The Prep Zone

2018 Miracle Sports state softball rankings – Poll #10

Mike Ridaught

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April 17, 2018

This is the 10th Miracle Sports high school softball state poll conducted by Miracle Sports for the 2018 season. The Miracle Sports state softball poll is produced weekly utilizing former and current high school and college coaches from across the state. Area teams are in bold.

ALL-CLASSIFICATION
1. Orange Park Oakleaf (8A) 22-2
2. Coral Springs Charter (5A) 21-2
3. Wellington (8A) 21-2
4. Bartow (8A) 22-2
5. Lithia Newsome (9A) 18-2
6. Jupiter (9A) 20-3
7. Pembroke Pines Charter (7A) 19-4
8. Land O’Lakes Sunlake (7A) 19-1
9. Clermont East Ridge (8A) 19-1
10. Fort Myers (7A) 21-2

CLASS 9A
1. Lithia Newsome 18-2
2. Jupiter 20-3
3. Miami Palmetto 18-3
4. Apopka 18-4
5. Orange City University 17-4
6. Kissimmee Osceola 17-5
7. Tampa Alonso 18-5
8. Palm Harbor University 16-6
9. Altamonte Springs Lake Brantley 15-3
10. Orlando Dr. Phillips 20-2
Honorable mention: Jacksonville Mandarin 18-5; Orlando Timber Creek 17-3; Vero Beach 13-3; Davie Western 14-6 Parkland Stoneman Douglas 13-5; Winter Garden West Orange 15-7; Davenport Ridge Community 10-4; Coconut Creek Monarch 10-4; West Broward 12-4; Palm Beach Gardens 15-9.

CLASS 8A
1. Orange Park Oakleaf 22-2
2. Wellington 21-2
3. Bartow 22-2
4. Clermont East Ridge 19-1
5. Oviedo Hagerty 19-4
6. Tallahassee Chiles 18-2
7. Bradenton Lakewood Ranch 18-4
8. Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas 18-4
9. Cooper City 18-4
10. Tarpon Springs East Lake 18-3
Honorable mention: Winter Springs 18-5; Lakeland George Jenkins 17-5; Plant City 16-5; Valrico Bloomingdale 17-6; Lutz Steinbrenner 13-6; Tallahassee Lincoln 14-5; Tampa Wharton 13-4; Tampa Freedom 14-5; Boca Raton Spanish River 12-4.

CLASS 7A
1. Pembroke Pines Charter 19-4
2. Land O’Lakes Sunlake 19-1
3. Fort Myers 21-2
4. Viera 19-1
5. St. Johns Bartram Trail 20-2
6. Lake City Columbia 18-3
7. Gainesville 18-4
8. Deltona 19-2
9. Tampa Chamberlain 18-4
10. Bradenton Braden River 17-4
Honorable mention: Estero 19-4; West Boca Raton 16-3; Doral Academy 16-6; Eagle Lake Lake Region 17-6; Seminole Osceola 16-6; Niceville 16-5; Melbourne 15-6; Navarre 16-4; Miami Terra Environmental 14-4; Tampa Gaither 12-5; Cantonment Tate 15-8.

CLASS 6A
1. Land O’Lakes 18-4
2. Spring Hill Springstead 19-3
3. New Port Richey River Ridge 18-4
4. Rockledge 17-3
5. Crystal River 16-2
6. Immokalee 19-3
7. North Fort Myers 17-5
8. Tarpon Springs 15-4
9. Plantation American Heritage 12-7
10. Tampa Robinson 18-5
Honorable mention: Sebring 15-5; Dunnellon 14-7; Orange Park Ridgeview 11-6; Melbourne Eau Gallie 11-5; Boca Ciega 16-5; Cape Coral Mariner 16-6; Panama City Beach Arnold 15-7.

CLASS 5A
1. Coral Springs Charter 21-2
2. Marianna 21-2
3. Eustis 18-3
4. Pierson Taylor 15-2
5. Brooksville Hernando 18-3
6. Key West 14-4
7. Titusville Astronaut 14-5
8. Port Orange Atlantic 11-4
9. Callahan West Nassau 16-6
10. Keystone Heights 15-8
Honorable mention: Miami Gulliver Prep 12-8-1; Lakeland McKeel Academy 16-7; The Villages 16-6; Lake Placid 16-6; Glen St. Mary Baker County 14-7; Alachua Santa Fe 15-8; Cocoa Space Coast 15-6-1; Englewood Lemon Bay 13-6; Brooksville Nature Coast 15-8; Wesley Chapel Cypress Creek 13-8.

CLASS 4A
1. Jacksonville Providence 15-2
2. West Palm Beach Oxbridge Academy 17-4
3. Miami Westminster Christian 17-6
4. Chaminade Madonna 5-1
5. Tampa Catholic 12-5
6. Tampa Academy of the Holy Names 12-6
7. Panama City North Bay Haven 14-6
8. Jacksonville Trinity Christian 14-8
9. West Palm Beach King’s Academy 16-6
10. Delray Beach American Heritage 10-6
Honorable mention: Winter Park Trinity Prep 10-6; Jacksonville Episcopal 8-6; Clearwater Calvary Christian 10-6; Fort Myers Bishop Verot 12-9; Interlachen 12-7; Fort Lauderdale Westminster Academy 13-4.

