FHSAA Rankings: Where did area teams place in the first basketball rankings of the season?

New year, new rankings.

2024 has started off with a bang with the Florida High School Athletic Association releasing the first state rankings for both boys and girls basketball. We're a little more than halfway through the regular season, with district tournaments slated to begin in just over a month.

The Escambia and Santa Rosa County-area is highlighted by the Booker T. Washington girls basketball team, which sits at fifth in the state. The Wildcats, who are 11-1 (2-0 District 1-5A) and recently suffered their first loss to Hancock (Kiln, Mississippi) on Dec. 29, are the top-ranked team in the 5A classification in the state and region.

The top five teams in the state are neck-and-neck, as well. Booker T. sits just 0.133 points away from fourth-place Somerset Prep (North Lauderdale). The best team in the state is Colonial (Orlando), with a rating of 24.743.

For the boys side, Milton is the top-ranked team, and the only area team in the top 100 teams across the state, ranked 71st overall, and 13th in Class 6A. The Panthers were on an 11-game win streak before suffering their first casualty of the season against Mary G. Montgomery (Semmes, Alabama), a top-15 team out of Alabama, at Tate on Dec. 20.

Here are the full rankings for all area teams, and where they sit within both Region 1 and District 1.

Boys Basketball

6A

• Milton (11.765) – first in district, second in region, 13th in 6A, 71st overall

• Gulf Breeze (7.243) – second in district, eighth in region, 31st in 6A, 170th overall

• Tate (3.693) – fourth in district, 14th in region, 46th in 6A, 237th overall

• Navarre (-2.000) – sixth in district, 25th in region, 81st in 6A, 423rd overall

• Pace (-7.241) – seventh in district, 27th in region, 96th in 6A, 542nd overall

5A

• Booker T. Washington (9.292) – first in district, third in region, 18th in 5A, 117th overall

• Pine Forest (2.793) – third in district, 10th in region, 48th in 5A, 268th overall

• Escambia (-1.073) – fifth in district, 15th in region, 64th in 5A, 393rd overall

4A

• West Florida (1.833) – fourth in district, 12th in region, 40th in 4A, 302nd overall

• Pensacola (1.833) – fifth in district, 13th in region, 41st in 4A, 303rd overall

3A

• Pensacola Christian Academy (-3.142) – fourth in district, 13th in region, 69th in 3A, 448th overall

• Pensacola Catholic (-8.650) – sixth in district, 19th in region, 89th in 3A, 573rd overall

2A

• L.E.A.D. Academy (-4.86) – fifth in district, 21st in region, 90th in 2A, 629th overall

1A

• Central (3.190) – second in district, third in region, 12th in 1A, 254th overall

• Jay (-0.794) – third in district, sixth in region, 19th in 1A, 382nd overall

• Northview (-12.803) – seventh in district, 14th in region, 41st in 1A, 627th overall

Girls Basketball

6A

• Pace (13.889) – second in district, second in region, eighth in 6A, 48th overall

• Gulf Breeze (11.044) – third in district, sixth in region, 17th in 6A, 80th overall

• Navarre (3.565) – fourth in district, 16th in region, 44th in 6A, 223rd overall

• Milton (-0.973) – sixth in district, 21st in region, 61st in 6A, 320th overall

• Tate (-8.619) – seventh in district, 27th in region, 94th in 6A, 491st overall

5A

• Booker T. Washington (22.332) – first in district, first in region, first in 5A, fifth overall

• Pine Forest (12.689) – second in district, fifth in region, eighth in 5A, 62nd overall

• Escambia (-9.248) – sixth in district, 21st in region, 80th in 5A, 501st overall

4A

• Pensacola (9.732) – first in district, fifth in region, 15th in 4A, 97th overall

• West Florida (4.823) – third in district, eighth in region, 30th in 4A, 188th overall

3A

• Pensacola Catholic (-5.157) – fifth in district, 15th in region, 59th in 3A, 414th overall

2A

• L.E.A.D. Academy (-0.627) – first in district, 10th in region, 30th in 2A, 312th

1A

• Jay (13.543) – first in district, second in region, third in 1A, 51st overall

• Central (2.94) – third in district, fifth in region, 12th in 1A, 207th overall

• Northview (-9.726) – seventh in district, 12th in region, 34th in 1A, 507th overall

Ben Grieco is a sports reporter for the Pensacola News Journal. He can be reached on X (@BenGriecoSports) and via email at BGrieco@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: FHSAA releases first basketball rankings, Washington girls among best