Marty Pallman
As the 2023-24 boys high school basketball season comes to an end, there is one team who set a state title as their goal and rolled through the season to that goal.
Williston captured its second straight boys basketball state title with a 61-53 win over Hilliard in the state championship game at RP Funding Center in Lakeland. This was easily their toughest game of the 1A playoffs, as the Red Devils (29-2) won their other three postseason games by an average of 49 points.
Williston’s only two losses came to Winter Haven, who advanced to the 7A state semifinals after finishing as runner-up in 2022-23, and 4A Mater Lakes Academy (Miami), who won the 4A state title a year ago and advanced to the region finals this season.
Williston, who was ranked second in the previous poll, receives nine of the 10 first-place votes to finish No. 1 for the 2023-24 season.
Finishing second is 4A state runner-up Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville). This was the fourth time in six years the Tigers (26-4) lost in the state title game.This time it was Gibbs (St. Petersburg) who knocked off Jackson, 49-43, in Lakeland. Despite the loss, Andrew Jackson receives the other first-place vote as they move up a spot to No. 2.
Previous No. 1 Providence (Jacksonville) finished third. The Stallions (24-6) advanced to the 3A state semifinals for the second year in a row. Providence lost a tough state semifinal game in Lakeland to Windermere Prep, who finished as the 3A state runner-up for the second straight year.
Another state semifinalist Ponte Vedra is at No. 4. The Sharks advanced to the 6A state semifinals for the second straight year after finishing as state runner-up in 2023. Ponte Vedra advanced to Lakeland by defeating Lincoln (Tallahassee), No. 18T Gainesville and Wiregrass Ranch (Wesley Chapel) on the road to advance back to Lakeland.
Rounding out the top five is another state semifinalist. Mainland (Daytona Beach) was the 5A state runner-up in 2023 but returned to Lakeland in 2024. The Bucs (22-7) were knocked out by Blake (Tampa) 53-40. Blake was beaten in the 5A state title game by Norland (Miami).
Episcopal (Jacksonville) starts off the second five as the sixth-ranked team. The Eagles are followed by No. 7 Raines (Jacksonville), eighth-ranked Hilliard, No. 9 The Villages, and Paxon (Jacksonville) is 10th.
Hilliard (25-3) advanced to its first 1A state championship game appearance. The Red Flashes gave Williston their toughest test of the playoffs, before falling 61-53.
The Villages (20-12) made the 4A state semifinals for the second straight year. The Buffalo lost 47-43 to Andrew Jackson, after finishing as state runner-up a year ago.
Among the second 10 is No. 13 Impact Christian Academy (Jacksonville), who advanced to the 2A state semifinals once again. The Lions (18-11), who have been state runner-up three times previously, this time lost in the state semifinals to eventual state champion Sagemont (Weston).
Teams from the Mainstreet Daily News area that made the final poll of this season are Fort White and Gainesville, who both tied for 18th, and No. 20 Buchholz.
Newberry, Hawthorne, Oak Hall and Union County (Lake Butler) all received votes.
Buchholz is the only team new to the rankings from the previous poll. The Bobcats (18-11) won its first regional playoff game in 15 years, and they replace the team they beat in the postseason, Forest (Ocala). Forest was ranked 16th in the previous poll.
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 – 2023-24 BOYS BASKETBALL POLL #5 (FINAL POLL)
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, final 2023-24 record, and total voting points)
Teams in bold are inside the Mainstreet Daily News coverage area
1. Williston (1A) (9) (29-2) – 195
2. Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville) (4A) (1) (26-4) – 191
3. Providence (Jacksonville) (3A) (24-6) – 181
4. Ponte Vedra (6A) (23-8) – 153
5. Mainland (Daytona Beach) (5A) (22-7) – 150
6. Episcopal (Jacksonville) (3A) (24-5) – 139
7. Raines (Jacksonville) (4A) (21-8) – 129
8. Hilliard (1A) (25-3) – 127
9. The Villages (4A) (20-12) – 125
10. Paxon (Jacksonville) (4A) (21-4) – 116
11. Leesburg (5A) (18-5) – 96
12. Ribault (Jacksonville) (4A) (21-8) – 95
13. Impact Christian Academy (Jacksonville) (2A) (18-11) – 84
14. Eustis (4A) (22-6) – 65
15. University Christian (Jacksonville) (2A) (17-12) – 47
16. Riverside (Jacksonville) (5A) (18-9) – 34
17. Oakleaf (Orange Park) (6A) (19-7) – 31
18T. Fort White (1A) (17-7) – 30
18T. Gainesville (6A) (18-12) – 30
20. Buchholz (Gainesville) (6A) (18-11) – 18
Also receiving votes: Forest (Ocala) (20-8) – 11; Newberry (1A) (15-9) – 11; Mount Dora Christian Academy (2A) (16-13) – 9; Father Lopez (Daytona Beach) (3A) (19-7) – 8; New Smyrna Beach (6A) (19-6) – 7; Hawthorne (1A) (16-5) – 6; Oak Hall (Gainesville) (2A) (17-6) – 4; Union County (Lake Butler) (1A) (13-11) – 3; Creekside (St. Johns) (St. Johns) (7A) (18-10) – 3; Central (Brooksville) (4A) (22-7) – 1; Palatka (4A) (23-5) – 1.