CLASS 3A
1. Niceville Rocky Bayou Christian 12-1
2. Orange Park St. Johns Country Day 13-1
3. Jacksonville University Christian 7-3
4. Oviedo Master’s Academy 12-3
5. St. Petersburg Admiral Farragut 12-5
6. Lakeland Christian 13-6
7. Belle Isle Cornerstone Charter 14-9
8. St. Petersburg Northside Christian 15-8
9. Orlando Faith Christian 13-6
10. Tampa Carrollwood Day 12-7
Honorable mention: Marathon 14-9; Tallahassee North Florida Christian 9-6; Spring Hill Bishop McLaughlin 10-6; Tampa Cambridge Christian 10-7; Seffner Christian 10-7; Bradenton Christian 11-8, Bradenton Saint Stephen’s Episcopal 9-7.

CLASS 2A
1. Land O’Lakes Academy at the Lakes 18-4
2. Monticello Aucilla Christian 10-5
3. Homestead Colonial Christian 14-2
4. Jacksonville Christ’s Church Academy 12-1
5. Jacksonville Eagle’s View 14-4
6. Mount Dora Christian 15-5
7. Deltona Trinity Christian Academy 11-2
8. Lecanto Seven Rivers Christian 13-5
9. Palatka Peniel Baptist 16-3
10. St. Petersburg Canterbury 11-10
Honorable mention: Sarasota Christian 9-5; Belle Glade Glades Day 10-6; Naples Seacrest Country Day 8-6; Palm Bay Covenant Christian 7-6; Lake Worth Christian 5-3.

CLASS 1A
1. Trenton 19-3
2. Wewahitchka 19-4
3. Bonifay Holmes County 18-4
4. Lake Butler Union County 13-4
5. Jay 17-5
6. Panama City Bozeman 15-4
7. Bratt Northview 14-3
8. Sneads 17-5
9. Chiefland 15-5
10. Frostproof 13-4
Honorable mention: Mayo Lafayette 13-9; Madison County 13-6; Franklin County 12-9; Paxton 13-7; Altha 13-5.

ThePrepZone.com state baseball poll – 2018 Poll #3

Mike Ridaught

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April 16, 2018

2

Gainesville – Here is ThePrepZone.com state baseball poll for the 2018 season. This is the third poll of the year. The next rankings will be available on Monday, April 23. Teams in The Prep Zone’s coverage area in bold.

ALL-CLASSIFICATION
1. Clearwater Calvary Christian (4A) (20-0)
2. Plantation American Heritage (6A) (18-2)
3. Ft. Lauderdale Calvary Christian Academy (4A) (7-14)
4. Niceville (7A) (19-1)
5. Pembroke Pines Flanagan (9A) (16-1)
6. Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas (8A) (17-3)
7. Jacksonville Providence (4A) (18-3)
8. Lynn Haven Mosley (6A) (17-3)
9. Jacksonville Bolles (5A) (17-3)
10 Oviedo Hagerty (8A) (16-3)

CLASS 9A
1. Pembroke Pines Flanagan (16-1)
2. Miami Palmetto (16-2)
3. Pembroke Pines West Broward (15-3)
4. Vero Beach (17-2)
5. Lantana Santaluces (19-2)
6. Lake Mary (16-2)
7. Orlando Cypress Creek (15-3)
8. Orlando Timber Creek (14-5)
9. Parkland Stoneman Douglas (12-5)
10. Miami Columbus (15-4)
Honorable mention: Lake Worth Park Vista (14-5), Port St. Lucie Treasure Coast (13-5), Kissimmee Gateway (12-4), Jacksonville Mandarin (15-4), Lithia Newsome (12-5), Kissimmee Osceola (15-4), Apopka (14-5).

CLASS 8A
1. Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas (17-3)
2. Oviedo Hagerty (16-3)
3. Lakeland George Jenkins (17-2)
4. Davie Nova (16-1)
5. Wellington (17-3)
6. Tampa Sickles (17-3)
7. Bradenton Lakewood Ranch (15-5-1)
8. Gainesville Buchholz (16-5)
9. Tampa Plant (15-4)
10. Valrico Bloomingdale (13-5)
Honorable mention: Ocala Forest (14-5), Westland Hialeah (13-7), Tampa Wharton (13-5), Tarpon Springs East Lake (15-6), Tallahassee Chiles (11-8), Palmetto (14-6), Plant City (12-5), Tallahassee Leon (14-5-1), Lakeland (13-6), Winter Park Lake Howell (11-7), Boca Raton Spanish River (16-4), Bartow (14-7), Sarasota (11-9), St. Cloud (11-5).

