Lady Golden Eagles soar to the top
GAINESVILLE – Let the debate begin for the best softball team in the North Florida area.
A total of four different teams received at least one first-place vote in the preseason regional rankings while almost all of the other top 10 teams are highly ranked in the latest Miracle Sports state softball poll.
Fleming Island (Orange Park), the top-ranked team in Class 7A, is also ranked 6th in the all-classification state poll following a 3-0 week. They received three first-place votes and edged Forest (Ocala), which received two first-place votes, as the top-ranked team in the softball Prep Zone Power Poll.
However, the Lady Golden Eagles (13-1) suffered their first loss of the season on Monday to 6A Bartram Trail (St. Johns), 10-1, which helped put the Bears in the top 10 at No. 6 despite a 1-3 record the previous week.
Bartram Trail is the only team in the top 10 of the regional rankings that is unranked in the current state rankings. However, last week the Lady Bears (10-3) were ranked 5th in 6A.
Forest (Ocala), ranked second, is the No. 2-ranked team in Class 6A. The unbeaten Wildcats (11-0) are also one of four unbeaten teams in the poll.
Gainesville, which is ranked 3rd in the 6A state poll, is ranked right behind Forest in both the 6A state poll and regional rankings. The ‘Canes (12-1), whose only loss was to No. 18 Columbia (Lake City), received one first-place vote.
Rounding out the top five are unbeatens Bolles (Jacksonville) and Bradford (Starke), who are ranked 4th and 5th, respectively. The Lady Bulldogs (9-0) are actually just behind the Tornadoes (10-0) in the 4A state poll – where Bolles is 4th and Bradford is third.
Following #6 Bartram Trail in the top 10 is unbeaten Nature Coast Tech (Brooksville) (11-0), Baker County (Glen St. Mary) (8-1), and University (Orange City) (12-2) and South Sumter (Bushnell) (11-1), who are tied for ninth. University received the other first-place vote.
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 weekly by sportswriters and sportscasters.
PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2015 SOFTBALL POLL #1
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, overall record through 3/10 & total voting points)
1. Fleming Island (Orange Park) (7A) (3) (13-1) – 132
2. Forest (Ocala) (6A) (2) (11-0) – 129
3. Gainesville (6A) (1) (12-1) – 117
4. Bolles (Jacksonville) (4A) (9-0) – 114
5. Bradford (Starke) (4A) (10-0) – 109
6. Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (6A) (10-3) – 85
7. Nature Coast Tech (Brooksville) (5A) (11-0) – 84
8. Baker County (Glen St. Mary) (5A) (8-1) – 80
9T University (Orange City) (1) (8A) (12-2) – 79
9T South Sumter (Bushnell) (4A) (11-1) – 79
11. Creekside (St. Johns) (6A) (9-3) – 70
12. Clay (Green Cove Springs) (5A) (12-2) – 68
13. Santa Fe (Alachua) (4A) (9-2) – 41
14. Belleview (5A) (7-3) – 39
15. Lake Minneola (6A) (8-2) – 32
16. University Christian (Jacksonville) (3A) (7-2) –29
17. Atlantic Coast (Jacksonville) (7A) (8-4) – 27
18T Seabreeze (Daytona Beach) (6A) (7-1) – 21
18T Columbia (Lake City) (6A) (8-4) – 21
20. Aucilla Christian (Monticello) (2A) (8-5) – 20
Also receiving votes: Springstead (Spring Hill) (6A) (10-1) – 18; Trenton (1A) (11-2) – 18; Lafayette (Mayo) (1A) (10-4) – 15; Chiefland (1A) (6-2) – 13; Suwannee (Live Oak) (5A) (9-4) – 12; Mainland (Daytona Beach) (6A) (6-4) – 6; Montverde Academy (4A) (8-4) – 6; Bishop Snyder (Jacksonville) (4A) (8-3) – 4; Williston (1A) (4-2) – 2.
