The Prep Zone

Sonic Drive-In Player-of-the-Game for April 4 – Trent Becker (Trenton)

Mike Ridaught

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April 4, 2019

The Sonic Drive-In Player-of-the-Game for Thursday, April 4, is Trent Becker of the Trenton baseball team.

Becker set the tone early as the Tigers defeated Williston on the road, 7-0, in a match-up of top 10 teams in Class 1A.

The junior pitcher did not allow a baserunner until the fourth inning on a walk and he didn’t allow a hit until the fifth inning.

Becker (4-1), who entered the game with a 0.91 ERA, only allowed the one hit in five innings of action. He walked two and struck out six. He was also 2-for-3 at the plate.

Trenton (11-3), ranked 9th in 1A, would get all the runs it would need in the first inning. Trent Becker Trenton POG 040419

Senior Zach Hardee led off the game with a single, stole second, and scored on a throwing error after senior Blake Hall reached on an infield hit. The throw by shortstop Ethan Davis was wild, allowing Hardee to score and Hall to go to third.

University of Florida commit Wyatt Langford followed with an RBI double to score Hall for a 2-0 lead. Langford went to third on a fielder’s choice by sophomore Jacob Guthrie, but another error at short allowed Langford to score on a throw to first.

Trenton, which scored four runs in the first and added single runs in the 4th, 5th & 7th innings, will host Bell for a 1A-District 7 game on Friday night at 7 p.m. Williston (8-5), which committed six errors, will travel to Hilliard for a 1A-District 6 game on Friday night at 6 p.m.

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.

ThePrepZone.com Sports Report with Mike Ridaught on “The Tailgate” (WRUF Gainesville)

Mike Ridaught

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April 4, 2019

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Mike Ridaught joined Zach Alboverdi on The Tailgate (WRUF-98.1 FM & 850 AM) on Thursday, April 4, for ThePrepZone.com Sports Report presented by SunState Federal Credit Union. Here is a recap of the interview:

Tonight, it’s a small school showdown in high school baseball between Trenton & Williston.

Let me give a brief history of these two baseball programs. Trenton won the most recent state title between the two just two years ago. Trenton also won the 2013 championship, while Williston won back-to-back state titles in 2014 and 2015 with Austin Langworthy, who is now at Florida. Those two championship teams with Langworthy were pretty good. The 2014 team finished 25-4 and had the 1-2 punch of Langworthy and Trenton Johnson on the mound. Johnson was 10-2 with a 0.52 ERA and Langworthy was 7-0 that year with astonishing 0.00 ERA. That was Langworthy’s sophomore year. Johnson graduated but Langworthy went 11-1 with a 0.36 ERA his junior year and the Red Devils went 28-2 to win the title again.

But those two Trenton teams that won the title were really good too. In 2013, Trenton batted .370 as a team and had a 1.13 ERA. They finished 27-1. That team was coached by Todd Bryant, who is now the head coach for the softball team, which is ranked No. 1 in the state. The thing that was even more memorable about 2013 was that was the same year the Trenton football team won a state title – which is the only time in recent memory that an area team has won a state football title and a state baseball title in the same school year. The 2017 Trenton team went 27-1, finished with a 20-game winning streak, batted .344 and had a team ERA of 1.64.

Now, fast forward to tonight. The head coach of Trenton is Scott Hall, who was the head coach at Williston when they won back-to-back state titles. Trenton is 10-3 and ranked 9th in the state in Class 1A. Williston, which is coached by Jim Smith, is 8-4 and ranked 10th in 1A. Trenton is led by junior Wyatt Langford, who is batting .433. He is a Florida commit. They also have another Wyatt who will be playing D-I baseball. Junior Wyatt Duthu is a Florida Gulf Coast commit. Williston has four losses but they’re all to bigger classification schools, so I expect a good one tonight over in Levy County.

Spring break for Alachua County and several area teams are on the road – including one Gainesville team which is playing in the Big Easy.

We’ll start with Gainesville softball, which is actually playing right now. The Hurricanes, who are ranked 6th in the state in Class 7A, are in central Florida for the Kissimmee Classic. The first pitch was scheduled for 4 p.m. against Class 8A Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas. Although Aquinas isn’t ranked, they aren’t that far outside of the top 10. Either way, it’s a good test to start the tournament and the further you go the tougher the competition. It’s the fourth year in a row that Gainesville has played in this prestigious tournament, which includes some of the top teams in the state.

The Buchholz baseball team is playing three games in Volusia County this week. The Bobcats lost at New Smyrna Beach, 7-3, on Tuesday, and then were shutout at Port Orange Spruce Creek yesterday, 3-0. They’ll play New Smyrna Beach again today – also at 4 p.m. It would be nice to see the ‘Cats get a win because after an 8-1 start, they’ve lost five in a row.

The Gainesville baseball team ended its 2-game spring break tour in memorable fashion yesterday. They were down 2-0 in the first inning with the bases loaded & nobody out at Palm Coast Matanzas, but the Hurricanes executed a triple play to get out of the inning. That sparked nine unanswered runs for the Hurricanes en route to a 10-4 come from behind win. Gainesville won at St. Augustine Menendez, 9-1, on Tuesday, to go 2-0 over in Flagler & St. Johns County. Buchholz and Gainesville are heading in opposite directions. The ‘Canes have now won four in a row and will now have a week off before returning to district play at Ocala Vanguard next Wednesday.

