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Leesburg remains a unanimous #1 in regional boys’ basketball poll following holiday tournament play
GAINESVILLE – The defending Class 6A state champions are still No. 1.
Leesburg, ranked 6th in the state overall by MaxPreps, went 3-0 last week to remain on top of The Prep Zone Power Poll. The Yellow Jackets (15-1) received all six first-place votes.
There was no movement in the top five, but there was in the second five.
Palatka, which was in the Class 6A state semifinals last year, remained second in the all-classification regional rankings. The Panthers (18-0) are the only undefeated team remaining in the area.
Another final four team from last season, The Villages, is still No. 3. The 5A state semifinalist Buffalo (14-2) went 3-0 last week to remain third.
Creekside (St. Johns) and Gainesville remained fourth and fifth, respectively.
The Knights (15-2) stayed ahead of the Hurricanes (13-4) despite a 69-58 loss to GHS at the Kiwanis Christmas Tournament in Starke back in December.
Atlantic (Port Orange) moved up six spots to sixth. The Class 7A Sharks (16-3) went 3-0, including a 73-62 win at home on Monday against current #10 First Coast (Jacksonville) at the MLK Classic.
Hawthorne moves up three spots to seventh. The Hornets (13-4), who were in the 1A state semifinals last season, had a big win on the road at previous No. 6 Eastside (Gainesville), 67-59, dropping the Rams (12-4) to 11th.
Providence (Jacksonville), last year’s 4A state runners-up, dropped two spots to eighth following a 46-43 loss to First Coast, but they are two spots ahead of the Class 8A Bucs (14-3).
Class 6A Nature Coast (Brooksville) lost to Springstead (Spring Hill), 71-64, on Tuesday night and dropped one spot to ninth. It was the first loss of the season for the Sharks (18-1).
Madison County, which lost to Hawthorne in last year’s Class 1A Regional Final, is in the rankings for the first time this season at No. 16. The Cowboys (13-2) went 3-0 last week and have won 10 in a row since a 62-44 loss to #5 Gainesville at the Bradford Kiwanis Christmas Tournament on Dec. 21.
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. It is powered by Strive Fitness.
THE PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2017-18 BOYS BASKETBALL POLL #5
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, record through 1/16, and how they fared last week)
1. Leesburg (6A) (6) (15-1) – 120
2. Palatka (6A) (18-0) – 111
3. The Villages (5A) (14-2) – 107
4. Creekside (St. Johns) (8A) (15-2) – 102
5. Gainesville (7A) (13-4) – 100
6. Atlantic (Port Orange) (7A) (16-3) – 84
7. Hawthorne (1A) (13-4) – 79
8. Providence (Jacksonville) (4A) (12-5) – 72
9. Nature Coast (Brooksville) (6A) (18-1) – 69
10. First Coast (Jacksonville) (8A) (14-3) – 67
11. Eastside (Gainesville) (6A) (12-4) – 56
12. Englewood (Jacksonville) (7A) (13-3) – 54
13. Bolles (Jacksonville) (5A) (14-3) – 53
14. Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (6A) (13-4) – 45
15. Wildwood (1A) (10-4) – 39
16. Madison County (1A) (13-2) – 24
17. Raines (Jacksonville) (5A) (12-5) – 19
18. DeLand (9A) (12-5) – 18
19. North Florida Educational Institute (Jacksonville) (2A) (12-5) – 15
20. Trinity Catholic (Ocala) (5A) (12-5) – 8
Also receiving votes: Mainland (Daytona Beach) (7A) (10-5) – 6; Orange Park (6A) (12-5) – 4; Springstead (Spring Hill) (7A) (12-6) – 3; Vanguard (Ocala) (7A) (10-7) – 2; Father Lopez (Daytona Beach) (7A) (11-6) – 2; Bell (1A) (14-4) – 1.
