Home Blog Page 3

The Prep Zone Power Poll powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville – 2024-25 Girls Basketball Poll #5

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

Wildwood dominates district tournament, remains No. 1

GAINESVILLE – The Wildwood girls basketball team remains on top of the all-classification regional rankings heading into the FHSAA state playoffs.

The Wildcats, the No. 1 team in the Rural classification, remained unbeaten following a dominating performance at last week’s District 7 tournament.

Wildwood (21-0) defeated Chiefland, 79-22, in the semifinals and pounded previous No. 2 Williston, 68-40, in the title game.

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

The Wildcats are the No. 1 seed in Rural-Region 4 and will host No. 4 seed Marathon on Thursday night in the regional semifinals.

Bolles (Jacksonville) moved up two spots to No. 2.

The Bulldogs (21-5), who received one first-place vote, won the 3A-District 4 title with a 59-28 win against previous No. 16 Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville) in the championship game. The Lady ‘Dogs, who have won 11 in a row, also defeated Fernandina Beach, 91-32, in the district semifinals.

They are the top seed in 3A-Region 1 and will host No. 8 seed Episcopal (Jacksonville) in the regional quarterfinals.

Bolles is one of three Duval County schools in the top five, along with No. 3 Providence (Jacksonville) and No. 4 Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville).

Providence, which is ranked third, received the other two first-place votes after winning the 2A-District 3 title. They defeated previous No. 10 San Jose Prep (Jacksonville), 60-39, in the district title game for their seventh straight win.

The Stallions (20-6) are the top seed in 2A-Region 1 and will host No. 8 seed Oak Hall (Gainesville) in the regional quarterfinals.

Bishop Kenny (23-4) has also won seven in a row since a 40-36 loss against No. 2 Bolles. The 4A-District 4 Champions defeated Menendez (St. Augustine), 59-17, to win the title.

They are the No. 1 seed in 4A-Region 1 and will host No. 8 seed Paxon (Jacksonville) in the regional quarterfinals.

New Smyrna Beach (22-5) rounds out the top five at No. 5.

The 5A-District 7 champion Barracudas, winners of 10 in a row, are the top seed in 5A-Region 2 and will host No. 8 seed Jones (Orlando) in the regional quarterfinals.

Williston, which is ranked second in the Rural classification, tumbled four spots to No. 6 following the loss at top-ranked Wildwood.

The Red Devils (18-3) defeated previous No. 12 Hawthorne, 57-44, in the district semifinals and they will face the 2-time defending state champion Hornets (12-4) again in Thursday’s regional semifinals.

Rounding out the top 10 are No. 7 The Villages, No. 8 Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine), No. 9 Ribault (Jacksonville), and 10th-ranked Creekside (St. Johns).

Class 5A-District 5 champion Leesburg (12-9) jumped into the rankings at No. 16.

This is the last poll until after the state semifinal and championship games in late February and early March.

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 #5
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, record through 2/8, and total voting points)
1. Wildwood (Rural) (7) (21-0) – 195
2. Bolles (Jacksonville) (4A) (1) (21-5) – 183
3. Providence (Jacksonville) (2A) (2) (20-6) – 180
4. Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (4A) (23-4) – 166
5. New Smyrna Beach (5A) (22-5) – 165
6. Williston (Rural) (18-3) – 155
7. The Villages (3A) (22-5) – 136
8. Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine) (6A) (17-7) – 126
9. Ribault (Jacksonville) (4A) (18-8) – 119
10. Creekside (St. Johns) (7A) (16-7) – 99
11. Trinity Catholic (Ocala) (2A) (17-9) – 96
12. Newberry (3A) (16-6) – 71
13. Gainesville (5A) (13-8) – 65
14. San Jose Prep (Jacksonville) (2A) (13-9) – 59
15. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (7A) (14-13) – 48
16. Leesburg (5A) (12-9) – 35
17. Ridgeview (Orange Park) (5A) (19-5) – 34
18. Hawthorne (Rural) (12-4) – 29
19. Bishop Snyder (Jacksonville) (2A) (19-8) – 26
20. Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville) (3A) (16-10) – 22
Also receiving votes: North Florida Educational Institute (Jacksonville) (1A) (16-12) – 20; West Port (Ocala) (7A) (16-8) – 18; Beachside (St. Johns) (5A) (14-9) – 16; Fort White (Rural) (15-7) – 11; Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (6A) (16-8) – 6; Nease (Ponte Vedra) (6A) (13-12) – 5; Orange Park (5A) (16-11) – 5; Bradford (Starke) (3A) (12-4) – 3; Eustis (4A) (18-4) – 3; Eastside (Gainesville) (4A) (12-10) – 2; Hilliard (Rural) (16-8) – 1; Mainland (Daytona Beach) (6A) (12-11) – 1.

