Raines (Jacksonville) still a unanimous No. 1 in All-classification regional rankings
GAINESVILLE – Raines (Jacksonville) did not relinquish its stronghold on the top spot in The Prep Zone Power Poll.
The top-ranked Vikings added a Gateway Conference championship to their resume and collected all eight first-place votes in the all-classification regional rankings.
Class 4A Raines, which finished the regular season with a 24-1 record, defeated #4 Ribault (Jacksonville), 65-57, in the Gateway Conference championship game to cap a 4-0 mark since the last poll.
However, for the second consecutive poll Nos. 2 and 3 have flip-flopped again.
Father Lopez (Daytona Beach) is back in at No. 2, while Spruce Creek (Port Orange) dropped down to third.
The 2nd-ranked Green Wave (21-2) went 5-0 while the Lady Hawks went 4-2, with losses to 3A #7 Seffner Christian, 65-53, at the Play4Kay Shootout, and vs. 7A #6 Timber Creek (Orlando), 57-48 (OT), at the Green Wave Shootout at Father Lopez.
Father Lopez is ranked 2nd in Class 3A & No. 7 overall by MaxPreps, with one of their two losses this season to Spruce Creek, which is ranked No. 1 in Class 7A and 12th overall.
Class 4A Ribault (19-7) and Class 1A Wildwood round out the top five.
The 5th-ranked Wildcats (19-2) defeated previous No. 15 Trenton, 68-60 (OT), hitting a 3-pointer with two seconds to play to send the game into overtime this past Thursday.
The defending Class 1A Tigers (18-4), who had their 7-game winning streak snapped, moved up two spots to #13.
Trenton’s four losses are to #5 Wildwood, #11 Orange Park (twice), and #14 P.K. Yonge (Gainesville).
Another 1A team, Hawthorne, leads off the second five at No. 6.
The Lady Hornets (22-1), who were in the state semifinals last season, won their 12th straight game. They will host P.K. Yonge on Friday in a top 20 Alachua County showdown.
University Christian (Jacksonville) is ranked seventh, while Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville), Middleburg, and Flagler Palm Coast round out the top 10.
The hottest team that was outside the top 20 is Bartram Trail (St. Johns), which leaps into the rankings first the first time this season at No. 15. The Class 7A Bears (13-9) have bounced back to win 12 of their last 15.
They captured the SJRAC championship by beating #9 Middleburg in the championship game, #11 Orange Park, 52-47, in the semifinals, and previous #18 St. Augustine, 38-26, in the quarterfinals. They also defeated previous #10 Creekside (St. Johns), 29-23 (1/17), and #10 Flagler Palm Coast, 43-32 (1/14).
Class 4A Atlantic (Port Orange) (14-6) is new to the rankings at No. 17 following a 3-0 mark, including a 37-36 win against previous RV Mainland (Daytona Beach).
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 powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville.
THE PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2019-20 GIRLS BASKETBALL POLL #4
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, record through 1/25, and total voting points)
1. Raines (Jacksonville) (4A) (8) (24-1) – 160
2. Father Lopez (Daytona Beach) (3A) (21-2) – 151
3. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (7A) (17-5) – 142
4. Ribault (Jacksonville) (4A) (19-7) – 131
5. Wildwood (1A) (19-2) – 128
6. Hawthorne (1A) (22-1) – 111
7. University Christian (Jacksonville) (2A) (16-2) – 108
8. Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (4A) (15-8) – 105
9. Middleburg (5A) (13-6) – 99
10. Flagler Palm Coast (7A) (15-5) – 80
11. Orange Park (5A) (17-5) – 69
12. Bolles (Jacksonville) (4A) (15-8) – 66
13. Trenton (1A) (18-4) – 57
14. P.K Yonge (Gainesville) (3A) (15-7) – 56
15. Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (7A) (13-9) – 42
16. Columbia (Lake City) (6A) (17-6) – 38
17. Atlantic (Port Orange) (4A) (14-6) – 24
18. Creekside (St. Johns) (6A) (11-8) – 22
19. Sandalwood (Jacksonville) (7A) (13-10) – 21
20. St. Augustine (5A) (13-5) – 11
Also receiving votes: Madison County (1A) (15-5) – 9; Lake Weir (Ocala) (5A) (18-3) – 9; Eustis (4A) (15-5) – 8; Vanguard (Ocala) (5A) (12-6) – 8; Providence (Jacksonville) (3A) (14-7) – 6; Interlachen (3A) (18-4) – 4; Nease (Ponte Vedra) (7A) (11-10) – 4; West Port (Ocala) (7A) (12-10) – 3; Crystal River (4A) (16-5) – 3; Trinity Christian (Deltona) (2A) (13-4) – 2; South Sumter (Bushnell) (4A) (16-6) – 2; Weeki Wachee (4A) (17-6) – 1.
