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Rising Senior – Grace Oelrich (Newberry High School)

Mike Ridaught
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Rising Senior – Grace Oelrich (Newberry High School)

We are recognizing the top athletes from the Class of 2021. It will include athletes from the following counties: Alachua, Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Levy, Marion, and Union.

Name: Grace Oelrich
School: Newberry High School
What sports will you participate in during your senior year? Volleyball
What position(s) will you play? Middle Blocker
Career stats: 572 kills, 188 blocks and 46 aces heading into SR year
Achievements (Academic and/or Athletic): 3-year honor-roll student, Spanish Honor Society member, finished 3rd place for Florida Dairy Farmers Class 1A Player of the Year in 2019.
Favorite high school sports moments so far: “Winning the state semi-final game against Branford. I will never forget the emotions and excitement flowing through everyone that afternoon.”
Favorite quote: “Hard work always beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”
What are you looking forward to most about your senior year: “I am looking forward to being able to run out of that locker room one last time and play my last season of volleyball with my best friends.”
Goals for senior year: Win state and graduate in the top 10 of my class
College offers or interest: I am verbally committed to Row at Rollins College in Orlando, Florida.

Rising Senior – Taria Liles (Bell High School)

Mike Ridaught
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Rising Senior – Taria Liles (Bell High School)

We are recognizing the top athletes from the Class of 2021.  It will include athletes from the following counties:  Alachua, Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Levy, Marion, and Union.

Name: Taria Liles
School: Bell High school
What sports will you participate in during your senior year? Volleyball, Basketball, and Softball
What position(s) will you play? Volleyball- outside hitter; Basketball- Forward; Softball- pitcher
Stats for volleyball: 107 aces (led state of Florida in Class 1A), and finished top 10 in kills (411) and digs (296) and as a junior for the 27-2 Bulldogs
Achievements: All-Area 1st team Gainesville Sun, Class 1A Player of the Week for Florida (sept. 30th) as a junior; All-Area Honorable Mention (sophomore); team honor- the Horizon award
Favorite high school sports moment so far: beating Trenton to go to state in volleyball (2018)
Favorite quote: “Taria get outside more.”- Head coach Drue Barry
What are you looking forward to most about your senior year: “Senior night for volleyball. I’ve been looking forward to this moment since I was little.”
Goals for your senior season: “My goals are to have more kills then I did last year, to get better every game, and go all the way to state.”
College offers or interest: FGC, Valdosta State, and Eckerd

The Pride edges The Glory, 6-4, in Marion County softball send-off game

Mike Ridaught
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The Pride edges The Glory, 6-4, in Marion County softball send-off game

By Mike Ridaught
Twitter – @ridaught

On Wednesday night at the Belleview Softball Complex, the Class of 2020 were able to put on a softball uniform one final time in a Marion County send-off game.

The game, which was organized by Belleview softball coach Gary Greer, featured senior softball players from five Marion County public schools.

The Pride, which included Belleview and Vanguard, defeated The Glory (Lake Weir, North Marion, Forest), 6-4, in front of a socially distanced crowd.

“This was a win for both sides because we made sure that the virus would not be our last memory,” said Greer, who was the head coach of the The Pride. “All the coaches, fans and players who participated tonight made sure that the softball community would end the 2020 season with a memory for a lifetime.”

The Pride jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning.

Vanguard’s Elisabeth Rodriguez, a Trinity Baptist College signee, reached on an error to start the game and scored on an RBI single by her high school teammate Brook Moody.

Moody, who finished 2-for-3, scored the second run and Belleview’s PJ Clemons, a Seminole State College signee, also scored in the inning after a single to right field.

Belleview’s Autumn Oglesby, a 2-time Ocala Star-Banner Pitcher of the Year, started the game in the circle.

After Lake Weir’s Aubrey Maedei and North Marion’s Justine Blackmer walked with one out, Oglesby was able to get Lake Weir’s Zoey Dellinger to pop up to first and then she struck out North Marion’s Destiny Hamilton to end the inning.

“Autumn did what she has done for her entire career,” said Greer. “Get big outs in the biggest of moments. It was very fitting she was on the mound to finish a perfect 2020 when no one could beat her.”

Oglesby, who struck out three in four innings of work, got the win and was recognized as the Sonic Drive-In Player of the Game.

“The day before (on Monday) was my first time pitching in like four months,” said Oglesby, who decided to forego an athletic career at the next level and will instead attend Rasmussen College and pursue a degree in radiology.

She was also 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI and a run scored.

“I haven’t hit since like last year, so I was super surprised that I even hit the ball tonight,” she said. “It was a good time.”

Moody, who was also 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored, came in relief in the fourth inning and struck out the side. She allowed an unearned run in the sixth inning as The Glory closed the gap to 5-3.

The Pride added an insurance run in the top of the 7th on Oglesby’s RBI single to centerfield.

In the bottom of the seventh, Forest High School’s Hannah Meyer had a one-out triple and scored on an infield hit by Lake Weir’s Victoria Phillips.

With the tying run at the plate, Oglesby was able to get Forest’s Hannah Pirkl to ground into a double play to end the game.

But in what would be the final softball game of 2020, this was a win for both teams according to Greer.

“I was happy to see the excitement in many of the girls getting a chance to go out having one last chance to swing a bat or field a ball, and to do so in front of family and friends,” he said.

Marion County Senior Send-Off | Softball

Mike Stanton
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Marion County Senior Send-Off | Softball

Wednesday, June 24 – Join Mike Ridaught (Play-by-play) & Corey Davis (Color/Camera) for this Marion County senior send-off game from the Belleview Sports Complex.