P.K. Yonge Girls Soccer – 2025

Mike Ridaught
-
0
P.K. Yonge Girls Soccer – 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 (Archer Road). His guests for this episode include P.K. Yonge girls soccer coach Rebecca Schackow and the Lady Blue Wave soccer team, who recently won their sixth straight district title.

The Prep Zone Power Poll powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville – 2024-25 Boys Basketball Poll #4

Mike Ridaught
-
0
The Prep Zone Power Poll powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville – 2024-25 Boys Basketball Poll #4
Click on the logo for your free 7-day pass

Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville) remains unanimous No. 1 team as regular season comes to a close

GAINESVILLE — In a high school boys basketball season that has flown by, one team has been atop The Prep Zone Power Poll for the entire season.

And as the regular season wraps up this week and FHSAA district tournaments get going on Monday, Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville) continues to be the unanimous number one team in the all-classification regional rankings.

The Tigers (21-2) have wins over No. 3 Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine), No. 4 Ribault (Jacksonville), No. 6 Impact Christian Academy (Jacksonville), No. 7 Ponte Vedra, No. 9 Fleming Island (Orange Park), No. 10 Williston, No. 11 Gainesville, No. 13 University Christian (Jacksonville), and No. 16 Creekside (St. Johns).

Jackson’s only losses were by one point to Fleming Island and six points to Ribault. The Tigers received all 10 first-place votes again this week.

The Villages remain No. 2.

The Buffalo (17-5) have wins over Williston, Impact Christian, St. Mary’s (MI), and Windermere. Among their five losses were setbacks against state-ranked St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale), Gibbs (St. Petersburg), and University Christian.

Tocoi Creek stays 3rd. The Toros head into the final week of the regular season at 19-3, with the only losses to Jackson, Creekside, and RV St. Augustine.

Ribault moves up a spot to 4th. The Trojans (16-6) avenged an earlier season loss to Jackson by defeating the Tigers, 57-51, last Friday.

Undefeated Newberry (19-0) rounds out the top five.

The Panthers moved up five spots this week after knocking off two-time defending state champion Williston for the second time this season, beating the Red Devils, 47-45, on a shot at the buzzer last Friday. Newberry also has a win over 14th-ranked Hawthorne.

Impact Christian Academy (Jacksonville) also moved up five spots to start the second five.

The Lions (18-4) have won 11 games in a row and have beaten Creekside, Ponte Vedra, No. 15 Providence (Jacksonville), and RV Columbia (Lake City). Two of the four losses for Impact Christian were against the top two teams in the poll, Jackson and The Villages.

Ponte Vedra is ranked 7th, followed by Oakleaf (Orange Park) at No. 8, Fleming Island and Williston in the top 10.

Other Main Street Daily News area teams in the second ten include Gainesville, just out of the top ten at 11th, and 14th-ranked Hawthorne. The Hornets (13-2) are new to the poll this week.
Columbia is receiving votes.

Hawthorne (13-2), which is ranked 14th, No. 13 University Christian, No. 16 Creekside, and 19th-ranked Lecanto are all new to the rankings.