But probably the coolest spring break trip belongs to P.K. Yonge. They are on their way back today from their New Orleans spring break trip. They got to do stuff like visit the national World War II museum, Jackson Square, which is a National Historic Landmark in the center of the French Quarter, some nice restaurants in the New Orleans area so I’m sure they ate well, and they travelled in style in a luxury motor coach.
But all of these trips are great bonding opportunities for the kids.

Spring sports seasons are winding down, including state championships taking place as early as next weekend.

Arnold High School in Panama City Beach will host the boys weightlifting state championships next weekend. One guy to keep an ear out for is Agelu Nunu. He’s Samoan. He’ll be a senior next year for the Union County football team. He’s a 6’2, 285 pound DT/DE. He’s been receiving interest from Georgia, Tennessee, USC. Earlier this spring, he set a state record with a 520-pound bench press. He did 225 pounds a total of 44 times! He finished 2nd in the state last year in the Class 1A unlimited weight division to Jacob Alvarez of Starke Bradford. But it’s not only the best bench press. The judging also includes the best clean and jerk too and he missed a state title by five pounds so I’m interested in seeing how he does, especially since he’s improved his bench by about 30 points. He benched 480 at state last year.

In two weeks, the postseason for lacrosse will begin. I think the Oak Hall boys can make a run. You know, the interesting thing about lacrosse vs. other sports. In sports like baseball, where you have nine state champions in Classes 1A-9A, everyone in lacrosse is in the same classification so it’s so hard to win an all-classification state title in lacrosse. But Oak Hall got to the regional final last year and fell just one game shy of the Final Four. The Oak Hall girls also got to the region final last year. The Oak Hall boys are a little better than the Lady Eagles but both are having a really nice year.

The tennis district tournaments are in a couple of weeks, with the state championships later this month, then we’ll wrap up with track & field, softball and baseball, but this is the final month of the regular season for softball. The baseball regular season ends the first week of May, and also mark your calendar for Saturday, April the 27th – the First Allowable Day of Football Spring practice (contact).

**Tune in to our weekly radio interviews talking high school sports on ThePrepZone.com Sports Report presented by SunState Federal Credit Union on WRUF-98.1 FM & 850 AM in Gainesville every Thursday at 4 p.m. on “The Tailgate” with Jeff Cardozo & Zach Abolverdi.**

If you live in the Tri-County area (Gilchrist, Levy & Dixie County), tune in to ThePrepZone.com Nature Coast Sports Report presented by SunState Federal Credit Union on Country Legends Radio. The 2-minute high school sports vignette is produced by Ridaught and airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 7:28 a.m. and repeating at 5:28 p.m. on 93.1 FM & 940 AM in Chiefland/Trenton & 96.3 FM & 1240 AM in Cross City.

Dunnellon at Belleview – Softball 2019

Mike Stanton

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April 4, 2019

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Friday, April 5 – High School Softball, Dunnellon at Belleview

Join Mike Ridaught (Play-by-play) for this Marion County showdown & Class 6A top 10 battle.

The Prep Zone Power Poll fueled by Anytime Fitness – 2019 Baseball Poll #1

Mike Ridaught

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April 3, 2019

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Top-ranked Creekside (St. Johns), Spruce Creek (Port Orange) & Bolles (Jacksonville) all received first-place votes in the first all-classification regional rankings of 2019

GAINESVILLE – The race for the top spot in The Prep Zone Power Poll is wide open.

There are three main contenders – all of whom have a chance to make a run for a state title in their respective classifications. Creekside (St. Johns) garnered the most voting points (126) among the trio that includes 9A Spruce Creek (Port Orange) & 5A state runner-up Bolles (Jacksonville).

The Class 7A Knights (10-1), who finished 21-8 last season with regional playoff wins at Columbia (Lake City) and St. Augustine before losing 3-2 at eventual 7A state runner-up Pace in the Region 1-7A final, is ranked No. 1.

They received two first-place votes and are five voting points ahead of No. 2 Spruce Creek (121 voting points), which has three first-place votes.

The Hawks opened the season 9-0 but recently lost a pair of games to Seminole (Sanford). Spruce Creek, which finished 17-8 in 2018, was District 2 Runners-up last year and lost at Lake Mary in the 2nd round of the 9A state playoffs.

The third-ranked team in the regional all-classification rankings is perennial power Bolles, which just missed out on its third consecutive 5A state title last season after surrendering eight runs in the 6th inning in a 10-4 loss to Monsignor Pace (Miami) in the state championship game. creekside knights

The Bulldogs, who finished 24-6 last year, also received two first-place votes. Bolles (10-2) has losses this season to 9A Mandarin (Jacksonville) & 6A Clay (Green Cove Springs), which is ranked seventh, by a total of two runs

Another 9A school, Sandalwood (Jacksonville), is ranked 4th.

The Saints (11-2) have wins against #17 Atlantic Coast (Jacksonville), RV Fleming Island (Orange Park), and RV Mandarin. One of their two losses was to 9A #9 Southridge (Miami).

Rounding out the top five is Trinity Christian (Jacksonville), which advanced to the 4A state semifinals last season.

