Wednesday, 7-8 p.m. – “The Prep Zone” Sports Show
‘Live’ audio: https://www.mainstreetdailynews.com/sports/live-stream/
Join Mike Ridaught as he talks high school sports from your locally owned Sonic Drive-In of Gainesville. His guests for this episode include first-year St. Francis Catholic Academy baseball coach Ryan Brown and members of the Wolves’ baseball team.
St. Francis Catholic Academy baseball – 2024
The Prep Zone Power Poll powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville – 2024 Softball Poll #1
Reigning champion University Christian starts at No. 1
GAINESVILLE — There’s a familiar school at the top of the all-classification regional softball rankings.
Defending FHSAA Class 2A state champion University Christian (Jacksonville), which finished on top of The Prep Zone Power Poll at the end of 2023, starts the new year where they last led off at No. 1.
Last year the third time was the charm for U.C.S, which became the only team in the 26-county coverage area to win a state title.
After back-to-back final four losses in 2021 and 2022, the Fightin’ Christians (23-2) defeated Evangelical Christian (Fort Myers), 3-2, to win last year’s Class 2A state title.
USC Upstate signee Sophia Kardatzke (22-1, 1.33 ERA, 227 K) is back in the circle. Kardatzke (.632, 13 2B, 4 3B, 7 HR, 50 RBI, 1.947 OPS) was also a huge part of last year’s offense.
The Christians received seven of the eight first-place votes to remain on top.
Last week U.C.S. d. Bolles (Jacksonville), 18-4, to win its 17th straight game.
Deltona, which finished 22-5 last year in 5A after winning it all in 4A the year before, is ranked second.
The Wolves won both game last week at Astronaut (Titusville), 4-1, and at Mainland (Daytona Beach), 23-0.
Class 3A state semifinalist Baldwin is next at No. 3.
The Indians (25-5) made a run all the way to the Class 3A state semifinals before falling to 2-time state champion Calvary Christian (Clearwater), 7-4.
Seminole State College signee Shaylen Byrd (24-5, 1.86 ERA, 229 K) is in the circle and the offense should benefit with some key returnees. Last week they outscored Clay (Green Cove Springs), vs. Fleming Island (Orange Park), and Palatka by a combined 38-0 score.
Eustis is ranked fourth.
The Panthers (19-6), regional finalists in 2022, lost to eventual state champion Lake Wales, 7-6, in the Class 4A-Region 2 Semifinals last year.
Last week they posted wins against Taylor (Pierson) and New Smyrna Beach by a combined 43-8.
Rounding out the top five is Class 1A state runner-up Branford at No. 5.
Eight starters return for a Bucs’ team that advanced to its first state championship game in program history.
Class 3A state semifinalist Montverde Academy is ranked sixth, followed by 3A region finalist Episcopal (Jacksonville), 3A region finalist Hernando (Brooksville) and 7A regional quarterfinalist Creekside (St. Johns) and 7A region finalist Spruce Creek (Port Orange), who are tied for ninth in the top 10.
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 by sportswriters and sportscasters and it is powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville.
