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The Prep Zone Power Poll powered by Strive Fitness – 2018 Baseball Poll #1 (PRESEASON)

Mike Ridaught
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Strive Fitness – George Koziara
352-339-1230

Nationally-ranked Providence (Jacksonville) starts out on top; total of 37 teams receive votes

GAINESVILLE – North Florida and North Central Florida are hot beds for baseball in the Sunshine State.

Last year, three area teams won a high school baseball state title, while four others finished as state runners-up.

One of those teams was not Providence (Jacksonville), which is loaded with D-I talent and has a chance to win its first state title since 2012. For that reason, the Stallions are a unanimous selection as the top overall team in The Prep Zone Power Poll preseason rankings.

Providence, which lost to eventual Class 4A state runner-up Pensacola Catholic, 3-2, in the 2017 Regional Final, has one of the top players in the area in Florida State signee Alec Sanchez (.411, career-best 8 HRs), along with Florida commits Nathan Hickey (.326) and Carson Beck (.484), and South Carolina commit Tyler Callihan (.359, 10 doubles).

The Stallions (9-1), who received all six first-place votes, are ranked 11th nationally in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25.Providence

The No. 2 team in the all-classification regional rankings also did not advance to Fort Myers, but it is a program with recent success in the postseason, including four trips to regional play in the past five years and two state semifinal appearances in the past three years.

Forest (Ocala), which is coming off a district title and a loss to Wharton (Tampa) in last year’s 8A regional semifinals, is ranked second. They return shortstop Grant Grodi (.500, 3 HRs, 23 RBIs) and senior pitcher Noah Utegg (4-1, 0.87 ERA) from last year’s state playoff team.

The 2nd-ranked Wildcats (10-1) are ranked sixth in MaxPreps’ Class 8A state rankings.

Bolles (Jacksonville), which won the Class 5A state title last season, is ranked third.

The Bulldogs (9-2) have the top player in the Jacksonville area in junior 2-way player Hunter Barco (7-2, 1.84 ERA, 56 Ks, 57 IP; .303, 4 HR, 18 RBI). He also has eight state playoff wins in two seasons.

The ‘Dogs already have wins against No. 17 Sandalwood (Jacksonville), defending 7A state champion Nease (Ponte Vedra), 8A state semifinalist Sarasota, and last year’s 3A state runner-up University Christian (Jacksonville)

Class 7A Creekside (St. Johns), which has three state semifinal appearances in the past five years but was upset in last year’s district semifinals, is ranked fourth, while 8A Buchholz (Gainesville) rounds out the top five.

Jacksonville schools Mandarin (9A) and Trinity Christian (4A) are tied for sixth, while University Christian is ranked eighth.

The No. 8 Christians (8-4), who lost to Canterbury (Fort Myers) in last year’s 3A state championship game, have wins against No. 17 Sandalwood (Jacksonville) and defending 7A state champion Nease (Ponte Vedra), which is tied for 20th with Nature Coast (Brooksville).

Darien Smith, a JU signee, is back for UCS, along with top hitters Garrison James (.364), Gage Dixon (.362), Dalton Hathcox (.349), Ryan Meister (.342) and Aaron Bentley (.338).

Fernandina Beach is ranked ninth, while Ponte Vedra rounds out the top 10.

Defending Class 1A state champion Trenton is receiving votes and just missed the top 20, while 1A state runner-up Madison County received one vote.

University (Orange City), the Class 9A state runners-up, is also receiving votes.

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 #1 (PRESEASON RANKINGS)
(School, followed by classification, first place votes, last year’s record, 2018 record through 3/18, and total voting points)
1. Providence (Jacksonville) (4A) (6) (23-6) (9-1) – 120
2. Forest (Ocala) (8A) (16-12) (10-1) – 100
3. Bolles (Jacksonville) (5A) (21-10) (9-2) – 97
4. Creekside (St. Johns) (7A) (17-7) (8-1) – 80
5. Buchholz (Gainesville) (8A) (12-13) (8-2) – 72
6T. Mandarin (Jacksonville) (9A) (16-9) (8-2) – 66
6T. Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (4A) (18-8) (6-2) – 66
8. University Christian (Jacksonville) (3A) (21-9) (8-4) – 65
9. Fernandina Beach (5A) (18-7) (7-1) – 58
10. Ponte Vedra (6A) (17-11) (7-2) – 57
11. Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (5A) (25-4) (6-3) – 44
12. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (9A) (15-12) (7-3) – 40
13. New Smyrna Beach (7A) (19-9) (7-4) – 39
14T. Springstead (Spring Hill) (6A) (24-4) (8-1) – 30
14T. P.K. Yonge (Gainesville) (5A) (11-12) (10-2) – 30
16. Dunnellon (6A) (17-11) (7-1) – 29
17T. Sandalwood (Jacksonville) (9A) (23-4) (6-3) – 28
17T. Trinity Catholic (Ocala) (4A) (15-9) (5-2) – 28
19. Williston (1A) (17-9) (10-2) – 27
20T. Nease (Ponte Vedra) (7A) (21-11) (4-5) – 21
20T. Nature Coast Tech (Brooksville) (5A) (19-10) (8-1) – 21
Also receiving votes: Trenton (1A) (27-1) (7-2) – 18, Baker County (Glen St. Mary) (5A) (13-15) (8-3) – 17, University (Orange City) (9A) (25-7) (7-3) – 14, Oakleaf (Orange Park) (8A) (18-8) (6-2-1) – 13, Father Lopez (Daytona Beach) (7A) (11-15-1) (8-2) – 11, Taylor (Pierson) (5A) (21-6) (6-1) – 10, Columbia (Lake City) (7A) (15-13) (7-4) – 9, Terry Parker (Jacksonville) (6A) (16-10) (8-2) – 9, Union County (Lake Butler) (1A) (18-10) (7-3) – 9, Gainesville (7A) (19-7) (5-4) – 8, East Ridge (Clermont) (8A) (16-10) (6-3) – 6, St. Johns Country Day (Orange Park) (3A) (16-11) (7-3) – 6, The Villages (5A) (16-10) (9-1) – 5, Paxon (Jacksonville) (6A) (13-13) (7-3) – 3, Bradford (Starke) (5A) (5-16) (6-4) – 3, Madison County (1A) (19-11) (3-6) – 1.