The Conquerors (19-9 last season) just missed a 20-win season, falling 2-1 loss to Calvary Christian (Clearwater), which had a 60-game winning streak end with a loss to Calvary Christian (Fort Lauderdale) in the 4A state championship game.

Trinity Christian (10-4) has wins against Providence (Jacksonville), 4A region finalist Trinity Catholic (Ocala) – twice, & 7A Niceville. They have losses to defending 7A state champion Venice, 8A state semifinalist George Jenkins (Lakeland), & 6A region finalist American Heritage (Plantation).

Providence (Jacksonville) leads off the second five at No. 6. The Stallions (9-5) started 9-1 but lost four in a row to some good baseball teams: 3A state runner-up North Florida Christian (Tallahassee), George Jenkins, American Heritage, & Trinity Christian (Jacksonville).

However, Providence also has some big wins against NFC, Venice & 6A region finalist Mosley (Lynn Haven).

Class 6A state semifinalist Clay (Green Cove Springs) is seventh, followed by No. 8 Fletcher (Neptune Beach), Bartram Trail (St. Johns) and Suwannee (Live Oak) 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 weekly by sportswriters and sportscasters and it is fueled by Anytime Fitness.

THE PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2019 BASEBALL POLL #1
(School, followed by classification, first place votes, record through March 30, and total voting points)
1. Creekside (St. Johns) (7A) (2) (10-1) – 126
2. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (9A) (3) (9-2) – 121
3. Bolles (Jacksonville) (5A) (2) (10-2) – 114
4. Sandalwood (Jacksonville) (9A) (11-2) – 107
5. Trinity Christian Academy (Jacksonville) (4A) (10-4) – 101
6. Providence (Jacksonville) (4A) (9-5) – 89
7. Clay (Green Cove Springs) (6A) (8-4) – 76
8. Fletcher (Neptune Beach) (8A) (13-1) – 74
9. Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (7A) (11-2) – 71
10. Suwannee (Live Oak) (5A) (8-3) – 67
11. Springstead (Spring Hill) (6A) (11-2) – 66
12. Buchholz (Gainesville) (8A) (8-4) – 61
13. Ponte Vedra (6A) (9-3) – 57
14. Madison County (1A) (7-3) – 38
15. Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (5A) (8-5) – 37
16. Dunnellon (6A) (9-2) – 32
17. Atlantic Coast (Jacksonville) (8A) (7-6) – 28
18T. Seven Rivers Christian (Lecanto) (2A) (9-0) – 27
18T. Santa Fe (Alachua) (5A) (9-4) – 27
20T. Trenton (1A) (9-3) – 22
20T. St. John’s Country Day (Orange Park) (3A) (8-3) – 22
Also receiving votes: Mandarin (Jacksonville) (9A) (6-5) – 19; Lafayette (Mayo) (1A) (7-0) – 19; Paxon (Jacksonville) (6A) (8-3) – 18; Williston (1A) (8-4) – 11; Fleming Island (Orange Park) (8A) (6-5) – 10; North Marion (Citra) (6A) (8-5) – 8; Christ’s Church Academy (Jacksonville) (2A) (9-2) – 8; Columbia (Lake City) (7A) (6-7) – 7; Hernando (Brooksville) (5A) (9-4) – 3; Gainesville (7A) (5-8) – 2; Trinity Catholic (Ocala) (4A) (4-6) – 1; Taylor (Pierson) (5A) (8-4) – 1.

2019 Miracle Sports state softball rankings – Poll #7

Mike Ridaught

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April 3, 2019

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softball Games through April 1

Area teams in bold

ALL-CLASSIFICATION
1. Bradenton Lakewood Ranch (8A) 11-0
2. Winter Springs (8A) 16-0
3. Orange Park Oakleaf (8A) 13-1
4. Estero (7A) 14-0
5. Apopka (9A) 13-0
6. Pembroke Pines Charter (7A) 12-1-1
7. Coral Springs Charter (5A) 7-1
8. Eustis (5A) 13-0
9. Bartow (8A) 12-2
10. Jacksonville Mandarin (9A) 12-1

CLASS 9A
1. Apopka 13-0
2. Jacksonville Mandarin 12-1
3. Altamonte Springs Lake Brantley 11-1
4. Lake Worth Park Vista 16-1
5. Pembroke Pines West Broward 13-2
6. Port Orange Spruce Creek 12-3
7. Palm Beach Gardens 10-4
8. Lithia Newsome 10-3
9. Miami Coral Reef 11-4
10. Palm Harbor University 11-4
Honorable mention: Tampa Alonso 7-3, Davie Western 8-4-1, Palmetto 12-4, Orlando Dr. Phillips 12-2, Jupiter 10-4, Kissimmee Osceola 11-5.

CLASS 8A
1. Bradenton Lakewood Ranch 11-0
2. Winter Springs 16-0
3. Orange Park Oakleaf 13-1
4. Bartow 12-2
5. Tarpon Springs East Lake 15-1
6. Clermont East Ridge 10-1
7. Wellington 11-1
8. Cooper City 8-2-1
9. Lakeland George Jenkins 9-2
10. Tampa Sickles 11-1
Honorable mention: Tampa Freedom 8-1, Plant City 10-2, South Plantation 10-2, St. Cloud 10-3-1, Valrico Bloomingdale 9-3, Tallahassee Chiles 11-4, Lutz Steinbrenner 9-4, Winter Park Lake Howell 8-4.

