Rural champion Wildwood near unanimous No. 1
GAINESVILLE – The Wildwood girls basketball team ran the table in 2024-25.
The Lady Wildcats (25-0) went undefeated from start to finish against a difficult schedule that included two games against Class 5A state runner-up Gainesville, 5A regional finalist Leesburg, and 3A regional semifinalist The Villages.
They defeated previous No. 6 Williston in the FHSAA Rural-District 7 championship game, 68-40, and again in the Rural-Region 4 Final, 60-45, to advance to the final four at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland where they won their first state title since 2018.
Wildwood received nine of the 10 first-place votes to finish No. 1 in The Prep Zone Power Poll, which ranks the top 20 basketball teams across 26 counties in Florida.
The Wildcats, who finished sixth overall in Florida in the final MaxPreps rankings, defeated Blountstown, 67-32, in the Rural state semifinals followed by a 65-43 victory against Holmes County (Bonifay) in the state championship game.
Class 5A state champion New Smyrna Beach is ranked second.
The Barracudas (27-5), who received all 10 2nd-place votes, defeated previous No. 13 Gainesville, 56-49, in the state championship game.
They knocked off Clearwater, 56-47, in the state semifinals and also defeated previous No. 16 Leesburg, 69-56, in the Class 5A-Region 2 Final.
Bolles (Jacksonville) is ranked No. 3.
The Bulldogs (25-6) advanced to the Class 3A state championship game before falling to No. 4 overall in Florida, Cardinal Mooney (Sarasota), 64-54, which snapped their 15-game winning streak.
They had wins this season against 5A state runner-up GHS, 4A regional finalist Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville), 4A regional semifinalist Jacksonville Ribault (twice), 7A regional semifinalist Spruce Creek (Port Orange), 5A regional semifinalist Beachside (St. Johns), 3A regional quarterfinalist Episcopal (Jacksonville), and 2A regional finalist San Jose Prep (Jacksonville).
Providence (Jacksonville) is ranked fourth.
The Stallions (24-7), who defeated No. 3 Bolles at home, 56-43, in November, were Class 2A state runners-up. They received the other first-place vote.
Their resume included wins against playoff teams Bolles, 3A state semifinalist Somerset Academy – Canyons (Boynton Beach), 7A regional semifinalist West Port (Ocala), 5A regional quarterfinalist Ponte Vedra, 5A regional semifinalist Beachside (St. Johns), 3A state semifinalist SLAM (Miami), 2A regional semifinalist Ocala Trinity Catholic (twice), and 2-time defending state champion Hawthorne, among others.
They lost to Miami Country Day, 47-37, in the state title game.
Rounding out the top five is Gainesville High.
The Purple Hurricanes (17-9) advanced to their first state semifinal since 1987 with a 64-57 win at Booker T. Washington (Pensacola) in the 5A-Region 1 Final.
They defeated Northeast (St. Pete), 54-52, in the state semifinals before falling to No. 2 New Smyrna Beach, 56-49, in state championship game, which snapped an 8-game winning streak.
GHS also defeated Lincoln (Tallahassee), 66-28, in the regional quarterfinals, followed by a 61-38 win against RV Beachside (St. Johns) in the regional semifinals to advance to the Elite Eight.
Bishop Kenny (25-5), 6A state semifinalist Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine) (20-8), Williston (19-4), The Villages (23-6), and Ribault (19-9) round out the top 10.
Hawthorne, Bishop Snyder (Jacksonville) (19-9), which lost to No. 13 Trinity Catholic (Ocala), 55-38, in the 2A regional quarterfinals, and 3A regional quarterfinalist Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville) (16-11) all dropped out of the rankings.
Class 1A state runner-up North Florida Educational Institute (Jacksonville) (20-13), Rural state semifinalist Hilliard (18-9), and 7A regional semifinalist West Port (Ocala) (17-9) all moved into the rankings at Nos. 11, 18, and 19, respectively.
The Prep Zone Power Poll ranks the top 20 high school football, girls basketball, boys basketball, softball & 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, Madison, Marion, Nassau, Putnam, Sumter, St. Johns, Suwannee, Taylor, Union & Volusia counties). It is voted on by sportswriters and sportscasters and it is powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville.
THE PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2024-25 GIRLS BASKETBALL POLL #6 (FINAL)
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, final record, and total voting points)
1. Wildwood (Rural) (9) (25-0) – 197
2. New Smyrna Beach (5A) (27-5) – 190
3. Bolles (Jacksonville) (3A) (25-6) – 177
4. Providence (Jacksonville) (2A) (1) (24-7) – 172
5. Gainesville (5A) (17-9) – 149
6. Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (4A) (25-5) – 144
7. Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine) (6A) (20-8) – 143
8. Williston (Rural) (19-4) – 119
9. The Villages (3A) (23-6) – 101
10. Ribault (Jacksonville) (4A) (19-9) – 95
11. North Florida Educational Institute (Jacksonville) (1A) (20-13) – 89
12. Newberry (3A) (17-7) – 70
13. Trinity Catholic (Ocala) (2A) (18-10) – 64
14. San Jose Prep (Jacksonville) (2A) (15-10) – 62
15. Creekside (St. Johns) (7A) (16-8) – 55
T16. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (7A) (15-14) – 47
T16. Leesburg (5A) (14-10) – 47
18. Hilliard (Rural) (18-9) – 33
19. West Port (Ocala) (7A) (17-9) – 30
20. Ridgeview (Orange Park) (5A) (20-6) – 28
Also receiving votes: Hawthorne (Rural) (12-5) – 21; Mount Dora Christian (1A) (18-10) – 21; Bishop Snyder (Jacksonville) (2A) (19-9) – 13; Fort White (Rural) (16-8) – 11; Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville) (3A) (16-11) – 8; Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (6A) (17-9) – 7; Beachside (St. Johns) (5A) (14-10) – 5; Eustis (4A) (18-5) – 2.
