Home Blog Page 2

The Prep Zone Power Poll powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville – 2025 Softball Poll #2

Mike Ridaught
-
0
The Prep Zone Power Poll powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville – 2025 Softball Poll #2
Click on the logo for your free 7-day pass

Nationally ranked Montverde Academy new No. 1

GAINESVILLE — There’s a new No. 1 in The Prep Zone Power Poll.

The Montverde Academy softball team, which is nationally ranked by MaxPreps, flip-flopped with previous No. 1 Eustis in the all-classification regional rankings.

The Class 2A Eagles (10-1) fell to No. 24 nationally following a 10-0 loss to Doral Academy, which is ranked No. 2 in the country. The loss snapped a 9-game winning streak.

Montverde Academy received five first-place votes to move into the top spot and edged No. 2 Eustis, 176-175, in total voting points.

The second-ranked Panthers (10-1), who dropped down to 3A this season, received the other four first-place votes.

Eustis, which defeated Baker County (Glen St. Mary) last year, 1-0, in the FHSAA Class 4A state championship game, suffered its first loss of the season last week to MaxPreps’ No. 20 overall team Wakulla (Crawfordville), 4-0.

Baker County moved up one spot to No. 3.

The Wildcats (8-2) lost at current No. 5 Baldwin, 3-0, and at No. 1 Montverde Academy, 5-2. They have won at No. 15 Columbia (Lake City), 9-7, and at No. 17 Fort White, 3-0.

Class 5A Middleburg is ranked fourth.

The Broncos (9-3) lost three in a row following a 2-0 start but won seven in a row. Their losses this season have come at No. 9 Trenton, 5-1, at No. 10 Branford, 6-4, and against No. 42 overall East Lake (Tarpon Springs), 7-1.

They have wins against No. 5 Baldwin, 10-7, versus No. 15 Episcopal (Jacksonville), 11-0, and against RV Oakleaf (Orange Park), 2-0.

Baldwin rounds out the top five.

The 2A Indians (8-3) have losses at No. 4 Middleburg, 10-7, at No. 15 Columbia (Lake City), 6-3, and at 7A No. 8 Atlantic Coast (Jacksonville), 15-11. They have a win against No. 3 Baker County, 3-0.

Class 3A Crystal River, whose only loss was against nationally ranked No. 12 Calvary Christian (Clearwater), leads off the second five at No. 6, followed by 3A Santa Fe (Alachua), 7A Creekside (St. Johns), Rural schools Trenton and Branford in the top 10.

Atlantic Coast (Jacksonville) (7A) (11-1) and Ponte Vedra (5A) (9-1) are new to the rankings at Nos. 13 and 14, respectively, while Madison County (Rural) (8-0) and Paxon (Jacksonville) (3A) (8-1) enter the poll for the first time and are tied for 18th.

Class 2A Newberry, which moved into the rankings at No. 20 following a 10-0 start.

Class 6A Oakleaf (Orange Park) (6A), 5A Gainesville (5-5), 7A Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (5-3), Williston (Rural) (7-5), and 5A Matanzas (Palm Coast) (9-1) all fell out of the rankings but are still 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 by sportswriters and sportscasters and it is powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville.

THE PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2025 SOFTBALL POLL #2
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, record through 3/24, & total voting points)
1. Montverde Academy (2A) (5) (10-1) – 176
2. Eustis (3A) (4) (10-1) – 175
3. Baker County (Glen St. Mary) (4A) (8-2) – 132
4. Middleburg (5A) (9-3) – 124
5. Baldwin (2A) (8-3) – 120
6. Crystal River (3A) (12-1) – 118
7. Santa Fe (Alachua) (3A) (10-1) – 94
8. Creekside (St. Johns) (7A) (8-2) – 92
9. Trenton (Rural) (7-2) – 91
10. Branford (Rural) (11-4) – 88
11. East Ridge (Clermont) (7A) (11-2) – 83
12. University Christian (Jacksonville) (1A) (9-0) – 77
13. Atlantic Coast (Jacksonville) (7A) (11-1) – 74
14. Ponte Vedra (5A) (9-1) – 73
15T. Episcopal (Jacksonville) (2A) (10-3) – 69
15T. Columbia (Lake City) (4A) (10-3) – 69
17. Fort White (Rural) (7-4) – 55
18T. Paxon (Jacksonville) (3A) (8-1) – 43
18T. Madison County (Rural) (8-0) – 43
20. Newberry (2A) (10-0) – 29
Also receiving votes: Matanzas (Palm Coast) (5A) (9-1) – 22; Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (7A) (5-3) – 16; Oakleaf (Orange Park) (6A) (6-5) – 10; Beachside (St. Johns) (5A) (9-1) – 6; Deltona (5A) (4-1) – 5; Williston (Rural) (7-5) – 4; Gainesville (5A) (5-5) – 2.