CLASS 7A
1. Estero 15-0
2. Pembroke Pines Charter 13-1-1
3. St. Johns Bartram Trail 13-1
4. Fort Myers 12-2
5. Doral Academy 12-3
6. Gainesville 12-2
7. Niceville 10-4
8. St. Johns Creekside 10-3
9. Land O’Lakes Sunlake 10-2
10. Stuart Martin County 8-0
Honorable mention: Melbourne 14-3, Palm Coast Matanzas 11-0, Fort Myers Riverdale 10-3-1, Punta Gorda Charlotte 11-3, Tampa Chamberlain 10-4, Palm Beach Gardens Dwyer 10-4, Lake City Columbia 8-5, Eagle Lake Lake Region 8-5.

CLASS 6A
1. Sebring 13-0
2. Crawfordville Wakulla 11-1
3. New Port Richey River Ridge 13-2
4. Dunnellon 11-2
5. Plantation American Heritage 9-4
6. Fort Walton Beach Choctawhatchee 15-0
7. Lake Wales 12-6
8. Land O’Lakes 12-2
9. Belleview 13-3
10. Pensacola West Florida 10-2
Honorable mention: Rockledge 8-2, Crystal River 9-3, Fort Lauderdale Archbishop McCarthy 12-3, Immokalee 10-3, Tampa Robinson 10-4, Spring Hill Springstead 12-4, Green Cove Springs Clay 9-5, Miami Goleman 11-1.

CLASS 5A
1. Coral Springs Charter 7-1
2. Eustis 14-0
3. Mariana 12-0
4. Alachua Santa Fe 15-3
5. Brooksville Hernando 16-1
6. Miami Gulliver Prep 8-2
7. DeFuniak Springs Walton 12-4
8. Lakeland McKeel Academy 8-4
9. Keystone Heights 10-4
10. Glen St. Mary Baker County 12-5
Honorable mention: Callahan West Nassau 9-6, Cocoa Beach 10-3, Pierson Taylor 9-3, Starke Bradford 10-5, Bushnell South Sumter 11-5, Key West 8-6, Cocoa 10-5.

CLASS 4A
1. Jacksonville Trinity Christian Academy 10-5
2. West Palm Beach Oxbridge Academy 12-3
3. Miami Westminster Academy 12-5
4. Clearwater Calvary Christian 14-1
5. Tampa Academy of Holy Names 10-4
6. Montverde Academy 11-5
7. Baldwin 8-4
8. Fort Lauderdale Westminster Academy 12-1
9. Tavernier Coral Shores 10-1
10. Tallahassee Florida High 8-4
Honorable mention: Miami Florida Christian 6-2, Panama City North Bay Haven 10-5, Tampa Catholic 9-6, West Palm Beach King’s Academy 7-4, Jacksonville Episcopal 5-3.

CLASS 3A
1. Jacksonville University Christian 11-2
2. Bradenton Saint Stephen’s Episcopal 12-1
3. Orange Park St. Johns Country Day 9-2
4. Lakeland Christian 6-2
5. Tallahassee North Florida Christian 6-2
6. Windermere Prep 7-2
7. Fort Myers Southwest Florida Christian 7-3
8. Orlando Faith Christian 9-3
9. Moore Haven 7-3
10. Marathon 8-5
Honorable mention: Belle Isle Cornerstone Charter Academy 7-5, Spring Hill Bishop McLaughlin 8-4, Fort Myers Evangelical Christian 10-6, Oviedo Master’s Academy 6-5, St. Petersburg Admiral Farragut 9-9.

CLASS 2A
1. Naples Seacrest Country Day 13-2-1
2. Mount Dora Christian 14-2
3. Lecanto Seven Rivers Christian 7-1
4. Land O’Lakes Academy at the Lakes 6-3
5. Homestead Colonial Christian 8-4
6. Deltona Trinity Christian 8-3
7. St. Petersburg Canterbury 11-6
8. Sarasota Christian 5-2
9. Palatka Peniel Baptist Academy 10-3
10. Vero Beach Master’s Academy 5-2
Honorable mention: Brooksville Hernando Christian 5-4, Jacksonville Christ’s Church Academy 5-4, Belle Glade Glades Day 3-4, Jacksonville Eagle’s View 6-6, Kissimmee City of Life Christian 6-5.

CLASS 1A
1. Trenton 13-0
2. Bratt Northview 9-0
3. Bell 11-2
4. Madison County 11-2
5. Eastpoint Franklin County 12-4
6. Wewahitchka 8-5
7. Jay 10-4
8. Sneads 10-4
9. Chiefland 10-4
10. Liberty County 8-3
Honorable mention: Bonifay Holmes County 12-5, Bethlehem 6-1, Frostproof 7-3, Milton Central 7-4, Freeport 8-4, Fort Meade 9-6, Paxton 7-1.

