Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) new No. 1 in all-classification regional rankings
GAINESVILLE – Two top 10 teams in The Prep Zone Power Poll went head-to-head in the first round of the Class 9A state playoffs, but neither team advanced.
Previous No. 1 Spruce Creek (Port Orange) was upset at home by visiting Sandalwood (Jacksonville), 6-5, in the 9A regional quarterfinals.
However, the 7th-ranked Saints (21-7) had to vacate their playoff win over a pitch count after allowing pitcher Tyler Mills to go over the 105-pitch count. Mills finished the game at 120 pitches.
The Hawks (24-4), who had their “greatest regular season in the history of Spruce Creek,” according to head coach Johnny Goodrich, dropped two spots to third, while Sandalwood moved up a spot to sixth.
The new No. 1 team is Trinity Christian (Jacksonville), which moved up two spots from third. They received six of the seven first-place votes.
The Conquerors (19-7) advanced to the Class 4A state semifinals with a 7-2 win against District 2 Runner-up Episcopal (Jacksonville). They will play nationally-ranked American Heritage (Delray Beach) in the 4A state semifinals at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers on Friday.
Defending 5A state runner-up Bolles (Jacksonville) was No. 2. However, the Bulldogs (24-3) were upset by previous No. 18 Suwannee (Live Oak), 3-1, in the regional semifinals and dropped to fourth.
That sends the other Bulldogs (19-9), who moved up nine spots to ninth, on to the 5A Region Final. Bolles, which had a 15-game winning streak, had beaten Suwannee in three previous meetings.
Class 7A Creekside (St. Johns), which received the other first-place vote, moved up three spots from fifth to second after a 6-3 win at previous No. 6 Bartram Trail (St. Johns) in the second round of the state playoffs. The Knights (22-6) will play at Pine Forest (Pensacola) in the 7A Region Finals.
Paxon (Jacksonville) rounds out the top five.
The Golden Eagles (20-5) moved up nine spots after advancing to this week’s 6A Region Finals, their deepest run in 10 years. They will host Mosley (Lynn Haven) with a berth in the state semifinals on the line.
Rounding out the top 10 are sixth-ranked Sandalwood, Bartram Trail, Dunnellon, Suwannee, and Providence (Jacksonville), which missed its first postseason since 2005 with a 3-0 loss to Trinity Christian in the 4A-District 2 semifinals.
Levy County schools Williston and Chiefland, who both advanced to this week’s Class 1A state semifinals, enter the rankings at 12th and 16th, respectively.
Meanwhile, The Villages entered the rankings for the first time this season following wins against previous No. 12 Santa Fe (Alachua), which dropped to 17th, and Newberry, which is currently receiving votes, in the Class 5A playoffs.
The Buffalo (23-5) will travel to Bishop Moore (Orlando) on Wednesday for a 5A Region Final.
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 and it is fueled by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville.
The Prep Zone Power Poll – 2019 Baseball Poll #5
(School, followed by classification, first place votes, record through May 18, and total voting points)
1. Trinity Christian Academy (Jacksonville) (4A) (6) (19-7) – 139
2. Creekside (St. Johns) (7A) (1) (22-6) – 132
3. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (9A) (24-4) – 120
4. Bolles (Jacksonville) (5A) (24-3) – 109
5. Paxon (Jacksonville) (6A) (20-5) – 103
6. Sandalwood (Jacksonville) (9A) (21-7) – 102
7. Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (7A) (23-6) – 96
8. Dunnellon (6A) (23-5) – 89
9. Suwannee (Live Oak) (5A) (19-9) – 86
10. Providence (Jacksonville) (4A) (16-9) – 63
11. The Villages (5A) (23-5) – 58
12. Williston (1A) (18-9) – 51
13. Fletcher (Neptune Beach) (8A) (20-4) – 48
14. Mandarin (Jacksonville) (9A) (16-10) – 40
15. Clay (Green Cove Springs) (6A) (16-9) – 39
16. Chiefland (1A) (13-10) – 31
17T. Trenton (1A) (20-5) – 30
17T. Santa Fe (Alachua) (5A) (20-7) – 30
19. Springstead (Spring Hill) (6A) (22-5) – 25
20. Madison County (1A) (19-6) – 19
Also receiving votes: Newberry (5A) (20-10) – 12; North Marion (Citra) (6A) (17-12) – 11; Fleming Island (Orange Park) (8A) (18-8) – 7; St. John’s Country Day (Orange Park) (3A) (20-8) – 6; Columbia (Lake City) (7A) (13-13) – 6; Dixie County (Cross City) (14-7) – 6; Hernando (Brooksville) (5A) (18-8) – 3; Seven Rivers Christian (Lecanto) (2A) (21-5) – 2; Atlantic Coast (Jacksonville) (8A) (13-12) – 2; Lake Minneola (8A) (18-10) – 2; Baker County (Glen St. Mary) (5A) (11-15) – 2; Episcopal (Jacksonville) (4A) (17-13) – 1.