THE PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2024 SOFTBALL POLL #1
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, 2023 record, record through 2/24, and total voting points)
1. University Christian (Jacksonville) (2A) (7) (23-2) (1-0) – 158
2. Deltona (5A) (1) (22-5) (2-0) – 149
3. Baldwin (3A) (25-5) (3-0) – 148
4. Eustis (4A) (19-6) (2-0) – 120
5. Branford (1A) (25-5) (3-0) – 114
6. Montverde Academy (3A) (23-7) (2-1) – 113
7. Episcopal (Jacksonville) (3A) (22-5) (2-0) – 111
8. Hernando (Brooksville) (3A) (24-5) (0-1) – 92
9T. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (7A) (15-7) (1-0) – 81
9T. Creekside (St. Johns) (7A) (19-7) (3-0) – 81
11. West Nassau (Callahan) (3A) (16-10) (2-1) – 78
12. Baker County (Glen St. Mary) (4A) (19-10) (2-0) – 70
13. Ridgeview (Orange Park) (5A) (19-7) (0-0) – 69
14. Middleburg (5A) (14-11) (2-0) – 56
15. East Ridge (Clermont) (7A) (16-10) (2-0) – 38
16. Gainesville (6A) (6-14) (3-0) – 35
17. Oakleaf (Orange Park) (6A) (10-12) (2-0) – 33
18. Ponte Vedra (5A) (17-7) (2-1) – 32
19. Providence (Jacksonville) (2A) (19-6) (0-2) – 24
20. Dixie County (Cross City) (1A) (21-6) (1-1) – 22
Also receiving votes: Santa Fe (Alachua) (3A) (16-10) (2-1) – 17; Williston (1A) (26-3) (1-2) – 12; Trenton (1A) (16-9) (2-0) – 9; West Port (Ocala) (7A) (17-11) (1-0) – 6; South Lake (Groveland) (6A) (11-16) (2-1) – 5; Paxon (Jacksonville) (4A) (16-8) (0-2) – 3; Flagler Palm Coast (7A) (13-5) (1-0) – 2; South Sumter (Bushnell) (3A) (16-11) (2-2) – 1; Fort White (1A) (10-10) (1-0) – 1.
The Prep Zone Power Poll powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville – 2023-24 Boys Basketball Poll #4
Providence (Jacksonville) still No. 1 but Williston closing in
GAINESVILLE – The Providence (Jacksonville) boys basketball team continues to remain No. 1 in the all-classification regional rankings.
But defending 1A state champion Williston is closing in, with 181 total voting points to Providence’s total of 196.
The top-ranked Stallions, winners of 14 in a row, are one win away from a spot in the FHSAA Class 3A state semifinals, but the new No. 2 Red Devils are already there.
Providence (23-5), which received nine of the 10 first-place votes to stay on the top, defeated Florida High (Tallahassee), 43-41 in overtime, in Tuesday’s 3A-Region 1 Semifinals. They also defeated P.K. Yonge, 69-22, in the regional quarterfinals.
The Stallions, who were state semifinalists last year, are ranked 11th overall in Florida by MaxPreps and No. 3 in 3A. They will host No. 7 Episcopal (Jacksonville) in Friday’s regional final.
Williston, which received the other first-place vote, moved up one spot to second after previous No. 2 Paxon (Jacksonville) had its season come to an end with a 48-46 loss against previous No. 8 Raines (Jacksonville) this past Tuesday in the 4A regional semifinals.
The Red Devils (27-2), who are ranked No. 23 overall in Florida, took care of business with a dominating 95-37 win against Trenton in the 1A-Region 4 Final. They will face Chipley at 9 a.m. on Friday, March 1, in the Class 1A state semifinals at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland.
Their only two losses this season have come against nationally ranked Winter Haven and Mater Lakes Academy (Miami), the No. 16 overall team in Florida.
Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville), which has won 19 in a row, moved up one spot to third.
The Tigers (24-3) defeated Ribault, 56-46, in the 4A regional semifinals and Bolles (Jacksonville), 62-47, in the regional quarterfinals.
Jackson, which will host Raines (Jacksonville) for a spot in the final final, is ranked 12th overall in Florida & No. 1 in 4A.
Class 5A Mainland (Daytona Beach) is ranked fourth, while Episcopal (Jacksonville) rounds out the top five.
Raines is sixth, followed by Ponte Vedra, Paxon, Leesburg, and Ribault in the top 10.
This will be the last rankings until after the FHSAA Boys Basketball Finals are completed the next two weeks.
The Prep Zone Power Poll ranks the top 20 high school football, girls basketball, boys basketball, softball & baseball 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 by sportswriters and sportscasters and it is powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville.