North Marion Baseball – 2018

Mike Stanton
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North Marion Baseball – 2018

goat-drawing.cdrDate: Wed 03/21/2018 at 7:00pm
Title: The Prep Zone

Event Details: Join Mike Ridaught and Marty Pallman as they talk high school sports from Sonic Drive-In of Ocala (Easy Street location). Guests for this episode included North Marion (Citra) baseball coach Dale Hall and members of the Colts’ baseball team. The show will also air in its entirety on 92.1 FM & 1230 AM in Gainesville, as well as 100.1 FM & 900 AM in Ocala following Gator softball in the 8 p.m. hour. #ThePrepZone.com

Click Here to Listen

CHROME BROWSER NOTE: Recent versions of the Chrome Browser have discontinued support for several plugins including the Silverlight media player used on this site. The best option to access this ‘live’ broadcast is to switch to a different browser, i.e. Internet Explorer or Firefox.

The other option for windows users is to click the “WMP Player” once you access the broadcast on Chrome. This will play the broadcast in your standalone windows media player if that is available on your computer.

 

Sonic Drive-In Player-of-the-Game for March 20 – Will Banks (Alachua Co. All-Stars – P.K. Yonge)

Mike Ridaught
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0

Sonic-logoThe Sonic Drive-In Player-of-the-Game for the Alachua-Marion North Central Florida Boys’ Basketball All-Star Game on Tuesday, March 20 is Will Banks of P.K. Yonge.

Banks, a senior who led the Blue Wave to their first state semifinal in 10 years this season, had a game-high 22 points as the Alachua County All-Stars rolled over the Marion County All-Stars, 107-84, at Vanguard High School in Ocala.

Banks, who scored 27 points in the Blue Wave’s regional semifinal win against Bishop Snyder (Jacksonville), and 18 points in P.K.’s state semifinal loss to Master’s Academy (Oviedo) in the 4A state semifinal in Lakeland, led five Alachua County players in double figures as they led to from start to finish over the Marion County All-Stars.

Banks scored 14 points in the opening half, including one of the Alachua All-Stars 7 three-pointers as they pulled away to a 63-35 lead at the halftime break.William Banks IV PK Yonge

Alachua County knocked down 13 threes in the game overall.

Devin Lawrence of Hawthorne added 12 points, Nick Baskin of St. Francis Catholic Academy (Gainesville) and Diamond Smith of Gainesville chipped in 11 points each, and Noah Richardson of Eastside (Gainesville) had 10 points in a game filled with three-pointers and highlight reel dunks.

Marion County had three players score in double figures, paced by Darion Wilson of 1A state champion Wildwood with 20 points, Eddie Jackson of Forest (Ocala) with 14 points, and Marvin Martinez of Dunnellon, who scored all 10 of his points in the second half.

The game pitted seniors that were chosen by their head coaches against each other.

The Alachua All-Stars were coached by JV Coach Michael Barnes of Gainesville and Freshman Coach Ben Masterson of Buchholz (Gainesville), while the Marion All-Stars were led by JV Coach Ernie Benjamin of North Marion (Citra) and Freshman Coach Matt Moyer of Trinity Catholic (Ocala).

Gainesville, Eastside, and St. Francis had the most players on the Alachua team with three apiece, while Marion was led by three representatives from Forest.

Jalen Scott and Keegan Kash represented Vanguard (Ocala) and both played the final game of their high school careers on their home floor.