Oak Hall School Baseball – 2025

Mike Ridaught
-
0
Oak Hall School Baseball – 2025

Wednesday, March 26 – “The Prep Zone” Sports Show
‘Live’ audio: https://www.mainstreetdailynews.com/sports/live-stream/
Join Mainstreet Daily News Sports Director Mike Ridaught as he talks high school sports from your locally owned Sonic Drive-In of Gainesville (Archer Road). His guests for this episode include Oak Hall School baseball coach Kevin Maris, assistant coach Eric Ringdahl, and members of the Eagles baseball team.

The Prep Zone Power Poll powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville – 2024-25 Boys Basketball Poll #5 (FINAL)

Mike Ridaught
-
0
The Prep Zone Power Poll powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville – 2024-25 Boys Basketball Poll #5 (FINAL)
Click on the logo for your free 7-day pass

Class 3A state runner-up The Villages finishes No. 1

GAINESVILLE — The 2024-25 boys basketball season came to an end with some surprises and some things that we’ve heard before.

But in the end, it was a team who just missed a state title that ends up as the No. 1 team in The Prep Zone Power Poll’s final rankings.

The Villages, which was blown out in 2023 in the FHSAA Class 4A state championship game by Mater Lakes Academy, advanced back to Lakeland after escaping a hard-fought 83-79 win over Tampa Catholic in the Region 2-3A final.

The Buffalo (26-6) then faced Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville), who was the top-ranked team in the previous all-classification rankings. They won a classic showdown, knocking off the Tigers, 57-55, to advance to the 3A state championship game.

Unfortunately, The Villages dropped the final, also by two points, to Calvary Christian (Clearwater). But that win over Andrew Jackson was enough to flip-flop the two teams and put The Villages, which received seven of the nine first-place votes, on top of the final regional rankings for 2024-25.

Andrew Jackson, which defeated The Villages, 47-43, in last year’s 4A state semifinals, dropped to second.

The Tigers (28-3) appeared in Lakeland for the sixth time in seven years, which includes four state runner-up finishes. Andrew Jackson, which is still looking for that elusive state title, received one first place vote.

Class 5A state runner-up Ponte Vedra is ranked No. 3.

The Sharks (22-9) knocked off 10th-ranked Gainesville in the region semifinals for the third straight year, then held off Leon (Tallahassee) in the Region 1-5A final to advance back to the state semifinals for the third straight year.

Ponte Vedra edged No. 11 Leesburg in triple overtime in the state semifinals before coming up short against Blanche Ely (Pompano Beach) in the state title game.

Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine), which advanced to its first state semifinal appearance, finished 4th. The Toros (27-4) lost to eventual 6A state runner-up Evans (Orlando), 60-53, in Lakeland.

Rural classification state champion Hawthorne rounds out the top five.

The Hornets (20-3), who received the other first-place vote, knocked off two-time defending state champion No. 14 Williston, 45-43, in the Region 4 final to advance back to Lakeland.

Hawthorne had no trouble in Lakeland, winning their state semifinal game against Graceville and championship game against Crossroad Academy (Quincy) by a combined 46 points.

The next three teams in the rankings all made it to the state semifinals.

Ribault (Jacksonville), which is ranked sixth, advanced to the 4A Final Four, where they were knocked off by state champion Stranahan (Fort Lauderdale).

Finishing 7th is 1A state semifinalist Impact Christian (Jacksonville). The Lions (23-7) lost in the semifinal in Lakeland to Sagemont (Weston), which won its third consecutive state title.

University Christian (Jacksonville) ended up 8th after advancing to the 2A state semifinal round.

