening drive thanks to three straight quarterback runs, finishing the night with 127 yards rushing and a score on only 12 carries.

September 2 – No award (Hurricane Dorian)

August 26 – Trevor Holtzendorf (Union County football)
The sophomore played a big role in Union County’s come-from-behind 15-12 win at Williston. Holtzendorf recorded 14 tackles, two sacks, and one forced fumble. Union County (2-0) didn’t allow a score in the second half.

August 19 – Quan Smith (Buchholz football)
Smith helped lead the Bobcats to a 21-20 win against Eastside by rushing for 190 yards. The junior had 108 yards in the first half. However, it was his late fourth quarter 46-yard run, right after Eastside’s TD but blocked extra point, that helped seal the win. Smith had a 44-yard TD run in the first half and had Buchholz’s only score of the second half on a 40-yard pass from quarterback Jack Hevesy.

Three Alachua County, three Marion County teams left in FHSAA Football playoffs

Mike Ridaught
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Three Alachua County, three Marion County teams left in FHSAA Football playoffs

We started with just four Alachua County teams last week and one has been eliminated (St. Francis Catholic Academy).

Newberry is at home in Class 1A against Chiefland. Last year, Newberry was the only Alachua County team to not make the playoffs. They were 1-9.

This year, under first-year coach Ed Johnson, they’ve got the best record in the county at 9-1 and they’ve won nine in a row. Chiefland, which also has a first-year coach in John Palmer, has won six in a row.

This one could be a shootout. Since a season opening loss to Class 4A Santa Fe, the Panthers are averaging 42 points per game. Chiefland is averaging right at 37 points per game during their current 6-game winning streak.

The Chiefland at Newberry game will air on 92.1 FM & 1230 AM in Gainesville, 900 AM in Ocala, and video online via the NFHS Network.

Hawthorne makes the long trip to Pahokee in Class 1A.

The Hornets were in the state semifinals last year under head coach Cornelius Ingram and even though they lost a lot from that team, they are two games away from another shot. However, it will be a tough match-up, and a long trip, down to the Muck to face Pahokee, a team they beat last year in the playoffs.  However, this year the Hornets have to go on the road.

Oak Hall is at Winter Garden Foundation Academy in Class 2A.

The Eagles shutout rival St. Francis Catholic, 47-0, thanks to five TDs by sophomore quarterback Cole Gonzales, who is the son of Gators’ Co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales. That was the first football playoff win in school history for Oak Hall. We’ll see if they can make it two in a row, but they’ll be ‘road’ underdogs tonight.

There are also three Marion County teams still alive.

Trinity Catholic (Ocala) upset Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) last week in Class 3A.  The Celtics left on Thurday for their long trek to the Panhandle to face 3rd-ranked Pensacola Catholic.

And in Class 5A, North Marion (Citra), which played in last year’s state championship game, will travel to Booster Stadium to face Vanguard (Ocala) in a Marion County showdown and match-up of top 10 teams.

The other area teams still alive include Union County (Lake Butler), which plays at Lafayette (Mayo) in Class 1A. The Tigers snapped a 7-game losing streak to Dixie County with a 26-22 win over the Bears on the road last week.

Columbia (Lake City) is at Robert E. Lee (Jacksonville) in Class 6A.

Lee, which is coached by former Gator O.J. Small, has won two straight against the Tigers and five of the last six, including a 27-21 overtime win at Lee on October the 11th. Last year, Columbia beat Lee during the regular season but then lost to the Generals in the playoffs.

This was supposed to be the year that Brian Allen finally broke through and once again here are the Tigers playing their nemesis on the road to try and stay alive.

We will have up-to-the-minute score updates thanks to Scorestream.

Chiefland at Newberry – 1A Region 4 Semifinal Football

Mike Stanton
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Chiefland at Newberry – 1A Region 4 Semifinal Football

Friday, November 4 – High School Football Playoffs, – Chiefland at Newberry

Join Mike Ridaught (Play-by-play), Tyler TenBieg (Color), and videographer Conlan Birdsall for this Class 1A-Region 4 Semifinal between the Indians and the Panthers in the second round of the FHSAA state playoffs.