Trenton at Williston – Baseball 2019

Mike Stanton

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April 2, 2019

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Thursday, 6:45 p.m. (PREGAME) – High School Baseball, 7 p.m. (First pitch)
Trenton at Williston

Join Mike Ridaught (Play-by-play) for this small school showdown. Visiting Trenton won the Class 1A state title in 2017 and 2013. Williston won back-to-back state titles in 2014 & 2015 under Coach Scott Hall, who is now the coach at Trenton.

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

‘Live’ audio: http://mgmt.firststreaming.com/listen/player.php?callsign=WMOP_AM

Forest Lacrosse – 2019

Mike Stanton

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April 2, 2019

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Monday, April 1 – “The Prep Zone” radio show broadcast from Sonic Drive-In of Ocala (Maricamp Road). Radio: 900 AM Ocala and 92.1 FM & 1230 AM Gainesville

Join Mike Ridaught as he talks high school sports from Sonic Drive-In of Ocala (Maricamp Road location). Guests for this episode include Forest (Ocala) Boys Lacrosse coach Kyle Strausser and members of the Wildcasts’ lacrosse team.

For a downloadable copy of this episode, please email mike@theprepzone.com.

The Prep Zone Power Poll fueled by Anytime Fitness – 2019 Softball Poll #2

Mike Ridaught

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April 2, 2019

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Head-to-head match-up solidifies Oakleaf (Orange Park) as the top team in the region

GAINESVILLE – When the top two teams play against one another, it’s typically a good indicator to see how much separation there is between No. 1 and No. 2.

The game between nationally-ranked Oakleaf (Orange Park), the top team in The Prep Zone Power Poll, and #2 Mandarin (Jacksonville), which entered the game unbeaten, didn’t disappoint.

The Knights (12-1) held on to the top spot thanks to a 4-3 win against the Mustangs (12-1) in eight innings.

Oakleaf, ranked 10th in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 Writers’ Poll, received all seven first-place votes, while Mandarin was a near unanimous selection as the No. 2 team.

However, one 2nd-place vote did go to Bartram Trail (St. Johns), which is tied for third with Trenton in the all-classification regional rankings.

The Class 7A Bears (13-1), who lost 5-3 at Providence (Jacksonville) on March 19, won’t get a chance to face the top-ranked Knights this season. However, Bartram Trail will travel to Class 9A #2 Mandarin next Thursday, April 11.

And don’t let Trenton’s Class 1A status fool you. Oakleaf Knights

The Tigers (13-0) defeated 1A #8 Chiefland last week by a score of 9-0. They have outscored their nine 1A opponents, 110-12. Trenton, which is ranked No. 1 in Class 1A by Miracle Sports, also has wins against Class 7A schools Gainesville & Columbia (Lake City) – both on the road.

Gainesville’s other loss was to Oakleaf in last month’s Tournament of Champions championship game. The Class 7A Hurricanes (12-2) moved up one spot to round out the top five.

There are three undefeated teams remaining.

In addition to No. 3 Trenton, Class 7A Matanzas (Palm Coast) is 12-0, while 5A Eustis is 13-0. They are ranked sixth and eight, respectively, sandwiched around No. 7 East Ridge (Clermont).

Santa Fe (Alachua) and Trinity Christian (Jacksonville), which dropped six spots, round out the top 10 at ninth and 10th, respectively.

Despite the fact that there was some movement, the top 20 remained intact this week.

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 fueled by Anytime Fitness.

The Prep Zone Power Poll – 2019 Softball Poll #2
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, record through March 29, and results)
1. Oakleaf (Orange Park) (8A) (7) (12-1) – 140
2. Mandarin (Jacksonville) (9A) (12-1) – 132
3T. Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (7A) (13-1) – 121
3T. Trenton (1A) (13-0) – 121
5. Gainesville (7A) (12-2) – 111
6. Matanzas (Palm Coast) (7A) (12-0) – 100
7. East Ridge (Clermont) (8A) (8-1) – 94
8. Eustis (5A) (13-0) – 90
9. Santa Fe (Alachua) (5A) (14-3) – 81
10. Trinity Christian Academy (Jacksonville) (4A) (10-4) – 76
11. Baker County (Glen St. Mary) (5A) (12-3) – 68
12. Dunnellon (6A) (11-2) – 61
13. Hernando (Brooksville) (5A) (14-1) – 55
14. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (9A) (12-3) – 45
15. Keystone Heights (5A) (10-4) – 31
16. Bell (1A) (11-2) – 28
17. West Nassau (Callahan) (5A) (8-6) – 25
18. Columbia (Lake City) (7A) (8-5) – 23
19. Madison County (1A) (11-2) – 17
20. Mount Dora Christian (2A) (13-2) – 15
Also receiving votes: Belleview (6A) (11-3) – 12; Atlantic Coast (Jacksonville) (8A) (8-5) – 7; Springstead (Spring Hill) (6A) (12-4) – 5; Clay (Green Cove Springs) (6A) (9-6) – 4; St. Johns Country Day (Orange Park) (3A) (7-2) – 2; Creekside (St. Johns) (7A) (8-3) – 2; University Christian (Jacksonville) (3A) (11-2) – 1; Fleming Island (Orange Park) (8A) (6-3) – 1; Providence (Jacksonville) (4A) (8-6) – 1; Crystal River (6A) (9-3) – 1.

