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Unbeaten Sandalwood (Jacksonville) remains on top of all-classification regional rankings
GAINESVILLE — The Sandalwood (Jacksonville) girls’ basketball team enter 2018 the way they left 2017 – undefeated.
The Saints (11-0) went 3-0 during the Christmas break, including a 65-31 rout of previous No. 12 Ribault (Jacksonville), to hold on to the top spot in the first all-classification regional rankings of the new year.
Sandalwood received all six first-place votes to remain No. 1 in The Prep Zone Power Poll. They are also ranked 2nd in Class 9A by MaxPreps.
Nease (Ponte Vedra) moved up three spots to second following a 6-1 record during the break.
The Lady Panthers (13-3), the top-ranked team in Class 7A, lost to nationally-ranked No. 11 Winter Haven, 60-56 (OT), last Friday at the Rob Moramarco Girls Basketball Challenge. They also went 3-0 at the KSA Holiday Tournament (Dec. 27-30) with wins against teams from California and Wisconsin.
Among the other victories for Nease was a 53-27 win against Ponte Vedra, which drops from third to sixth in this week’s rankings. The Sharks (10-3) are ranked 7th in Class 6A by MaxPreps.
Fleming Island (Orange Park) dropped one spot from second to third.
The Golden Eagles (15-3) went 4-2, including a 71-38 win against 4A No. 10 University Christian (Jacksonville) and a close 59-52 loss to 6A No. 2 Bishop Moore (Orlando).
Wildwood, the No. 2 team in Class 1A, moved up three spots to fourth.
The Wildcats (13-3) went 5-1 since the last ranking. They finished 3-0 at the Jim Clark Holiday Classic, including a 72-56 win against 6A #2 Bishop Moore (Orlando) on Dec. 29, and they narrowly lost to 6A #1 Rickards (Tallahassee), 56-50, back on Dec. 20.
P.K. Yonge (Gainesville) dropped one spot and fell to fifth. The Lady Blue Wave (10-3), who went 3-2 with losses to teams from Virginia and Georgia, are ranked third in Class 4A.
Rounding out the top 10 are Ponte Vedra, Class 6A Weeki Wachee (13-1) at No. 7, followed by 9A Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (9-4), 5A Newberry (12-2) and 7A Gainesville (11-6).
Class 7A Middleburg jumps into the rankings at No. 17. The Broncos (11-3) had a 69-62 win against previous No. 11 Oakleaf (Orange Park), 69-62, last Friday, and went 2-1 at the KSA Events Holiday Tournament.
Forest (Ocala) is also in at No. 19 following a 3-0 mark. The 7A Lady Wildcats are now 11-2 overall.
Raines (Jacksonville) is another newcomer at No. 20. The Class 5A Vikings (10-3) went 5-1 with its only loss to #1 Sandalwood at the Northwest Christmas Tournament.
Crystal River, West Port (Ocala), and Vanguard (Ocala) & Providence (Jacksonville), who were tied for 20th, fell out of the rankings.
The Prep Zone Power Poll ranks the top 20 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 Strive Fitness.
THE PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2017-2018 GIRLS BASKETBALL POLL #2
(School, followed by classification, first place votes, current record through 1/8, and total voting points)
1. Sandalwood (Jacksonville) (9A) (6) (11-0) – 120
2. Nease (Ponte Vedra) (7A) (13-3) – 112
3. Fleming Island (Orange Park) (8A) (15-3) – 105
4. Wildwood (1A) (13-3) – 103
5. P.K. Yonge (Gainesville) (4A) (10-3) – 94
6. Ponte Vedra (6A) (10-3) – 83
7. Weeki Wachee (6A) (13-1) – 81
8. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (9A) (9-4) – 78
9. Newberry (5A) (12-2) – 75
10. Gainesville (7A) (11-6) – 73
11. Oakleaf (Orange Park) (8A) (12-3) – 57
12T. Father Lopez (Daytona Beach) (7A) (13-2) – 42
12T. Trenton (1A) (11-2) – 42
14. Fernandina Beach (5A) (14-4) – 36
15. Lafayette (Mayo) (1A) (11-3) – 32
16. First Coast (Jacksonville) (8A) (10-5) – 29
17. Middleburg (7A) (11-3) – 27
18. Ribault (Jacksonville) (6A) (9-8) – 25
19. Forest (Ocala) (7A) (14-1) – 15
20. Raines (Jacksonville) (5A) (10-3) – 8
Also receiving votes: Aucilla Christian (Monticello) (2A) (11-2) – 7; East Ridge (Clermont) (8A) (11-5) – 5; Hernando Christian Academy (Brooksville) (2A) (9-1) – 3; Orange Park (6A) (10-3) – 3; Williston (1A) (9-2) – 2; Vanguard (Ocala) (7A) (8-6) – 1; Mainland (Daytona Beach) (7A) (9-3) – 1.