THE PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2023-24 BOYS BASKETBALL POLL #4
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, current record, and total voting points)
1. Providence (Jacksonville) (3A) (9) (23-5) – 196
2. Williston (1A) (1) (27-2) – 181
3. Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville) (4A) (24-3) – 178
4. Mainland (Daytona Beach) (5A) (21-6) – 167
5. Episcopal (Jacksonville) (3A) (24-4) – 155
6. Raines (Jacksonville) (4A) (21-7) – 148
7. Ponte Vedra (6A) (22-7) – 140
8. Paxon (Jacksonville) (4A) (2) (21-4) – 135
9. Leesburg (5A) (18-4) – 122
10. Ribault (Jacksonville) (4A) (21-8) – 109
11. Hilliard (1A) (24-2) – 102
12. Eustis (4A) (22-6) – 60
13. The Villages (4A) (19-11) – 53
14. Oakleaf (Orange Park) (6A) (19-7) – 51
15. Riverside (Jacksonville) (5A) (18-9) – 44
16. Forest (Ocala) (6A) (20-8) – 43
17. University Christian (Jacksonville) (2A) (17-11) – 33
18. Impact Christian Academy (Jacksonville) (2A) (17-10) – 32
19. Fort White (1A) (17-7) – 28
20. Gainesville (6A) (18-12) – 25
Also receiving votes: Buchholz (Gainesville) (6A) (18-11) – 16; New Smyrna Beach (6A) (19-6) – 13; Newberry (1A) (15-9) – 11; Central (Brooksville) (4A) (22-7) – 11; San Jose Prep (Jacksonville) (3A) (13-12) – 10; Mount Dora Christian Academy (2A) (16-13) – 9; Palatka (4A) (23-5) – 8; Father Lopez (Daytona Beach) (3A) (19-7) – 8; Hawthorne (1A) (16-5) – 7; Deltona (5A) (16-9) – 3; Creekside (St. Johns) (7A) (18-10) – 2.
Bell boys soccer – 2024
Wednesday, 7-8 p.m. – “The Prep Zone” Sports Show*
‘Live’ audio: https://www.mainstreetdailynews.com/sports/live-stream/
Join Mike Ridaught as he talks high school sports from your locally owned Sonic Drive-In of Gainesville. His guests for this episode include Bell boys soccer coach Douglas Beard and members of the Bulldogs boys soccer team, who advanced to this year’s 2A-Region 1 Final in only their 6th year as a program and 3rd year as an FHSAA District member.
The Prep Zone Power Poll powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville – 2023-24 Girls Basketball Poll #4
Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) still No. 1 as postseason begins
GAINESVILLE – The girls high school basketball regular season has once again flown by, and now it’s time for the postseason, or the second season, sometimes called the real season.
The beat goes on for Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) as the Crusaders are once again on top of the The Prep Zone Power Poll.
The Class 4A Crusaders (20-4), who won six out of seven games since the last poll, a 3-point loss at 3A No. 3 Seffner Christian, received nine out of 10 first-place votes to easily stay on top of the all-classification regional rankings.
They picked up wins over No. 20 San Jose Prep (Jacksonville), No. 3 Bolles (Jacksonville), and RV Mandarin (Jacksonville).
Providence (Jacksonville) remained second and picked up the other first-place vote. The Stallions (21-2) were 4-0 the last few weeks with wins over San Jose Prep and RV Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine).
Bolles (Jacksonville) remained third as well. The Bulldogs (17-7) lost to No. 1 Bishop Kenny and No. 4 Ribault (Jacksonville), but also defeated then-No. 8 University Christian (Jacksonville) and Creekside (St. Johns).
Speaking of Ribault, the Trojans (13-5) remained in the No. 4 spot. They defeated Bolles and Fletcher (Neptune Beach), while losing by one point at No. 11 Paxon (Jacksonville), and they lost to the No. 20 team overall in Florida according to Max Preps, Rutherford (Panama City).
