GAINESVILLE – There was very little movement in the top five of the boys’ basketball all-classification Prep Zone Power Poll.
Providence (Jacksonville) continues be a unanimous selection as the top-ranked team. The Class 3A Stallions (19-0) defeated RV Trinity Christian (Jacksonville), 55-46, to cap another unbeaten week at 2-0.
The Stallions are on a postseason collision course with the second-ranked team in the poll – Father Lopez (Daytona Beach). The 3A Green Wave (19-2) went 3-0 last week and remained ahead of 6A Leesburg, which is ranked third.
The Yellow Jackets, who handed the Green Wave one of their two losses, went 2-0 last week. Leesburg (16-3) has now won 13 games in a row.
Wolfson (Jacksonville) remained fourth. The 6A Wolfpack (19-1) went 3-0 last week.
The only change in the top five was the fifth-place team.
Hawthorne replaces North Florida Educational Institute in the top five. The 1A Hornets (21-1), who have won seven in a row, are ranked fifth, while NFEI (17-4) drops two spots to seventh after a 1-1 week.
Class 5A Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (15-4) is ranked sixth, while Nature Coast (Brooksville) (14-3), New Smyrna Beach (17-3) and Palatka (16-3) round out the top 10 at eighth through 10th, respectively.
The Prep Zone Power Poll ranks the top 20 high school football, basketball and baseball teams (regardless of classification) across 26 counties in North Florida (Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Citrus, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hernando, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Levy, Marion, Nassau, Putnam, Sumter, St. Johns, Suwannee, Taylor, Union & Volusia counties). It is voted on weekly by sportswriters and sportscasters.
PREP ZONE POWER POLL – BOYS BASKETBALL POLL #4 (Records through 1/20)
(School, followed by first-place votes, classification, overall record and total voting points)
1. Providence (Jacksonville) (7) (3A) (19-0) – 140
2. Father Lopez (Daytona Beach) (3A) (19-2) – 133
3. Leesburg (6A) (16-3) – 123
4. Wolfson (Jacksonville) (6A) (19-1) – 121
5. Hawthorne (1A) (21-1) – 111
6. Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (5A) (15-4) – 99
7. North Florida Educational Institute (Jacksonville) (2A) (17-4) – 96
8. Nature Coast (Brooksville) (5A) (14-3) – 92
9. New Smyrna Beach (7A) (17-3) – 89
10. Palatka (5A) (16-3) – 73
11. Ed White (Jacksonville) (7A) (15-4) – 72
12. Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (5A) (17-3) – 64
13. Forest (Ocala) (7A) (16-4) – 54
14. Terry Parker (Jacksonville) (5A) (11-4) – 47
15. Ridgeview (Orange Park) (6A) (14-6) – 38
16. First Coast (Jacksonville) (7A) (14-4) – 30
17. Fort White (4A) (12-1) – 23
18. Mount Dora Bible (3A) (14-5) – 22
19. Gainesville (6A) (13-7) – 17
20. Raines (Jacksonville) (4A) (14-4) – 13
Also receiving votes – Bradford (Starke) (4A) (14-8) – 4; DeLand (8A) (14-5) – 2; West Port (Ocala) (6A) (13-3) – 2; Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (3A) (16-5) – 2; Sandalwood (Jacksonville) (8A) (14-5) – 2; Melody Christian (Live Oak) (1A) (11-6) – 1.