Chiefland football preview

Mike Ridaught
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Chiefland football preview

By Mike Ridaught
Twitter – @ridaught

The number one question for Chiefland football entering the 2020 season centers around its graduated signal caller.

How do you replace dual-threat quarterback Ty Corbin?

The Gainesville Sun’s Player of the Year helped lead the Indians (8-5) to a spot in the Class 1A regional finals, before falling at Pahokee, 32-27.

He threw for 1,498 yards with 17 touchdowns and only five interceptions, and he also rushed for 1,245 yards and 16 touchdowns.

It was the second straight Region Final for the Indians, who lost at eventual state champion Madison County in 2018.

Last year against Pahokee, as they had done at Newberry a week earlier in the postseason, the Indians rallied from a 13-point deficit and took a one-point lead in the final quarter.

After trailing late, Chiefland drove down to the Blue Devils’ 7-yard-line in the final minutes but fumbled the ball, denying the Indians of their first state semifinal appearance in over 20 years.

The previous week, Corbin ran for a season-high 195 yards on 27 carries and scored three second-half touchdowns as the Indians rallied from a 13-0 halftime deficit to stun Newberry, 20-19.

There’s no question what it meant to have #1 in the blue and gold.

But it wasn’t just Corbin.

The Indians also lost their top running back Sedrik Moultrie, who was No. 2 on the team in rushing with 546 yards on only 75 carries (7.3 ypc). He also had 77 tackles with nine for a loss and three interceptions.

Also gone are key members of the offensive line in center Braden Firestine and Logan Firestine, who graded out as the top offensive lineman for the Indians.

Leading receiver Zac Hall (team-leading 29 catches for 538 yards & 8 TDs) is gone, along with AJ Lee (20.8 yards per reception with five TDs).  They also saw some time on the defensive side of the ball.

Chiefland does have some key returning players in senior linemen Elijah Flanders (OL/DL), Landon Weatherford (OL), and DL Jake Kline.

But the Indians only return four starters on offense and three on defense.

“We will need to play well in the kicking game, improve on the number of penalties, turnovers, and negative plays in order to have positive results this season,” said head coach John Palmer, who led Port St. Joe to Class 1A state titles in 2005 and 2014.

Palmer enters is second season with a lot of questions, especially since Covid-19 wiped out spring practice.

“The summer will be critical for us to gain a mentality that will allow us to become a team that is capable of competing for wins this year,” he said.

Chiefland will open the up the regular season at home on August the 21st against Class 5A Citrus (Inverness).

The Indians will once again compete in 1A-Region 4, which includes 2019 playoff teams Hawthorne, Newberry, Pahokee, Trenton, and Wildwood.

But with six of the 10 teams in the region earning a postseason berth, there’s no question that the Indians will be in the mix.

School: Chiefland High School
Coach & year: John Palmer (2nd)
2019 record: 8-5 (advanced to the third round of the 1A playoffs)
Number of returning offensive/defensive starters: 4 Offense/ 3 Defense
Key losses: Ty Corbin, Zac Hall, Sedrick Moultrie, AJ Lee, Braden Firestine, Logan Firestine, Avery Gabel, Levi Warmack.
Key returning players (Name, position, year): Elijah Flanders, OL/ DL, Sr.; Landon Weatherford OL, Sr.; Jake Kline, DL, Sr.
Key newcomers (Name, position, year): Missed spring ball so that is difficult to state.
Most important position battles heading into the fall: Quarterback Battles
Outlook/expectations: “Outlook is that the summer will be critical for us to gain a mentality that will allow us to become a team that is capable of competing for wins this year. We will need to play well in the kicking game improve on the number of penalties, turnovers, and negative plays in order to have positive results this season. Expectation – our expectation is to compete every day.” – John Palmer

2020 Football Schedule
8/14 at Union County (Lake Butler), Kickoff Classic
8/21 vs. Citrus (Inverness)
8/28 at Wildwood
9/4 at Lafayette (Mayo)
9/11 vs. Hudson
9/18 at Dixie County
9/25 vs. West Oaks Academy (Orlando)
10/2 at Trenton
10/9 vs. Hamilton County (Jasper)
10/16 at North Florida Educational Institute (Jacksonville)
10/30 vs. Williston

Class 1A-Region 4 (top 6 make postseason)
Bronson
Chiefland
Crescent City
Fort Meade
Hawthorne
Newberry
Pahokee
Trenton
Wildwood
Williston

Pair of Columbia baseball players sign to play at the next level

Mike Ridaught
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Pair of Columbia baseball players sign to play at the next level

Columbia (Lake City) baseball seniors Lance Minson and Hunter Thomas won’t get a chance to defend their multiple district titles due to Covid-19.

However, the pair of Tigers made it official that they would get the opportunity to play baseball again by signing with a pair of Division II schools.

Minson, who helped the Tigers to their 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th consecutive Class 7A-District 3 Championships as a 4-year letterman, signed with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, which is located in Daytona Beach and a member of the prestigious Sunshine State Conference of Florida.

“Signing to play for Embry Riddle was a great feeling knowing that all the hard work I put in paid off for me not only so I can extend my baseball career but my education as well,” said Minson, who also led the Tigers’ golf team to a 7th-Place finish in the school’s first state tournament appearance since 1999.

There were several things that stood out to Minson about his school of choice.

“The facilities and campus at Embry Riddle in Daytona are top-notch and looked ‘super modern’ and amazing,” said Minson. “The Florida D II Sunshine State Conference is extremely competitive and with all the resources offered to the ERAU baseball program, this really rounded off an offer I couldn’t refuse.”

Minson hit for a .340 average and near .700 slugging percentage with three home runs and eight doubles in his last full season with Columbia.  He was tied for the team lead with three doubles for the 4-4 Tigers this season.