Falling out from the previous poll are Hilliard, North Marion (Citra), New Smyrna Beach, and Columbia.

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 #4
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, current 2024-25 record through 1/27, and total voting points)
1. Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville) (3A) (10) (21-2) – 200
2. The Villages (3A) (17-5) – 188
3. Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine) (6A) (19-3) – 175
4. Ribault (Jacksonville) (4A) (16-6) – 165
5. Newberry (3A) (19-0) – 151
6. Impact Christian Academy (Jacksonville) (1A) (18-4) – 144
7. Ponte Vedra (5A) (15-8) – 123
8. Oakleaf (Orange Park) (6A) (16-5) – 115
9. Fleming Island (Orange Park) (5A) (17-5) – 105
10. Williston (Rural) (13-9) – 92
11. Gainesville (5A) (17-6) – 87
12. Forest (Ocala) (6A) (18-4) – 81
13. University Christian (Jacksonville) (2A) (15-8) – 67
14. Hawthorne (Rural) (13-2) – 66
15. Providence (Jacksonville) (2A) (13-10) – 64
16. Creekside (St. Johns) (7A) (14-7) – 63
17. Eustis (4A) (15-7) – 58
18. Mandarin (Jacksonville) (6A) (17-5) – 31
19. Lecanto (5A) (20-2) – 25
20. Atlantic (Port Orange) (4A) (17-5) – 23
Also receiving votes: Hilliard (Rural) (12-4) – 17; North Marion (Citra) (4A) (15-6) – 16; Columbia (Lake City) (5A) (15-9) – 9; Leesburg (5A) (11-7) – 9; Fletcher (Neptune Beach) (6A) (16-5) – 8; New Smyrna Beach (5A) (15-6) – 4; Paxon (Jacksonville) (4A) (12-8) – 4; St. Augustine (5A) (15-5) – 3; Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (7A) (15-8) – 2.

Newberry Boys Basketball – 2025

Mike Ridaught
-
0
Newberry Boys Basketball – 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 and co-host Marty Pallman as they talk high school sports from your locally owned Sonic Drive-In of Gainesville (39th Avenue). Their guests for this episode include Newberry boys basketball coach Patrick Green and members of the Panthers boys basketball team, who are 20-0 heading into Senior Night on Thursday against P.K. Yonge.

The Prep Zone Power Poll powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville – 2024-25 Girls Basketball Poll #4

Mike Ridaught
-
0
The Prep Zone Power Poll powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville – 2024-25 Girls Basketball Poll #4
Click on the logo for your free 7-day pass

Unbeaten Wildwood takes over top spot

GAINESVILLE – There is only one undefeated team remaining in the region, and they are now on top of the all-classification rankings.

Wildwood, which is ranked No. 1 in the Rural classification and one of the top 10 overall teams in the state, moved up one spot in The Prep Zone Power Poll.

The Wildcats, who were 15-0 heading into the week, received six of the 10 first-place votes to earn top billing.

District foe Williston (14-2) is ranked No. 2.

The Lady Red Devils, who are in the same Rural District 7 as Wildwood and 2-time defending state champion Hawthorne, moved up four spots in the rankings following a 7-1 record since the last poll.

Among their victories was a 56-50 win against previous No. 1 Providence (Jacksonville) at the MLK tournament at Hawthorne High School last Saturday.

Williston, which has won five in a row since a 48-48 loss at receiving votes (RV) North Florida Educational Institute (Jacksonville) in December, also defeated current No. 13 Trinity Catholic (Ocala), 69-38, last week.

Providence, which is ranked 26th overall in Florida and 6th in Class 2A in the latest FHSAA rankings, dropped from first to third, but the Stallions (13-6) received three of the other four first-place votes.

Class 4A schools Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) and Bolles (Jacksonville) flip-flopped in the rankings to round out the top five. Last week the Bulldogs defeated the Crusaders, 40-36, and leap frogged over Bishop Kenny (17-4) and up to No. 4.