Rounding out the top five is Wildwood, the top-ranked team in Class 1A.
The Wildcats (15-3) were 5-0 since the last ranking with wins over RV Trinity Catholic (Ocala) and RV P.K. Yonge (Gainesville), as well as Mount Dora Christian Academy and Eastside (Gainesville) on the road.
Beachside (St. Johns) moved up a spot into the No. 6 position. The Barracudas (18-4) switched places with Spruce Creek (Port Orange), which drops into a tie for 7th with St. Augustine (18-2).
Leesburg (20-1) and Ridgeview (Orange Park) (12-5) round out the top 10 as the two teams are tied for 9th this week.
New to the poll this week are North Florida Educational Institute (Jacksonville) and Springstead (Spring Hill), who are tied for No. 18 and San Jose Prep, who moves in at No. 20.
Dropping out from the previous poll is Orange Park, which fell from 11th previously all the way out of the rankings, along with Trinity Catholic (Ocala) and P.K. Yonge (Gainesville).
The Prep Zone Power Poll ranks the top 20 high school football, girls basketball, boys basketball, softball & baseball 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 by sportswriters and sportscasters and it is powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville.
THE PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2023-24 GIRLS BASKETBALL POLL #4
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, record through 2/2, and total voting points)
1. Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (4A) (9) (20-4) – 199
2. Providence (Jacksonville) (3A) (1) (21-2) – 189
3. Bolles (Jacksonville) (4A) (17-7) – 161
4. Ribault (Jacksonville) (4A) (13-5) – 160
5. Wildwood (1A) (15-3) – 159
6. Beachside (St. Johns) (6A) (18-4) – 131
7T. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (16-8) – 118
7T. St. Augustine (5A) (18-2) – 118
9T. Leesburg (5A) (20-1) – 95
9T. Ridgeview (Orange Park) (5A) (12-5) – 95
11. Paxon (Jacksonville) (4A) (15-7) – 91
12. Ponte Vedra (6A) (16-8) – 65
13. Hawthorne (1A) (16-3) – 64
14. Mainland (Jacksonville) (5A) (12-12) – 57
15. University Christian (Jacksonville) (2A) (16-8) – 52
16T. Atlantic Coast (Jacksonville) (7A) (19-3) – 50
16T. St. Johns Country Day (Orange Park) (2A) (18-6) – 50
18T. North Florida Educational Institute (Jacksonville) (2A) (11-5) – 48
18T. Springstead (Spring Hill) (6A) (20-3) – 48
20. San Jose Prep (Jacksonville) (3A) (13-8) – 46
Also receiving votes: Trinity Catholic (Ocala) (3A) (15-9) – 30; Madison County (1A) (18-4) – 23; Dunnellon (4A) (20-3) – 22; P.K. Yonge (Gainesville) (3A) (12-7) – 12; Lake Minneola (6A) (15-7) – 5; Orange Park (6A) (11-11) – 5; Mandarin (Jacksonville) (7A) (10-6) – 4; Trenton (1A) (20-3) – 2; Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine) (7A) (18-6) – 1.
P.K. Yonge girls basketball – 2024
Thursday, 7-8 p.m. – “The Prep Zone” Sports Show*
‘Live’ audio: https://www.mainstreetdailynews.com/sports/live-stream/
Join Mike Ridaught as he talks high school sports from your locally owned Sonic Drive-In of Gainesville. His guests for this episode include P.K. Yonge girls basketball coach Willie Powers and members of the P.K. Yonge girls basketball team which advanced to the Class 3A Region Final last year. Powers is seeking his 20th district title next week.
P.K. Yonge girls & boys soccer – 2024
Thursday, 7-8 p.m. – “The Prep Zone” Sports Show
‘Live’ audio: https://www.mainstreetdailynews.com/sports/live-stream/
Join Mike Ridaught & Marty Pallman as they talk high school sports from your locally owned Sonic Drive-In of Gainesville. Their guests for this episode include P.K. Yonge girls & boys soccer coaches Rebecca Schackow & Jose De Leon and members of the P.K. Yonge girls and boys soccer teams, who are hosting FHSAA Class 3A-District 4 quarterfinal games on Wednesday night.