Hunter Thomas, the son of Columbia head coach Brian Thomas, is headed to Glenville State College in Glenville, West Virginia. The Pioneers play baseball in the Mountain East Conference.

Thomas helped the Tigers to three district titles while being a 3-year letterman.

His favorite quote is from his dad – “Play like it’s your last.”

Fortunately for Minson and Thomas, it wasn’t the last time they would play the game of baseball.

Bradford football preview

Mike Ridaught
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Bradford football preview

By Marty Pallman
Twitter – @mpallman

The 2019 season was a tale of two seasons for the Bradford (Starke) Tornadoes and head coach Brian Tomlinson.

The first half saw a 1-4 start with four straight losses to playoff teams Baldwin, Pierce County (GA), West Nassau (Callahan), and University Christian (Jacksonville) by a combined 22 points.

But then Bradford caught fire, winning three of their next four games, with the only loss by two points at another playoff team, South Sumter (Bushnell).

Despite a 4-5 regular season record, the Tornadoes qualified for the 4A playoffs, and had to go on the road. After a 21-0 shutout at Gadsden County (Havana) in the opening round, Bradford got its revenge against West Nassau in the Region 1-4A semifinal with a 45-13 romp in Callahan.

The Tornadoes then played eventual 4A state runner-up Bolles (Jacksonville) to the wire in the region final the following week, before coming up a bit short 16-6.

The playoff run last season comes on the heels of Bradford advancing to the 4A state semifinals in 2017.

Tomlinson is building a consistent winner in Starke and enters his fourth season as head coach of the Tornadoes with three consecutive playoff appearances.

There will be some changes for Bradford in 2020.

The Tornadoes do return six starters on offense but only four on defense.
Tomlinson says there will be some major battles going into fall camp.

“Losing four starters on the defensive line is going to create a challenge to find their replacements,” he said.

Among those losses are graduated defensive end Ahmon Jefferson, who led Bradford with 125 tackles, including 31 tackles for loss and 15 and a half sacks in 2019, and Gavin Woods from both lines of scrimmage.

Tomlinson hopes the younger guys can step up on the line, although his defensive secondary will be experienced.

Junior free safety A’dontae Balfour, who led Bradford with seven interceptions and added 52 tackles in 2019, returns along with senior safety Sterling Roberts, who had 74 tackles a season ago, and another senior defensive back in Travis Lee.

On the offensive side of the ball, Bradford returns its quarterback and top rusher from last season.

Senior Pedro Carter threw for 851 yards and nine touchdowns and was the third leading rusher in 2019 with 502 yards on 96 carries and five scores.

Last year’s leading rusher senior Erric Smith returns after a 2019 season where he ran for 1,012 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground.

Bradford did lose its second leading rusher from last season, Brian Foster, who rushed for 515 yards a year ago.

The Bradford offensive line is shored up by senior Levontre Daniels and senior tight end Austin Lovell. Lovell caught 11 passes for 219 yards and five TD’s as a junior in 2019.

Balfour also lines up at wide receiver, where he led the Tornadoes in receiving with 17 catches for 312 yards and five scores a year ago.

Tomlinson sees a lot of talent coming back to Bradford in 2020. But a lot of that talent is young.

“We are going to be very young this year,” Tomlinson said. “We have a very talented group of seniors but there aren’t very many. Our young are also talented, but they lack experience.”

The schedule is challenging again as Bradford will open up at rival Baker County (Glen St. Mary), then host back-to-back games against two playoff teams from a year ago in Baldwin and Keystone Heights. Then road games at University Christian (Jacksonville) and Suwannee (Live Oak), followed by a home game as powerhouse Cardinal Gibbons (Fort Lauderdale) comes to Starke.

The back part of the slate is little more manageable with three straight home games but there are still tough games against South Sumter (Bushnell) and Fort White the last two weeks.

If Bradford can get their young players set early in the season, especially on their offensive and defensive lines, a fourth straight playoff appearance under Coach Tomlinson should be in order.

School: Bradford High School
2019 Record: 6-6 (advanced to third round of 4A playoffs)
Coach & year: Brian Tomlinson (4th year, 22-14 overall)
Number of returning offensive/defensive starters: offense-6/defense-4
Key losses: Nedro Davis, Malik Hankerson, Ahmon Jefferson, Gavin Woods
Key returning players (Name, position, year): Erric Smith-RB/SR, Sterling Roberts-DB/SR, Austin Lovell-TE/SR, Levontre Daniels-OL/SR, A’dontae Balfour-WR-DB/SR, Pedro Carter-QB/SR, Travis Lee-DB/SR
Key newcomers (Name, position, year): Could have several Freshmen and Sophomores step up as major contributors for this team.
Most important position battles heading into the fall: Losing 4 starters on the defensive line is going to create a challenge to find their replacements.
Outlook/expectations: We are going to be very young this year. We have a very talented group of seniors but there aren’t very many. Our young guys are also talented, but they lack experience.

2020 Football Schedule
8/14 at Newberry (Kickoff Classic)
8/21 at Baker County (Glen St. Mary)
8/28 vs. Baldwin
9/4 vs. Keystone Heights
9/11 at University Christian (Jacksonville)
9/18 at Suwannee (Live Oak)
9/25 vs. Cardinal Gibbons (Fort Lauderdale)
10/9 at P.K Yonge (Gainesville)
10/16 vs. Palatka
10/23 vs. South Sumter (Bushnell)
10/30 vs. Fort White

Region 1-4A (top six teams make playoffs)
Bay (Panama City)
Bolles (Jacksonville)
Bradford (Starke)
Fernandina Beach
Gadsden County (Havana)
Marianna
North Bay Haven Academy (Panama City)
Rutherford (Panama City)
Santa Fe (Alachua)
South Walton (Santa Rosa Beach)
West Nassau (Callahan)

Looking back at 2019-2020

Mike Ridaught
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Looking back at 2019-2020

By Marty Pallman
Twitter – @mpallman

The 2019-2020 year in high school sports will never be forgotten in North Central Florida. The COVID-19 pandemic has made it certain the year won’t be forgotten as well across the country and the world.