Radio:  92.1 FM & 1230 AM Gainesville & 900 AM in Ocala

Video (Subscription required)

The Prep Zone Power Poll powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville – 2019 Football Poll #13

Mike Ridaught
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The Prep Zone Power Poll powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville – 2019 Football Poll #13

Bartram Trail (St. Johns) remains atop all-classification regional rankings after opening round FHSAA playoff shutout; Eight teams in top 20 see their seasons end

GAINESVILLE — The high school football playoffs opened last week and the term win or go home was once again appropriate.

And for five of the top 13 and eight top 20 teams in The Prep Zone Power Poll, they are now home for the rest of the postseason.

But the team at the top stayed perfect, as Bartram Trail (St. Johns) rolled to a 42-0 blanking of Spruce Creek (Port Orange) in the opening round of the 8A playoffs.

The Bears (11-0) received all 10 first-place votes again this week to remain #1 for the fifth straight week. Bartram Trail is ranked 2nd in the AP 8A poll, and faces a tough test at home in the Region 1-8A semifinal this week against 8A #5 Apopka.

Madison County remains 2nd after a bye week.

The Cowboys (8-2) open defense of their back-to-back 1A state titles on Friday against Hilliard.

Fleming Island (Orange Park) moves up a spot to #3 as they remained unbeaten with a 28-14 win over Wekiva (Apopka) in a Region 1-7A quarterfinal.

The Golden Eagles (10-0) remain the only unbeaten team in the power poll other than Bartram Trail, but now faces a nearly 6-hour bus ride to the Panhandle to face Niceville in a region semifinal game.

North Marion (Citra) moves up a spot this week to 4th after winning a rematch with then-#3 Dunnellon.

The Colts improved to 9-2 after pounding the Tigers 48-9 in a Region 2-5A quarterfinal matchup of Marion County rivals. Dunnellon had just beaten North Marion 20-14 two weeks earlier to clinch the District 6-5A title.

Next up for the Colts is another rematch, this time with #5 Vanguard (Ocala). Vanguard also knocked off North Marion earlier in the season 18-14.

Vanguard moves up a spot and back into the top five after a 34-0 blanking at then-RV Menendez (St. Augustine). The Knights (8-2) will host North Marion at Booster Stadium in Ocala in a matchup of the #6 and #7 seeds in Region 2-5A.

Columbia (Lake City) moves up two slots to 6th this week after a 14-7 triumph in a defensive struggle at then-#13 Ponte Vedra. The Tigers (8-3), who were the top-ranked team for seven weeks this season in the regional all-classification rankings, face a rematch of their own this week at #9 Robert E. Lee (Jacksonville).

Lee beat Columbia 27-21 in overtime in their regular season matchup and has won five of the last six meetings with the Tigers, including the last two postseason matchups.

The Generals moved up five spots and back into the top 10 after a 29-21 Region 1-6A quarterfinal win over St. Augustine.

Bolles (Jacksonville) is 7th.

The Bulldogs (8-1) had a bye last week and open up play in Region 1-4A on Friday against South Walton (Santa Rosa Beach).

Another team coming off a bye, University Christian (Jacksonville) also moves up into the top 10 at #8.

The Christians (9-1), who have not lost to a team in Florida in 2019, open up play in Region 1-2A this week against defending state champion North Florida Christian (Tallahassee). NFC knocked out University Christian 45-21 in the region final a year ago on their way to the state title.

Rounding out the top 10 is Dunnellon. The Tigers finished 9-2 with their only losses coming to #2 Madison County and #4 North Marion.

Mainland moves back into the top 20 at 15th after a 38-20 region quarterfinal win over Booker T. Washington (Pensacola). The Bucs (7-4) now face a long trip to the Panhandle this week to face the AP #1 team in 6A, Escambia (Pensacola).

The Villages is back in the rankings this week as well as the Buffalo (8-2) are in a tie for 17th with Lake Minneola.

