Class 4A state runner-up Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) finishes No. 1
GAINESVILLE – There was only one area FHSAA state champion in girls high school basketball this year.
However, it was a team that finished second that earned the final No. 1 ranking in The Prep Zone Power Poll, which ranks the top 20 teams across 26 counties.
In fact, they went wire-to-wire as the top overall team.
Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville), which advanced to its sixth straight final four this year, received seven of the 10 first-place votes to finish on top of the all-classification regional rankings.
The Crusaders (26-5) finished as Class 4A state runners-up after losing, 58-47, to nationally ranked No. 15 Lake Highland Prep (Orlando) in the 4A state championship game.
The 4A-District 4 champions edged SLAM (Miami), 46-43, in the state semifinals.
Class 3A state semifinalist Providence (Jacksonville) finished second.
The Stallions (26-3), who won the 3A-District 3 title, advanced to their second straight final four, losing 60-38 to eventual state champion & No. 4 overall in Florida Miami Country Day in the 3A state semifinals.
They had wins against No. 12 San Jose Prep, 62-59, No. 19 P.K. Yonge (Gainesville), 77-62, and Episcopal (Jacksonville), 59-41, in the regional playoffs.
Mainland (Daytona Beach), which made a run all the way to the 5A state championship game, is third.
The Bucs (18-13) lost to No. 8 overall American Heritage (Plantation), 60-55, in 5A state championship game after knocking off River Ridge (New Port Richey), 62-31, in the state semifinals. They won 11 of their final 13 games, including the 5A-District 4 title.
Another final four team, Ponte Vedra, is fourth.
The Sharks (22-9), who won the 6A-District 4 title, lost to Bloomingdale (Valrico), 55-50, in the 6A state semifinals.
Rounding out the top five is the only state champion from the area, Hawthorne, which won its second straight state title.
The Lady Hornets (22-3), who won the 1A-District 6 title, won their final 19 games of the season.
They defeated Graceville, 43-30, in the 1A state championship game by rallying from a 12-point deficit. Hawthorne also rallied from a double-digit deficit to upset top-ranked Wildwood, 44-41, in the state semifinals.
Hawthorne defeated No. 18 Madison County, 55-42, in the region final to advance to the final four in Lakeland.
Ribault (Jacksonville), which lost at top-ranked Bishop Kenny in the 4A regional semifinals, is ranked sixth, followed by 2A state semifinalist University Christian (Jacksonville), Class 1A state semifinalist Wildwood, 4A regional semifinalist Bolles (Jacksonville) and 5A regional finalist Leesburg in the top 10.
The Prep Zone Power Poll ranks the top 20 high school football, girls basketball, boys basketball, softball & baseball 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 by sportswriters and sportscasters and it is powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville.
THE PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2023-24 GIRLS BASKETBALL POLL #5 (FINAL POLL)
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, final record, and total voting points)
1. Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (4A) (7) (26-5) – 197
2. Providence (Jacksonville) (3A) (26-3) – 178
3. Mainland (Daytona Beach) (5A) (18-13) – 159
4. Ponte Vedra (6A) (22-9) – 158
5. Hawthorne (1A) (3) (22-3) – 155
6. Ribault (Jacksonville) (4A) (16-6) – 138
7. University Christian (Jacksonville) (2A) (19-7) – 137
8. Wildwood (1A) (19-4) – 129
9. Bolles (Jacksonville) (4A) (19-9) – 120
10. Leesburg (5A) (24-2) – 98
11. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (7A) (18-9) – 89
12. San Jose Prep (Jacksonville) (3A) (16-10) – 75
13. Beachside (St. Johns) (6A) (20-6) – 74
14. Ridgeview (Orange Park) (5A) (14-7) – 71
15. North Florida Educational Institute (Jacksonville) (2A) (15-6) – 52
16. Trinity Catholic (Ocala) (3A) (17-10) – 49
17. St. Augustine (5A) (18-4) – 47
18. Madison County (1A) (21-5) – 32
19. P.K. Yonge (Gainesville) (3A) (14-9) – 27
20. Atlantic Coast (Jacksonville) (7A) (21-4) – 26
Also receiving votes: Paxon (Jacksonville) (4A) (15-9) – 24; Springstead (Spring Hill) (6A) (21-5) – 21; Dunnellon (4A) (23-4) – 18; St. John’s Country Day (Orange Park) (2A) (19-8) – 12; St. Joseph Academy (St. Augustine) (2A) (20-7) – 6; Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine) (7A) (20-7) – 3; Eastside (Gainesville) (4A) (15-9) – 3; Newberry (1A) (15-9) – 3; Mount Dora Christian Academy (2A) (18-10) – 2; Trenton (1A) (23-5) – 2; Forest (Ocala) (6A) (17-11) – 2; Orange Park (6A) (12-12) – 1; Mandarin (Jacksonville) (7A) (11-7) – 1; DeLand (7A) (13-7) – 1.