The Prep Zone Power Poll powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville – 2023-24 Boys Basketball Poll #3
Providence (Jacksonville) remains No. 1 in regional rankings as regular season heads into last two weeks
GAINESVILLE– January is usually when the high school basketball season becomes a bit of a grind.
District tournaments are still two weeks away, and teams usually play three or four games per week.
Providence (Jacksonville) keeps rolling on.
The Stallions (15-5) are 6-0 so far in 2024 and 4-0 in the last two weeks, with wins over state-ranked Archbishop McCarthy (Fort Lauderdale), then-No. 18 Riverside (Jacksonville) and RV North Florida Educational Institute (Jacksonville).
They received six of 11 first-place votes this week to remain in the top spot of the all-classification regional rankings.
Paxon (Jacksonville) remains No. 2 in The Prep Zone Power Poll, moving out of a tie with Williston from the previous rankings.
The Golden Eagles (16-2), who received two first-place votes, have won eight games in a row since a loss to No. 4 Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville) on December 15.
Williston (19-2) also received a first-place vote despite dropping to 3rd. The Red Devils were 4-1 the last two weeks with wins over then-RV Buchholz (Gainesville) and 7A state-ranked Seminole (Sanford).
Their only loss came to defending 4A state champion Mater Lakes Academy (Miami) at the Wally Keller Classic in Port Charlotte.
Andrew Jackson is 4th.
The red-hot Tigers (16-3), who received two first-place votes, have won 12 games in a row with their last loss on December 12 at No. 6 Ribault (Jacksonville).
Mainland (Daytona Beach) rounds out the top five.
The Bucs (14-5) won four out of five games the past two weeks, with wins against Spruce Creek (Port Orange), Melbourne, and IMG Academy Blue (Bradenton) and their only loss in that span came to Potters House Christian (Jacksonville).
Ribault (15-5) moved up a spot to 6th, after a 4-0 slate the past two weeks.
Episcopal (Jacksonville), Raines (Jacksonville), Ponte Vedra, and Leesburg round out the top 10.
The Prep Zone Power Poll ranks the top 20 high school football, girls basketball, boys basketball, softball & baseball 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 by sportswriters and sportscasters and it is powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville.
THE PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2023-24 BOYS BASKETBALL POLL #3
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, current record through 1/22, and total voting points)
1. Providence (Jacksonville) (3A) (6) (15-5) – 210
2. Paxon (Jacksonville) (4A) (2) (16-2) – 205
3. Williston (1A) (1) (19-2) – 194
4. Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville) (4A) (2) (16-3) – 191
5. Mainland (Daytona Beach) (5A) (14-5) – 170
6. Ribault (Jacksonville) (4A) (15-5) – 163
7. Episcopal (Jacksonville) (3A) (15-3) – 156
8. Raines (Jacksonville) (4A) (16-5) – 148
9. Ponte Vedra (6A) (14-6) – 132
10. Leesburg (5A) (12-3) – 112
11. Oakleaf (Orange Park) (6A) (13-5) – 104
12. Forest (Ocala) (6A) (15-5) – 94
13. Hilliard (1A) (16-2) – 74
14. Eustis (4A) (15-4) – 71
15. Newberry (1A) (13-4) – 62
16. New Smyrna Beach (6A) (15-4) – 61
17. Fort White (1A) (13-4) – 36
18. Riverside (Jacksonville) (5A) (12-7) – 19
19. Palatka (4A) (17-3) – 15
20. Gainesville (6A) (12-8) – 14
Also receiving votes: Father Lopez (Daytona Beach) (3A) (12-5) – 13; Deltona (5A) (15-6) – 12; Hawthorne (1A) (9-4) – 10; Mount Dora Christian Academy (2A) (13-8) – 9; San Jose Prep (Jacksonville) (3A) (10-7) – 8; The Villages (4A) (11-10) – 8; Central (Brooksville) (4A) (15-4) – 7; University Christian (Jacksonville) (2A) (10-8) – 4.