Rounding out the top 10 are No. 9 Newberry (24-1), which lost at home in the Class 3A-Region 1 Semifinals to Florida High (Tallahassee), and No. 10 Gainesville.

Two more Final Four teams, Eustis and Leesburg, which finished just outside the top 10, are tied for 11th with Fleming Island (Orange Park).

Leesburg and Fort White, which advanced to its first final four in program history, are new to the final rankings, while Mandarin (Jacksonville) and Lecanto dropped out.

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

THE PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2024-25 BOYS BASKETBALL POLL #5 (FINAL POLL)
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, final 2024-25 record, and total voting points)
Teams in the Mainstreet Daily News coverage area are in bold
1. The Villages (3A) (7) (26-6) – 178
2. Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville) (3A) (1) (28-3) – 166
3. Ponte Vedra (5A) (22-9) – 153
4. Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine) (6A) (27-4) – 148
5. Hawthorne (Rural) (1) (20-3) – 140
6. Ribault (Jacksonville) (4A) (21-9) – 138
7. Impact Christian Academy (Jacksonville) (1A) (23-7) – 115
8. University Christian (Jacksonville) (2A) (22-9) – 114
9. Newberry (3A) (24-1) – 91
10. Gainesville (5A) (21-8) – 80
11T. Eustis (4A) (21-9) – 77
11T. Fleming Island (Orange Park) (5A) (23-6) – 77
11T. Leesburg (5A) (17-8) – 77
14. Williston (Rural) (16-12) – 72
15. Creekside (St. Johns) (7A) (19-8) – 48
16. Forest (Ocala) (6A) (22-6) – 46
17. Providence (Jacksonville) (2A) (16-13) – 37
18. Fort White (Rural) (15-10) – 36
19. Atlantic (Port Orange) (4A) (22-8) – 24
20. Oakleaf (Orange Park) (6A) (18-8) – 23
Also receiving votes: Lecanto (5A) (26-4) – 13; Mandarin (Jacksonville) (6A) (18-7) – 11; New Smyrna Beach (5A) (20-8) – 7; North Marion (Citra) (4A) (18-9) – 7; Hilliard (Rural) (15-6) – 4; Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (4A) (18-11) – 3; St. Augustine (5A) (18-8) – 3; Bishop Snyder (Jacksonville) (2A) (15-13) -1; Fletcher (Neptune Beach) (6A) (21-6) – 1.

St. Francis Catholic Academy Baseball – 2025

Mike Ridaught
-
0
St. Francis Catholic Academy Baseball – 2025

Wednesday, March 19 – “The Prep Zone” Sports Show
‘Live’ audio: https://www.mainstreetdailynews.com/sports/live-stream/
Join Mainstreet Daily News Sports Director Mike Ridaught as he talks high school sports from your locally owned Sonic Drive-In of Gainesville (39th Avenue). His guests for this episode include St. Francis Catholic Academy baseball coach Ryan Brown and members of the Wolves baseball team.

The Prep Zone Power Poll powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville – 2024-25 Girls Basketball Poll #6 (FINAL)

Mike Ridaught
-
0
The Prep Zone Power Poll powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville – 2024-25 Girls Basketball Poll #6 (FINAL)
Click on the logo for your free 7-day pass

Rural champion Wildwood near unanimous No. 1

GAINESVILLE – The Wildwood girls basketball team ran the table in 2024-25.

The Lady Wildcats (25-0) went undefeated from start to finish against a difficult schedule that included two games against Class 5A state runner-up Gainesville, 5A regional finalist Leesburg, and 3A regional semifinalist The Villages.

They defeated previous No. 6 Williston in the FHSAA Rural-District 7 championship game, 68-40, and again in the Rural-Region 4 Final, 60-45, to advance to the final four at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland where they won their first state title since 2018.

Wildwood received nine of the 10 first-place votes to finish No. 1 in The Prep Zone Power Poll, which ranks the top 20 basketball teams across 26 counties in Florida.

The Wildcats, who finished sixth overall in Florida in the final MaxPreps rankings, defeated Blountstown, 67-32, in the Rural state semifinals followed by a 65-43 victory against Holmes County (Bonifay) in the state championship game.