Bolles (15-5) received the other first-place vote.

New Smyrna Beach is ranked sixth, followed by The Villages, Ribault (Jacksonville), Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine), and Ridgeview (Orange Park) and San Jose Prep (Jacksonville), who are tied for 10th.

Bishop Snyder (Jacksonville), Newberry and Bradford (Starke) are new to the rankings at Nos. 15, 17 and 19, respectively.

Newberry (12-4) defeated previous No. 7 Hawthorne, 58-52, while Bradford also defeated the Hornets, 47-39, on Dec. 18.

The Tornadoes (12-4) lost to Newberry, 56-46, on Jan. 17. Both teams compete in Class 3A-District 3.

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 #4
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, record through 1/18, and total voting points)
1. Wildwood (Rural) (6) (15-0) – 192
2. Williston (Rural) (14-2) – 181
3. Providence (Jacksonville) (2A) (3) (13-6) – 177
4. Bolles (Jacksonville) (4A) (1) (15-5) – 173
5. Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (4A) (17-4) – 162
6. New Smyrna Beach (5A) (14-5) – 156
7. The Villages (3A) (16-3) – 123
8. Ribault (Jacksonville) (4A) (15-8) – 105
9. Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine) (6A) (12-6) – 103
10T. San Jose Prep (Jacksonville) (2A) (11-7) – 95
10T. Ridgeview (Orange Park) (5A) (13-3) – 95
12. Hawthorne (Rural) (7-3) – 89
13. Trinity Catholic (Ocala) (2A) (11-7) – 75
14. Creekside (St. Johns) (7A) (13-5) – 66
15. Bishop Snyder (Jacksonville) (2A) (16-4) – 64
16. Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville) (3A) (13-6) – 52
17. Newberry (3A) (12-4) – 46
18. Gainesville (5A) (8-7) – 38
19. Bradford (Starke) (3A) (12-4) – 24
20. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (7A) (9-10) – 20
Also receiving votes: West Port (Ocala) (7A) (13-7) – 13; Springstead (Spring Hill) (5A) (15-4) – 8; Fletcher (Neptune Beach) (6A) (14-6) – 7; Mainland (Daytona Beach) (6A) (9-7) – 7; North Florida Educational Institute (Jacksonville) (1A) (10-10) – 7; Forest (Ocala) (6A) (13-6) – 6; Atlantic Coast (Jacksonville) (7A) (8-5) – 5; Leesburg (5A) (7-7) – 4; Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (6A) (10-6) – 2; Paxon (Jacksonville) (4A) (10-7) – 2; Oakleaf (Orange Park) (6A) (11-9) – 1; Fort White (Rural) (10-6) – 1; Beachside (St. Johns) (5A) (8-8) – 1.

P.K. Yonge overwhelms Santa Fe on Senior Night

Mike Ridaught
-
0
P.K. Yonge overwhelms Santa Fe on Senior Night

By Natalia Lopez

On Thursday night, the P.K. Yonge girls soccer team celebrated Senior Night, honoring their seven seniors Faith Hardy, Elliot Pancoast, Mallory Dassa, Emma Mansfield, Mae Dodd, Marin Best, and Sydnie Colaw.

“They have done so much for this team, and they are all contributors,” said P.K. Yonge coach Rebecca Schackow.

It was a senior night success for the Blue Wave, who ended their regular season with a 9-1 mercy win against Santa Fe Raiders (Alachua) to finish the regular season at 12-2-1.

In the first half of the game, the Blue Wave did not let up their pressure with various attempts for goals from kickoff. The Lady Blue Wave dominated the field throughout the game, not letting the Raiders touch the ball.

Dodd started her senior night with the first goal made off a rebound from a corner kick by junior Paulina Cervantes.

A sibling duo on the field, Cervantes and Ellie Cervantes showcased remarkable chemistry, not only with each other but also with the entire team.