The Prep Zone Power Poll powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville – 2023-24 Girls Basketball Poll #3
Duval County continues to dominate top five of regional rankings
GAINESVILLE – The Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) girls basketball team is rolling.
The Crusaders, who entered the week with a record of 14-3, are currently ranked seventh overall in the state in the latest FHSAA rankings and 3rd in Class 4A.
Despite suffering its third loss of the season last week, Bishop Kenny is a unanimous No. 1 in The Prep Zone Power Poll. They received all 10 first-place votes.
Two of their three losses are to DME Academy (Daytona Beach) and SLAM (Miami), which are the No. 3 and No. 9 ranked teams overall in Florida by MaxPreps. The other loss was outside the Sunshine State at the Seahawk Classic Hilton Head in South Carolina against Sumter (15-0), the No. 4 overall team in South Carolina.
Last week Bishop Kenny won at No. 3 Bolles (Jacksonville), 46-42, as part of a 2-1 record since the last regional all-classification rankings.
Duval County is dominating the region as Jacksonville schools Providence and Ribault are ranked second and fourth, respectively.
The 2nd-ranked Stallions (17-2), who are ranked 5th in 3A & 18th overall, have played a difficult schedule which includes wins at No. 3 Bolles, 53-50, vs. No. 7 Beachside (St. Johns), 44-41, vs. No. 11 Orange Park, 59-45, vs. No. 13 Ridgeview, 61-55 (OT), at No. 15 Trinity Catholic (Ocala), 63-61 (OT), at No. 16 Hawthorne, 62-27, and at RV Madison County.
Their losses are against Cincinnati Country Day (No. 39 overall team in Ohio) and Wayne County (No. 8 overall team in Tennessee).
Wildwood, which lost to Hawthorne in last year’s 1A state championship game, rounds out the top five.
Class 7A regional finalist Spruce Creek (Port Orange) leads off the second five at No. 6, followed by Beachside (St. Johns), University Christian (Jacksonville), Ponte Vedra, and St. Augustine in the top 10.
Class 3A San Jose Prep (Jacksonville) (3A) (9-6), which was previously ranked 14th, dropped out of the rankings after going 1-2 at the St. James She Got Game Classic in Atlanta, GA, with losses to teams from Alabama, Georgia and Texas, and previous No. 17 Lake Minneola (6A) (10-6) fell out after losing to Deltona & at No. 10 overall Dr. Phillips (Orlando).
Class 7A Atlantic Coast (Jacksonville) (14-1) moved into the rankings and is tied at No. 17. Their only loss this season was at previous No. 20 Mandarin (Jacksonville), which dropped out of the rankings.
Class 5A Leesburg had the highest move, leaping into the rankings at No. 14, while new No. 20 Paxon (Jacksonville) (9-5) entered the rankings following a 5-game winning streak, including victories against No. 38 overall Camden County (GA) & vs. No. 8 University Christian (Jacksonville), 46-34.
Among teams in the Mainstreet Daily News coverage area, defending 1A state champion Hawthorne remained 16th, while P.K. Yonge (Gainesville), which lost at Providence in last year’s 3A-Region 1 Final, dropped one spot to No. 19.
Both teams have been hitting their stride in January and neither the Lady Hornets nor the Lady Blue Wave have yet to lose in 2024.
P.K. Yonge (Gainesville) went 3-0 since the last poll with wins at #15 Trinity Catholic (Ocala), 62-43, vs. RV Eastside, 46-31, and vs. Bradford (Starke).
Newberry, Eastside, Trenton, and Oak Hall are receiving votes.
