JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The News4Jax Super 6 girls basketball rankings will be published each Wednesday during the regular season with the exception of a break for the holidays. Records are through Jan. 5 games.
Rank, (Previous), School, Record, Classification, Record
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1. (1) Oakleaf (12-0, Class 7A)
Notable wins: Bishop Kenny, Jackson, Mandarin, Orange Park, Ponte Vedra.
Why they’re here: In our return from a holiday break, we pick up where we left off with the Knights still on top. One of their most impressive wins of the season came on Tuesday in a 63-47 victory over previous No. 6 Jackson. A big test awaits next week with a Jan. 14 game at home against No. 2 Nease. The Knights have three players in double figures, with G Taliah Scott (22.1 ppg), G/F Fantasia James (16.8 points, 8.3 rebounds) and G Kaylah Turner (13 ppg) doing the heavy lifting. Better news for Oakleaf — those three are all sophomores.
2. (2) Nease (13-1, Class 7A)
Notable wins: Columbia, Gateway, Lake Mary, Oak Ridge, Ponte Vedra, Providence, St. Augustine, Spruce Creek.
Why they’re here: The Panthers have the second longest winning streak in the area (10 games) behind Oakleaf. They barreled through the holidays, including three straight on the road in the Central Florida area, topping Kissimmee Gateway (67-52), Oak Ridge (47-46) and Lake Mary (52-46). Two very tough opponents to end the week in Spruce Creek on Friday and Bishop Kenny on Saturday. The Panthers, led by star junior G Sydney Gomes (22.5 ppg, 8.4 rpg) and G Camryn Robinson (9.4 ppg), haven’t lost to a team from the state this season.
3. (3) Raines (10-4), Class 4A
Notable wins: Bishop Kenny, Jackson, Lake Mary, Ribault, Sandalwood, Valdosta.
Why they’re here: The Vikings come out of the holiday stretch solid. Raines went 5-2 in December, including a big win over rival and No. 4 Ribault, 62-49. They opened the new year strong with a rout of Middleburg. One loss over the break, a 53-51 game to a high quality Spruce Creek squad. This team’s ceiling is a spot in Lakeland, which would be its second under coach Julius Paden. But a tough, tough region awaits come playoff time.
4. (5) Ribault (9-3, Class 4A)
Notable wins: Bartram Trail, Bishop Kenny, Colonial, Dr. Phillips, Legacy Early College, Mandarin, Parker.
Why they’re here: A solid month of December for the Trojans. Ribault dropped two games to very strong opponents, falling to Raines and to a 10-3 Apopka Wekiva (57-54). They had quality wins during the break over both Parker (42-32), and Orlando-area teams Dr. Phillips (48-36) and Colonial (43-40). But their most impressive win of the season came earlier this week against a full-strength Bishop Kenny squad in a 51-50 overtime thriller. Ribault and Kenny have turned in some classics over the past four years, the best of those a triple OT game in the 2019 district final. Dorian Stevens’ squad is on the rise and certainly a contender for Lakeland come playoff time. As is the case with Raines, the team that maneuvers out of Region 1-4A is going to be well prepared for the final four.
5. (NR) St. Augustine (13-1, Class 5A)
Notable wins: Bartram Trail, Flagler Palm Coast, Mandarin, New Smyrna Beach, Ocala West Port.
Why they’re here: The Yellow Jackets make their Super 6 debut on the strength of an eight-game winning streak. St. Augustine’s lone loss was a 53-50 OT game to No. 2 Nease. They rolled through tournament season, with the best win in that stretch a 46-36 win over NSB. G Kyra Stauble (14.3 ppg, 8.8 rpg), F Janiyah Jackson (13.8 rpg, 11.9 ppg) and G Dana Art (11 ppg, 5.6 rpg) power the Yellow Jackets. They’ve got a tough county game up on Friday at 9-4 Ponte Vedra.
6. (6) Jackson (8-2, Class 3A)
Notable wins: Episcopal, Middleburg, Parker, Providence, University Christian.
Why they’re here: The final spot here remains the Tigers, even though they they’ve played just once since mid-December and lost that game, 63-47 to No. 1 Oakleaf. Considered keeping Bishop Kenny in tied with Jackson, although the Crusaders have dropped five straight, albeit missing star players in a few of those games, and all of those to tough competition. G Jazmine Jackson (9.7 ppg), F/C Xaniya Jackson (9.6 ppg, 8.1 rpg) and F Irene Kabassubabo (9.4 ppg, 7.2 rpg) lead a talented, and young, Tigers team.
Dropped out: Bishop Kenny (8-6), Class 4A.
Others: Bartram Trail (8-6, Class 7A); Bishop Kenny (8-6), Class 4A; Columbia (7-2, Class 6A); Episcopal (7-4, Class 3A); Flagler Palm Coast (7-2, Class 8A); Fleming Island (6-3, Class 6A); Fletcher (11-0, Class 6A); North Florida Educational (5-0, Class 2A); Mandarin (7-5, Class 7A); Parker (5-6, Class 5A); Ponte Vedra (9-4, Class 5A); St. Joseph (11-0, Class 3A).