Gainesville – The best team in the Prep Zone Power Poll held on to the top spot and took another step toward state supremacy.
Providence (Jacksonville) received all seven first-place votes to hold on to the No. 1 ranking following wins against previous No. 5 Ed White (Jacksonville) and 8A Orlando Evans. They’ve beaten nationally-ranked teams this season, they defeated the No. 1 team in Class 8A last week and their only losses this year have come against nationally-ranked competition.
The Stallions (14-3), defending 3A state champions, continue to prove that they are not only one of the tops team in the area, but in the state too, regardless of classification.
The Villages (18-0), ranked second in the 4A state poll, remained one spot behind Providence. Both teams will have an opportunity to claim the top billing when they face each other on Monday, January 18, at the MLK Classic at Ribault (Jacksonville), which remained third in this week’s poll.
The Class 4A Trojans (17-1) went 3-0 last week, including a win against 5A #5 Gibbs (St. Pete). Ribault’s only loss this season was against 4A-4 district rival Raines (Jacksonville). The Vikings (13-3) moved up three spots from 12th to ninth in this week’s poll despite having an eight-game winning streak snapped by Savannah Jenkins (GA) in Saturday’s MLK Classic at home.
Lake Minneola remained fourth. The Hawks (18-1), whose only loss was at No. 10 Vanguard (Ocala), have won six in a row since their only defeat.
Bolles (Jacksonville), which rounds out the top five, is one of three undefeated teams in the poll. The Bulldogs (17-0) moved up one spot from sixth following wins against previous #9 Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) and RV Episcopal (Jacksonville).
Chiefland (15-0) remained undefeated and moved up two spots to 11th following a 3-0 week. In fact, Providence, Ribault, Lake Minneola, Atlantic (Port Orange), Baker County (Glen St. Mary) and Fort White joined the Indians as ranked teams that had 3-0 marks the first week of school.
Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (12-5) and Citrus (Inverness) (15-2) entered the poll for the first time this season at No. 19 & No. 20, respectively.
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, Marion, Nassau, Putnam, Sumter, St. Johns, Suwannee, Taylor, Union & Volusia counties). It is voted on weekly by sportswriters and sportscasters.
PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2013-14 BASKETBALL POLL #4
(School, followed by first-place votes, classification, current record and total voting points)
1. Providence (Jacksonville) (7) (3A) (14-3) – 140
2. The Villages (4A) (18-0) – 132
3. Ribault (Jacksonville) (4A) (17-1) – 124
4. Lake Minneola (6A) (18-1) – 119
5. Bolles (Jacksonville) (4A) (17-0) – 114
6. Ed White (Jacksonville) (6A) (14-3) – 103
7. Sandalwood (Jacksonville) (8A) (11-3) – 101
8. Gainesville (6A) (13-4) – 91
9. Raines (Jacksonville) (4A) (13-3) – 73
10. Vanguard (Ocala) (6A) (12-4) – 68
11. Chiefland (1A) (15-0) – 63
12. Palatka (5A) (13-4)– 56
13. Atlantic (Port Orange) (4A) (13-2) – 50
14. Baker County (Glen St. Mary) (5A) (13-2) – 47
15. Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (5A) (13-5) – 34
T16 Nature Coast (Brooksville) (5A) (12-4) – 33
T16 Fort White (4A) (11-2) – 33
18. Hawthorne (1A) (13-3) – 30
19. Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (4A) (12-5) – 16
20. Citrus (Inverness) (5A) (15-2) – 15
Also receiving votes: Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (8A) (13-4) – 9; Deltona (6A) (13-6) – 7; Forrest (Jacksonville) (6A) (11-5) – 3; First Academy (Leesburg) (2A) (12-0) – 3; Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (6A) (14-4) – 3; Ponte Vedra (5A) (11-5) – 3.