The Villages knocked off Cypress Creek (Wesley Chapel) 42-7 in the Region 1-4A quarterfinal and now take the short trip south to play #14 South Sumter (Bushnell) in the second round this week.

Lake Minneola (8-3) moves into the top 20 for the first time this season as the Hawks blasted then-RV Springstead (Spring Hill) 42-12 in a 6A region quarterfinal matchup. Lake Minneola travels to Largo this week a regional semifinal game.

West Nassau (Callahan) is also back in the rankings as the Warriors (8-2) are 20th. West Nassau opens up play in Region 1-4A on Friday against Bradford (Starke).

Among the teams falling out of the poll this week are Trinity Christian (Jacksonville). The Conquerors, who were 10th a week ago, finished off an up-and-down season with a 23-21 upset loss at Trinity Catholic (Ocala) in a Region 1-3A quarterfinal.

Speaking of Trinity Catholic, they are back in the poll as well at #13. The Celtics (8-3) also face a long trip this Friday to Pensacola Catholic in a second-round game in 3A.

Also dropping out are defending 8A state champion Mandarin (Jacksonville), Terry Parker (Jacksonville), and Westside (Jacksonville). All three teams lost their opening round matchups to end their 2019 seasons.

Oakleaf (Orange Park) also dropped out but the Knights failed to qualify for the playoffs despite a 7-3 season.

This is the final poll until after the FHSAA State Football Championships on December 5-7 at Gene Cox Stadium in Tallahassee for Classes 1A-3A and December 11-14 at Daytona Stadium for Classes 4A-8A.

The Prep Zone Power Poll ranks the top 20 high school football, basketball, baseball & softball teams (regardless of FHSAA classification) across 26 counties in North Florida (Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Citrus, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hernando, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Levy, Madison, Marion, Nassau, Putnam, Sumter, St. Johns, Suwannee, Taylor, Union & Volusia counties). It is voted on weekly by sportswriters and sportscasters and it is powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville.

THE PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2019 FOOTBALL POLL #13
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, current record, and total voting points)
1. Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (8A) (10) (11-0) – 200
2. Madison County (1A) (8-2) – 183
3. Fleming Island (Orange Park) (7A) (10-0) – 175
4. North Marion (Citra) (5A) (9-2) – 171
5. Vanguard (Ocala) (5A) (8-2) – 162
6. Columbia (Lake City) (6A) (8-3) – 150
7. Bolles (Jacksonville) (4A) (8-1) – 132
8. University Christian (Jacksonville) (2A) (9-1) – 119
9. Robert E. Lee (Jacksonville) (6A) (8-3) – 106
10. Dunnellon (5A) (9-2) – 92
11. Raines (Jacksonville) (5A) (6-4) – 88
12. DeLand (8A) (7-3) – 70
13. Trinity Catholic (Ocala) (3A) (8-3) – 52
14. South Sumter (Bushnell) (4A) (8-2) – 51
15. Mainland (Daytona Beach) (6A) (7-4) – 50
16. Flagler Palm Coast (8A) (8-3) – 39
17T. Lake Minneola (Minneola) (6A) (8-3) – 34
17T. The Villages (4A) (8-2) – 34
19. Ponte Vedra (6A) (7-3) – 32
20. West Nassau (Callahan) (4A) (8-2) – 26
Also receiving votes: Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (3A) (5-6) – 25; Oakleaf (Orange Park) (8A) (7-3) – 20; Lafayette (Mayo) (1A) (9-1) – 18; Newberry (1A) (9-1) – 12; Mandarin (Jacksonville) (8A) (7-4) – 7; Chiefland (1A) (7-4) – 3; Episcopal (Jacksonville) (3A) (10-1) – 3; Terry Parker (Jacksonville) (5A) (7-3) – 2; Westside (Jacksonville) (5A) (8-3) – 2; Hawthorne (1A) (8-3) – 1.