Tonight/This week – ThePrepZone.com

Mike Ridaught

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April 1, 2019

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PZ - square(white) Due to Alachua County being on spring break, there will be no show at Sonic Drive-In of Gainesville this Wednesday.

Please note: next week’s show at Sonic of Gainesville will be on Tuesday, April 9, as we have a game broadcast on Wednesday, April 10. Our guests on 4/9 will be the Gainesville baseball team (7-8 p.m.).

Here is what is coming up this week on ThePrepZone:

Monday (TONIGHT), 7-8 p.m. – “The Prep Zone” radio show broadcast from Sonic Drive-In of Ocala (Maricamp Road location)
Radio: 900 AM Ocala and 92.1 FM & 1230 AM Gainesville
‘Live’ audio: http://mgmt.firststreaming.com/listen/player.php?callsign=WMOP_AM
Join Mike Ridaught as he talks high school sports from Sonic Drive-In of Ocala (Maricamp Road location). Guests for this episode include Forest (Ocala) Boys Lacrosse coach Kyle Strausser and members of the Wildcasts’ lacrosse team.

Thursday, 6:45 p.m. (PREGAME) – High School Baseball, 7 p.m. (First pitch) – Trenton at Williston

Radio: 92.1 FM & 1230 AM Gainesville & 900 AM Ocala
‘Live’ audio: http://mgmt.firststreaming.com/listen/player.php?callsign=WMOP_AM
Join Mike Ridaught (Play-by-play) for this small school showdown. Visiting Trenton won the Class 1A state title in 2017 and 2013. Williston won back-to-back state titles in 2014 & 2015 under Coach Scott Hall, who is now the coach at Trenton.

Friday, 7 p.m. (PREGAME) – High School Softball, 7:15 p.m. (First pitch) – Dunnellon at Belleview

*VIDEO (Subscription only): https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/the-prep-zone/gama7014aee2a
Join Mike Ridaught (Play-by-play) & Marty Pallman (Color) for this Marion County showdown.

THE PREP ZONE’S WEEKDAY COVERAGE:

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The Trophy Shop Athlete of the Week – Deylynd Grant (Buchholz)

Mike Ridaught

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March 31, 2019

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The Trophy Shop Athlete of the Week for the week of March 18 is DEYLYND GRANT* of the Buchholz boys’ track & field team.

Deylynd Grant Buchholz track

*Grant won two events at the Alachua County Track & Field Championships at Santa Fe High School as the Buchholz boys won the team title. The junior took first in both the 110 hurdles (14.89) and the 300 hurdles (43.14). He was the only Bobcat to win a pair of individual events for the Buchholz boys, which totaled 172 points, ahead of Oak Hall with 106 and Gainesville with 104.

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

Previous 2018-19 winners:

March 11 – Tiffany Clark (Union County softball)
The junior had a monster week in leading the Tigers to a pair of victories. She began the week by going 3-for-6 with 6 RBI in a 27-11 win at Williston. Two nights later, Clark went 4-for-5 with a double, a triple and 9 RBI in a 22-12 win against Branford. In addition to the 15 runs that she drove in, Clark also scored four times, accounting for 19 runs in the two games.

March 4 – Lawrence Smith-Jackson (Buchholz wrestling)
Smith-Jackson placed fourth at the FHSAA Class 3A state meet, the best individual area showing at state. The senior also placed second at both regionals and the 3A-District 1 tournament, and he took first at meets such as the Westside Kiwanis in Jacksonville and the Hagerty IBT in Oviedo. He was named the Gainesville Sun’s Wrestler of the Year.

February 25 – Standrea McHenry (Trenton girls basketball)
McHenry helped lead the Lady Tigers (27-3) to their first girls basketball state title since 1980. The senior just missed a triple-double in the championship game. She finished with 10 points, nine rebounds, and nine steals in the 43-31 win against Holmes County in the Class 1A Final at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. She had a double-double in the 60-40 win against Port St. Joe in the state semifinals. McHenry scored 14 points and tied a game-high with 13 rebounds. She finished the season second in scoring at 14.3 points per game, just seven points total behind fellow senior Taniah Bowers, and she led the team in rebounds (7.5 per game).

February 18 – Alissa Humphrey (Gainesville softball)
The Jacksonville University commit was 2-0 with a complete-game no-hitter and an 8 inning 2-hitter. She combined for 34 strikeouts in 15 innings pitched. At the plate, the junior was 3-for-8 with a double and 2 RBI, including the game-winning hit (a double with runners on 2nd and 3rd) in a 3-1 extra inning win at Santa Fe (Alachua). Humphrey struck out 18 Raiders and accounted for all but six outs.

February 11 – Darrien Jones (Columbia boys basketball)
The junior helped lead the Tigers to their first district title in 19 years by averaging 12 points, seven assists, 1.5 steals, and he was 10-of-12 from the free throw line in two games. In the 7A-District 4 semifinals, Jones scored a team-high 13 points, including seven in the final quarter, in a 61-51 win against Forest (Ocala). He added seven assists, eight rebounds, one steal, and was 5-of-6 from the free throw line. In the championship game, a 61-51 win against top-seed Gainesville, Jones scored 11 points, dished out seven assists, grabbed three rebounds, collected two steals, and he was 5-of-6 from the free throw line.

