Gainesville – Following their first state softball championship in school history, Columbia (Lake City) was a unanimous selection as the top overall team in the final Prep Zone Power Poll.
The Tigers (27-4) went 5-0 in the state playoffs and won the Class 6A state title with a 6-2 win over Pembroke Pines Charter. They also went 12-3 against teams that are ranked in the final poll. Columbia received all six first-place votes and finished fifth overall in the Miracle Sports all-classification state poll.
Creekside (St. Johns), the Class 5A Runners-up, is ranked second. The Knights (27-3) defeated previous #18 Hernando (Brooksville) and #6 North Marion en route to a 4-1 record in the postseason. They earned the school’s first-ever playoff win, first road playoff win and first appearance in the FHSAA Softball Finals.
Another state runner-up, Bishop Snyder (Jacksonville), finished third. The Cardinals (27-5) lost 1-0 to three-time defending state champion American Heritage (Delray Beach) in the 3A title game. They finished ninth, three spots behind Creekside, in the all-classification state poll.
Bradford (Starke), which also advanced to its first state semifinals appearance in school history, is next at No. 4. The Tornadoes (28-3) lost to eventual state champion Gulliver Prep (Miami), 7-2, in the 4A state semifinals. They finished fourth in the all-classification state poll.
Rounding out the top five is PK Yonge (Gainesville), which lost to #3 Bishop Snyder for the second consecutive year in the regional finals. The Blue Wave (26-3) went 3-0 against top-ranked Columbia and had victories against #8 Gainesville, #11 Suwannee (Live Oak) and RV Keystone Heights (twice).
Class 1A state Runners-up Lafayette (21-6) is ranked sixth, followed by North Marion (Citra) (21-6), 6A semifinalist Gainesville (20-9), 3A state semifinalist Montverde Academy (22-7) and Ponte Vedra (22-6) in the top 10.
Three other teams that advanced to the state final four include Class 5A semifinalist Suwannee (Live Oak), 4A state Runners-up Madison County and 1A state semifinalist Taylor (Pierson), which finished 11th, 14th and 19th respectively.
The Prep Zone Power Poll ranks the top 20 high school football, basketball, softball and 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, Marion, Nassau, Putnam, Sumter, St. Johns, Suwannee, Taylor, Union & Volusia counties). It is voted on weekly by sportswriters and sportscasters.
PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2013 SOFTBALL FINAL POLL
(School, followed by classification, final record, first place votes and total voting points)
1. Columbia (Lake City) (6A) (27-4) (6) – 120
2. Creekside (St. Johns) (5A) (27-3) – 114
3. Bishop Snyder (Jacksonville) (3A) (27-5) – 106
4. Bradford (Starke) (4A) (28-3) – 103
5. PK Yonge (Gainesville) (3A) (26-3) – 91
6. Lafayette (Mayo) (1A) (21-6) – 84
7. North Marion (Citra) (5A) (21-6) – 71
8. Gainesville (6A) (20-9) – 70
9. Montverde Academy (3A) (22-7) – 69
10. Ponte Vedra (5A) (22-6) – 65
11. Suwannee (Live Oak) (5A) (17-10) – 63
12. Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (5A) (21-6) – 60
13. Baker County (Glen St. Mary) (5A) (21-3) – 48
14. Madison County (4A) (14-15) – 43
15. Hernando (Brooksville) (5A) (20-8) – 27
16. Baldwin (1A) (22-6) – 24
17. Belleview (5A) (18-8) – 19
18. Episcopal (Jacksonville) (4A) (16-9) – 17
19. Taylor (Pierson) (1A) (22-8) – 15
20. Oakleaf (Orange Park) (6A) (18-11) – 14
Also receiving votes: Atlantic Coast (Jacksonville) (6A) (18-6) – 13; Mandarin (Jacksonville) (8A) (14-12) – 13; Bell (1A) (15-9) – 6; Keystone Heights (4A) (13-12) – 3; First Coast (Jacksonville) (7A) (14-9) – 2.