My top moments of 2019-20

1.Coronavirus cancels last two and half months of school and sports season
T2. Hawthorne boys win state basketball title
T2. Hawthorne girls win state basketball title
4. Columbia boys basketball advances to state semifinals
5. Chiefland beats Newberry and nearly beats Pahokee in football playoffs
6. Trenton softball wins first ten games to extend winning streak to 37 in a row
7. Alissa Humphrey dominance – 4 no hitters, 3 perfect games in 5 starts
8. Santa Fe girls play for state volleyball title again
9. Vanguard football wins nine games and advances to third rounds of playoffs again
10. Defending volleyball champion Vanguard advances back to state title game

A look back at Fall 2019: Three area volleyball teams advance to state championship game…Vanguard, who won 7A state title in 2018, advanced to 5A title game and lost to Ponte Vedra 3-0. Santa Fe made second consecutive state championship game appearance, losing to nationally-ranked Orlando Lake Highland Prep for 4A title. Raiders lost to Merritt Island for 6A title in 2018. Newberry advanced to 2nd state championship game in four years, but lost in four sets to Sneads, who won seventh straight 1A state title. Newberry had lost to Sneads in 1A final in 2016. Bell went 27-2 but was upset in region final by Branford in five sets. And Buchholz went 22-6 and advanced to 6A regional finals where they were eliminated by eventual state champion Tallahassee Leon. Here is a look at our final Prep Zone Power Poll for girls volleyball as 5A champion Ponte Vedra finished on top:

The Prep Zone Power Poll – 2019 Volleyball Poll #11 (FINAL POLL)
(School, city, classification, first-place votes, final record, and total voting points)
1. Ponte Vedra (5A) (6) (25-6) – 157
2. Trinity Catholic (Ocala) (3A) (2) (23-7) – 148
3. Santa Fe (Alachua) (4A) (21-10) – 140
4. Buchholz (Gainesville) (6A) (22-6) – 135
5. Forest (Ocala) (6A) (22-7) – 127
6. Vanguard (Ocala) (5A) (16-11) – 126
7. Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (4A) (19-11) – 90
8. Fleming Island (Orange Park) (6A) (16-6) – 82
9. Seven Rivers Christian (Lecanto) (2A) (24-4) – 81
10. Lecanto (5A) (25-4) – 73
11. Bell (1A) (27-2) – 69
12. Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (7A) (19-9) – 67
13. East Ridge (Clermont) (7A) (21-6) – 61
14. Branford (1A) (22-6) – 54
15. Christ’s Church Academy (Jacksonville) (2A) (23-7) – 44
16. Newberry (1A) (18-13) – 40
17. Nature Coast Tech (Brooksville) (4A) (20-10) – 32
18. Yulee (4A) (22-5) – 26
19. Montverde Academy (4A) (15-11) – 25
20. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (7A) (17-11) – 24
Also receiving votes: Ridgeview (Orange Park) (5A) (18-6) – 22; First Academy-Leesburg (2A) (17-2) – 18; DeLand (7A) (16-7) – 17; Creekside (St Johns) (6A) (14-10) – 8; Menendez (St. Augustine) (4A) (16-8) – 7; Fletcher (Neptune Beach) (6A) (20-5) – 4; Mandarin (Jacksonville) (7A) (20-6) – 2; New Smyrna Beach (6A) (15-12) – 1.

The football season was a mixed bag in Alachua County. Hawthorne, who advanced to the state semifinals in 2018, had another successful season, making it back to the playoffs and advancing to the second round. It was a tough year for the Gainesville-area public schools, as Gainesville, Buchholz, and Eastside all failed to advance to the postseason after all three made the playoffs the previous year. Santa Fe also missed the postseason. Eastside was expected to have a big year with University of Florida signee Anthony Richardson at quarterback, but Richardson was injured halfway through the year and the Rams struggled to a 2-8 record, and head coach Cedderick Daniels was let go and replaced by Buchholz assistant Alex Deleon. Gainesville fired Patrick Miller and replaced him with Dock Pollard from Santa Fe. Meanwhile Newberry, who was only had 1 win in 2018, rebounded to a 9-1 record under first-year coach Ed Johnson and was the #1 seed in Region 4-1A. Unfortunately, Newberry was knocked out in the second round of the 1A playoffs by Chiefland, who started the season 1-4 under another first-year coach in John Palmer, but rebounded to win their next seven games and advanced to the Region 4-1A final. Led by quarterback Ty Corbin, who was the Gainesville Sun’s Small School Player of the Year, Chiefland nearly pulled off another upset at Pahokee before being downed 32-27 in the region final. Chiefland’s run through the second half of the season and the playoffs was my top story of Fall 2019 in the Gainesville area. Oak Hall won their first playoff game in many years, but a tough offseason brought many transfers and with it came the announcement that the Eagles will be playing 8-man football this fall for the 2020 season. Also advancing to the third round in football was Bradford in 4A and Union County in 1A.