CLASS 7A
1. Niceville (19-1)
2. Venice (16-5)
3. Naples Gulf Coast (17-4)
4. Cantonment Tate (15-5)
5. St. Johns Creekside (15-3)
6. Pace (14-5)
7. Palm Beach Gardens Dwyer (15-7)
8. Doral Academy (13-6-1)
9. Miami Belen Jesuit (13-7)
10. New Smyrna Beach (16-5)
Honorable mention: Miami Sunset (13-5), Punta Gorda Charlotte (12-7), Ponte Vedra Nease (10-7), Winter Haven (14-6), Tampa King (16-5), Tampa Leto (16-4), Daytona Beach Father Lopez (14-5), Jensen Beach (12-6), Ft. Myers Riverdale (14-4).

CLASS 6A
1. Plantation American Heritage (18-2)
2. Lynn Haven Mosley (17-3)
3. Rockledge (18-2)
4. Merritt Island (15-5)
5. Land O’ Lakes (16-3)
6. Green Cove Springs Clay (15-5)
7. Tampa Jesuit (13-7)
8. Miami Springs (17-3)
9. Naples Lely (15-4)
10. Tampa Jefferson (12-5)
Honorable mention: Orange Park Ridgeview (13-5), Southwest Ranches Archbishop McCarthy (12-8-1), Cape Coral Island Coast (13-5), Melbourne Eau Gallie (12-6), Miami Goleman (14-7), Spring Hill Springstead (14-6), Lake Wales (16-4).

CLASS 5A
1. Jacksonville Bolles (17-3)
2. Orlando Bishop Moore (18-3)
3. Jacksonville Bishop Kenny (14-5)
4. Pompano Beach (13-6)
5. Miami Monsignor Pace (13-6)
6. Brooksville Nature Coast (17-3)
7. Satellite Beach Satellite (16-4)
8. Titusville (11-3)
9. Melbourne Central Catholic (14-6)
10. Key West (16-8)
Honorable mention: Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons (14-6), Glen St. Mary Baker County (12-6), Coconut Creek North Broward Prep (14-7), Marianna (13-8), LaBelle (14-4), Fernandina Beach (15-5), Yulee (14-6), Lakeland McKeel Academy (14-7), Bushnell South Sumter (13-5), Brooksville Hernando (15-5), Hudson Fivay (14-6).

CLASS 4A
1. Clearwater Calvary Christian (20-0)
2. Fort Lauderdale Calvary Christian (6-13)
3. Jacksonville Providence (18-3)
4. Jacksonville Trinity Christian (13-4)
5. Palm Beach Gardens Benjamin (16-3)
6. Pensacola Catholic (16-4)
7. Miami Florida Christian (13-3)
8. Delray Beach American Heritage (12-5)
9. Tampa Berkeley Prep (13-7)
10. Ocala Trinity Catholic (10-6)
Honorable Mention: Hialeah Educational Academy (14-7), Orlando The First Academy (13-7), Miami Westminster Christian (14-8), Fort Lauderdale Westminster Academy (11-6), Clearwater Central Catholic (11-7).

CLASS 3A
1. Fort Myers Canterbury (17-3)
2. Tampa Carrollwood Day (15-2)
3. Spring Hill Bishop McLaughlin (15-4)
4. Tallahassee North Florida Christian (16-3)
5. Bradenton Saint Stephens Academy (12-2)
6. Fort Pierce John Carroll Catholic (14-4)
7. Sarasota Out-of-Door Academy (12-5)
8. Lakeland Santa Fe Catholic (16-6)
9. Jacksonville University Christian (14-8)
10. Tampa Cambridge Christian (14-3)
Honorable Mention: Fort Myers Southwest Florida Christian (16-3), Oviedo The Master’s Academy (13-5), Lake Mary Prep (12-7), St. Petersburg Northside Christian (11-6), Lakeland Christian (13-8), Maitland Orangewood Christian (14-7).

CLASS 2A
1. Miami Christian (16-3)
2. Lake Worth Trinity Christian (14-7)
3. Jacksonville Christ’s Church (11-5)
4. Naples Seacrest Country Day (13-7)
5. Fort Pierce St. Andrew’s Episcopal Academy (13-3)
6. St. Petersburg Keswick Christian (11-6)
7. Lecanto Seven Rivers Christian (11-5)
8. Kissimmee City of Life Christian (13-4)
9. Mount Dora Christian Academy (13-5)
10. Crawfordville Wakulla Christian (11-4)
Honorable Mention: Brevard HEAT (9-4), South Daytona Warner Christian (11-7), Lake Worth Christian (9-7), Brito Miami Private (9-9).

CLASS 1A
1. Panama City Bozeman (19-2)
2. Williston (13-3)
3. Trenton (14-4)
4. Sneads (16-3)
5. Freeport (12-4)
6. Paxton (12-2)
7. Jay (9-4)
8. Blountstown (13-6)
9. Bratt Northview (12-7)
10. Branford (11-4)
Honorable Mention: Malone (13-6), Bonifay Holmes County (11-7), Mayo Lafayette (10-6), Lake Butler Union County (10-8), Fort Meade (11-9), Baker (7-6).