Class 5A state champion New Smyrna Beach is ranked second.

The Barracudas (27-5), who received all 10 2nd-place votes, defeated previous No. 13 Gainesville, 56-49, in the state championship game.

They knocked off Clearwater, 56-47, in the state semifinals and also defeated previous No. 16 Leesburg, 69-56, in the Class 5A-Region 2 Final.

Bolles (Jacksonville) is ranked No. 3.

The Bulldogs (25-6) advanced to the Class 3A state championship game before falling to No. 4 overall in Florida, Cardinal Mooney (Sarasota), 64-54, which snapped their 15-game winning streak.

They had wins this season against 5A state runner-up GHS, 4A regional finalist Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville), 4A regional semifinalist Jacksonville Ribault (twice), 7A regional semifinalist Spruce Creek (Port Orange), 5A regional semifinalist Beachside (St. Johns), 3A regional quarterfinalist Episcopal (Jacksonville), and 2A regional finalist San Jose Prep (Jacksonville).

Providence (Jacksonville) is ranked fourth.

The Stallions (24-7), who defeated No. 3 Bolles at home, 56-43, in November, were Class 2A state runners-up. They received the other first-place vote.

Their resume included wins against playoff teams Bolles, 3A state semifinalist Somerset Academy – Canyons (Boynton Beach), 7A regional semifinalist West Port (Ocala), 5A regional quarterfinalist Ponte Vedra, 5A regional semifinalist Beachside (St. Johns), 3A state semifinalist SLAM (Miami), 2A regional semifinalist Ocala Trinity Catholic (twice), and 2-time defending state champion Hawthorne, among others.

They lost to Miami Country Day, 47-37, in the state title game.

Rounding out the top five is Gainesville High.

The Purple Hurricanes (17-9) advanced to their first state semifinal since 1987 with a 64-57 win at Booker T. Washington (Pensacola) in the 5A-Region 1 Final.

They defeated Northeast (St. Pete), 54-52, in the state semifinals before falling to No. 2 New Smyrna Beach, 56-49, in state championship game, which snapped an 8-game winning streak.

GHS also defeated Lincoln (Tallahassee), 66-28, in the regional quarterfinals, followed by a 61-38 win against RV Beachside (St. Johns) in the regional semifinals to advance to the Elite Eight.

Bishop Kenny (25-5), 6A state semifinalist Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine) (20-8), Williston (19-4), The Villages (23-6), and Ribault (19-9) round out the top 10.

Hawthorne, Bishop Snyder (Jacksonville) (19-9), which lost to No. 13 Trinity Catholic (Ocala), 55-38, in the 2A regional quarterfinals, and 3A regional quarterfinalist Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville) (16-11) all dropped out of the rankings.

Class 1A state runner-up North Florida Educational Institute (Jacksonville) (20-13), Rural state semifinalist Hilliard (18-9), and 7A regional semifinalist West Port (Ocala) (17-9) all moved into the rankings at Nos. 11, 18, and 19, respectively.

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

THE PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2024-25 GIRLS BASKETBALL POLL #6 (FINAL)
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, final record, and total voting points)
1. Wildwood (Rural) (9) (25-0) – 197
2. New Smyrna Beach (5A) (27-5) – 190
3. Bolles (Jacksonville) (3A) (25-6) – 177
4. Providence (Jacksonville) (2A) (1) (24-7) – 172
5. Gainesville (5A) (17-9) – 149
6. Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (4A) (25-5) – 144
7. Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine) (6A) (20-8) – 143
8. Williston (Rural) (19-4) – 119
9. The Villages (3A) (23-6) – 101
10. Ribault (Jacksonville) (4A) (19-9) – 95
11. North Florida Educational Institute (Jacksonville) (1A) (20-13) – 89
12. Newberry (3A) (17-7) – 70
13. Trinity Catholic (Ocala) (2A) (18-10) – 64
14. San Jose Prep (Jacksonville) (2A) (15-10) – 62
15. Creekside (St. Johns) (7A) (16-8) – 55
T16. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (7A) (15-14) – 47
T16. Leesburg (5A) (14-10) – 47
18. Hilliard (Rural) (18-9) – 33
19. West Port (Ocala) (7A) (17-9) – 30
20. Ridgeview (Orange Park) (5A) (20-6) – 28
Also receiving votes: Hawthorne (Rural) (12-5) – 21; Mount Dora Christian (1A) (18-10) – 21; Bishop Snyder (Jacksonville) (2A) (19-9) – 13; Fort White (Rural) (16-8) – 11; Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville) (3A) (16-11) – 8; Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (6A) (17-9) – 7; Beachside (St. Johns) (5A) (14-10) – 5; Eustis (4A) (18-5) – 2.