February 4 – Mahailya Reeves (Union County girls weightlifting)
The 15-year-old benched a state record 360 pounds, breaking the state mark by 55 pounds, and that coupled with her 185 in the clean-and-jerk gave her a state record total of 545 pounds in the unlimited division. Reeves’ win gave the defending 1A state champions two first-place finishes, as Union County finished fourth at the FHSAA Girls Weightlifting Finals at Arnold High School in Panama City Beach.

January 28 – Jalen Speer (P.K. Yonge boys basketball)
The junior combo guard helped lead the Blue Wave to a 2-1 week. After scoring 17 points and grabbing four rebounds in a home loss to 6A No. 2 Eastside (Gainesville), Speer scored 22 points, had three assists, four rebounds and four steals in a 65-55 upset win at Class 3A No. 1 Orlando Christian Prep. But he saved his best for last. Speer scored 32 points and grabbed six rebounds, and he hit the game-winning free throw with no time on the clock, in a 54-53 win at defending 1A state champion Wildwood.

January 21 – KJ Bradley (Eastside boys basketball)
Bradley helped lead the Rams to a 3-0 week. The junior guard scored 13 points and grabbed five rebounds in a 57-41 win at Williston to start the week. He followed that up with 14 points in a 41-40 win at Santa Fe (Alachua) and finished the week with 14 points in a home win against St. Francis Catholic Academy (Gainesville). Bradley, who finished the week with 11 rebounds, was the only Rams’ player in double figures in all three games.

January 14 – Sierra Millinor (Eastside girls soccer)
Less than a week after tying the school record for goals in a game (six), Millinor followed it up with seven more goals in leading the Lady Rams (12-2) to a 2-0 week. The senior scored four straight goals in a 5-0 win against Citrus (Inverness) on January 14. The following night, the Huntingdon College signee had a hat trick in a 7-0 win at Vanguard (Ocala).

January 7 – Isabella Quintana (Eastside girls soccer)
Quintana set a school record with six goals in an 8-0 win against Crystal River on January 8. Teammate Sierra Millinor would end up tying the record a couple of games later in an 8-0 win at North Marion (Citra). Quintana scored the other two goals against the Colts and added five assists. She had three goals and an assist in an 8-0 win at home against North Marion as part of a 3-0 week for the Lady Rams. The senior finished with the week with 11 goals in three games.

December 31 – Mya McGraw (P.K. Yonge girls basketball)
The sophomore helped lead the Lady Blue Wave (14-1) to a 2-0 week against state-ranked teams. She just missed a double-double with 16 points and nine rebounds in a 51-46 come-from-behind win at Class 1A #1 Trenton on Thursday, Jan. 3. She also had five blocks. The following night, McGraw scored 24 points and grabbed 18 rebounds in a 77-59 win against Class 5A #3 Raines (Jacksonville).

December 24 – Byron Smith (P.K. Yonge boys basketball)
Smith helped lead the Blue Wave to a 3-1 record and a runner-up finish at the Hitchcock’s Challenge in Alachua. The senior averaged 13 points, five rebounds, three assists, and three steals in four games. He scored his tournament high (18 points) in a 64-57 win in overtime against Class 7A #9 Belen Jesuit (Miami) on Day #1 of the tournament. Two nights later, Smith’s corner trey with 18 seconds left against Class 7A Gainesville gave the Blue Wave a four-point lead in a 50-47 win against the Hurricanes.

December 17 – Niyah Jackson (Williston girls basketball)
Jackson was the top performer at the SAMCO Classic Christmas Tournament at Trenton, Dec. 20-22. On Thursday, the senior scored 32 points and added nine assists, two blocks, four steals and three rebounds in a win against Newberry. On Friday, she scored 26 points and added three assists and three steals and three rebounds in a loss to host Trenton. Jackson had a monster game in an upset of Class 1A No. 1 Lafayette (Mayo), scoring 49 points, while adding three assists, five steals and two rebounds. In a loss to Trenton in the championship game on Saturday, Jackson scored 22 points, and added six assists, one block, three steals, and one rebound.

December 10 – Jesse Landis (Eastside boys soccer)
The junior helped lead the Rams to a 2-0 week. He scored a goal and added an assist in a 5-0 win at Lake Weir (Ocala). Two days later, Landis scored four goals in a 7-1 win at Belleview, which ran Eastside’s undefeated streak to nine games.

December 3 – Taniah Bowers (Trenton girls basketball)
Bowers helped lead the Lady Tigers to a 3-0 week following a triple-double and a double-double. The senior flirted with a triple-double to start the week in a 59-17 win against Cedar Key. She had 13 points, 10 steals and seven assists. She followed that up with 17 points, 12 assists and 11 steals in a 72-32 win against Dixie County (Cross City). The Class 1A Tigers defeated 7A Gainesville, 52-38, at the Andy Hart Invitational at Lafayette (Mayo) to end the week. Bowers scored eight points, grabbed six rebounds, picked up nine steals, and added four assists as Trenton stayed unbeaten.

November 26 – Abbey Rivas (Santa Fe girls soccer)
The senior helped the Hawthorne football team advance to the regional championship with a 50-27 win against Crescent City in a Class 1A-Region 4 semifinal. He rushed for 225 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries. Fields gave the Hornets (11-0) a 20-7 lead in the second quarter with a 10-yard touchdown run. He added a 1-yard TD in the third quarter that proved to be the game-winning score.