Joe Pinkos’ 2019 Regional Semifinals Playoff Forecast

Mike Ridaught
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Joe Pinkos’ 2019 Regional Semifinals Playoff Forecast

JOE PINKOS POWER RATINGS
Florida High School Football

2019 PLAYOFF FORECAST – Week #2 (Area teams in bold)

Joe Pinkos’ Power Ratings are calculated by a formula based on strength of opposition and margin of victory with greater weight given to recent games. The forecasted margin of victory for each game is determined by subtracting the power rating of the lower-rated team from the power rating of its higher-rated opponent.

Game forecasts are sorted by classification of favorite and listed alphabetically. The underdog’s classification is noted for inter-classification games.

State Championship Forecast

The following match-ups and results are forecast for the 2019 Florida Football Finals:

Class 1A– Madison County over Blountstown
Class 2A– Champagnat Catholic over University Christian (Jacksonville)
Class 3A– Chaminade-Madonna over Trinity Christian (Jacksonville)
Class 4A– Cardinal Gibbons over Cocoa
Class 5A– American Heritage (Plantation) over Jones
Class 6A– Miami Central over Escambia
Class 7A– St. Thomas Aquinas over Armwood
Class 8A– Apopka over Vero Beach

CLASS 8A (Regional Semifinals)

Region 1
Seminole (Sanford) 14 over Timber Creek
Apopka 1 over Bartram Trail (St. Johns)

Region 2
Steinbrenner 7 over Riverview (Sarasota)
Osceola (Kissimmee) 6 over Dr. Phillips

Region 3
Vero Beach 10 over Treasure Coast
Deerfield Beach 17 over Palm Beach Central

Region 4
Miami Palmetto 1 over Western
Columbus 21 over Miami High

CLASS 7A (Regional Semifinals)

Region 1
Edgewater 14 over Lincoln
Niceville 14 over Fleming Island (Orange Park)

Region 2
Armwood 35 over Bloomingdale
Lakeland 7 over Tampa Bay Tech

Region 3
Venice 17 over Palm Beach Lakes
Manatee 24 over Mitchell

Region 4
St. Thomas Aquinas 25 over Plantation
McArthur 3 over Atlantic (Delray Beach)

CLASS 6A (Regional Semifinals)

Region 1
Escambia 11 over Mainland (Daytona Beach)
Robert E. Lee (Jacksonville) 3 over Columbia (Lake City)

Region 2
Gaither 10 over Clearwater
Lake Minneola 7 over Largo

Region 3
Palmetto 1 over Port Charlotte
Lake Gibson 8 over Charlotte

Region 4
Miami Central 1 over Naples
Dillard 21 over Fort Myers

CLASS 5A (Regional Semifinals)

Region 1
Wakulla 11 over Raines (Jacksonville)
Pine Forest 21 over Godby

Region 2
Jones 35 over Nature Coast Tech (Brooksville)
North Marion (Citra) 4 over Vanguard (Ocala)

Region 3
Jesuit 3 over Chamberlain
Lake Wales 1 over Atlantic (Port Orange)

Region 4
American Heritage (Plantation) 32 over North Miami Beach
Northwestern 32 over Killian

CLASS 4A (Regional Semifinals)

Region 1
Bolles (Jacksonville) 48 over South Walton
West Nassau (Callahan) 3 over Bradford (Starke)

Region 2
Cocoa 35 over Astronaut
South Sumter (Bushnell) 1 over The Villages

Region 3
Lakewood 32 over Clewiston
Tampa Catholic 10 over American Heritage (Delray Beach)

Region 4
Booker T. Washington 7 over Gulliver Prep
Cardinal Gibbons 8 over University School

CLASS 3A (Regional Semifinals)

Region 1
Pensacola Catholic 3 over Trinity Catholic (Ocala)
Florida High 21 over Episcopal (Jacksonville)

Region 2
Lakeland Christian 16 over Melbourne Central Catholic
The First Academy 14 over Holy Trinity Episcopal

Region 3
Clearwater Central Catholic 6 over Berkeley Prep
Bishop Verot 7 over Benjamin

Region 4
Edison 16 over Calvary Christian (Fort Lauderdale)
Chaminade-Madonna 22 over Somerset Silver Palms

