Nease continues to remain at the top of the Fab Five girls basketball rankings for the sixth straight week, but Bishop Kenny continues to stay close on their heels.
We also take a look at each district and give you a run down of who is doing what in each district as the playoffs are less than a month away.
1 Nease (15-1)
Last ranking: 1
Last week: def. Winter Haven 60-45, def. Tampa Bay Tech 43-39
Next: Ed White (Jan 8), St. Augustine (Jan 10), Middleburg (Jan 15)
Note: Coming off their first loss of the season, many would wonder how Nease would respond, the Panthers answered that quickly with two solid games at the Moromarco Challenge at Flagler Palm Coast pounding a solid Winter Haven team by 15 and holding off Tampa Bay Tech by four. Four Panthers were in double figures and nearly a fifth led by Camile Hobby with a game high 17 points and 15 rebounds, Peyton Carter with 13 point and 8 rebounds, Tia Robinson with 12 points and 7 rebounds, Stephanie Manherz with 10 points and 7 steals and Kiya Turner with 8 points and 5 assists in the win over Winter Haven. A night later down 19-17 at the half, the Panthers responded with a 19-8 run in the third quarter to take the lead they would never relinquish. Turner (19 points, 4 rebounds) and Hobby (16 points, 12 rebounds) led the Panthers in the win over Tampa Bay Tech.
2 Bishop Kenny (15-1)
Last ranking: 2
Last week: def. Stanton 55-19
Next: Paxon (Jan 8), at Parker (Jan 10), at Father Lopez (Jan 12)
Note: In its lone game of the week, Kenny jumped out to a 21-1 lead after one quarter and never looked back in the beat down over Stanton for its 10 straight win. Maddie Millar led the Crusaders with 13 points and 4 steals, while Jasmyne Roberts added 12 points and 10 rebounds and Rachel Dolmovich added 10 points and 4 rebounds in the win.
3 Middleburg (12-3)
Last ranking: 3
Last week: Off
Next: at Ridgeview (Jan 11), at Nease (Jan 15)
Note: Talk about a bizarre way to end a game, host Middleburg led Sandalwood 27-20 at the half last night, when officials cancelled the rest of the game and cleared the gym because of bats. The Broncos will try to regroup traveling to Ridgeview Friday before there second meeting with district rival Nease looming next week.
Basketball game at Middleburg cancel at halftime bats in the gym
Randy Lefko Clay Today Sports— Randy T Lefko (@ClayTodaySports) January 8, 2019
4 Sandalwood (10-3)
Last ranking: 4
Last week: def. Tampa Bay Tech 52-47
Next: at Spruce Creek (Jan 9), Deland (Jan 10)
Note: While the Saints wanted to get revenge for an early season loss back in November and won’t be able to thanks to the bat infestation; the Saints have their sights set on a first place showdown with Spruce Creek (11-2, 2-0) on Wednesday in Port Orange. A win over both Spruce Creek and Deland would clinch the top seed and an automatic berth in the semifinals of the upcoming District 1-9A tournament.
5 Ribault (12-4)
Last ranking: HM
Last week: def. Colonial 42-32, def. Hialeah 55-26, def. Orange Park 59-47
Next: University Christian (Jan 10), at Stanton (Jan 12)
Note: Trojans make their debut in the poll after having won five in a row including a double overtime 65-62 win over previously No. 5 Raines. Since then the Trojans knocked off solid Colonial and Hialeah programs in the Mormarco Challenge at Palm Coast over the weekend and a huge win over a hot Orange Park team last night.
Dropped out: No. 5 Raines (13-3)
Honorable Mention: Bartram Trail (11-4), Bolles (9-3), Columbia (11-4), Creekside (10-5), Fernandina Beach (16-2), Flagler Palm Coast (12-1), Keystone Heights (11-4), Orange Park (12-2), Raines (13-3), Ridgeview (6-3), St. Johns Country Day (11-1), University Christian (10-2)
District Standings (According to Max Preps)
Overall record, District record
District 1-9A
Sandalwood (10-3) (2-0)
Spruce Creek (11-2) (2-0)
Palm Coast (11-1) (1-1)
Deland (8-8) (0-2)
Mandarin (7-7) (0-2)
District 3-8A
Lee (11-7) (3-0)
First Coast (6-10) (4-1)
Atlantic Coast (2-9) (1-4)
Fletcher (5-7) (0-5)
District 4-8A
Bartram Trail (11-4) (4-0)
Creekside (10-5) (3-1)
Fleming Island (9-6) (3-2)
Buchholz (1-9) (1-4)
Oakleaf (3-12) (0-4)
District 3-7A
Nease (15-1) (5-0)
Middleburg (12-3) (5-1)
St. Augustine (7-4) (3-2)
Ed White (4-8) (2-5)
Englewood (0-10) (0-7)
District 3-6A
Ribault (12-4) (4-0)
Bishop Kenny (15-1) (1-1)
Parker (8-4) (3-1)
Paxon (5-5) (2-2)
Stanton (5-9) (1-3)
Yulee (2-10) (0-4)
District 4-6A
Orange Park (12-2) (5-0)
Ridgeview (6-3) (4-1)
Wolfson (3-8) (2-4)
Westside (2-7) (1-3)
Baker County (3-6) (0-4)
District 5-6A
Ponte Vedra (7-5) (4-0)
Menendez (7-6) (3-1)
Palatka (2-6) (1-2)
Clay (1-10) (1-3)
Matanzas (0-9) (0-3)
District 3-5A
Raines (13-3) (3-0)
Bolles (9-3) (4-1)
Fernandina Beach (14-2) (5-1)
Episcopal (10-2) (3-2)
Andrew Jackson (6-7) (2-4)
Baldwin (2-6) (1-4)
West Nassau (3-10) (0-6)
District 4-5A
Keystone Heights (11-4) (3-1)
Bradford (2-9) (2-2)
Fort White (8-6) (2-2)
Interlachen (9-3) (2-2)
Newberry (3-12) (2-4)
District 2-4A
University Christian (9-2) (2-0)
Providence (6-6) (1-0)
St. Joseph (5-6) (1-1)
Florida Deaf (9-3) (1-2)
Bishop Snyder (3-11) (0-2)
District 2-3A
St. Johns Country Day (10-1) (4-0)
Deltona Trinity (10-1) (1-1)
Lake Mary Prep (4-5) (0-1)
St. Francis (2-9) (0-1)
Warner Christian (2-3) (0-2)
District 2-2A
Impact Christian (5-1) (2-0)
First Coast Christian (1-5) (0-1)
Eagles View (0-7) (0-1)
District 3-1A
Hawthorne (9-2) (3-0)
Williston (11-5) (2-1)
Hilliard (7-8) (0-2)
Union County (1-8) (0-2)
