Gainesville – There’s a new No. 1 in the softball Prep Zone Power Poll.
But the margin is so close that the previous top-ranked team, Creekside (St. Johns), is only slightly behind in the rankings.
North Marion (14-1), which was off last week, moved up one spot to #1, while the Knights (16-1), who defeated previous #4 Bartram Trail (St. Johns), dropped to second. Both teams received 136 total voting points but the Colts edged the Knights in first-place votes, 4-3, to earn top billing.
Both Class 5A teams are ranked in the top 10 of the Miracle Sports all-classification state-wide poll. The Knights are ranked fourth, while the Colts are ranked seventh.
Despite its first loss of the season, Bradford (Starke) remained third in the rankings.
The 4A Tornadoes (18-1) went 4-1, including 3-1 at the prestigious Kissimmee Classic and picked up wins against #10 8A West Orange (Winter Garden), RV 7A Winter Springs (Winter Garden) and RV 8A Lake Brantley (Altamonte Springs). They suffered their first loss against #2 7A Lake Howell (Winter Park), 6-3.
Bishop Snyder (Jacksonville) (20-3) remained fourth. All three of the 3A Cardinals’ losses have been to ranked and higher classification teams – 5A American Heritage, 7A Harmony and 7A Bartow.
Another 5A team, Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (14-4) dropped one spot to round out the top five.
Baker County (Glen St. Mary) (17-1), which has won 17 in a row since a season-opening loss to First Coast (Jacksonville), is ranked sixth, followed by PK Yonge (Gainesville) (17-2), Belleview (13-5), Lafayette (Mayo) (13-3) and Columbia (Lake City) (15-3) in the top 10.
The Keystone Heights Indians (8-5), state semifinalists last season, were the only team to drop out of this week’s poll.
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 POLL #4
(School, followed by classification, record through March 31, first-place votes and total voting points)
1. North Marion (Citra) (5A) (14-1) (4) – 136
2. Creekside (St. Johns) (5A) (16-1) (3) – 136
3. Bradford (Starke) (4A) (18-1) – 126
4. Bishop Snyder (Jacksonville) (3A) (20-3) – 116
5. Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (5A) (15-4) – 106
6. Baker County (Glen St. Mary) (5A) (17-1) – 104
7. PK Yonge (Gainesville) (3A) (17-2) – 100
8. Belleview (5A) (13-5) – 96
9. Lafayette (Mayo) (1A) (13-3) – 75
10. Columbia (Lake City) (6A) (15-3) – 73
11. Atlantic Coast (Jacksonville) (6A) (13-4) – 69
12. Ponte Vedra (5A) (14-3) – 60
13. St. Augustine (6A) (15-4) – 57
14. Forest (Ocala) (7A) (11-4) – 55
15T The Villages (1A) (18-2) – 33
15T East Ridge (Clermont) (7A) (12-4) – 33
17. Baldwin (1A) (13-3) – 29
18. Sandalwood (Jacksonville) (8A) (15-3) – 23
19. Hernando (Brooksville) (5A) (15-3) – 20
20. Union County (Lake Butler) (1A) (11-5) – 9
Also receiving votes: Hernando Christian (2A) (12-2) – 3; Keystone Heights (4A) (8-5) – 3; Deltona (6A) (11-1) – 2; Central (Brooksville) (6A) (14-5) – 2; Montverde Academy (3A) (14-6) – 1; Aucilla Christian (Monticello) (2A) (8-3) – 1; Mount Dora (4A) (12-3) – 1; Tavares (5A) (14-5) – 1.