November 19 – No award due to Thanksgiving break

November 12 – Uveekie Fields (Hawthorne football)
The senior helped the Hawthorne football team advance to the regional championship with a 50-27 win against Crescent City in a Class 1A-Region 4 semifinal. He rushed for 225 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries. Fields gave the Hornets (11-0) a 20-7 lead in the second quarter with a 10-yard touchdown run. He added a 1-yard TD in the third quarter that proved to be the game-winning score.

November 5 – Julian Hill (Buchholz boys swimming)
Hill helped lead the Bobcats to a top five finish at the FHSAA Class 4A Swimming & Diving Finals in Stuart. The Arizona State University signee won two state titles. The senior won both the 200 free (1:35.70) and the 500 free (4:22.35) as Buchholz finished in fourth place. He was also a member of the state runner-up relay teams (200 medley, 400 free).

October 29 – Lauren Jones (Oak Hall girls cross country)
The freshman helped lead the Lady Eagles to their eighth regional title in nine years. Jones finished with a time of 18:56.93 to place first and win the Class 1A-Region 2 individual title. The Oak Hall girls advanced to the program’s 18th straight state meet.

October 22 – Ella Steen (Santa Fe girls cross country)
Steen helped lead the Santa Fe girls’ cross country team to the Class 2A-District 5 title. The freshman had the Raiders’ top performance by finishing third with a time of 22:01. It was the first team title in school history for the Santa Fe girls.

October 15 – Amelia Williams (Buchholz girls golf)
The junior helped lead the Lady Bobcats to their third straight Class 3A-District 2 title. Williams shot a tournament-best 77 to help her team win by 20 strokes. It was also the sixth title in the last seven years for Buchholz, which advanced to the 3A-Region 1 tournament.

October 8 – Colby Toner (P.K. Yonge boys golf)
Toner helped lead the Blue Wave to their first Ann & John Ives Alachua County Tournament title. The junior beat his teammate, Jake Davis, in a playoff to earn the top medalist honor at the tournament. Toner, a St. Francis Catholic Academy transfer, and Davis, both shot an even-par 72. The Blue Wave finished with a team score of 308, their lowest score since 2009.

October 1 – Quinyon Mitchell (Williston football)
The senior averaged a whopping 12.6 yards per carry as the Class 1A Red Devils kept their postseason hopes alive with a 48-7 win against Class 5A Belleview on Homecoming. He carried the ball 14 times for 176 yards and two TD’s. Mitchell, a Toledo commit, leads the team with 862 yards rushing and will have a chance to eclipse 1,000 yards in his seventh game this week at Taylor County (Perry).

September 24 – Calvin Littles (St. Francis Catholic Academy football)
Littles finished with 446 yards of total offense in a 42-36 loss at rival Oak Hall on Monday, Oct. 1, a game that was postponed on Friday, Sept. 28, due to weather. The senior quarterback rushed for 249 yards on 23 carries (10.8 yards per carry) with three touchdowns. Four times during the game after an Eagles’ score, Littles answered. He finished with scoring runs of 20, 65 and 75 yards. He also threw for 197 yards and two TDs. After his 81-yard scoring toss, he ran in the 2-point conversion, his third 2-point play of the game. Littles accounted for all 36 points.

September 17 – Anthony Richardson (Eastside football)
The junior scored six touchdowns to help lead the Rams past visiting Lake Weir (Ocala) on Homecoming, 62-27. Richardson passed for 241 yards and two touchdowns. The University of Florida commit ran for an additional 157 yards and four scores, including a 49-yard scoring run and a 51-yard TD run, as Eastside (4-1) won its fourth straight game.

September 10 – Carlos Williams, Jr. (Dixie County football)
Williams had a monster game for the Bears against visiting Union County in a Class 1A-Region 3 game. The senior rushed for 308 yards on 18 carries in a 61-28 win. He finished the game with five touchdowns, including a long scoring run of 72 yards. Williams is averaging 212 yards per game through four games.

September 3 – Kylee Barry (Bell volleyball)
Barry helped lead the Lady Bulldogs to a 2-0 week. In a Class 1A-District 5 sweep of Madison County she had 39 assists, six aces, and seven digs. The senior finished with the week with 30 assists, seven aces, and eight digs in a district sweep of Hamilton County (Jasper).

August 27 – Madison Baynard (Newberry volleyball)
The senior middle blocker helped lead the Panthers (4-0) to a 2-0 week in 5A-District 4 action. Baynard had 10 kills, four digs and five blocks to help lead Newberry to a sweep at Interlachen. Two days later, she tied sophomore Grace Oelrich with a team-high 12 kills in a home sweep of Bradford (Starke). She finished with 22 kills, eight blocks, 20 service receptions and only one error in two games.

August 20 – Kahleil Jackson (Hawthorne football)
Jackson completed 12-of-19 passes for 400 yards and five touchdowns as the Hornets (1-0) opened up the season with a 69-0 win at Interlachen. The 6’3, 185-pound senior also added a 20-yard scoring run. Jackson, the son of former Gator Willie Jackson, had a long scoring pass of 75 yards to junior Jeremiah James.