GAINESVILLE — As we head into Christmas and the holiday tournaments, The Prep Zone Power Poll for boys’ basketball continues to heat up.
For the first time in the 2017-18 season we have co-#1 teams, as Class 8A Creekside (St. Johns) joins defending 6A state champion Leesburg at the top in the latest all-classification regional rankings.
Creekside improved to 7-0 last week with two easy wins, 69-43 over rival Bartram Trail (St. Johns) and 64-54 over another District 4-8A foe Fleming Island (Orange Park).
The Knights, ranked 2nd in Class 8A according to MaxPreps, received four of the seven first-place votes to move into the top spot for the first time this season. Creekside could see #7 Gainesville and #19 Bradford (Starke) in the Kiwanis Christmas Tournament this week at Bradford.
Leesburg (6-1) received the other three first-place votes to remain No. 1 for the third straight poll.
The Yellow Jackets, who are ranked 2nd in Class 6A according to MaxPreps, only played one game a week ago, a 65-21 trouncing of Poinciana (Kissimmee). Leesburg was scheduled to play Lake Minneola this week on the road.
Staying third is Providence (Jacksonville).
The defending 4A state runner-up Stallions (4-1) won their only game a week ago, 55-36 over RV Fletcher (Neptune Beach). Providence hosts the Providence Christmas Classic this week, a tourney that includes Westwood Christian (Miami) and Ponte Vedra.
Moving up a spot to #4 this week is Eastside (Gainesville), which remained undefeated and is now 8-0 after wins over Trinity Catholic (Ocala) and District 6-6A foes Dunnellon and North Marion (Citra). The Rams will be back in action after Christmas at the Hitchcock’s Challenge at Santa Fe High School in Alachua.
Also moving up a spot this week and into the top five is defending 5A state semifinalist The Villages. The Buffalo (7-1) are #5 after three wins by 23 points or more against Bishop Snyder (Jacksonville), Umatilla, and Mount Dora.
The second five this week in order consists of 6A Palatka, 7A Gainesville, Wildwood and Hawthorne, state semifinalists in Class 1A last season, and both 6A Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) and 5A Raines (Jacksonville), which are tied for 10th.
Raines fell six spots from the previous poll after a 65-32 loss at 5A Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville), which moves into the rankings at No. 14.
Along with Jackson, other teams new to the poll this week are #16 Englewood (Jacksonville), #18 DeLand, #19 Bradford (Starke), and 20th-ranked Mainland (Daytona Beach).
Dropping out from the previous poll were Father Lopez (Daytona Beach), Ribault (Jacksonville), Bolles (Jacksonville), and North Florida Educational Institute (Jacksonville).
This will be the final boys’ basketball power poll until 2018.
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, Madison, Marion, Nassau, Putnam, Sumter, St. Johns, Suwannee, Taylor, Union & Volusia counties). It is voted on weekly by sportswriters and sportscasters. It is powered by Strive Fitness.
THE PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2017-18 BOYS BASKETBALL POLL #3
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, record through 12/19, and total voting points)
T-1. Creekside (St. Johns) (8A) (4) (7-0) – 136
T-1. Leesburg (6A) (3) (6-1) – 136
3. Providence (Jacksonville) (4A) (4-1) – 125
4. Eastside (Gainesville) (6A) (8-0) – 117
5. The Villages (5A) (7-1) – 113
6. Palatka (6A) (8-0) – 103
7. Gainesville (7A) (5-2) – 92
8. Wildwood (1A) (8-1) – 87
9. Hawthorne (1A) (6-1) – 78
T-10. Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (6A) (7-1) – 75
T-10. Raines (Jacksonville) (5A) (8-1) – 75
12. Nature Coast (Brooksville) (6A) (6-0) – 61
13. Atlantic (Port Orange) (7A) (8-1) – 54
14. Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville) (5A) (4-2) – 41
15. Vanguard (Ocala) (7A) (4-3) – 33
16. Englewood (Jacksonville) (7A) (6-2) – 24
17. P.K. Yonge (Gainesville) (4A) (5-4) – 23
18. DeLand (9A) (5-2) – 17
19. Bradford (Starke) (5A) (5-1) – 11
20. Mainland (Daytona Beach) (7A) (6-1) – 9
Also receiving votes: Ribault (Jacksonville) (6A) (2-4) – 8; Father Lopez (Daytona Beach) (7A) (7-3) – 7; Fletcher (Neptune Beach) (8A) (6-1) – 6; Crystal River (6A) (6-2) – 5; Hamilton County (Jasper) (1A) (7-2) – 5; North Florida Educational Institute (Jacksonville) (2A) (4-2) – 5; Bolles (Jacksonville) (5A) (7-2) – 4; Dunnellon (6A) (5-2) – 4; East Ridge (Clermont) (8A) (6-1) – 4; Oakleaf (Orange Park) (8A) (6-2) – 3; Robert E. Lee (Jacksonville) (8A) (2-5) – 3; First Academy-Leesburg (Ind.) (7-1) – 2; First Coast (Jacksonville) (8A) (5-2) – 2; Bell (1A) (6-0) – 1; Orange Park (6A) (6-2) – 1.