This duo controlled the field by switching the field and with their quick one-touch passes, the Raiders were unable to steal the ball.

“They are going to be the next leaders,” Schackow said. “They are the future.”

Paulina Cervantes scored a goal on an assist by Dassa putting them up 2-0.

Hardy was unstoppable and scored two goals in the first half on assists by Mansfield and Dodd.

This ended the first half with a score of 4-1 with the Blue Wave in the lead.

In the second half, the P.K. Yonge girls continued their relentless fight, starting with an opening play that resulted in a goal by Paulina Cervantes.

Shortly after, Hardy scored again, securing her hat trick.

Mansfield capped her senior night with a goal from a direct free kick ending the game to secure a mercy-rule victory.

“We have to stay very focused on our fitness and our focus. Being smart and being in great shape all the way to the bitter end. You can’t let up.” Schackow said. “We have the talent; we have the hard workers but the opponents out there that we are going to face are right there too.”

The P.K. Yonge girls are preparing for their journey to the state championship, determined to bring home the title in the weeks ahead after advancing to its first final four in program history last year.

Williston Girls Basketball – 2025

Mike Ridaught
-
0
Williston Girls Basketball – 2025

Wednesday, 7-8 p.m. – “The Prep Zone” Sports Show (Archer Road)
‘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 first-year Williston girls basketball coach Willie Powers and members of the Lady Red Devils basketball team who are currently 13-2 on the season.

The Prep Zone Power Poll powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville – 2024 Football Poll #13 (FINAL POLL)

Mike Ridaught
-
0
The Prep Zone Power Poll powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville – 2024 Football Poll #13 (FINAL POLL)

Click on the logo for your free 7-day pass

Raines (Jacksonville) finishes unanimous No. 1 in regional rankings after state runner-up finish

GAINESVILLE — The high school football season has come to a end for 2024, and only one team in The Prep Zone Power Poll area brought home a state title, the Madison County Cowboys.

But the team that finished at the top of the final all-classification regional rankings made it all the way to the state title game before tasting defeat.

The Raines (Jacksonville) Vikings went undefeated up to the 3A state championship game, before they ran into the Northwestern (Miami) Bulls at Pitbull Stadium at FIU in Miami. Raines came up short of their third state title since 2017, and they were blanked by Northwestern, 41-0.

But the state runner-up finish was enough to make Raines the unanimous number one team in The Prep Zone Power Poll as the Vikings (13-1) received all 10 first-place votes and moved up from 2nd in the previous poll.

St. Augustine finishes 2nd. The Yellow Jackets (11-2) advanced to the 4A state semifinals before being eliminated on the road at eventual state champion American Heritage (Plantation), 38-28.

Another state semifinalist, Buchholz (Gainesville), ends up 3rd.

The Bobcats (10-4) advanced to the state semifinal round for the fourth straight year, but unfortunately for the fourth straight year Buchholz was bounced in that round, this time, 41-35, by Osceola (Kissimmee).

The only state champion in the final poll, Madison County, finished fourth.

Champions of the Rural Classification, the Cowboys (10-3) moved up nine spots from the previous rankings as they defeated two-time defending state champion Hawthorne, 21-14, in the state title game at The Villages to win their first state title since 2021 and their seventh state football title overall, tying the Cowboys for fifth all-time.

Rounding out the top five is the previous number one ranked team, Nease (Ponte Vedra).

The Panthers (10-1) were undefeated in the regular season but were upset in the second round of the 6A playoffs by No. 11 Oakleaf (Orange Park), 31-14.

Leading off the second 10 are two teams tied for sixth, Vanguard (Ocala) and Hawthorne.

Vanguard (11-2) lost in the Region 2-4A final at eventual state runner-up Jones (Orlando), 27-13, while Hawthorne (10-2) played in its fifth consecutive title game but came up just a bit short against Madison County.