In Marion County, 2019 was another big year for the Vanguard Knights, as they advanced to the playoffs for the fifth straight year, where the advanced to the 5A region final, beating North Marion along the way. After a state runner-up finish in 2018, North Marion finished last year 9-3 after knocking off Dunnellon in the opening round of the 5A playoffs and then losing at Vanguard in the second round. and coach Willie Offord announced recently he is stepping down as Colts coach. Dunnellon had quite a season, finishing 9-2 and won District 6-5A with wins over Vanguard and North Marion during the regular season. Trinity Catholic made it back to the playoffs, and upset Jacksonville Trinity Christian before losing in the second round at Pensacola Catholic. And with that Andrew Thomas left Trinity Catholic for Union County, and John Brantley is back for his second stint as the coach of the Celtics.

Here is a look at the final Prep Zone Power Poll for the 2019 football season. Madison County, who won it’s third straight 1A state title, finishes on top of the final rankings:

THE PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2019 FOOTBALL POLL #14 (FINAL)
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, final record, and total voting points)
1. Madison County (1A) (7) (12-2) – 177
2. Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (8A) (2) (11-1) – 160
3. Bolles (Jacksonville) (4A) (11-2) – 158
4. Vanguard (Ocala) (5A) (9-3) – 149
5. Fleming Island (Orange Park) (7A) (10-1) – 138
6. North Marion (Citra) (5A) (9-3) – 131
7. Robert E. Lee (Jacksonville) (6A) (9-4) – 126
8. University Christian (Jacksonville) (2A) (11-2) – 124
9. Columbia (Lake City) (6A) (8-4) – 108
10. Dunnellon (5A) (9-2) – 85
11. South Sumter (Bushnell) (9-3) – 79
12. Raines (Jacksonville) (5A) (6-5) – 66
13T. Lake Minneola (Minneola) (6A) (9-4) – 65
13T. Trinity Catholic (Ocala) (3A) (8-4) – 65
15. DeLand (8A) (7-3) – 52
16. Mainland (Daytona Beach) (6A) (7-5) – 40
17. Flagler Palm Coast (8A) (8-3) – 32
18. Bradford (Starke) (4A) (6-6) – 21
19. Ponte Vedra (6A) (7-3) – 18
20. The Villages (4A) (8-3) – 15
Also receiving votes: Chiefland (1A) (8-5) – 13; Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (3A) (5-6) – 12; Newberry (1A) (9-2) – 10; Episcopal (Jacksonville) (3A) (10-2) – 9; Oakleaf (Orange Park) (8A) (7-3) – 9; Mandarin (Jacksonville) (8A) (7-4) – 6; Taylor County (Perry) (1A) (7-4) – 5; West Nassau (Callahan) (4A) (8-3) – 5; Atlantic (Port Orange) (5A) (8-4) – 3; Lafayette (Mayo) (1A) (9-2) – 2; Union County (Lake Butler) (1A) (7-6) – 1.

As we moved on to the winter sports season, boys and girls basketball dominated the news.

But some area soccer teams had success as well. P.K Yonge, Buchholz, Eastside, and Gainesville boys soccer teams all advanced to the playoffs. Gainesville was the only team to advance past the first round, and they made it to the 5A regional final before losing to Jacksonville Stanton.

In girls soccer, Oak Hall, P.K. Yonge, Eastside, Vanguard, and Buchholz all advanced to the playoffs but all lost in the opening round.

Top moment of winter 2019-2020: Basketball season on the other hand saw plenty of success. What a season it was in Hawthorne. Starting in girls basketball where the Lady Hornets won their first state basketball title in school history. It started in 2019, as Cornelius Ingram led the Hawthorne girls to their first state semifinal appearance for the program. Hawthorne came up short against Holmes County, but it set the stage for this season. Hawthorne dropped only two games during the regular season, to 2A playoff team Jacksonville University Christian and 3A playoff team P.K. Yonge. In the state playoffs, Hawthorne knocked off the top-ranked team in Wildwood 47-41 in the region final to advance back to Lakeland, then won a rematch with Holmes County 50-48 to advance to their first state title game appearance. Against Port St. Joe in the 1A state title game, the Lady Hornets turned up the defense again and won a squeaker 33-32 for the first state title in program history. Hawthorne finished the season 29-2.

Here is a look at the final Prep Zone Power Poll rankings for girls basketball. Jacksonville Bishop Kenny, who finished as the state runner-up in 4A, finished at the top:

THE PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2019-20 GIRLS BASKETBALL POLL #7 (FINAL)
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, final record, and total voting points)
1. Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (4A) (6) (22-10) – 158
2. Raines (Jacksonville) (4A) (28-2) – 144
3. Father Lopez (Daytona Beach) (3A) (26-3) – 142
4. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (7A) (1) (24-6) – 140
5. Ribault (Jacksonville) (4A) (23-9) – 124
6. Hawthorne (1A) (1) (29-2) – 123
7. Middleburg (5A) (19-7) – 105
8. Wildwood (1A) (25-3) – 93
9T. Flagler Palm Coast (7A) (18-7) – 78
9T. University Christian (Jacksonville) (2A) (21-5) – 78
11. Bolles (Jacksonville) (4A) (18-10) – 77
12. P.K Yonge (Gainesville) (3A) (18-9) – 71
13. St. Augustine (5A) (19-6) – 54
14. Creekside (St. Johns) (6A) (16-9) – 52
15. Sandalwood (Jacksonville) (7A) (16-12) – 47
16T. Columbia (Lake City) (6A) (21-8) – 36
16T. Mainland (Daytona Beach) (6A) (13-12) – 36
18. Madison County (1A) (22-7) – 26
19. Orange Park (5A) (20-8) – 17
20. Vanguard (Ocala) (5A) (16-9) – 15
Also receiving votes: Atlantic (Port Orange) (4A) (17-9) – 10; Lafayette (Mayo) (1A) (17-10) – 8; Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (7A) (13-12) – 6; Eustis (4A) (19-8) – 6; Hernando Christian Academy (2A) (25-2) – 4; Trenton (1A) (21-6) – 3; North Marion (Citra) (4A) (19-9) – 1; Providence (Jacksonville) (3A) (19-8) – 1.