The Prep Zone Power Poll powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville – 2025 Baseball Poll #1

Mike Ridaught
-
0
The Prep Zone Power Poll powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville – 2025 Baseball Poll #1
Click on the logo for your free 7-day pass

State runner-up Buchholz (Gainesville) starts season on top of regional rankings

GAINESVILLE — Already a month into the 2025 high school baseball season, and there have already been some interesting results in The Prep Zone coverage area.

But the Buchholz (Gainesville) Bobcats, who just missed out on a state title last spring, are off to a red-hot start and are on top of the first regional baseball all-classification rankings for 2025.

Buchholz (8-0) went to Jacksonville last week and knocked off Trinity Christian, 5-3. The Conquerors had previously been ranked No. 2 in all of Florida by MaxPreps.

This week, the Bobcats have moved up to 2nd statewide according to the FHSAA and 3rd according to MaxPreps. They also received five of the eight first place votes in The Prep Zone Power Poll.

Trinity Christian is ranked second.

The Conquerors, who made the 3A state semifinals in 2024, are now in 2A and have started the season 6-1 with the only loss to Buchholz. They received one first-place vote.

Bolles (Jacksonville) is No. 3.

The Bulldogs (8-2) already own wins over defending state champion No. 4 St. John’s Country Day (Orange Park) as well as RV University Christian (Jacksonville), Oakleaf (Orange Park), and Baldwin. Their two losses are to Fletcher (Neptune Beach) and 8th-ranked Providence (Jacksonville).

St. Johns Country Day is No. 4.

The Spartans (9-2) captured their first baseball state title in 2A last spring, and are now in 1A for 2025. SJCD, which received the final first-place vote, has won eight in a row after a 1-2 start, with the only losses to Bolles and Lincoln (Tallahassee).

Rounding out the top five is Spruce Creek (Port Orange).

The Hawks, who lost in the 7A region semifinals a year ago, are off to an 8-1 start with wins over New Smyrna Beach, Winter Springs, and Lake Brantley (Altamonte Springs). Their only loss came to No. 15 Creekside (St. Johns).

Bishop Snyder (Jacksonville) starts off the second five.

The Cardinals (8-1), who were eliminated in a 3A region final by Trinity Christian in 2024, have beaten No. 9 Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine), No. 16T Columbia (Lake City), Trinity Catholic (Ocala), and St. Augustine. Bishop Snyder’s only loss came to Providence.

Clay (Green Cove Springs) is 7th.

The Blue Devils (9-2) lost in a region final at Lincoln last May, but already have beaten Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville), No. 11 Episcopal (Jacksonville), and Oakleaf. They also have lost to Providence and Lincoln.

Providence is No. 8.

The Stallions (8-2) already own three wins this season over top ten teams Clay, Bolles, and Bishop Snyder and also have a win against University Christian.

Tocoi Creek and 2024 1A state semifinalist Trenton round out the top 10.