Gainesville Baseball – 2018

"The Prep Zone" Sports Show Presented by Sonic Drive-In

Mike Stanton

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April 16, 2018

0

Date: Mon 04/16/2018
Title: The Prep Zone
Guests: Gainesville Baseball

Event Details: Join Mike Ridaught and Marty Pallman as they talk high school sports from Sonic Drive-In of Gainesville. Guests for this episode include GHS baseball coach Chris Malphurs & members of the Hurricanes’ baseball team. The show will also air on 92.1 FM & 1230 AM in Gainesville, as well as 100.1 FM & 900 AM in Ocala. #ThePrepZone.com

Click Here to Listen

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Sonic Drive-In Player-of-the-Game for April 13 – Daniel Plank (Trenton)

Mike Ridaught

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April 15, 2018

0

The Sonic Drive-In Player-of-the-Game for Friday, April 13, is Daniel Plank of the Trenton baseball team.

Plank went 3-for-3 with a double and two singles, scored two runs, and drove in two runs as Class 1A Trenton went on the road and pounded Class 7A Gainesville, 10-0 in 5 innings, at Tiny Talbot Field on Friday night.

The game was scoreless through the first two innings, and Gainesville starter Chase DeMichele struck out Chase Malloy for what should have been the final out of the inning. But the ball popped away from Hurricanes’ catcher Payton Weinberg, and Malloy reached first base.

Then the floodgates opened up for the defending 1A state champion Tigers (14-4).

Photo credit: perfectgame.org — Photo credit:
perfectgame.org

After Malloy stole second, Plank brought him home for the first run of the game with a double to right field. Wyatt Langford then brought in Plank with a double of his own and Trey Sanchez knocked in Langford with an RBI single and Trenton had a 3-0 lead.

Trenton put the game away in the 4th as they scored seven runs on five hits, and Gainesville helped the Tigers’ cause with two errors in the field.

Plank had another run-scoring single and scored on an 2-run single by Langford, as Trenton took a 10-0 lead and held on to win by the five-inning mercy rule.

Landon Kennedy allowed only one hit in a complete game shutout, a leadoff double by DeMichele in the 5th. DeMichele was thrown out trying to come home on a wild pitch for the final out of the game.

For Trenton, Langford was 2-for-3 with 3 RBI and 2 runs scored, and Sanchez had two hits and 3 RBI as the Tigers pounded out 10 hits.

Trenton, which has won six in a row, returns to action on Monday at Trinity Catholic (Ocala), while Gainesville (10-9) will next play on Tuesday at city rival Eastside (Gainesville).

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 Prep Zone Power Poll powered by Strive Fitness – 2018 Baseball Poll #4

Mike Ridaught

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April 13, 2018

0

Strive Fitness - George Koziara352-339-1230 — Strive Fitness – George Koziara
352-339-1230

Providence (Jacksonville) once again unanimous top team in regional all-class baseball poll

GAINESVILLE — After a tie at the top a week ago, there was only room for one team at #1 in the latest baseball version of The Prep Zone Power Poll.

Providence (Jacksonville) pounded Baldwin and Interlachen by a combined 24-0 and received all six first-place votes once again this week.

The Stallions (19-2) are also ranked 3rd in 4A and 4th in the all-classification portion of the ThePrepZone.com state baseball rankings, and also are #12 nationally in the Max Prep XCellent Top 25 rankings.

Bolles (Jacksonville) falls to 2nd after being tied for first with Providence a week ago. The Bulldogs (15-3) were blown out at home by District 3-5A rival Suwannee (Live Oak), 10-0, but rallied to on the road in Live Oak the following night 4-2.

The ‘Dogs remain #1 for 5A in the state baseball rankings. Providence

Creekside (St. Johns) is 3rd after a perfect week with wins over Atlantic Coast (Jacksonville), Fleming Island (Orange Park), and Flagler Palm Coast. The Knights (14-3) were tied for 4th a week ago.

Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) drops a spot this week to 4th after going 2-2 at the Desert Classic in Las Vegas. The Conquerors (11-5) lost 11-0 to the top-ranked team in Nevada, Bishop Gorman.

Mandarin (Jacksonville) rounds out the top five after beating District 1-9A rival Sandalwood (Jacksonville) twice in two days.

Leading off the second 10 are two teams tied for sixth in Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) and Buchholz (Gainesville).

Bishop Kenny (13-5) won two games on the road in Tampa against Jesuit and Berkeley Prep, but dropped a District 4-5A game to Yulee on Wednesday night 6-3 in which the Crusaders allowed five runs in the 7th inning to the Hornets.

Buchholz (14-5) picked up two District 3-8A wins, 9-1 over Ocoee and 2-1 over then #4T Forest (Ocala), where the Bobcats rallied for two runs in the bottom of the 7th to take over the district lead from the Wildcats.

Ridgeview (Orange Park) moves up another spot this week to 8th after handling District 4-6A rival then-#18 Ponte Vedra in two games by a combined 16-1.

New Smyrna Beach (15-5) moves up one space to 9th after a 10-0 win over #17 Father Lopez (Daytona Beach).

Forest (Ocala) rounds out the top 10. The Wildcats (14-4) barely stay in the top 10 as they drop six spots after losses to Buchholz and Eustis.

New to the poll this week are Clay (Green Cove Springs) at #16, and Williston (11-3), which is 18th. The Red Devils are ranked 2nd in 1A in the state baseball poll.