Bolles (Jacksonville) ended up 8th, followed by Newberry at No. 9, and Bradford (Starke) finished 10th. Newberry defeated Bradford, 34-19, in the Region 2-2A semifinal before being eliminated in the next round at eventual state champion Cocoa.

Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) moved up eight spots in the final rankings to No. 12 as the Conquerors (10-4) advanced to the 1A state semifinal.

New to the rankings in the final poll are 19th-ranked Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) along with University Christian. The Crusaders (9-4) moved into the poll after knocking off Baker County (Glen St. Mary) and Godby (Tallahassee) before being eliminated in the Region 1-3A final at Raines.

University Christian (7-6) also advanced to the Region 1-1A final, where they were knocked out by Trinity Christian.

Springstead (Spring Hill) and New Smyrna Beach dropped out from the previous poll.

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 weekly by sportswriters and sportscasters and it is powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville.

THE PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2024 FOOTBALL POLL #13 (FINAL POLL)
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, final 2024 record, and total voting points)
1. Raines (Jacksonville) (3A) (10) (13-1) – 200
2. St. Augustine (5A) (11-2) – 180
3. Buchholz (Gainesville) (6A) (10-4) – 174
4. Madison County (Rural) (10-3) – 155
5. Nease (Ponte Vedra) (6A) (10-1) – 145
6T. Hawthorne (Rural) (10-2) – 143
6T. Vanguard (Ocala) (4A) (11-2) – 143
8. Bolles (Jacksonville) (2A) (10-2) – 141
9. Newberry (2A) (10-3) – 112
10. Bradford (Starke) (2A) (9-2) – 96
11. Oakleaf (Orange Park) (6A) (9-4) – 91
12. Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (1A) (10-4) – 89
13. University (Orange City) (7A) (9-3) – 76
14. Union County (Lake Butler) (Rural) (10-2) – 73
15. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (7A) (8-4) – 60
16. Ponte Vedra (5A) (9-3) – 59
17. Mandarin (Jacksonville) (6A) (7-4) – 46
18. Flagler Palm Coast (7A) (9-2) – 35
19. Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (3A) (9-4) – 22
20T. Chiefland (Rural) (9-2) – 14
20T. University Christian (Jacksonville) (1A) (7-6) – 14
Also receiving votes: Williston (Rural) (8-5) – 13; Fleming Island (Orange Park) (8-4) – 9; Springstead (Spring Hill) (5A) (8-3) – 5; Dunnellon (3A) (8-4) – 2; Mainland (Daytona Beach) (5A) (5-6) – 2; New Smyrna Beach (4A) (8-3) – 2; Beachside (St. Johns) (5A) (7-4) – 1.

The Prep Zone Power Poll powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville – 2024-25 Boys Basketball Poll #3

Mike Ridaught
-
0
The Prep Zone Power Poll powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville – 2024-25 Boys Basketball Poll #3

Click on the logo for your free 7-day pass

Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville) still a unanimous No. 1

GAINESVILLE – Only a one-point loss separates the Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville) boys basketball team from an unbeaten regular season.

The Tigers (14-1) maintained their hold on the top spot of The Prep Zone Power Poll by going 8-1 since the last rankings of 2024.

Their only loss was against No. 13 Fleming Island (Orange Park), 55-54, in the Battle on the Island championship game on Dec. 20.

Jackson, which moved up No. 4 overall in the new FHSAA rankings and No. 2 in Class 3A, had wins against current No. 3 Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine), 52-44, at No. 5 Ribault (Jacksonville), 65-52, and a 65-44 win at home against No. 8 Williston this past Friday night to remain No. 1 in the all-classification regional rankings.

They received all 10 first-place votes to finish ahead of The Villages, which moved up three spots to No. 2.

The Buffalo went 8-2 with their only losses coming to receiving votes University Christian (Jacksonville), 60-59, and to nationally ranked #63 Gibbs (St. Pete), 61-56, at the Sun Bash tournament in Tampa.