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 Softball Poll #2

Mike Ridaught
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Strive Fitness - George Koziara352-339-1230
Strive Fitness – George Koziara
352-339-1230

Despite first loss, Gainesville remains on top of the all-classification regional rankings

GAINESVILLE – The No. 1 team in The Prep Zone Power Poll is still the same.

Class 7A Gainesville High School suffered its first defeat of the season, a 4-3 loss in eight innings to current Class 1A No. 1 ranked Trenton, but they also defeated previously RV Santa Fe (Alachua) and No. 4 Keystone Heights to stay on top.

Despite receiving two less first-place votes, the Hurricanes (13-1), who received two first-place votes and four second-place votes, remained No. 1 in the all-classification regional rankings.

Oakleaf (Orange Park) is just behind GHS at No. 2.

The Knights (9-2) also had an extra-inning loss, falling to Class 8A No. 2 Lakewood Ranch (Bradenton), 7-6 (9), in a 1-2 classification showdown. Oakleaf, which defeated previous No. 11 West Nassau (Callahan) as part of a 2-1 weekend at the Tournament of Champions, tumbled to fourth in the state rankings but stayed put in the regional rankings.

They received two of the six first-place votes.

The Hurricanes and Knights have big games this week, including an opportunity to settle the debate over which team should be #1.Gainesville Hurricanes

Oakleaf is at Keystone Heights on Thursday and then will host Gainesville on Friday. GHS hosts No. 14 Columbia (Lake City) on Thursday.

But that could also open the door for third-ranked Bartram Trail (St. Johns), which defeated Oakleaf, 8-4, on March 2, and is only five total voting points behind both teams. The Class 7A Bears went 3-0 and remained third. They received one first-place vote.

In fact, the top four teams are unchanged.

Keystone Heights, which moved up to No. 2 in the Class 5A state poll, is fourth.

The only change in the top five is Eustis.

Previous No. 5 Union County (Lake Butler) dropped from fifth to seventh following a 4-2 loss at Wewahitchka. It was the second loss of the season for the defending 1A state champions, as the Tigers (7-2) lost at home to Gainesville, 2-1, on Feb. 20.

That allowed Eustis to move up one spot. The fifth-ranked Panthers are third in the 5A state rankings.

Trenton, which received one first-place vote, moved up six spots from 12th to sixth.

In addition to the upset win at top-ranked Gainesville, the Tigers (11-1) also defeated 1A #3 Sneads, 8-2. Their only loss was at Keystone Heights, 4-2, on March 2.

Union County, Springstead (Spring Hill), Aucilla Christian (Monticello), and Deltona round out 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 powered by Strive Fitness.

The Prep Zone Power Poll – 2018 Softball Poll #2
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, record through 3/17, and total voting points)
1. Gainesville (7A) (2) (13-1) – 116
2. Oakleaf (Orange Park) (8A) (2) (9-2) – 112
3. Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (7A) (1) (10-1) – 111
4. Keystone Heights (5A) (11-2) – 98
5. Eustis (5A) (9-2) – 88
6. Trenton (1A) (1) (11-1) – 85
7. Union County (Lake Butler) (1A) (7-2) – 84
8. Springstead (Spring Hill) (6A) (11-1) – 80
9. Aucilla Christian (Monticello) (2A) (4-1) – 61
10. Deltona (7A) (8-1) – 60
11. Providence (Jacksonville) (4A) (9-1) – 56
12. Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (4A) (11-4) – 49
13. East Ridge (Clermont) (8A) (13-1) – 43
14. Columbia (Lake City) (7A) (10-3) – 42
15. West Nassau (Callahan) (5A) (9-3) – 35
16. Taylor (Pierson) (5A) (9-0) – 32
17. Hernando (Brooksville) (5A) (10-2) – 24
18. Dunnellon (6A) (8-2) – 18
19. Crystal River (6A) (7-1) – 12
20. Creekside (St. Johns) (7A) (9-5) – 11
Also receiving votes: DeLand (9A) (6-1) – 9, Mandarin (Jacksonville) (9A) (10-2) – 9, St. Johns Country Day (Orange Park) (3A) (7-1) – 6, University (Orange City) (9A) (7-2) – 5, Chiefland (1A) (11-2) – 4, Ridgeview (Orange Park) (6A) (7-2) – 4, Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (9A) (3-4) – 3, Belleview (6A) (7-3) – 2, Eagle’s View (Jacksonville) (2A) (11-1) – 1.