Ponte Vedra and Springstead (Spring Hill) drop out from the previous poll.

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.

THE PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2018 BASEBALL POLL #4
(School, followed by classification, first place votes, record through 4/11, and total voting points)
1. Providence (Jacksonville) (4A) (6) (19-2) – 120
2. Bolles (Jacksonville) (5A) (15-3) – 114
3. Creekside (St. Johns) (7A) (14-3) – 103
4. Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (4A) (11-5) – 102
5. Mandarin (Jacksonville) (9A) (13-4) – 93
6T. Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (5A) (13-5) – 85
6T. Buchholz (Gainesville) (8A) (14-5) – 85
8. Ridgeview (Orange Park) (6A) (13-3) – 81
9. New Smyrna Beach (7A) (15-5) – 69
10. Forest (Ocala) (8A) (14-4) – 66
11. University Christian (Jacksonville) (3A) (14-7) – 55
12. Terry Parker (Jacksonville) (6A) (13-2) – 43
13. Nature Coast Tech (Brooksville) (5A) (16-3) – 42
14. Fernandina Beach (5A) (13-5) – 40
15. Baker County (Glen St. Mary) (5A) (12-4) – 34
16. Clay (Green Cove Springs) (6A) (13-5) – 28
17. Father Lopez (Daytona Beach) (7A) (14-4) – 22
18T. Dunnellon (6A) (12-4) – 16
18T. Williston (1A) (11-3) – 16
20. Trinity Catholic (Ocala) (4A) (9-4) – 11
Also receiving votes: Yulee (5A) (14-5) – 10; South Sumter (Bushnell) (5A) (11-5) – 4; Trenton (1A) (12-4) – 3; Branford (1A) (11-4) – 2; Springstead (Spring Hill) (6A) (13-6) – 2; Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (9A) (10-5) – 2.

The Trophy Shop Athlete of the Week – Bryn Thomas (Trenton)

Mike Ridaught

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April 13, 2018

0

The Trophy Shop Athlete of the Week for the week of April 2 is BRYN THOMAS* of the Trenton softball team.

Bryn Thomas Trenton

*Thomas helped lead the Class 1A No. 1-ranked Tigers to a 3-0 week. She began the week with a 2-for-4 performance with two runs scored in an 8-1 win against Dunnellon, which is ranked 8th in the state in Class 6A. The junior had the game-winning RBI double in a 2-1 win against 1A honorable mention Lafayette (Mayo). She saved the best for last, going 4-for-4 with three runs batted in against current 1A No. 8 Chiefland in a 10-0 win in six innings.

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

Previous 2017-18 winners:

March 26 – Tamari Davis (Gainesville girls’ track & field)
The freshman won the 100 meters at the 74th annual Florida Relays at Percy Beard Track in Gainesville with a time of 11.34. Davis tied the Florida Relays record in the event Thursday in the preliminaries, running a personal-best time of 11.29, eclipsing her previous mark of 11.34 set at last year’s FLYRA Middle School State Championship.

March 19 – Cade Monk (Buchholz boys’ track & field)
Monk helped lead the Bobcats to their third Alachua County boys’ title in four years. The junior won three events at the Alachua County Track and Field Championships. He won the 3200 by three minutes (9:57.37), the 1600 with a time of 4:35.52, and the 800 with a time of 2:00.09.

March 12 – Jaxson Lamb (Oak Hall boys’ lacrosse)
The High Point commit helped lead the Eagles to a 3-0 week, including a 17-0 win against Gainesville to start the week and the inaugural Sunshine State Athletic Conference title on Saturday. The senior midfielder saved the best for last. Lamb had eight goals in a 14-2 win against host All Saints Academy (Winter Haven) in the second game of a doubleheader at the inaugural Sunshine State Athletic Conference lacrosse tournament. The eight goals tied a school record for goals in a single-game.

March 5 – Ethan Brunson (P.K. Yonge baseball)
The senior helped lead the Blue Wave to a 3-0 week. In a 6-4 win against Fort White to start the week, Brunson had a single, double, and two runs batted in, plus he collected his second save by tossing two innings. His best performance came next when he went 4-for-5 at the plate with a double, triple and two singles with three RBIs in a 13-4 District 5-5A win against Santa Fe. He finished off the week with a 2-for-3 performance, including his 5th RBI of the week, in a 5-2 win against Oak Hall as the Blue Wave (9-0) stayed unbeaten.

Feb. 26 – Trey McCray (The Rock boys’ basketball)
McCray, who transferred in from Santa Fe High School this season, led The Rock (28-10) to the SIAA state title by scoring 21 points in the championship game as the Lions defeated Victory Rock, 73-59. The junior scored 14 in the semifinals, a 76-61 win against West Oaks, and 13 in the quarterfinals, an 86-46 win against Calusa Prep. He was named the tournament’s MVP.

Feb. 19 – Adebola Adeyeye (The Rock girls’ basketball)
The senior forward helped lead the Lady Lions to their second consecutive NACA National Championship for Division II. The University of Buffalo signee scored 32 points and grabbed 20 rebounds as The Rock defeated Comenius (Fort Mill, SC), 61-50, in the title game. Adeyeye scored 73 points and grabbed 72 rebounds during the tournament. She also had five blocks in the four games.

