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Leesburg still on top of the regional all-classification rankings
GAINESVILLE – The No. 1 team in The Prep Zone Power Poll remained the same this week.
Defending 6A state champion Leesburg is still on top following an 81-55 win against Lake Minneola. The Yellow Jackets (19-1) received all six first-place votes.
Palatka remained second despite its first loss of the season. The Class 6A Panthers (20-1) lost at Ponte Vedra, 54-45, but bounced back in a big way with a 63-15 win against Menendez (St. Augustine) at the St. Johns River Conference tournament.
Providence (Jacksonville) moved up two spots to third. The Class 4A Stallions, now 16-5 on the season, won at previous No. 4 Creekside (St. Johns), 37-36, in overtime.
Moving up one spot to fourth is Eastside (Gainesville). The Rams (17-4) went 3-0, increasing their win streak to five games.
Rounding out the top five is Class 8A Creekside (18-4).
Previous No. 3 The Villages was crushed by national-ranked No. 1 Montverde Academy, 90-38, and ran into some tough competition at the Montverde Invitational as part of a 2-3 week. That dropped the Class 5A Buffalo (16-5) three spots to sixth.
Nature Coast (Brooksville), Hawthorne, Gainesville and Madison County round out the top 10.
No teams dropped out of this week’s rankings.
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 #7
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, record through 1/30, and total voting points)
1. Leesburg (6A) (6) (19-1) – 120
2. Palatka (6A) (20-1) – 113
3. Providence (Jacksonville) (4A) (16-5) – 109
4. Eastside (Gainesville) (6A) (17-4) – 100
5. Creekside (St. Johns) (8A) (18-4) – 95
6. The Villages (5A) (16-5) – 91
7. Nature Coast (Brooksville) (6A) (21-1) – 77
8. Hawthorne (1A) (17-4) – 76
9. Gainesville (7A) (17-5) – 75
10. Madison County (1A) (19-2) – 66
11. Bolles (Jacksonville) (5A) (18-4) – 57
12. First Coast (Jacksonville) (8A) (17-4) – 50
13. Atlantic (Port Orange) (7A) (16-6) – 38
14. Wildwood (1A) (15-5) – 37
15. Englewood (Jacksonville) (7A) (16-4) – 33
16. Mainland (Daytona Beach) (7A) (15-6) – 30
17T. Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (8A) (15-5) – 27
17T. Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville) (5A) (15-8) – 27
19. Raines (Jacksonville) (5A) (16-7) – 20
20. Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (6A) (15-7) – 7
Also receiving votes: DeLand (9A) (16-6) – 5; North Marion (Citra) (6A) (14-6) – 4; Bishop Snyder (Jacksonville) (4A) (13-7) – 2; Orange Park (6A) (14-6) – 1.
