Gainesville – Heading into the final week of the regular season there is only one question about the top of the Prep Zone Power Poll.
Who is the second best team?
Providence (Jacksonville) has been the most dominant team in the history of the poll, adding another exclamation point as perhaps the best area team of all-time following a 35-point win over previous No. 18 Trinity Christian (Jacksonville), which dropped two spots to No. 20, and a 79-64 win against non-FHSAA member school Oldsmar Christian at the Vince Murray Memorial Challenge.
But the spot behind the defending 3A state champion and nationally-ranked Stallions (20-3) is still up for grabs.
Class 6A Lake Minneola had a nine-game winning streak snapped against unbeaten Orlando Christian Prep, the top-ranked team in Class 2A, but the Hawks (21-2) remained second after a 38-point win over 6A Forest (Ocala). However, 8A Sandalwood (Jacksonville) moved up five spots and into a tie for second.
The Saints (19-2) won the Gateway Conference tournament title for the third consecutive year. They defeated #3 Ribault (Jacksonville) in the championship game and #6 Ed White in the semifinals as part of a 3-0 week. Plus, Sandalwood picked up a forfeit win from Roosevelt (Eastvale, CA) from the Kingdom of the Sun tournament back in December.
Bolles (Jacksonville), which is only one total voting point behind the co-number two teams, remained No. 4, while Ribault (22-3) dropped two spots to fifth. The Bulldogs (21-0) are one of just four undefeated teams in the state.
The Villages (22-2), which played without two starters in an 83-61 loss to non-FHSAA member school Potter’s House Christian (Jacksonville) at the Vince Murray Memorial Challenge on Saturday, dropped to sixth. Ed White (Jacksonville) (19-4), Baker County (Glen St. Mary) (19-2), Vanguard (Ocala) (17-5) and Gainesville (16-6) round out the top 10.
Oakleaf (Orange Park), which defeated previous No. 9 GHS, moves into the poll for the first time this season at No. 18 following a 91-76 win against the ‘Canes which gave the Knights (14-6) the top seed in the district.
Bartram Trail (St. Johns), which has won seven of its last eight games, is also in the poll for the first time this season at No. 19. The Bears (18-5) went 6-0 in 6A-District 4 to earn the top seed in next week’s district tournament.
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, Marion, Nassau, Putnam, Sumter, St. Johns, Suwannee, Taylor, Union & Volusia counties). It is voted on weekly by sportswriters and sportscasters.
PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2013-14 BASKETBALL POLL #6
(School, followed by first-place votes, classification, current record and total voting points)
1. Providence (Jacksonville) (7) (3A) (20-3) – 140
T2 Lake Minneola (6A) (21-2) – 124
T2 Sandalwood (Jacksonville) (8A) (19-2) – 124
4. Bolles (Jacksonville) (4A) (21-0) – 123
5. Ribault (Jacksonville) (4A) (22-3) – 110
6. The Villages (4A) (22-2) – 108
7. Ed White (Jacksonville) (6A) (19-4) – 101
8. Baker County (Glen St. Mary) (5A) (19-2) – 91
9. Vanguard (Ocala) (6A) (17-5) – 84
10. Gainesville (6A) (16-6) – 73
11. Palatka (5A) (17-5) – 63
12. Fort White (4A) (16-2) – 60
13. Citrus (Inverness) (5A) (20-2) – 56
T14 Chiefland (1A) (20-1) – 43
T14 Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (5A) (16-6) – 43
16. Raines (Jacksonville) (4A) (16-7) – 26
17. Hawthorne (1A) (16-4) – 21
18. Oakleaf (Orange Park) (6A) (14-6) – 18
19. Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (6A) (18-5) – 17
20. Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (4A) (15-6) – 15
Also receiving votes: Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (8A) (19-7) – 8;Forrest (Jacksonville) (6A) (15-6) – 8; Lecanto (5A) (13-7) – 5; Ponte Vedra (5A) (17-6) – 3; Deltona (6A) (17-7) – 3; Atlantic (Port Orange) (4A) (16-7) – 2; Nature Coast (Brooksville) (5A) (16-7) – 1.