Feb. 12 – Nick Baskin Jr. (St. Francis Catholic Academy boys’ basketball)
Baskin had 20 points and went 4-for-4 at the free-throw line down the stretch to lead Saint Francis Catholic Academy to its first district title in basketball since 2013 in a 61-57 home win over Trinity Christian Academy (Deltona) in the Class 3A-District 2 title game. The senior tied for game-high honors with 15 points in the district semifinals as the Wolves defeated Christ Church Academy (Jacksonville), 87-43, to clinch an FHSAA state playoff berth.

Feb. 5 – Lele Young (Gainesville girls’ basketball)
The senior guard helped lead GHS (21-7) to its eighth consecutive district title. Young scored a game-high 22 points, grabbed five rebounds and added four steals in a 72-58 win against Columbia (Lake City) in the Class 7A-District 4 semifinals. She was also 7-of-8 from the free throw line. It marked the 15th game this season that Young had scored 21 or more points in a game. In the championship game, she scored 18 points, pulled down seven rebounds and added three steals in a 55-40 win against Forest (Ocala).

Jan. 29 – Kursten Bakken (Union County girls’ weightlifting)
Bakken set a new Florida record as the Tigers won their first-ever FHSAA championship in girls weightlifting. The senior was one of four individual state champions for Union County. She bettered her fifth-place showing at state last year as a junior by setting a new state record in the bench press in the unlimited class at 300 pounds. She lifted a combined 525 pounds in the bench press and clean-and-jerk, breaking a Florida high school record that had stood since 2009.

Jan. 22 – Devin King-Porter (Buchholz girls’ soccer)
The sophomore midfielder helped lead the Lady Bobcats to the Class 5A-District 1 title. King-Porter led all scorers with three goals in an 8-0 win against Sandalwood (Jacksonville) in the district semifinals. She followed that up with a goal and an assist in a 4-0 win against Forest (Ocala) in the district championship.

Jan. 15 – Zack Martin (Santa Fe boys’ soccer)
Martin had eight goals during the week to help lead Santa Fe to a 3-0 record, with all three wins coming in Class 2A-District 5 competition. He began the week with a hat trick in an 8-0 win at Interlachen. Two days later, the senior forward scored two goals for Santa Fe in a 3-0 win against second-place Crescent City, which gave the Raiders the No. 1 seed in the upcoming district tournament. Martin finished the week with a hat trick in an 8-0 win at P.K. Yonge (Gainesville).

Jan. 8 – Ayanna Rollins (Oak Hall girls’ basketball)
The senior forward helped lead Oak Hall to a couple of wins during the week. Rollins led the Eagles with 30 points, 10 rebounds and two assists in a 65-33 win against Florida School for the Deaf (St. Augustine). She followed that up with a monster effort two nights later in a 39-31 win at Eastside (Gainesville). Rollins scored 24 points, grabbed 22 rebounds and had six steals.

Jan. 1 – No award due to holiday and cancelled school

Dec. 25 – Jimmy Johnson (Eastside boys’ basketball)
Johnson helped lead the Rams to a third-place finish at the Hitchcock’s Challenge in Alachua. The senior guard scored in double figures in every game as Eastside went 3-1 in the tournament. He scored 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting, including 3-of-3 behind the arc, in a 70-36 win against Columbia (Lake City) in the 3rd-place game.

Dec. 18 – Christian Miller-Cardwell (Gainesville boys’ basketball)
Miller-Cardwell led Gainesville to the Kiwanis Christmas Tournament title at Bradford High School (Starke), Dec. 21-23, by scoring 70 points in three games. The tournament MVP led the Hurricanes (8-2) with 22 points in a 75-55 win against host Bradford in the championship game. He scored a game-high 26 points in a 69-58 win against 8A No. 2 Creekside (St. Johns). The senior also scored a game-high 22 points in a 62-44 win against Madison County.

Dec. 11 – Sierra Millinor (Eastside girls’ soccer)
Millinor helped lead the Lady Rams to a pair of Class 3A-District 5 wins. The junior forward scored five goals in a 7-3 win against Crystal River. Two days later against Vanguard (Ocala), she scored three goals and assisted on another in a 5-1 win.

Dec. 4 – Lee Ducharme (P.K. Yonge girls’ soccer)
The senior forward scored seven goals, giving her 300 on her career, as the Blue Wave remained undefeated with a dominating 8-1 win at Santa Fe (Alachua). The win snapped a 5-game losing streak to the Lady Raiders. Two days later, the West Florida commit scored five goals in an 8-0 win against Interlachen. The 12 goals gave Ducharme 32 goals in eight games.

Nov. 27 – Anthony Allen (Newberry boys’ soccer)
Allen helped the Panthers bounce back from its first defeat of the season, a 6-0 loss at Crescent City on Monday, by scoring five goals in their next two games to lead Newberry to a 2-1 week. The senior scored both of his team’s goals in a 2-0 win at Interlachen on Thursday, followed by the first hat trick of his career in a 5-0 win at Oak Hall on Friday. He also added an assist in the win against the Eagles.