2018 Miracle Sports state softball rankings – Poll #6

Mike Ridaught
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1

softballThis is the sixth 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. Bradenton Lakewood Ranch (8A) 10-1
2. Pembroke Pines Charter (8A) 12-1
3. Land O’Lakes (6A) 13-0
4. Lithia Newsome 7-0 (9A) 7-0
5. Coral Springs Charter (5A) 11-1
6. Cooper City (8A) 12-1
7. Wellington (8A) 13-1
8. Land O’Lakes Academy at the Lakes (2A) 8-0
9. Apopka (9A) 13-1
10. Orange Park Oakleaf (8A) 11-2

CLASS 9A
1. Lithia Newsome 7-0
2. Apopka 13-1
3. Palm Harbor University 11-2
4. Kissimmee Osceola 9-2
5. Miami Palmetto 10-2
6. Tampa Alonso 8-2
7. Davie Western 10-2
8. DeLand 7-1
9. Jupiter 9-3
10. Jacksonville Mandarin 10-2
Honorable mention: Vero Beach 6-1; Orange City University 7-2; Orlando Dr. Phillips 14-1; Orlando Timber Creek 10-2; Davenport Ridge Community 7-4; Winter Garden West Orange 7-5; Altamonte Springs Lake Brantley 8-3; Miami Coral Reef 8-4; Parkland Stoneman Douglas 4-3.

CLASS 8A
1. Bradenton Lakewood Ranch 10-1
2. Cooper City 12-1
3. Wellington 13-1
4. Orange Park Oakleaf 11-2
5. Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas 8-1
6. Bartow 9-1
7. Plant City 11-1
8. Tallahassee Chiles 10-0
9. Clermont East Ridge 13-1
10. Winter Springs 10-2
Honorable mention: Lutz Steinbrenner 7-1; Lakeland George Jenkins 12-3; Oviedo Hagerty 12-4; St. Cloud 8-3; Tarpon Springs East Lake 10-2; Sarasota 8-4; Bradenton Manatee 8-2; Boca Raton Spanish River 8-3; Tallahassee Lincoln 5-2.

CLASS 7A
1. Pembroke Pines Charter 12-1
2. Fort Myers 11-1
3. Gainesville 13-1
4. Land O’Lakes Sunlake 13-1
5. Viera 11-1
6. St. Johns Bartram Trail 9-1
7. Niceville 7-2
8. Lake City Columbia 10-3
9. Seminole Osceola 9-1
10. Tampa Chamberlain 7-0
Honorable mention: Melbourne 9-1; Deltona 10-1; Estero 13-3; Bradenton Braden River 9-3; Stuart South Fork 8-2; Doral Academy 4-2; West Boca Raton 11-1; Navarre 10-2.

CLASS 6A
1. Land O’Lakes 13-0
2. Spring Hill Springstead 11-1
3. North Fort Myers 10-1
4. Plantation American Heritage 7-4
5. New Port Richey River Ridge 13-1
6. Immokalee 10-1
7. Dunnellon 8-2
8. Rockledge 11-2
9. Pensacola West Florida 9-3
10. Sebring 9-1
Honorable mention: Crystal River 7-1; Belleview 7-3; Orange Park Ridgeview 8-2; Tarpon Springs 8-2; Tampa Robinson 8-4; Panama City Beach Arnold 10-4; Gulf Breeze 8-3.

CLASS 5A
1. Coral Springs Charter 11-1
2. Keystone Heights 11-2
3. Eustis 9-2
4. Key West 7-0
5. Miami Gulliver Prep 5-1
6. Pierson Taylor 9-0
7. Brooksville Hernando 10-2
8. Marianna 14-1
9. Callahan West Nassau 10-2
10. Lakeland McKeel 12-4
Honorable mention: Glen St. Mary Baker County 9-4; Lake Placid 10-3; Cocoa Space Coast 11-4; The Villages 10-1; Alachua Santa Fe 8-5; Titusville Astronaut 8-3; Brooksville Nature Coast 8-5.

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

CLASS 3A
1. Niceville Rocky Bayou Christian 6-1
2. Orange Park St. Johns Country Day 7-1
3. St. Petersburg Admiral Farragut 9-2
4. Belle Isle Cornerstone Charter 9-5
5. Lakeland Christian 9-4
6. Bradenton Saint Stephen’s Episcopal 8-2
7. Jacksonville University Christian 4-1
8. Tampa Carrollwood Day 7-3
9. St. Petersburg Northside Christian 10-5
10. Oviedo Master’s Academy 5-1
Honorable mention: Orlando Faith Christian 8-2; Moore Haven 3-2; Spring Hill Bishop McLaughlin 7-5; Marathon 6-5; Naples Neumann 7-5; Bradenton Christian 6-6; Fort Pierce John Carroll 4-8; Largo Indian Rocks Christian 4-5.

CLASS 2A
1. Land O’Lakes Academy at the Lakes 8-0
2. Monticello Aucilla Christian 2-1
3. Jacksonville Eagle’s View 11-1
4. Mount Dora Christian 11-2
5. Deltona Trinity Christian Academy 6-0
6. Homestead Colonial Christian 9-1
7. Lecanto Seven Rivers Christian 8-2
8. Palatka Peniel Baptist 12-2
9. Jacksonville Christ’s Church Academy 7-1
10. St. Petersburg Canterbury 4-7
Honorable mention: Palm Bay Covenant Christian 5-1; Sarasota Christian 5-2; Lake Worth Christian 3-1; Vero Beach Master’s Academy 6-3-1; Naples Seacrest Country Day 5-3; Belle Glade Glades Day 4-4.