They also had wins at previously RV Buchholz (Gainesville), 81-50, and against No. 11 Impact Christian Academy (Jacksonville), 80-62. They are ranked 10th overall in Florida, 3rd in 3A, and among the top teams in the country by MaxPreps (34th nationally).

Class 6A Tocoi Creek (14-1) moved up six spots to No. 3 following a 7-1 record. Their only loss was against top-ranked Jackson, 52-44, at the Fortegra High School 9:12 Invitational (Dec. 12).

Class 2A Providence (Jacksonville) (11-5) is ranked fourth, while Ribault (10-3) rounds out the top five.

Ponte Vedra (10-4) is ranked sixth, followed by Oakleaf (Orange Park), Williston, Gainesville, and Newberry in the top 10.

GHS, which is ranked 6th in Class 5A, lost a close one to Jackson, 53-50, at the Battle on the Island last month. The Hurricanes (11-5) moved up one spot to No. 9, while Newberry made the biggest jump from receiving votes to into the top 10.

The Panthers (10-0), who have yet to lose this season, defeated previously unbeaten Lecanto, which is receiving votes, 70-50, at the Florida Get Down Holiday Showcase on Dec. 27.

Atlantic (Port Orange) (12-3) is new to the rankings at No. 16, while Class 5A Columbia (Lake City) (10-6) moved into the rankings at No. 20 thanks to a current 5-game winning streak.

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 #3
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, current 2024-25 record through 1/4, and total voting points)
1. Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville) (3A) (10) (14-1) – 200
2. The Villages (3A) (14-3) – 179
3. Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine) (6A) (14-1) – 162
4. Providence (Jacksonville) (2A) (11-5) – 160
5. Ribault (Jacksonville) (4A) (10-3) – 159
6. Ponte Vedra (5A) (10-4) – 150
7. Oakleaf (Orange Park) (6A) (10-3) – 128
8. Williston (Rural) (10-6) – 119
9. Gainesville (5A) (11-5) – 109
10. Newberry (3A) (10-0) – 101
11. Impact Christian Academy (Jacksonville) (1A) (8-4) – 89
12. Eustis (4A) (10-5) – 86
13. Fleming Island (Orange Park) (5A) (10-3) – 78
14. Forest (Ocala) (6A) (11-3) – 76
15. Mandarin (Jacksonville) (6A) (11-3) – 57
16. Atlantic (Port Orange) (4A) (12-3) – 54
17. Hilliard (Rural) (7-3) – 36
18. North Marion (Citra) (4A) (10-3) – 34
19. New Smyrna Beach (5A) (9-3) – 19
20. Columbia (Lake City) (5A) (10-6) – 18
Also receiving votes: Episcopal (Jacksonville) (3A) (8-7) – 17; Hawthorne (Rural) (4-0) – 15; Lecanto (5A) (10-1) – 12; Mainland (Daytona Beach) (6A) (7-6) – 12; Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (7A) (10-4) – 12; St. Augustine (5A) (9-2) – 6; University Christian (Jacksonville) (2A) (7-7) – 4; Paxon (Jacksonville) (4A) (6-4) – 3; Creekside (St. Johns) (7A) (8-7) – 3; Leesburg (5A) (6-5) – 2.

The Prep Zone Power Poll powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville – 2024-25 Girls Basketball Poll #3

Mike Ridaught
-
0
The Prep Zone Power Poll powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville – 2024-25 Girls Basketball Poll #3

Click on the logo for your free 7-day pass

New No. 1 in all-classification girls hoops rankings

GAINESVILLE – The Class 2A Providence (Jacksonville) girls basketball team is the new No. 1 in The Prep Zone Power Poll.

Following a 4-0 record since the last poll, the Stallions (7-1) moved up one spot in the all-classification regional rankings

Providence, which has been to back-to-back final fours, received seven of the nine first-place votes. They had wins against receiving votes (RV) Oakleaf (Orange Park), 62-39, at No. 12 Trinity Catholic (Ocala), 62-58, at No. 17 Ridgeview (Orange Park), 65-31, and against previously RV Bartram Trail (St. Johns), 71-41.