The Prep Zone Power Poll ranks the top 20 high school football, girls basketball, boys basketball, softball & baseball 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 by sportswriters and sportscasters and it is powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville.
THE PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2023-24 GIRLS BASKETBALL POLL #3
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, record through 1/14, and total voting points)
1. Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (4A) (10) (14-3) – 200
2. Providence (Jacksonville) (3A) (17-2) – 189
3. Bolles (Jacksonville) (4A) (12-5) – 176
4. Ribault (Jacksonville) (4A) (10-3) – 161
5. Wildwood (1A) (10-3) – 146
6. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (7A) (11-6) – 134
7. Beachside (St. Johns) (6A) (14-3) – 120
8. University Christian (Jacksonville) (2A) (10-3) – 116
9. Ponte Vedra (6A) (12-4) – 111
10. St. Augustine (5A) (14-2) – 98
11. Orange Park (6A) (9-5) – 89
12. St. John’s Country Day (Orange Park) (2A) (13-4) – 86
13. Ridgeview (Orange Park) (5A) (8-5) – 78
14. Leesburg (5A) (14-1) – 59
15. Trinity Catholic (Ocala) (3A) (9-6) – 42
16. Hawthorne (1A) (7-3) – 41
17T. Atlantic Coast (Jacksonville) (7A) (14-1) – 38
17T. Mainland (Daytona Beach) (5A) (6-10) – 38
19. P.K. Yonge (Gainesville) (3A) (9-4) – 37
20. Paxon (Jacksonville) (4A) (9-5) – 30
Also receiving votes: San Jose Prep (Jacksonville) (3A) (9-6) – 23; Springstead (Spring Hill) (6A) (12-3) – 16; Mandarin (Jacksonville) (7A) (8-4) – 13; Madison County (1A) (10-4) – 12; Dunnellon (4A) (12-2) – 11; Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine) (7A) (13-4) – 9; North Florida Educational Institute (Jacksonville) (2A) (6-5) – 8; Lake Minneola (6A) (10-6) – 6; Trenton (1A) (11-2) – 5; Eastside (Gainesville) (4A) (11-3) – 3; Newberry (1A) (10-3) – 3; DeLand (7A) (11-3) – 1; Oak Hall (Gainesville) (2A) (7-1) – 1.
The Prep Zone Power Poll powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville – 2023-24 Boys Basketball Poll #2
Providence (Jacksonville) moves into top spot of regional rankings as calendar turns to 2024
GAINESVILLE – The holiday season can be stressful at times for most people but it also can be relaxing.
For high school basketball players, the holidays mean wall-to-wall hoops and basketball tournaments.
Providence (Jacksonville) compiled a 6-1 record over the holiday break, and that was enough to move the Stallions back to the top of The Prep Zone Power Poll for boys basketball.
They beat the No. 2 team in 5A, Rockledge, and also went 2-1 at SunBash Tampa with a win over 7A No. 7 Windermere. Their only loss over the span was 50-44 to 5A No. 3 Blake (Tampa).
Providence (11-5), which was one of four teams to receive first-place votes in the regional all-classification rankings, picked up four of the 11 votes to move up from No. 2 in the previous poll.
Two teams who were tied for 3rd in the preseason poll are now tied for 2nd in this week’s rankings.
Williston, the defending 1A state champion, went 7-1 over the break with a third-place finish at the Kingdom of the Sun Tournament in Ocala. The Red Devils (15-1) knocked off Hawthorne and Vanguard (Ocala) before dropping their first game of the season to 7A No. 3 and No. 5 overall Winter Haven.
They received three first-place votes this week.
Paxon (Jacksonville), which is tied with Williston, was a perfect 5-0 since the last poll. The Golden Eagles (13-2) had wins over Georgia schools Savannah, Tattnall County, and Toombs County.
Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville) made a big move this week, up seven spots to No. 4.