CLASS 1A
1. Trenton 11-1
2. Wewahitchka 10-4
3. Lake Butler Union County 7-2
4. Sneads 13-2
5. Bratt Northview 10-2
6. Jay 11-3
7. Chiefland 11-2
8. Madison County 9-2
9. Bonifay Holmes County 11-3
10. Panama City Bozeman 9-2
Honorable mention: Altha 13-1; Frostproof 10-2; Mayo Lafayette 6-6; Bell 7-6; Paxton 7-4.

Finalists announced for the 2018 Florida Dairy Farmers Mr. Basketball and Boys’ Basketball Coach of the Year

Mike Ridaught
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0

Sports-Award-Logo_Color_Florida Dairy FarmerGAINESVILLE (March 20) — The nine individual class finalists for the 2018 Florida Dairy Farmers Mr. Basketball and Boys’ Basketball Coach of the Year have been announced following balloting by a statewide panel of high school boys’ basketball coaches and prep media members.

Every finalist was the leading vote-getter in their classification, making each one the Player of the Year or Coach of the Year in their class. The two winners will be announced following a final round of balloting by coaches and media.

The nine finalists for the 2018 Mr. Basketball Award (area winners in bold)

Emmitt Williams, Senior, Forward, Oak Ridge, Class 9A Player of the Year
The Louisiana State University signee helped his team to the state title by averaging 17.6 points, 12.4 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. He will participate in the Jordan Brand Classic.

Serrel Smith, Senior, Guard, St. Petersburg, Class 8A Player of the Year
The University of Mississippi signee led his team to the state Final Four by averaging 29.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. Scored 36 points in state semifinal loss to eventual champ Blanche Ely.

Colin Castleton, Senior, Forward, Father Lopez (Daytona Beach), Class 7A Player of the Year
The University of Michigan signee averaged 24.5 points, 11.7 rebounds and 5.6 blocks in leading his squad to an 18-9 record this season.

Elijah Weaver, Senior, Guard, Rockledge, Class 6A Player of the Year
The University of Southern California signee averaged 23.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, 8.7 assists and 4.3 steals per game in leading his team to a 25-4 record.

Vernon Carey Jr., Junior, Forward, NSU University School, Class 5A Player of the Year
Led his team to the state championship by averaging 26.1 points, 10.4 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 1.1 steals per game.

Zachary Scott, Senior, Guard, Westminster Academy, Class 4A Player of the Year
The Florida Gulf Coast University signee led his squad to the state title, averaging 22.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.8 steals per game.

Nassir Little, Senior, Forward, Orlando Christian Prep, Class 3A Player of the Year
The University of North Carolina signee led his team to the state title by averaging 21.7 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. He will play in both the McDonald’s All-American game and the Jordan Brand Classic.

Neftali Alvarez, Senior, Guard, Miami Christian, Class 2A Player of the Year
Averaged 27.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 11.0 assists per game in leading his team to its second straight Class 2A state championship.

Kevon Godwin, Senior, Guard, Blountstown, Class 1A Player of the Year
Averaged 24.5 points and 8.0 assists per game in leading his team to the Class 1A state championship game.

The nine finalists for the 2018 Boys’ Basketball Coach of the Year:

Steven Reece, Oak Ridge, Class 9A Coach of the Year
In his first year at the helm, Reece led his squad to a 30-4 record and the Class 9A state championship.

Melvin Randall, Blanche Ely, Class 8A Coach of the Year
Randall led his team to a 24-8 record and the Class 8A state championship, his sixth state title at Ely and his eighth overall (two at Deerfield Beach). In 17 years at Ely his record is 373-116. In 25 years overall he has a 575-169 mark.

Jorge Fernandez, Doral Academy, Class 7A Coach of the Year
In his fourth year at Doral, Fernandez led the school to a 32-2 record and its first state title. He has an overall record of 94-23.

Sean Campbell, Leesburg, Class 6A Coach of the Year
In his fifth year at Leesburg, Campbell produced a 30-1 record and won his second straight Class 6A state championship. His overall record is 101-53.

Adrian Sosa, NSU University School, Class 5A Coach of the Year
In his sixth year as head coach, Sosa led his squad to a 33-1 record and the Class 5A state title. He has a career record of 107-45.

Ehren Wallhoff, Westminster Academy, Class 4A Coach of the Year
Wallhoff led his team to a 23-6 record and its second straight Class 4A state title. In 15 years at Westminster, he has an overall record of 298-119, including a state runnerup finish in 2016.

Treig Burke, Orlando Christian Prep, Class 3A Coach of the Year
In his second year at OCP, Burke led his squad to a 21-9 record and its second straight Class 3A state championship. His two-year record is 48-13.