Not to be outdone, the Hawthorne boys basketball team advanced to Lakeland a week later looking for an elusive state title. This was the Hornets fifth trip to Lakeland in nine years under coach Greg Bowie and they had finished as state runner-up twice. But this time Hawthorne brought their first boys state basketball title since 1987 back to eastern Alachua County. Hawthorne dropped only three games during the regular season, at Crystal River, by one point to Jacksonville North Florida Educational Institute and at Eastside on January 25, which was the Hornets last loss. Hawthorne won their final eight games, and in the playoffs knocked off Ole Miss signee Marcus Niblack and Wildwood 69-59 in the region final before a standing-room only crowd at the Hornets Nest to advance back to the state semifinals. In Lakeland, Hawthorne rolled past Paxton 70-58 in the state semifinal and then once again used their defense to hold off Hilliard 42-38 in the state championship game. Hawthorne was led by Gainesville Sun co-player of the year Torey Buie, who averaged 19 points and four rebounds a game along with two steals and scored 32 points in the state semifinal win and 26 points in the state championship game triumph. Greg Bowie was the state Class 1A Coach of the Year. The COVID-19 pandemic started shutting things down about a week or so after the Hawthorne boys won their title so the celebration was muted, but they still plan on a parade for the girls and boys basketball teams at some point in Hawthorne. To me it’s hard to choose between the two, so the Hawthorne boys and girls state championship basketball teams are tied for the top moment of the winter sports season.

In other boys basketball news, Columbia made some history as well as the Tigers finished 28-3 and advanced to the state semifinals for the first time in 52 years. Head Coach Steve Faulkner led his team to Lakeland on an 18-game winning streak to Lakeland, and they won a tough Region 1-6A win a two-point win over Chiles (Tallahassee), a one-point squeaker against Lincoln (Tallahassee), and a five-point victory over Mainland (Daytona Beach) to advance to the Final Four. Columbia just missed advancing to the state title game, as Dillard (Fort Lauderdale) took advantage of a controversial buzzer-beater to force overtime and eventually defeated the Tigers in double OT. But what a season in Lake City as basketball took center stage for the first time in many years at Columbia. Eastside also caught fire, winning 17 of 19 games at one point after starting the season 5-5 and winning District 5-4A while advancing to the Region 2-4A final.

This is the final Prep Zone Power Poll for boys basketball, as 3A state runner-up Jacksonville Andrew Jackson edged 4A state semifinalist Jacksonville Paxon for the top spot. Columbia finished third.

THE PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2019-20 BOYS BASKETBALL POLL #6 (FINAL)
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, final record, and total voting points)
1. Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville) (3A) (4) (25-4) – 175
2. Paxon (Jacksonville) (4A) (2) (25-6) – 169
3. Columbia (Lake City) (6A) (1) (28-3) – 162
4. Robert E. Lee (Jacksonville) (5A) (23-5) – 143
5. Hawthorne (1A) (2) (25-3) – 140
6. Impact Christian Academy (Jacksonville) (2A) (19-9) – 135
7. Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (4A) (24-5) – 126
8. North Florida Educational Institute (Jacksonville) (2A) (23-5) – 109
9. Providence (Jacksonville) (3A) (19-10) – 99
10. Eastside (Gainesville) (4A) (22-8) – 89
11. Mainland (Daytona Beach) (6A) (19-11) – 77
12. Wildwood (1A) (21-8) – 74
13. Hilliard (1A) (23-4) – 72
14. Palatka (4A) (19-8) – 70
15. The Villages (4A) (21-7) – 60
16. Fleming Island (Orange Park) (6A) (20-9) – 53
17. Bolles (Jacksonville) (4A) (19-9) – 43
18. Mount Dora Christian Academy (2A) (27-2) – 31
19. Leesburg (5A) (17-10) – 17
20. Forest (Ocala) (6A) (20-8) – 15
Also receiving votes: Madison County (1A) (20-6) – 14; Eustis (4A) (15-12) – 3; Orange Park (5A) (15-11) – 1; St. Augustine (5A) (16-9) – 1.

So with the FHSAA boys basketball state championships wrapping up in Lakeland on March 7, that was the end of the winter sports season. Here in North Central Florida, Mike Ridaught worked our first baseball broadcast of the spring sports season on March 10 as P.K. Yonge defeated Eastside 12-0. Little did we know that would be the last Prep Zone broadcast of the 2019-2020 school year. The win improved P.K. Yonge to 7-1, and they won two more games that week 10-4 at Interlachen on Thursday, March 12 and 16-1 against St. Francis Catholic on Friday, March 13 to improve to 9-1. On that day, March 13, the Florida Department of Education and Governor Ron DeSantis shut down schools statewide. The last high school events in Florida for the school year were played that evening. At the time in baseball, Buchholz was off to a 6-2 start, North Marion was 6-1, Dunnellon was 7-2, and Keystone Heights was 6-2. Palatka was also off to an 8-1 start as well. Here is a look at the only Prep Zone Power Poll for high school baseball for the 2020 season:

The Prep Zone Power Poll – 2020 Baseball Poll #1
(School, followed by classification, first place votes, record in 2020, 2019 final record, and total voting points)
1. Creekside (St. Johns) (6A) (8-2) (5) (23-7) – 136
2. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (7A) (10-1) (2) (24-4) – 135
3. Episcopal (Jacksonville) (3A) (7-1) (17-13) – 94
4. Oakleaf (Orange Park) (7A) (6-2) (15-9) – 92
5. North Marion (Citra) (4A) (6-1) (17-12) – 83
6. Buchholz (Gainesville) (6A) (6-2) (17-9) – 78
7. Fletcher (Neptune Beach) (6A) (5-2) (20-4) – 77
8. Flagler Palm Coast (7A) (6-1) (10-16) – 62
9. Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (7A) (6-3) (23-6) – 60
10. Atlantic Coast (Jacksonville) (6A) (7-3) (14-14) – 58
11. Clay (Green Cove Springs) (4A) (8-3) (16-9) – 56
12. St. Johns Country Day (Orange Park (2A) (7-1) (19-8) – 51
13. Suwannee (Live Oak) (4A) (5-3) (20-10) – 42
14. Ridgeview (Orange Park) (4A) (5-3) (13-13) – 39
15. Dunnellon (4A) (7-2) (23-6) – 38
16T. Fleming Island (Orange Park) (6A) (5-3) (18-8) – 34
16T. Keystone Heights (3A) (6-2) (11-15) – 34
18. Providence (Jacksonville) (3A) (7-5) (16-9) – 32
19. Mandarin (Jacksonville) (7A) (6-2) (16-10) – 29
20. Sandalwood (Jacksonville) (7A) (6-2) (21-7) – 28
Also receiving votes: Bolles (Jacksonville) (3A) (4-4) (24-3) – 23; Fort White (1A) (6-1) (8-15) – 23; P.K Yonge (Gainesville) (3A) (9-1) (9-14) – 23; Palatka (4A) (8-1) (13-13) – 23; Real Life Christian Academy (Clermont) (2A) (7-1) (20-3) – 15; Trinity Christian Academy (Jacksonville) (3A) (4-5) (20-8) – 15; Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (4A) (5-4) (13-13) – 13; Williston (1A) (5-4) (20-9) – 11; Forest (Ocala) (6A) (6-3) (7-18) – 9; Hernando (Brooksville) (4A) (8-3) (18-8) – 9; Santa Fe (Alachua) (4A) (6-4) (20-7) – 9; South Lake (Groveland) (6A) (6-4) (18-9) – 9; Trinity Christian (Deltona) (2A) (6-2) (14-9) – 8; Columbia (Lake City) (6A) (4-4) (13-13) – 5; East Ridge (Clermont) (7A) (8-3) (15-9) – 5; Chiefland (1A) (3-3) (14-11) – 4; Terry Parker (Jacksonville) (5A) (7-2) (11-14) – 4; Lake Minneola (Minneola) (5A) (6-3) (18-10) -1.

Top moments of spring 2020: As for softball, Trenton was off to quite a start as they were defending their 1A state title from 2019. The Tigers won their first ten games this season, extending their winning streak to 37 games in a row after going a perfect 27-0 in their state title season the year before. Trenton has outscored their ten opponents 133-8 and were fifth in the MaxPreps XCellent Top 25 when the season came to a halt due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Four of the top five in the first Prep Zone Power Poll were unbeaten including third-ranked West Nassau, #4 Gainesville, and fifth-ranked Belleview. Oakleaf, who was ranked #2, was 7-1.

Speaking of Gainesville, senior pitcher Alissa Humphrey, who signed with Jacksonville University, was off to another fantastic start when her senior season was brought to an end. She ended up 5-0 with an 0.00 ERA, and in 47 innings allowed only seven hits with zero runs, two walks and 106 (?!?!) strikeouts while throwing four no-hitters and three perfect games. Unfortunately we won’t get to see her play for a state title in her senior year, but look forward to see her pitching at JU. What a career at Gainesville High.

This was the only Prep Zone Power Poll for the 2020 high school softball season. Defending 1A state champion Trenton was at the top, with four of the top five unbeaten when the season came to a halt on March 13:

THE PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2020 SOFTBALL POLL #1
(School, followed by classification, last year’s record, first-place votes, current record, and total voting points)
1. Trenton (1A) (27-0) (3) (10-0) – 117
2. Oakleaf (Orange Park) (7A) (25-5) (1) (7-1) – 105
3. West Nassau (Callahan) (3A) (17-12) (6-0) – 100
4. Gainesville (5A) (19-8) (1) (7-0) – 99
5. Belleview (4A) (22-7) (1) (11-0) – 94
6. Ridgeview (Orange Park) (4A) (22-9) (8-1) – 88
7. East Ridge (Clermont) (7A) (22-8) (7-0) – 79
8. Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (7A) (22-5) (7-1) – 76
9. Nature Coast Tech (Brooksville) (4A) (16-11) (9-0) – 65
10. Dixie County (Cross City) (1A) (12-12) (8-1) – 55
11. Hernando (Brooksville) (4A) (27-4) (7-2) – 43
12. Atlantic Coast (Jacksonville) (6A) (14-9) (4-1) – 41
13. Creekside (St. Johns) (6A) (25-5) (5-3) – 36
14. Santa Fe (Alachua) (3A) (22-7) (7-4) – 28
15. Columbia (Lake City) (5A) (14-9) (9-3) – 27
16. Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (2A) (20-6) (3-3) – 24
17. Keystone Heights (3A) (16-10) (6-3) – 18
18. Episcopal (Jacksonville) (3A) (10-6) (7-2) – 17
19T. Palatka (3A) (16-11) (9-2) – 16
19T. South Sumter (Bushnell) (3A) (18-10) (8-2) – 16
Also receiving votes: DeLand (7A) (6-18) (6-2) – 15; Lecanto (5A) (11-15) (5-1) – 15; Mount Dora Christian (2A) (26-5) (7-5) – 14; St. Johns Country Day (Orange Park) (2A) (12-6) (5-2) – 14; Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (4A) (13-10) (6-2) – 12; Lafayette (Mayo) (1A) (11-13) (8-4) – 8; Providence (Jacksonville) (3A) (16-11) (4-3) – 8; Middleburg (5A) (11-13) (6-6) – 7; Branford (1A) (5-14) (5-2) – 6; Mandarin (Jacksonville) (7A) (24-3) (4-2) – 6; Baker County (Glen St. Mary) (4A) (20-7) (1-6) – 6; Williston (1A) (14-14) (5-3) – 5; Madison County (1A) (20-6) (4-4) – 1.