CLASS 2A (Regional Semifinals)

Region 1
University Christian (Jacksonville) 17 over North Florida Christian
Maclay 20 over St. Joseph Academy (St. Augustine)

Region 2
Victory Christian 47 over Orangewood Christian
Foundation Academy 18 over Oak Hall (Gainesville)

Region 3
Cambridge Christian 1 over Admiral Farragut
Seffner Christian 27 over Northside Christian

Region 4
Champagnat Catholic 13 over Miami Christian
Moore Haven 9 over Westminster Academy

CLASS 1A (Regional Semifinals)

Region 1
Baker 1 over Graceville
Northview 7 over Vernon

Region 2
Blountstown 28 over Port St. Joe
Taylor County (Perry) 31 over Jefferson County (Monticello)

Region 3
Madison County 63 over Hilliard
Union County (Lake Butler) 2 over Lafayette (Mayo)

Region 4
Newberry 14 over Chiefland
Pahokee 15 over Hawthorne

Sunshine State Athletic Conference (SSAC)
FBS Championship Game
The Master’s Academy 3 over Orlando Christian Prep
FCS Championship Game
Canterbury (Fort Myers) 3 over Santa Fe Catholic

Forecast Record
Last Week 83-15, 84.7%
FHSAA Playoffs 81-15, 84.4%
Season 2,269-520, 81.4%

Eastside boys’ soccer ‘different’ in 2019-20

Mike Ridaught
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Eastside boys’ soccer ‘different’ in 2019-20

By Declan Walsh
Twitter – @dawalsh_UF

GAINESVILLE – Change is in the air at Eastside High School, as the Rams boys’ soccer team enter the season as a markedly different squad than the 13-win regional semifinalists of last year.

First-year coach Bryan Hantak takes over a team which lost a sizable senior class. The most notable of these departures would be Jesse Landis, who tallied 15 goals and was one of five Eastside seniors to receive all-area nominations.

However, Coach Hantak noted his experience coaching in the soccer hotbeds of St. Louis and Dallas, and said that he is excited to take the reins of this impressionable squad.

“Trying to implement your system can be a lot easier with a younger squad,” said Hantak. “I watched the tapes from last year and we played a lot of individual soccer. I want to see us play a more team oriented style and get a lot of numbers forward.”

Despite the lack of varsity experience on the squad, there were a number of players that Coach Hantak spoke highly of.

Nio Suzuki returns after a four goal campaign and an all area selection. Suzuki is primed to be the Rams’ best returning attacker after losing Landis and brother Issey Suzuki to graduation.

Hantak also referened J.J. Romaraog, who along with David Ekakitie and Sam Disabb, will comprise a small senior class tasked with leading this inexperienced squad.

Jeremy Jacobs and emerging freshman Isaac Gugel are a pair of really talented underclassmen to watch as Coach Hantak feels they can make a huge difference this season.

Eastside will likely see a position battle between the sticks as well, as the Rams boast three strong keepers that are ready to compete at a high level.

Expectations are difficult to gauge coming into the year.

Eastside faces the daunting task of moving into Class 4A-District 9 with just a handful of returning starters. However, it is hard to bet against one of the most consistent programs in the region, and Coach Hantak returns more than enough talent to lead a very competitive outfit this season.

The Rams opened the season with a 2-2 tie against Class 6A power Fleming Island (Orange Park) on Monday. Freshman forward Charlie Sawyer had a goal, and Dissab scored on a 45-yard free kick for Eastside (0-0-1).

Goalkeeper Matthew Gillis made 12 saves for the Rams, who will travel to North Marion (Citra) on Thursday.

Sonic Drive-In Player-of-the-Game for Nov. 8 – Cole Gonzales (Oak Hall)

Mike Ridaught
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Sonic Drive-In Player-of-the-Game for Nov. 8 – Cole Gonzales (Oak Hall)

The Sonic Drive-In Player-of-the-Game for Friday, Nov. 8, was Cole Gonzales of the Oak Hall School (Gainesville) football team.