Juan Cardona, Miami Christian School, Class 2A Coach of the Year
In his second year at Miami Christian, Cardona led his squad to a 25-8 record and a second consecutive Class 2A state title. His two-year record is 55-10.

Von Moreland, Wildwood, Class 1A Coach of the Year
Moreland led his squad to a 23-7 record and the Class 1A state title. In 14 years at Wildwood he has posted a 232-116 record, with a state runner-up finish in 2017. His overall record in 23 years of coaching is 354-195.

Final voting numbers by class (top three):

Class 9A
Player School Points
Emmitt Williams Oak Ridge 104
Cade Long Boca Raton 68
KJ Simon West Orange 51

Coach School Points
Steven Reece Oak Ridge 97
Matt Colin Wellington 84
Tremaine Stevens Miramar 49

Class 8A
Player School Points
Serrel Smith St. Petersburg 108
Michael Forrest Blanche Ely 96
Keyshawn Bryant Winter Haven 54

Coach School Points
Melvin Randall Blanche Ely 116
Will Mayer Creekside (St. Johns) 72
Chris Blackwell St. Petersburg 41

Class 7A
Player School Points
Colin Castleton Father Lopez (Daytona Beach) 128
Miguel Ayesa Doral Academy 84
Richard Nunez Miami Beach 67

Coach School Points
Jorge Fernandez Doral Academy 124
Andy Thigpen Choctawhatchee 81
Brandon Sensor Cape Coral 53

Class 6A
Player School Points
Elijah Weaver Rockledge 117
Keon Ellis Leesburg 82
Cordrayius Graham Leesburg 64

Coach School Points
Sean Campbell Leesburg 135
Eli Bryant Rickards 71
Markus Black Booker 58

Class 5A
Player School Points
Vernon Carey Jr. NSU University School 128
Jamal Mashburn Jr. Gulliver Prep 74
Trey Doomes NSU University School 46

Coach School Points
Adrian Sosa NSU University School 106
Carlos Villalobos Trinity Catholic (Ocala) 77
Jeff Gil Pensacola Catholic 68

Class 4A
Player School Points
Zachary Scott Westminster Academy 102
Malcolm Whitlow Carrollwood Day 65
Jose Placer Master’s Academy 58

Coach School Points
Ehren Wallhoff Westminster Academy 122
Reggie Kohn Master’s Academy 74
Billy Blackmon P.K. Yonge (Gainesville) 34

Class 3A
Player School Points
Nassir Little Orlando Christian Prep 160
Caleb Catto Southwest Florida Christian 99
Stephon Johnson Champagnat 46

Coach School Points
Treig Burke Orlando Christian Prep 107
Darin Wallace Ft. Myers Canterbury 82
Sean Crowe FAMU 55

Class 2A
Player School Points
Neftali Alvarez Miami Christian 113
Dante Treacy CFCA 81
Lahat Thioune Florida Prep 42

Coach School Points
Juan Cardona Miami Christian 94
Benjamin Jones Impact Christian 86
Jonathan McClintock CFCA 72

Class 1A
Player School Points
Kevon Godwin Blountstown 109
Darion Wilson Wildwood 97
Travis Jay Madison County 74

Coach School Points
Von Moreland Wildwood 136
Brent Zessin Blountstown 81
Allen Demps Madison County 56

Alachua County All-Stars vs. Marion County All-Stars – 2018

Mike Stanton
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Alachua County All-Stars vs. Marion County All-Stars – 2018

goat-drawing.cdrDate: Tue 03/20/2018 @ 6:45pm
Title: Boys’ HS Basketball – Alachua County vs. Marion County All-Stars

Event Details: Join Marty Pallman (Play-by-play), Vanguard (Ocala) boys’ basketball coach Phillip Small & Trinity Catholic (Ocala) boys’ basketball coach Carlos Villalobos (Color) for the 2018 North Central Florida All-Star Game from Vanguard (Ocala). The game will also air on 100.1 FM & 900 AM in Ocala, as well as 92.1 FM & 1230 AM in Gainesville. #ThePrepZone.com

Click Here to Listen

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The Prep Zone Power Poll powered by Strive Fitness – 2017-18 Boys Basketball Poll #10 (FINAL)

Mike Ridaught
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Strive Fitness - George Koziara352-339-1230
Strive Fitness – George Koziara
352-339-1230

Leesburg finishes as unanimous top-ranked team after defending 6A state title

GAINESVILLE — As the 2017-18 boys’ basketball season has drawn to a close, there can be no doubt who will be the #1 team in The Prep Zone Power Poll’s final ranking.

Leesburg was the wire-to-wire top-ranked team, and capped off a 29-1 season with their second consecutive Class 6A state title. The Yellow Jackets, whose only loss came to West Oaks Academy (Orlando) in the fourth game of the season, finished the year with a 26-game winning streak.

They romped over their three Region 4 opponents by a combined 114 points to advance back to Lakeland. The Yellow Jackets had to rally from a nine-point deficit to hold off Booker (Sarasota), 62-61, in the state semifinal game.

