The girls high school basketball season is officially underway.

The Wildwood girls basketball team, which ran the table by going 25-0 in 2024-25 to win the FHSAA Rural state championship, begins where it left off.

The Lady Wildcats, who finished first in the final all-classification regional rankings last year, received 7 of the 10 first-place votes to earn the No. 1 spot in The Prep Zone Power Poll, which ranks the top 20 teams across 26 counties in Florida.

Class 5A state champion New Smyrna Beach is ranked second. The Barracudas (27-5) received three of the other four first-place votes.

Class 3A state runner-up Bolles (Jacksonville) (25-6) is third, followed by 2A state runner-up Providence (Jacksonville) (24-7), which received the other first-place vote, and 6A state semifinalist Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine) (20-8) in the top five.

Class 4A Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (25-5), which had its final four streak end at six years, leads off the second five at No. 6, followed by 1A state runner-up North Florida Educational Institute (Jacksonville) (20-13), Rural region finalist Williston (19-4), 4A regional semifinalist Ribault (Jacksonville) (19-9), and 3A region semifinalist The Villages (23-6) in the top 10.

In addition to Williston, other teams in the Mainstreet Daily News coverage area include No. 11 Gainesville High (17-9), No. 17 Newberry (17-7), and Hawthorne (12-5), which is tied for 20th with 5A Ridgeview (Orange Park).

GHS must replace Division-I players Jamison Cardwell (UNF) and Jayden Terry (Louisiana Tech) from last year’s Class 5A state runner-up team, but Newberry, which won its first district title in eight years last year, advanced to the second round of the 3A state playoffs and returns 1,000-point scorer Brandy Whitfield (23.6 ppg & 3.5 rpg).

After back-to-back state titles, the Hawthorne girls had their two-year run come to an end with a 60-45 loss at Williston in the Rural-Region 4 Semifinals.

Shereka Jones takes over as head coach after Cornelius Ingram stepped down as girls basketball coach this past June.

Fort White, which lost at current No. 14 Hilliard, 67-64, in overtime in the Rural-Region3 Final, is receiving votes. The Indians return three starters from last year’s 16-8 team.

Trenton (16-11), which lost to Fort White in last year’s Rural-Region 3 Semifinals, is also receiving votes.

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 Be Well Fitness.

THE PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2025-26 GIRLS BASKETBALL POLL #1 (PRESEASON)

(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, 2024-25 record, and total voting points)

Teams in the Mainstreet Daily News coverage area are in bold

1. Wildwood (Rural) (7) (25-0) – 212

2. New Smyrna Beach (5A) (3) (27-5) – 206

3. Bolles (Jacksonville) (3A) (25-6) – 200

4. Providence (Jacksonville) (2A) (1) (24-7) – 190

5. Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine) (6A) (20-8) – 167

6. Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (4A) (25-5) – 160

7. North Florida Educational Institute (Jacksonville) (1A) (20-13) – 133

8. Williston (Rural) (19-4) – 128

9. Ribault (Jacksonville) (4A) (19-9) – 112

10. The Villages (3A) (23-6) – 108

11. Gainesville (5A) (17-9) – 102

12. Trinity Catholic (Ocala) (2A) (18-10) – 84

13. San Jose Prep (Jacksonville) (2A) (15-10) – 66

14. Hilliard (Rural) (18-9) – 57

15T. Creekside (St. Johns) (7A) (16-8) – 56

15T. Leesburg (5A) (14-10) – 56

17. Newberry (3A) (17-7) – 53

18. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (7A) (15-14) – 42

19. West Port (Ocala) (7A) (17-9) – 23

20T. Ridgeview (Orange Park) (5A) (20-6) – 19

20T. Hawthorne (Rural) (12-5) – 19

Also receiving votes: Beachside (St. Johns) (5A) (14-10) – 17; Eustis (4A) (18-5) – 14; Orange Park (5A) (16-12) – 14; Fort White (Rural) (16-8) – 10; Menendez (St. Augustine) (4A) (15-10) – 9; Bishop Snyder (Jacksonville) (2A) (19-9) – 9; Mainland (Daytona Beach) (6A) (12-11) – 8; Oakleaf (Orange Park) (6A) (13-13) – 7; Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (6A) (17-9) – 5; Mount Dora Christian (1A) (18-10) – 4; Ponte Vedra (5A) (13-13) – 3; Nease (Ponte Vedra) (6A) (13-13) – 2; Trenton (Rural) (16-11) – 2; Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville) (3A) (16-11) – 1.