Last year, the Wildwood girls basketball team ran the table, finishing 25-0 with an FHSAA Rural state title.

The Lady Wildcats began the year on top of The Prep Zone Power Poll preseason rankings, which ranks the top 20 teams across 26 counties in Florida. However, their first loss of 2025-26, a 69-50 loss at 7A state semifinalist Ocoee, dropped Wildwood to No. 2 in the all-classification regional rankings.

The new No. 1 is Class 6A Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine), which is seeking a return trip to the final four.

The Toros, who were 7-1 coming into the week, had wins against previous No. 14 Hilliard, 60-55, receiving votes (RV) Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville), 63-55, former No. 2 and defending 5A state champion New Smyrna Beach, 48-38 (at the Insider Exposure tournament in Jacksonville), and at previous No. 15 Creekside (St. Johns), 57-45.

Their only loss through Monday’s games was against 4A region finalist Bishop Moore (Orlando), 44-27, at the Insider Exposure on Nov. 25.

The challenging schedule was enough to launch them up four spots. Although Wildwood and Tocoi Creek each received four first-place votes, the Toros edged the Wildcats, 175-171, in total voting points to claim the No. 1 ranking.

Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) moved up three spots to No. 3.

The Class 4A Crusaders (6-1), whose only loss was against 3A defending state champion Cardinal Mooney (Sarasota), 72-53, at the Insider Exposure, defeated 2A regional semifinalist The First Academy (Orlando), 59-45, and RV Bartram Trail (St. Johns), 49-32, at home.

Another Jacksonville team, Providence, remained fourth.

The Class 2A state runner-up Stallions (4-3) had losses to teams from Tennessee and Illinois at the Insider Exposure, but they also defeated previous No. 18 Spruce Creek (Port Orange), No. 12 Trinity Catholic (Ocala), which dropped out of the rankings but is still receiving votes, and RV Nease (Ponte Vedra) on the road.

New Smyrna Beach (3-3) rounds out the top five.

Bolles (Jacksonville) (3-3), which received the other first-place vote, leads off the second five at No. 6, followed by Williston (3-1), Springstead (Spring Hill) (8-0), Newberry (8-0), and Ponte Vedra (6-1) in the top 10.

In addition to Williston and Newberry, which moved up eight spots and into the top 10, other teams in the Mainstreet Daily News coverage area include No. 15 Fort White and No. 18 Gainesville High.

Fort White, which returned three starters from last year’s 16-8 team, is off to a 6-0 start, including a 56-39 win at home against GHS, 56-39, on Dec. 1. The Hurricanes (4-2), Class 5A state runners-up last year, tumbled seven spots from the preseason rankings.

Springstead, Ponte Vedra, Fort White, and No. 14 Orange Park (6-3) are new to the rankings, while Trinity Catholic, Spruce Creek, West Port (Ocala), Ridgeview (Orange Park), and Hawthorne fell out.

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 #2

(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, record through Dec. 8, and total voting points)

Teams in the Mainstreet Daily News coverage area are in bold

1. Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine) (6A) (4) (7-1) – 175

2. Wildwood (Rural) (4) (4-1) – 171

3. Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (4A) (6-1) – 160

4. Providence (Jacksonville) (2A) (4-3) – 129

5. New Smyrna Beach (5A) (3-3) – 126

6. Bolles (Jacksonville) (3A) (1) (3-3) – 120

7. Williston (Rural) (3-1) – 118

8. Springstead (Spring Hill) (5A) (8-0) – 96

9. Newberry (3A) (8-0) – 90

10. Ponte Vedra (5A) (6-1) – 88

11. Leesburg (5A) (4-0) – 80

12. The Villages (3A) (5-4) – 77

13. North Florida Educational Institute (Jacksonville) (1A) (3-3) – 73

14. Orange Park (5A) (6-3) – 62

15. Fort White (Rural) (6-0) – 59

16. Hilliard (Rural) (6-3) – 56

17. Creekside (St. Johns) (7A) (3-3) – 44

18T. Gainesville (5A) (4-2) – 37

18T. San Jose Prep (Jacksonville) (2A) (4-5) – 37

20. Ribault (Jacksonville) (4A) (4-4) – 31

Also receiving votes: Trinity Catholic (Ocala) (2A) (4-3) – 19; Nease (Ponte Vedra) (6A) (4-2) – 15; Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (6A) (3-2) – 11; Eustis (4A) (3-2) – 9; Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville) (3A) (4-5) – 4; Beachside (St. Johns) (5A) (3-3) – 2; Chiefland (Rural) (5-1) – 1.