Gonzales accounted for five TDs as the Eagles defeated rival St. Francis Catholic Academy, 47-0, in a Class 2A-Region 2 Quarterfinal to win its first FHSAA state playoff game in school history.

The sophomore scored his first touchdown on a 4-run run on 4th-and-goal with 1:33 to play in the first quarter to give the Eagles (8-3) a 14-0 lead. He added an 8-yard scoring run in the second quarter and also completed a 9-yard TD pass to Kyle Pollock with :38 to play in the first half to give Oak Hall a 28-0 lead at the break.

For the game, Gonzales accounted for 233 yards of Oak Hall’s offense, rushing for 83 and passing for 150.

The season came to an end for No. 6 seed St. Francis Catholic Academy (3-8), which was making its third straight playoff appearance.

Oak Hall, the No. 3 seed, will travel to No. 2 seed Foundation Academy (Winter Garden) for the Regional Semifinals on Friday, November 15.

Every game The Prep Zone will recognize a Player-of-the-Game. The recipient receives a $10 gift certificate courtesy of Sonic Drive-In of Gainesville & Ocala.

The Trophy Shop Athlete of the Week – Austin Montini (Oak Hall)

Mike Ridaught
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The Trophy Shop Athlete of the Week – Austin Montini (Oak Hall)

The Trophy Shop Athlete of the Week for the week of October 28 is AUSTIN MONTINI* of the Oak Hall School (Gainesville) cross country team.

*The junior won his second regional title with a time of 16:24.77. He helped lead the No. 3 Oak Hall boys to the team title, beating No. 5 ranked and defending state champion Mount Dora Christian Academy.

Nominate an Athlete of the Week each week no later than Sunday at 6 p.m. Email your nominations to mike@ThePrepZone.com

Previous 2019-20 winners:

October 21 – Alexa Schmidt (Vanguard volleyball)
After missing 20 matches with a left ankle sprain and bone bruise, the Star-Banner’s 2018 co-player-of-the-year helped lead the defending Class 7A state champion Knights to a sweep of visiting Gateway (Kissimmee) in the FHSAA Class 5A-Region 3 quarterfinals. The senior outside hitter made her presence known with 15 kills and seven aces as Vanguard advanced to the regional semifinals.

October 14 – Cole Gonzales (Oak Hall football)
Gonzales helped lead the Eagles to a 49-14 win on Homecoming against visiting Niceville Rocky Bayou Christian (Niceville). The sophomore quarterback threw for 218 yards, rushed for 103, and accounted for five touchdowns – including a pick-6.

October 7 – Elise Bauer (Forest swimming)
Bauer won two events to help Forest win the Mid-Florida Conference meet out of 17 teams. The University of Florida commit won the 200 free (1:57.24) and the 500 free (5:01.73).

September 30 – Taria Liles (Bell volleyball)
The junior helped lead the Class 1A No. 1-ranked Bulldogs to a 3-0 week with wins against Taylor (Pierson), Branford, and Union County. Liles finished the week with 55 kills, 59 digs, and five aces, as Bell improved to 21-1 overall.

September 23 – Trevor McGovern (P.K. Yonge boys swimming)
McGovern won two events at the Rob Ramirez City Championships in Gainesville to help lead the boys’ team to its first city title since 2007. The senior won the 50 free with a time of 21.79. He also won the 100 back with a time of 50.83.

September 16 – Jamarian Samuel (Trinity Catholic football)
Samuel had a monster game as the Celtics crushed defending 2A state champion North Florida Christian (Tallahassee), 42-13. The junior tailback started slow, with just 12 yards on his first five carries. However, by halftime, Samuel would finish with 17 carries for 262 yards and four touchdowns. It was his fourth straight game over 100 yards, which also put him over 1,000 yards at the halfway point of the season (1,078 yards) for the Celtics (5-0).

September 9 – Deiontae Simpkins (Lake Weir football)
Simpkins completed 10-of-14 passes for 228 yards and three touchdowns as the Hurricanes blew past Belleview, 48-0, in the annual War for the Oar to win their first game of the season. The senior quarterback led his team to a TD on its opening drive thanks to three straight quarterback runs, finishing the night with 127 yards rushing and a score on only 12 carries.