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

THE PREP ZONE POWER POLL– 2025 BASEBALL POLL #1 
(School, followed by classification, first place votes, final 2024 record, current 2025 record through 3/6 and total voting points)
1. Buchholz (Gainesville) (6A) (5) (24-9) (8-0) – 155
2. Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (2A) (1) (24-7) (6-1) – 152
3. Bolles (Jacksonville) (2A) (21-8) (8-2) – 128
4. St. Johns Country Day (Orange Park) (1A) (2) (25-6) (9-2) – 125
5. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (7A) (19-10) (8-1) – 124
6. Bishop Snyder (Jacksonville) (2A) (20-9) (8-1) – 114
7. Clay (Green Cove Springs) (4A) (18-10) (9-2) – 101
8. Providence (Jacksonville) (2A) (13-12) (8-2) – 88
9. Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine) (6A) (18-8) (9-1) – 80
10. Trenton (Rural) (13-12) (8-1) – 77
11. Episcopal (Jacksonville) (2A) (19-9) (9-2) – 71
12T. Lafayette (Mayo) (Rural) (23-3) (6-2) – 69
12T. The Villages (3A) (17-12) (8-0) – 69
14. St. Joseph’s Academy (St. Augustine) (1A) (20-9) (7-1-1) – 58
15. Creekside (St. Johns) (7A) (19-11) (4-5) – 34
16T. Columbia (Lake City) (5A) (15-13) (6-4) – 31
16T. Hernando (Brooksville) (4A) (19-10) (7-2) – 31
18. Nature Coast Tech (Brooksville) (4A) (19-7) (7-3) – 23
19. Newberry (2A) (22-6) (4-3) – 21
20. Vanguard (Ocala) (4A) (18-10) (7-2) – 19
Also receiving votes: Keystone Heights (3A) (20-9) (8-3) – 18; University Christian (Jacksonville) (1A) (18-10) (6-4) – 17; Union County (Lake Butler) (Rural) (15-14) (7-2) – 15; Lake Minneola (Minneola) (6A) (21-6) (5-3) – 14; Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (4A) (20-9) (1-8) – 8; North Marion (Citra) (3A) (15-13) (5-6) – 6; Fernandina Beach (3A) (11-12-1) (8-0) – 5; Santa Fe (Alachua) (3A) (14-13) (4-6) – 5; Eustis (4A) (15-12) (8-2) – 4.

Santa Fe girls lacrosse – 2025

Mike Ridaught
-
0
Santa Fe girls lacrosse – 2025

Wednesday, 7-8 p.m. – “The Prep Zone” Sports Show
‘Live’ audio: https://www.mainstreetdailynews.com/sports/live-stream/ 
Join Mainstreet Daily News Sports Director Mike Ridaught as he talks high school sports from your locally owned Sonic Drive-In of Gainesville (39th Avenue). His guests for this episode include Santa Fe girls lacrosse coach Austin Bedard and members of the Lady Raiders lacrosse team.

Hawthorne vs. Crossroad Academy – Boys Basketball 2025 (Radio)

Mike Ridaught
-
0
Hawthorne vs. Crossroad Academy – Boys Basketball 2025 (Radio)

Friday, 6:45 p.m. (PREGAME) – Boys High School Basketball, 7 p.m. (TIP)
Hawthorne vs. Crossroad Academy (Quincy)
Radio: “I am Country” 106.9 FM Gainesville
‘Live’ audio: https://streamdb6web.securenetsystems.net/cirrusencore/WPLL
Join Marty Pallman (Play-by-play) and Mainstreet Daily News Sports Director Mike Ridaught (Color) for this FHSAA Class Rural State championship game from the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. The Hornets, who advanced to their eighth final four under head coach Greg Bowie, are seeking their third state title in program history and their first since 2020.

The Prep Zone Power Poll powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville – 2025 Softball Poll #1

Mike Ridaught
-
0
The Prep Zone Power Poll powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville – 2025 Softball Poll #1
Click on the logo for your free 7-day pass

Defending champion Eustis near unanimous No. 1

GAINESVILLE — Following its second state title in four years, the Eustis softball team begins the 2025 season at the top of The Prep Zone Power Poll.

Eustis, which won the FHSAA Class 4A state title last year but dropped down to 3A this year, was one of three state champions in North Central Florida, along with two state runners-up, & two other state semifinalists.

The Panthers, who were 26-2 last season, received seven of the eight first-place votes in the all-classification regional poll, which ranks the top 20 teams across 26 counties in Florida.

They opened the season with a 15-0 win at Taylor (Pierson), 15-0, and a 15-3 win at Master’s Academy (Oviedo) to start the year at 2-0.

The win at Taylor marked the first career victory for new head coach Tyra Bowers, who took over the program following the departure of Brittany Beall.

Defending 3A state champion Montverde Academy, which dropped down to 2A, is ranked second. The Eagles, who were 28-4 last year, won at South Lake (Groveland), 21-0.

They received the other first-place vote.