In the championship game against Rickards (Tallahassee), Leesburg never really pulled away but also never trailed in a 71-62 win that gave the Yellow Jackets their 3rd state championship since 2011.Leesburg Yellow Jackets

Leesburg received all seven first-place votes and finishes as the unanimous top-ranked team in the final all-classification regional rankings.

Finishing 2nd is 8A state runner-up Creekside (St. Johns).

The Knights (27-5) finally got over the hump of Lincoln (Tallahassee) in the Region 1-8A final, winning on the road 51-47 to advance to Lakeland for the first time in school history. After pulling away for a 78-59 win over Winter Haven in the state semifinal, Creekside ran into foul trouble in the state title game and came up short, 77-54, to Blanche Ely (Pompano Beach).

Palatka finishes third.

The Panthers (28-3) advanced to the 6A state semifinals for the second consecutive year after winning 64-51 at Ridgewood (New Port Richey) in the Region 2 final. Unlike their 2017 trip to the state semifinals, Palatka was in the game until the final minute before falling to Rickards, 55-51.

Gainesville is fourth. The Hurricanes (24-6) came up one game short of their third trip to Lakeland since 2013, dropping a heartbreaker, 54-52, to Choctaw (Fort Walton Beach) in the Region 1-7A final.

Rounding out the top five is 1A state champion Wildwood.

The Wildcats (23-7) climbed up 11 spots from the previous poll to finish in the top five after their first boys’ basketball state title since 1953. Wildwood, which was the 1A state runner-up in 2017, rallied past #T-7 Madison County, 65-63, in the state semifinals and held off Blountstown, 62-56, in the state championship game.

Eastside (Gainesville) leads off the second five. The Rams (23-6) stay put at 6th after being eliminated in the Region 2-6A semifinal, 48-45, by Palatka, which made back-to-back state semifinal appearances.

In a tie for 7th are two teams who both advanced to Lakeland.

Madison County (25-5) advanced to its first state semifinal in school history, but the Cowboys let a double digit second half lead slip away in a two-point loss to eventual 1A state champion Wildwood.

Tied with Madison County is 5A state runner-up Trinity Catholic (Ocala). The Celtics (22-9) won three Region 2 playoff games at home against Windermere Prep, Lake Highland Prep (Orlando), and Melbourne Central Catholic to advance to their first state semifinal appearance.

In Lakeland, Trinity Catholic held off Pensacola Catholic, 55-54, to advance to the state championship game. There the Celtics ran into a buzzsaw, losing 80-40 to University (Fort Lauderdale), which has been ranked as high as 3rd nationally by Max Preps.

The run to the state title game allowed Trinity Catholic to move up 12 spots from the previous poll.

Class 4A Providence (Jacksonville) and 7A Mainland (Daytona Beach) round out the top 10. Both the Stallions (23-6) and the Bucs (21-8) lost in their respective region finals.

New to the poll this week and leading off the second 10 is 4A state semifinalist P.K. Yonge (Gainesville).

The Blue Wave (18-12) knocked off Providence, 43-42, at home in the Region 1-4A final to advance to their first state semifinal appearance in 10 years. P.K. Yonge came up short in Lakeland, losing 52-48 to Master’s Academy (Oviedo), but it was enough to move the Blue Wave all the way to #11 to finish the season.

Also new to the poll is 2A state runner-up Impact Christian Academy (Jacksonville).

In only their second season with a varsity boys’ basketball program, the Lions (16-14) struggled through the regular season with a schedule that included many higher classification teams in Jacksonville. They really made an impact in the 2A playoffs, advancing to Lakeland after winning their two regional playoff games by a combined score of 132-66.

After knocking off fellow Duval County foe North Florida Educational Institute (Jacksonville) in the state semifinal, the Lions came up short in the championship game, falling 59-46 to Miami Christian, which repeated as state champs.

The only team to drop out from the previous poll is Raines (Jacksonville).

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. It is powered by Strive Fitness.

THE PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2017-18 BOYS BASKETBALL FINAL POLL #10
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, final record, and total voting points)
1. Leesburg (6A) (7) (29-1) – 140
2. Creekside (St. Johns) (8A) (27-5) – 131
3. Palatka (6A) (28-3) – 127
4. Gainesville (7A) (24-6) – 113
5. Wildwood (1A) (23-7) – 106
6. Eastside (Gainesville) (6A) (23-6) – 96
7T. Madison County (1A) (25-5) – 91
7T. Trinity Catholic (Ocala) (5A) (22-9) – 91
9. Providence (Jacksonville) (4A) (23-6) – 90
10. Mainland (Daytona Beach) (7A) (21-8) – 65
11. P.K. Yonge (Gainesville) (4A) (18-12) – 62
12. Nature Coast (Brooksville) (6A) (26-3) – 57
13. Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (8A) (20-8) – 53
14. Hawthorne (1A) (23-6) – 46
15. Bolles (Jacksonville) (5A) (23-8) – 31
16. DeLand (9A) (22-7) – 30
17. The Villages (5A) (20-8) – 28
18. First Coast (Jacksonville) (8A) (20-5) – 26
19. Impact Christian Academy (Jacksonville) (2A) (16-14) – 23
20. Englewood (Jacksonville) (7A) (23-5) – 20
Also receiving votes: North Florida Educational Institute (Jacksonville) (2A) (20-8) – 18; Raines (Jacksonville) (5A) (20-8) – 9; Deltona (7A) (20-8) – 4; Ribault (Jacksonville) (6A) (14-14) – 3; Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (6A) (19-9) – 1; North Marion (Citra) (6A) (17-9) – 1.