September 2 – No award (Hurricane Dorian)

August 26 – Trevor Holtzendorf (Union County football)
The sophomore played a big role in Union County’s come-from-behind 15-12 win at Williston. Holtzendorf recorded 14 tackles, two sacks, and one forced fumble. Union County (2-0) didn’t allow a score in the second half.

August 19 – Quan Smith (Buchholz football)
Smith helped lead the Bobcats to a 21-20 win against Eastside by rushing for 190 yards. The junior had 108 yards in the first half. However, it was his late fourth quarter 46-yard run, right after Eastside’s TD but blocked extra point, that helped seal the win. Smith had a 44-yard TD run in the first half and had Buchholz’s only score of the second half on a 40-yard pass from quarterback Jack Hevesy.

St. Francis at Oak Hall – Class 2A-Region 2 Football Quarterfinal

Mike Stanton
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St. Francis at Oak Hall – Class 2A-Region 2 Football Quarterfinal

Friday, 7 p.m. (PREGAME) – High School Football, 7:30 p.m. (KICKOFF)St. Francis Catholic Academy (Gainesville) at Oak Hall School (Gainesville)

Join Mike Ridaught (Play-by-play), Travis Coleman (Color), and videographer Conlan Birdsall for this Class 2A-Region 2 Quarterfinal between the rival Wolves & Eagles in the first round of the FHSAA state playoffs.

Video (Subscription required for live viewing; archive is free to all after 72 hours)

This week – ThePrepZone.com

Mike Ridaught
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This week – ThePrepZone.com

There are only four Alachua County teams in the football state playoffs, which starts on Friday. Two of them are going head-to-head.

That’s our ‘Live’ broadcast on Friday, November 8 – a city showdown between small school rivals St. Francis Catholic Academy & Oak Hall School for the right to advance to round #2. We will have video coverage of the game between the Wolves and the Eagles via the NFHS Network.

Friday, 7 p.m. (PREGAME) – High School Football, 7:30 p.m. (KICKOFF)
St. Francis Catholic Academy (Gainesville) at Oak Hall School (Gainesville)
Video (Subscription required for live viewing; archive is free to all after 72 hours) – https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/the-prep-zone/gam319c7a8d68

Join Mike Ridaught (Play-by-play), Travis Coleman (Color), and videographer Conlan Birdsall for this Class 2A-Region 2 Quarterfinal between the rival Wolves & Eagles in the first round of the FHSAA state playoffs.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE & NOTES

(NO SHOW MONDAY) – We won’t have our weekly show at Sonic Drive-In this Monday, Nov. 11, due to the holiday (Veteran’s Day). Thanks to all who have served!  We will return to Sonic on Monday, Nov. 18 (7-8 p.m.).  If you missed it, our high school football playoff preview show with Mike Ridaught, Marty Pallman, Larry Savage of the Gainesville Sun, and Joshua Wilson of FloridaHSFootball.com is available for replay here.

Next Friday’s second round high school football playoff game (TBD) will return to local radio.  The game on Friday, November 15, will air on The Goat FM (92.1 FM & 1230 AM Gainesville & 900 AM Ocala).

Our first boys basketball broadcast of the year is on Tuesday, Nov. 19, as The Rock mens’ national team hosts West Oaks. We will have video coverage of that one.  We are partnering once again with The Goat FM during hoops season to bring you a Game-of-the-Week on local radio.  Our first radio broadcast of basketball will be an Alachua County/Marion County showdown as Vanguard (Ocala) hosts Gainesville High on Tuesday, Nov. 26.

Also this month, we have the All-Star volleyball games at Bartram Trail High School (St. Johns) on Saturday, November 23.  For more information, visit the North Florida All-Stars Series website at www.northfloridaallstars.com.

Plus, we’ll have lots of coverage from the North Central Florida high school basketball media day (Girls & Boys) at Eastside High School (Gainesville) on Monday, November 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Football playoffs and hoops – fun time of year!

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