Nov. 20 – No award due to Thanksgiving holiday

Nov. 13 – Zion Barber (Bradford football)
The senior helped lead the Tornadoes to their first state semifinal appearance since 2004 with a 24-14 win against Dunnellon in the Class 4A Region 2 Final. Barber had a rushing touchdown on a 4th-and-goal, threw two TD passes, kicked three extra points and made a 20-yard field goal as Bradford (10-1) won its 10th straight game.

Nov. 6 – Isabel Ivey (Buchholz girls’ swimming)
Ivey helped lead Buchholz to its third straight state title. She set a state record in the 100 breast stroke (1:00.99), and she beat Stanford commit Morgan Tankersley of Plant (Tampa) to win the 200 freestyle (1:44.68), in winning two individual state titles. The junior was also a part of the 200-yard freestyle relay team which set a school record, and a state record, with a time of 1:31.66, less than a second from the national mark, and she helped lead the Lady Bobcats to a state record in the 400-freestyle relay.

Oct. 30 – Austin Montini (Oak Hall boys’ cross country)
The freshman helped lead the Eagles to a third-place finish at the high school cross country regional championships. Montini finished third with a time of 16:48.86 to lead the Eagles to a third-place finish. The Oak Hall boys were ranked sixth but finished third.

Oct. 23 – Brandis Smith (St. Francis Catholic Academy volleyball)
Smith helped lead the Wolves (8-9) to an upset of previously unbeaten North Florida Christian (Tallahassee) in the FHSAA Class 3A Regional Semifinals. The senior had 50 kills, 7 blocks, and 12 digs for the defending state champions. St. Francis Catholic Academy d. North Florida Christian 20-25, 25-21, 25-23, 25-14.

Oct. 16 – Heather Pedrick (Santa Fe volleyball)
The junior setter helped lead the top-seeded Lady Raiders to the Class 6A-District 6 title. Pedrick had 14 kills, eight digs, 14 assists and six service points to lead the Raiders to a sweep of North Marion (Citra) in the district semifinals. In the championship against No. 2 seed Belleview, she led the way with 17 kills, 20 digs and five blocks as Santa Fe swept the Rattlers.

Oct. 9 – Amelia Williams (Buchholz girls’ golf)
Williams helped the Lady Bobcats capture their fifth straight Jill Darr Invitational title. The sophomore was the low medalist with a 3-under 69. She had a bogey-free round. The Jill Darr Invitational, named after the late Jill Darr Rowell, represents the Alachua County championship.

Oct. 2 – Charles Strong (Union County football)
The FSU commit rushed for 262 yards and scored three touchdowns as Union County (6-1) defeated previously unbeaten Hawthorne, 31-25, in overtime. Strong, who has 1,139 yards and 13 TDs on the season, scored the game-winner from 10 yards out in OT. He also had a 23-yard scoring run and a 12-yard TD run.

Sept. 25 – Demari Turner (St. Francis Catholic Academy football)
Turner came up with the big plays, catching four passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns, to help lead the Wolves to a 36-0 win against rival Oak Hall and snap the Eagles’ two-game win streak in the series. The senior wide receiver had scoring catches of 63 and 89 yards as St. Francis Catholic knocked off the previously-unbeaten Eagles and snapped their overall winning streak at 13 games. He also had a 2-point conversion and helped the defense pitch its first shutout of the season.

Sept. 18 – Anthony Richardson (Eastside football)
The sophomore quarterback led the Rams to a 2-0 week, which is twice as many wins as Eastside had (1) all season in 2016. Richardson had 646 yards and 10 touchdowns rushing and passing. In the Rams’ 33-28 home win over Newberry on Monday, he accounted for all five of their touchdowns, finishing with 348 yards and two scores through the air and 65 yards and three scores on the ground. On Friday, at Lake Weir (Ocala), Richardson ran for 102 yards on 11 carries with two TDs, and 131 yards passing with three scores.

Sept. 11 – No award due to Hurricane Irma

Sept. 4 – Gerard Williams III (Williston football)
Williams set a school record with 307 yards on 27 carries, with three touchdowns, in the Red Devils’ 28-14 win at Seven Rivers Christian (Lecanto). During Williston’s first five possessions, the senior had 13 carries for 115 yards. However, on Williston’s final three drives, he had 192 yards on 14 carries, with 2 TDs.

Sonic Drive-In Player-of-the-Game for April 11 – Luke Baker (Buchholz)

Mike Ridaught

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April 12, 2018

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The Sonic Drive-In Player-of-the-Game for Wednesday, April 11, is Luke Baker of the Buchholz (Gainesville) baseball team.

Baker allowed only one hit and struck out 10 in a complete game as host Buchholz scored two runs in the bottom of the 7th to rally past Forest (Ocala) 2-1 in a key District 3-8A game Wednesday night.