And so that led us to life after March 13. Governor DeSantis announced school would be virtual only first through April 15, then through the end of April. Then it was announced at the end of April that there would be no more in-person school the rest of the 2019-2020 school year. It has been a different time for students, student-athletes, teachers, parents, administrators, you name it. And it’s definitely been different for us here at The Prep Zone. It has already been almost three months since I have broadcast a game, February 29. Mike Ridaught has not broadcast a game since that last baseball broadcast on March 10. Like many who have had their lives changed, we are watching with great anticipation what is going on. We hope there will eventually be school and high school sports, but only when it is safe to do so. Until then we are waiting in anticipation like everyone else.

The Prep Zone Show – May 27th

Mike Stanton
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The Prep Zone Show – May 27th

Wednesday, May 27 – “The Prep Zone” Sports Show presented by Sonic Drive-In (broadcast from Sonic Drive-In on 39th Avenue in Gainesville)

Join Mike Ridaught and Marty Pallman as they talk high school sports from Sonic Drive-In of Gainesville. This is the final episode for the 2019-20 high school sports season. We’ll look back at the year that was, including our top stories of the year. Plus, appearances by Robert Hart of SunState Federal Credit Union and Sonic Drive-In Managing Partner Andy Brophy.

Bell football preview

Mike Ridaught
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Bell football preview

By Mike Ridaught
Twitter – @ridaught

Joey Whittington enters his eighth season as head coach of the Bell football team.

Despite his longevity, the dean of coaches in the Tri-County area is feeling the effects of no spring football just as much as anybody.

“Getting going and being around teammates is so crucial for team chemistry and that is the part I’ve missed the most,” he said.

Whittington thinks that not having spring football “will have an impact on certain parts of the game.”

“For us at Bell, we are needing to replace all skill positions on offense except for QB so I wish we could’ve had that (spring ball),” he said. “However, the safety and health of everyone is more important so we will adapt and adjust as needed.”

A total of six starters return on offense, including their signal caller.

Caden Hastings is back under center for the Bulldogs as the team’s fourth leading rusher last season, averaging 3.4 yards per carry.

However, the Bulldogs must replace their top three running backs from this past fall as Jonathon Neudert (831 yards), Branden Wallace (427), and Joey Pinna (403) were seniors. The trio combined for 15 touchdowns.

On defense, a total of five starters return.

Trent Steedley is back to anchor the line after leading the team with six sacks in 2019.

However, Whittington said the ‘Dogs “need to figure it out in the secondary” after losing all but one player from that group.

Bell, which finished 3-7 this past season, will once again be competing in Class 1A-Region 3.

Six of the top nine teams in their region, which includes 3-time defending state champion Madison County, will make the postseason.

Despite the challenges ahead, Whittington is optimistic about this year.

“Looking forward to the 2020 season,” he said. “We return a lot of key pieces and if we can get some of our holes filled, and get the ball rolling quickly, we could be in for a great 2020.”

The Bulldogs will open up the regular season at home against Franklin County (Eastpoint) on Friday, August 21.

School: Bell High School
Coach & year: Joey Whittington (8th year)
2019 record: 3-7
Number of returning offensive/defensive starters: 6 Offense/ 5 Defense
Key losses: RB Jonathon Neudert, LB Garrett Brooker, UTIL Joey Pinna, FB Branden Wallace, OG Jack Denny
Key returning players (Name, position, year): Caden Hastings QB/S (Sr.), Jordan Hernandez RB/LB (Sr.), Rhett Rankin TE/DE (Sr.), Cory Tuten RB/LB (Sr.), Lindsey Hutson OL/DL (Sr.), Trent Steedley DL (Sr.), Waylen McCumber OL/DL (Jr.), Colby Herring DL (Jr.)
Key newcomers (Name, position, year): Jayson Marino DE/OL (Sr.), Ben Dozier OL/DL (Jr.), Tristan Townsend WR/DB (Sr.), Landon Johnson OG/LB (Sr.)
Most important position battles heading into the fall: On offense solidifying the OL and then finding running backs to replace Neudert, Pinna, and Wallace. For the defensive side we need to figure it out in the secondary with losing all but one player from that group.
Outlook/expectations: Looking forward to the 2020 season we return a lot of key pieces and if we can get some of our holes filled and getting the ball rolling quickly we could be in for a great 2020. We have a very competitive schedule and we are looking forward to the weekly battles. – Coach Whittington

2020 Football Schedule
8/14 at St. Francis Catholic Academy (Gainesville), Kickoff Classic
8/21 vs. Franklin County (Eastpoint)
8/28 at Keystone Heights
9/4 vs. Branford
9/11 at Taylor (Pierson)
9/18 vs. First Academy-Leesburg
9/25 vs. Interlachen
10/2 vs. St. Francis Catholic Academy (Gainesville)
10/9 at Trenton
10/16 vs. Aucilla Christian (Monticello)
10/23 vs. Lafayette (Mayo)

Class 1A-Region 3 (top 6 make postseason)
Branford
Bell
Dixie County (Cross City)
Fort White
Hamilton County (Jasper)
Hilliard
Lafayette (Mayo)
Madison County
Union County (Lake Butler)

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