The Tigers (13-3) were 7-0 over the holidays with wins over then-No 1 Mainland (Daytona Beach), two top 10 teams in Ribault (Jacksonville) and Raines (Jacksonville) at the Northwest Classic Christmas Tournament, and they also defeated 4A No. 5 Gibbs (St. Petersburg).
Jackson, which picked up two first-place votes this week, also had a 63-28 romp over Gainesville.
Rounding out the top five is Episcopal (Jacksonville).
The Eagles (13-2) picked up wins over Bolles (Jacksonville) and Father Lopez (Daytona Beach) and went 2-1 at the Bobcat Invitational in Bluffton, South Carolina, with wins over Marietta (GA), South Point (NC), and the only loss over the span coming to Marvin Ridge (NC).
Mainland picked up the final two first-place votes, despite dropping to 6th after being No. 1 in the first rankings.
The Bucs (10-4) were 4-3 over the last few weeks, with losses to Andrew Jackson, 4A No. 6 Lake Highland Prep (Orlando), and Palm Beach Lakes. They had wins over then-No. 20 Riverside (Jacksonville), Tampa Catholic, and Mount Vernon (GA).
Raines (Jacksonville) and Ribault (Jacksonville) flip spots this week, as the Vikings (14-4) moved up from 9th to 7th while Ribault (11-5) remained 8th.
Ponte Vedra (10-5) dropped four spots from the previous ranking but stays in the top 10 at No. 9.
Oakleaf (Orange Park) rounds out the top 10.
The Knights (10-4) dropped three spots despite going 4-1 over the holidays with a 2-1 record at the Gus Gibbs Tournament in DeLand.
Their only loss was to No. 11 Leesburg (10-2), which moved up seven spots this week to lead off the second 10. The Yellow Jackets defeated Oakleaf and Buchholz (Gainesville), with their only loss coming to No. 15 Eustis at the Gus Gibbs Tournament.
The Prep Zone Power Poll ranks the top 20 high school football, girls basketball, boys basketball, softball & baseball 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 by sportswriters and sportscasters and it is powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville.
THE PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2023-24 BOYS BASKETBALL POLL #2
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, current record through 1/9, and total voting points)
1. Providence (Jacksonville) (3A) (4) (11-5) – 202
2T. Paxon (Jacksonville) (4A) (13-2) – 199
2T. Williston (1A) (3) (15-1) – 199
4. Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville) (4A) (2) (13-3) – 184
5. Episcopal (Jacksonville) (3A) (13-2) – 167
6. Mainland (Daytona Beach) (5A) (2) (10-4) – 160
7. Raines (Jacksonville) (4A) (14-4) – 148
8. Ribault (Jacksonville) (4A) (11-5) – 140
9. Ponte Vedra (6A) (10-5) – 139
10. Oakleaf (Orange Park) (6A) (10-4) – 122
11. Leesburg (5A) (10-2) – 114
12. Forest (Ocala) (6A) (12-4) – 84
13. Newberry (1A) (10-3) – 79
14. Fort White (1A) (11-2) – 50
15. Eustis (4A) (14-3) – 42
16. Hilliard (1A) (12-2) – 40
17. New Smyrna Beach (6A) (11-3) – 38
18. Riverside (Jacksonville) (5A) (8-5) – 35
19. Father Lopez (Daytona Beach) (3A) (10-3) – 21
20. Columbia (Lake City) (5A) (9-5) – 20
Also receiving votes: Hawthorne (1A) (5-4) – 19; Gainesville (6A) (8-7) – 17; Mount Dora Christian Academy (2A) (11-5) – 17; North Florida Educational Institute (Jacksonville) (2A) (5-7) – 16; Buchholz (Gainesville) (6A) (8-5) – 15; Palatka (4A) (12-3) – 11; San Jose Prep (Jacksonville) (3A) (8-6) – 11; Central (Brooksville) (4A) (11-3) – 10; The Villages (4A) (7-9) – 10.