Baker walked three and hit two batters but had a no-hitter for 6 2/3 innings. The only Forest hit was a blooper by Harrison Pesola with two outs in the top of the 7th, scoring Tyler Waddell and giving Forest a 1-0 lead. Luke Baker Buchholz

But Baker was finally rewarded for his hard work, as Buchholz came up with two runs for the win. Anthony Ragosta replaced Forest starter JJ Finn on the mound, and walked Matt Moss to start the inning. Parker Green then tried to move the runner over, and bunted back to the pitcher, but Ragosta threw wildly to first for the only error of the game for either team, and Buchholz had 2nd and 3rd with no outs.

Josh Fowler then brought in pinch runner Vinny Nelson with a sacrifice fly to right field to tie the game at 1. Then Buchholz leadoff hitter Corbin Grantham double to the game in right-center field to give Buchholz the walkoff win.

Baker struck out two batters in the second, third, fourth, and fifth innings and had a punchout in every inning with the exception of the 6th. Grantham was the only player for either team with multiple hits in the game.

Buchholz is now 14-5 and moves into first place in District 3-8A with a 6-1 mark. Forest falls to 14-4 and 5-2 in district play.

These two teams will meet again on Friday night in Ocala, which is the final district matchup for both teams.

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.

Inaugural boys’ lacrosse team at Forest (Ocala) qualifies for the district tournament

Mike Ridaught

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April 11, 2018

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Forest_Wildcats By Olivia Granaiola
@oliviagranaiola

As the inaugural season of boys’ lacrosse at Forest High School (Ocala) comes to an end, it looks like the Wildcats have set themselves up for a bright future.

The boys’ team, coached by Kyle Strausser, ended the regular season with a winning record of 7-6, including a 4-2 record in the district which earned them a spot in next week’s district tournament.

This special season was highlighted by a school that took a chance, a dedicated coach, and the players who made it all happen.

Strausser, a native of upstate New York, moved to Florida during his freshman year of high school and made a shocking discovery.

“I was heartbroken to discover little to no lacrosse in the state of Florida,” Strausser said.

After all, upstate New York is the home of lacrosse.

So, when he had the chance, Kyle Strausser became Coach and brought his everlasting New York State of Mind to Ocala, Florida, where he guided everything from boys with years of experience to boys who had never picked up a stick

“As a coach, it has been an honor to see them grow as individual players and as a team overall,” he said. “I have been able to see their love grow for the sport, as well as their overall game knowledge,” he beamed.

But, according to Coach Strausser himself, the team decided the fate of the season instead of allowing the “newness” of the sport to overtake them.

“Each player has seemed to take ownership in some way of this team,” said Strausser. “They push each other in practice, teach each other, learn from each other, and support each other.”

The 27-boy roster is made up of six freshmen, four sophomores, seven juniors, and 10 seniors. And while the younger kids get another chance to build on a stellar first season, the seniors will graduate, leaving their lacrosse careers with them.

Inaugural Forest Boys' Lacrosse team — Inaugural Forest Boys’ Lacrosse team

Last week, the boys celebrated Senior Night. Each senior processed the end in a different way, but one feeling united the “One-Seasoners”: humility and honor about the opportunity to play lacrosse for the Forest Wildcats.

“Being a first year lacrosse player, but also being on the first ever lacrosse team at Forest is something I surely will never forget,” said Tyler Carr, one of three assistant captains who plays defense. “I definitely regret not starting sooner and really growing into a good lacrosse player, but I am thankful for being able to play at least one year.”

One of Carr’s fellow assistant captains, Jared Grow, is moving onto collegiate lax at Saint Leo University. But, he will never forget his one year in the Florida High School Athletic Association.

“I was, and still am, very excited to play for and represent Forest HS,” he said. “Senior night was awesome, a lot of people came to watch us and we were able to win our game that night 18-5.”

However, as emotions ran high for the entire team, team captain and goalie Josh Austin said it best, as he summed up the season.

“This has been a great season,” he explained. “Making it to the district tournament our very first year is a dream come true. Senior night was very emotional, being the first senior class to play for Forest. I have been dreaming about playing for my high school ever since I started playing. This whole season has been a dream come true.”

In addition to the players, Coach Strausser thanks friends, family, fans, Forest faculty, and more for making this season possible.

And as for next year?

“The journey to being the inaugural team was a long road, but each of us is proud to be a part of it,” he said. “I look forward to a bright future here at Forest for many years and I couldn’t be happier.”

The Wildcats are slated to play Buchholz in the district semifinals on Wednesday, April 18th, at 7:00 p.m. at Citizens Field in Gainesville.

The Trophy Shop Athlete of the Week – Tamari Davis (Gainesville)

Mike Ridaught

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April 11, 2018

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The Trophy Shop Athlete of the Week for the week of March 26 is TAMARI DAVIS* of the Gainesville girls’ track & field team.

Photo credit: flrunners.com - MileSplit (Cedric Gillette) — Photo credit: flrunners.com – MileSplit (Cedric Gillette)

*The freshman won the 100 meters at the 74th annual Florida Relays at Percy Beard Track in Gainesville with a time of 11.34. Davis tied the Florida Relays record in the event Thursday in the preliminaries, running a personal-best time of 11.29, eclipsing her previous mark of 11.34 set at last year’s FLYRA Middle School State Championship.