Trenton (23-2), which won the Class 1A state title with a 6-5 win in eight innings against Branford and had a 3-2 walk-off win against Holmes County (Bonifay) in the state semifinals, is ranked third.

It was the third state title since 2019 for the Tigers (23-2), who defeated current No. 7 Middleburg, 5-1, to open the season.

Trenton has a new coach (assistant Kevin Benson), but they return seven starters, including 1A Player of the Year Addison Allaire (13-2, 1.21 ERA, record 251 Ks, .370 average) & Emma Brideson (11-0, 1.69 ERA, .369 average).

Class 4A state runners-up, Baker County (Glen St. Mary), who lost 1-0 to Eustis in last year’s state title game, is ranked fourth.

The Wildcats, who finished 21-6 in 2024, are top contenders in their classification with Rylee Walker (10-1, 1.81 ERA) and Chloe Woods (11-4, 1.20 ERA) back in the circle.

Baker County has wins at No. 14 Columbia (Lake City), 9-7, and at Keystone Heights, 5-4.

Rounding out the top five is Episcopal (Jacksonville).

The Class 2A Eagles (25-4) were 3A regional finalists last year, losing current No. 6 Baldwin, 4-2, in last year’s 3A-Region 1 Final.

They are 2-0 to start the season with wins last week against Bishop Snyder (Jacksonville), 7-5, and at Providence (Jacksonville), 16-12.

Following No. 6 Baldwin in the top 10 are 5A regional semifinalist Middleburg (22-5), University Christian (Jacksonville), Creekside (St. Johns), and 10th-ranked Branford.

Middleburg (2-1) defeated Trinity Catholic (Ocala), 3-1, and No. 6 Baldwin, 10-7, and lost at No. 3 Trenton, 5-1, on Saturday.

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

THE PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2025 SOFTBALL POLL #1
(School, followed by classification, 2024 final record, first-place votes, record through 2/23, & total voting points)
1. Eustis (3A) (26-2) (7) (2-0) – 158
2. Montverde Academy (2A) (28-4) (1) (1-0) – 147
3. Trenton (Rural) (23-2) (1-0) – 143
4. Baker County (Glen St. Mary) (4A) (21-6) (2-0) – 134
5. Episcopal (Jacksonville) (2A) (25-4) (2-0) – 121
6. Baldwin (2A) (29-2) (2-1) – 118
7. Middleburg (5A) (22-5) (2-1) – 104
8. University Christian (Jacksonville) (1A) (19-8) (3-0) – 102
9. Creekside (St. Johns) (7A) (21-6) (2-0) – 85
10. Branford (Rural) (24-7) (2-1) – 75
11. Oakleaf (Orange Park) (6A) (18-9) (2-0) – 73
12. Fort White (Rural) (13-6) (2-1) – 66
13. Santa Fe (Alachua) (3A) (23-5) (2-0) – 65
14. Columbia (Lake City) (4A) (13-12) (2-1) – 56
15. Crystal River (3A) (22-6) (2-0) – 45
16. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (7A) (20-4) (1-1) – 44
17. Gainesville (5A) (24-5) (0-2) – 35
18. East Ridge (Clermont) (7A) (19-8) (3-0) – 34
19. Williston (Rural) (16-11) (2-1) – 21
20. Matanzas (Palm Coast) (5A) (19-5) (2-0) – 18
Also receiving votes: West Nassau (Callahan) (3A) (17-9) (0-1) – 10; Fleming Island (Orange Park) (5A) (19-8) (2-0) – 10; Deltona (5A) (18-6) (0-0) – 9; Newberry (2A) (17-6) (3-0) – 7.

Oak Hall cheerleading – 2025

Mike Ridaught
-
0
Oak Hall cheerleading – 2025

Wednesday, 5-6 p.m. – “The Prep Zone” Sports Show
ARCHIVE: https://www.mainstreetdailynews.com/prep-zone
Join Mainstreet Daily News Sports Director Mike Ridaught as he talks high school sports from your locally owned Sonic Drive-In of Gainesville (Archer Road). His guests for this episode include Oak Hall School cheerleading coach Kelley Thorp and the FHSAA state champion Eagles cheer team.

123...380Page 2 of 380

© The Prep Zone