Wildwood (8-0), which is ranked 5th in Florida and No. 1 in the Rural Division, and No. 8 overall in Florida and No. 1 in 5A New Smyrna Beach, are tied for second. They each received a first-place vote.

Previous No. 1 Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville), last year’s 4A state runner-up, dropped three spots to fourth.

The Crusaders (6-2) defeated current No. 18 Paxon (Jacksonville), 58-16, RV Oakleaf (Orange Park), 60-17, and No. 10 Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine), 43-33. They lost 48-43 to Ribault (Jacksonville), which entered this week’s rankings at No. 16.

Rounding out the top five is 4A Bolles (Jacksonville) after a 5-0 record since the last rankings.

The Bulldogs (7-3) had wins against Episcopal (Jacksonville), 70-24, vs. No. 15 Gainesville, 87-64, at No. 10 Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine), 71-46, vs. Seffner Christian, 72-21, and they defeated #35 overall in Florida (MaxPreps rankings) and 7A No. 5 Haines City, 74-43.

Williston, Hawthorne, Spruce Creek (Port Orange), San Jose Prep (Jacksonville), and Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine) round out the top 10.

The 6th-ranked Lady Red Devils, who are coached by former P.K. Yonge girls coach Willie Powers, are off to a 7-1 start. Their only loss was at No. 7 overall in Florida and 4A No. 1 Rickards (Tallahassee), 58-52.

Two-time defending state champion Hawthorne dropped four spots to No. 7 but the Lady Hornets (1-0) had only played one game heading into Wednesday night’s game at Bradford (Starke).

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 #3
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, record through 12/17, and total voting points)
1. Providence (Jacksonville) (2A) (7) (7-1) – 177
2T. New Smyrna Beach (5A) (1) (8-0) – 160
2T. Wildwood (Rural) (1) (8-0) – 160
4. Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (4A) (6-2) – 159
5. Bolles (Jacksonville) (4A) (7-3) – 146
6. Williston (Rural) (7-1) – 113
7. Hawthorne (Rural) (1-0) – 105
8. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (7A) (5-3) – 102
9. San Jose Prep (Jacksonville) (2A) (5-3) – 86
10. Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine) (6A) (7-4) – 75
11. Creekside (St. Johns) (7A) (9-2) – 59
12T. Trinity Catholic (Ocala) (2A) (5-3) – 54
12T. Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville) (3A) (8-1) – 54
14. The Villages (3A) (6-1) – 50
15. Gainesville (5A) (4-3) – 45
16. Ribault (Jacksonville) (4A) (6-5) – 43
17. Ridgeview (Orange Park) (5A) (5-2) – 39
18T. Atlantic Coast (Jacksonville) (7A) (6-2) – 38
18T. Paxon (Jacksonville) (4A) (6-2) – 38
20. Beachside (St. Johns) (5A) (5-3) – 37
Also receiving votes: Bishop Snyder (Jacksonville) (2A) (10-4) – 32; Leesburg (5A) (3-4) – 23; Fort White (Rural) (7-2) – 21; University Christian (Jacksonville) (2A) (1-2) – 16; Mainland (Daytona Beach) (6A) (4-4) – 12; Forest (Ocala) (6A) (7-2) – 12; Flagler Palm Coast (7A) (8-0) – 8; Fletcher (Neptune Beach) (6A) (8-2) – 5; Trenton (Rural) (7-2) – 5; Ponte Vedra (5A) (5-5) – 5; Mount Dora Christian Academy (1A) (5-3) – 5; Springstead (Spring Hill) (5A) (8-2) – 3; Florida School for the Deaf & Blind (St. Augustine) (1A) (8-0) – 2; Oakleaf (Orange Park) (6A) (5-6) – 1.

1234...380Page 3 of 380

© The Prep Zone