Gainesville Water Polo – 2018

Mike Stanton
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Gainesville Water Polo – 2018

Date: Mon 03/19/2018 at 7:00pm
Title: The Prep Zone

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 Water Polo coach David Huelsman and members of the inaugural Hurricanes’ Water Polo 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

CHROME BROWSER NOTE: Recent versions of the Chrome Browser have discontinued support for several plugins including the Silverlight media player used on this site. The best option to access this ‘live’ broadcast is to switch to a different browser, i.e. Internet Explorer or Firefox.

The other option for windows users is to click the “WMP Player” once you access the broadcast on Chrome. This will play the broadcast in your standalone windows media player if that is available on your computer.

Fort Myers Standout Destanni Henderson Named 2018 Miss Basketball

Mike Ridaught
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Sports-Award-Logo_Color_Florida Dairy FarmerGAINESVILLE (March 19) – Senior Destanni Henderson of Fort Myers High School has been named the 2018 Florida Dairy Farmers Miss Basketball following a final round of voting by a statewide panel of high school coaches and media representatives.

Henderson, a 5-8 point guard who is a 2018 McDonald’s All-American and has signed with the University of South Carolina, averaged 15.2 points, 6.1 assists and 5.3 rebounds and 3.3 steals per game in leading Fort Myers to its third straight Class 7A state championship.

Henderson, who was earlier named the Class 7A player-of-the-year for the second straight season, dominated the voting, receiving 14 of the 20 first-place votes and 171 points to finish ahead of Class 1A POY and West Virginia signee Kari Niblack of Wildwood (105) and Class 4A POY Koi Love of Miami Country Day (96).

Class 9A POY Fujika Nimmo of Haines City finished fourth (72), with Class 8A POY Erin Turral of Lincoln (64) in fifth place. Rounding out the voting in order were Class 3A POY Tyesha Battle of Somerset Prep (52), Class 6A POY Kaliah Henderson of Robinson (41), Class 5A POY Sydney James of Ocala Trinity Catholic (38) and Class 2A POY Debra Buggs of City of Life Christian (24).

The Florida Dairy Farmers High School Sports Awards program exemplifies Florida Dairy Farmers’ commitment to the state’s youth. This is the 26th year of these unique awards as we honor the state’s top athletes and coaches in all 30 FHSAA sanctioned and recognized sports. The program also emphasizes to young people the importance of keeping dairy products a primary part of their diet in their overall nutrition plan. 

2018 FINAL VOTING RESULTS (Area players in bold)
Player Total Points 1st-place Votes
Destanni Henderson 171 14
Kari Niblack 105 3
Koi Love 96 0
Fujika Nimmo 72 1
Erin Turral 64 1
Tyesha Battle 52 1
Kaliah Henderson 41 0
Sydney James 38 0
Debra Buggs 24 0

Past Miss Basketball Winners:
1993 – Sabrina Crump, Clearwater Countryside
1994 – Tracy Reid, Miami Central
1995 – LaTonya Washington, Paxton
1996 – LaTonya Washington, Paxton
1997 – LaToya Jordan, Pompano Beach Ely
1998 – Michelle Snow, Pensacola
1999 – Shinikki Whiting, Clearwater
2000 – Binky Martello, Jay
2001 – Natasha Morehead, Panama City Bay
2002 – Dorian Williams, Jacksonville Ribault
2003 – Erlana Larkins, The Benjamin School
2004 – Erlana Larkins, The Benjamin School
2005 – LaQwesha Gamble, Winter Haven
2006 – Steffi Sorensen, St. Johns Bartram Trail
2007 – Krystal Thomas, Orlando First Academy
2008 – Tiffany Hayes, Winter Haven
2009 – Ashley Jones, Winter Park Lake Howell
2010 – Krystal Saunders, South Broward
2011 – Danielle McCray, Trinity Christian Academy
2012 – Alexis Prince, Orlando Edgewater
2013 – Jessica Thomas, Gainesville Buchholz
2014 – Vionise Pierre-Louis, Grandview Preparatory
2015 – Beatrice Mompremier, Miami Senior
2016 – Nadia Fingall, Choctawhatchee
2017—Rennia Davis, Jacksonville Ribault

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