Class 4A state champion Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) finishes No. 1
GAINESVILLE – Last year the Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) girls basketball team had its final four streak end at six years.
This year, they finished the mission.
The Crusaders (28-4) won their first state title since 1992 with a 58-48 win against Bishop Moore (Orlando) on March 12 in the FHSAA Class 4A state championship game at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville.
Bishop Kenny, which beat American Heritage (Plantation), 52-38, in the state semifinals, survived its toughest test of the postseason with a 45-43 win against No. 15 Ribault (Jacksonville) in the regional semifinals.
They were a near unanimous No. 1 in The Prep Zone Power Poll, receiving eight of the nine first-place votes.
Willison, which won its first state title in program history, finished second in the all-classification regional rankings.
The Lady Red Devils (22-2), who received the other first-place vote, won the Rural state title with a 66-49 against Jay in the title game. They edged Blountstown, 43-41, in the state semifinals.
They knocked off defending state champion Wildwood, 72-62, in the Rural-District 7 championship game and advanced to their first final four with a 61-52 win against the Wildcats (15-6) in the Rural-Region 4 Final.
Bolles (Jacksonville) dropped from the top of the rankings to No. 3.
The Bulldogs (25-5) advanced to the Class 3A state semifinals where they lost to Lake Highland Prep (Orlando), 64-52. They were edged by Williston, 168-166, in total voting points.
Among their postseason wins was a dominating 68-34 victory against previous No. 10 Newberry, 68-34, in the 3A-Region 1 Final.
Class 6A region finalist Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine) is fourth.
The Toros (23-7) were upset by Bartram Trail (St. Johns), 49-46, in the 6A-Region 1 Final after regional wins against previous receiving votes (RV) Oakleaf (Orange Park), 62-37, and Lake Howell (Winter Park), 60-51.
Rounding out the top five is San Jose Prep (Jacksonville), which jumped 10 spots from 15th to No. 5 after advancing to the Class 2A state semifinals.
The Storm (20-10) lost to nationally ranked No. 15 Miami Country Day, 53-39, in the state semifinals. They had key regional wins against The First Academy (Orlando), 48-42, and at previous No. 5 Providence (Jacksonville), 60-51, in the region final.
Providence (21-6) leads off the second five at No. 6, followed by 5A regional finalist Ponte Vedra (23-7), which lost at eventual state champion Booker T. Washington (Pensacola) one game shy of the final four, Wildwood, 5A regional finalist New Smyrna Beach (19-9), and Orange Park in the top 10.
Orange Park (21-8) lost at Ponte Vedra, 70-61, in the 5A-Region 1 Semifinals.
Class 6A state semifinalist Bartram Trail, which had regional wins at Navarre, 48-44, at Niceville, 54-46, and at No. 4 Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine), 49-46, in the region final, advanced to the final four as a No. 6 seed in their region.
The Bears (16-10), who lost to Bayside (Palm Bay), 50-43, in the 6A state semifinals, moved into the final rankings at No. 12.
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 Be Well Fitness.
THE PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2025-26 GIRLS BASKETBALL POLL #6 (FINAL RANKINGS)
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, final record, and total voting points)
1. Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (4A) (8) (28-4) – 179
2. Williston (Rural) (1) (22-2) – 168
3. Bolles (Jacksonville) (3A) (25-5) – 166
4. Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine) (6A) (23-7) – 148
5. San Jose Prep (Jacksonville) (2A) (20-10) – 133
6. Providence (Jacksonville) (2A) (21-6) – 128
7. Ponte Vedra (5A) (23-7) – 119
8. Wildwood (Rural) (15-6) – 111
9. New Smyrna Beach (5A) (19-9) – 109
10. Orange Park (5A) (21-8) – 88
11. Hilliard (Rural) (24-6) – 85
12. Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (6A) (16-10) – 84
13. Newberry (3A) (21-5) – 66
14. North Florida Educational Institute (Jacksonville) (1A) (16-15) – 65
15. Ribault (Jacksonville) (4A) (18-9) – 60
16. Creekside (St. Johns) (7A) (16-10) – 48
17. Springstead (Spring Hill) (5A) (23-6) – 38
18. The Villages Charter (3A) (18-10) – 37
19. Eustis (4A) (21-6) – 32
20. Fort White (Rural) (17-10) – 10
Also receiving votes: Buchholz (Gainesville) (6A) (19-8) – 6; Bishop Snyder (Jacksonville) (2A) (16-12) – 5; Beachside (St. Johns) (5A) (13-12) – 3; Trinity Catholic (Ocala) (2A) (15-10) – 2.
