The results from last week show how quickly a season can change and with it our national rankings. While the race for the national championship remains the same – top-ranked Cathedral Catholic defeated Torrey Pines in the sectional final Friday night and begins the CA state playoffs Tuesday – there was some eye-popping movement behind the Dons. Oconomowoc – which was ranked No. 7 – fell to Divine Savior Holy Angels in the Wisconsin Division 1 state final. Oconomowoc finishes the year 39-2, with both losses to DSHA. Oconomowoc went 2-2 against DSHA this season and despite its high ranking and tremendous season dropped outside the Top 50.
Rankings are subjective and there is a hard, fast line that we use when it comes to the postseason and playoffs. In regards to Oconomowoc and DSHA, Oconomowoc cannot be ranked higher than DSHA since DSHA eliminated Oconomowoc from winning a state title. And given DSHA’s overall record of 43-6 and some of the schools it lost to, DSHA doesn’t have a strong Top 50 argument. Thus, it also keeps Oconomowoc.
That’s true for all state playoff races.
Take what happened in the Nebraska Class A state playoffs, where then No. 20 Lincoln Southwest (31-4) went down to unranked Omaha Westside in the semifinals. Omaha Westside finished 30-9. The overall results aren’t quite strong enough to get in the Top 50 and therefore Lincoln Southwest falls out of the rankings.
Another example was with then No. 26 Dike-New Hartford, which also dropped out of the Top 50 with a loss to Western Christian in the 2A state final. It can go the other way, like Notre Dame Academy winning the Kentucky state final and propelling itself to No. 34 in this week’s Top 50 rankings. NDA beat Assumption for the third time this season on its way to winning state and that will help NDA finish in the Top 50.
It’s can be different when it comes to sectional playoffs, like what’s currently happening in California. On Saturday, then No. 14 Sierra Canyon swept then No. 6 Mira Costa in their respective sectional final. The two traded spots in this week’s rankings but Mira Costa could still finish higher than Sierra Canyon since both teams qualified for the state playoffs and could meet again. The winner of the potential match would then be ranked higher in the final rankings.
Another highly-ranked team to tumble out of the Top 50 was Cypress Ranch (43-3). The Mustangs fell to The Woodlands in the Texas 6A area playoffs. In similar fashion, since The Woodlands eliminated Cypress Ranch’s hopes of reaching and winning state, Cypress Ranch has to be ranked below The Woodlands and The Woodlands doesn’t have a case for the Top 50 either.
vballrecruiter.com TOP 50
1. Cathedral Catholic CA (1 – last week’s ranking)
2. Westminster Christian FL (2)
3. Cornerstone Christian TX (3)
4. Hamilton Southeastern IN (4)
5. Prestonwood Christian TX (5)
6. Highland Park TX (8)
7. Washburn Rural KS (9)
8. Sierra Canyon CA (14)
9. Marian MI (10)
10. Mira Costa CA (6)
***
11. Barrington IL (15)
12. Yorktown IN (12)
13. Aquinas KS (13)
14. McCutcheon IN (16)
15. St. Francis/Mountain View CA (19)
16. Marymount CA (22)
17. Lafayette MO (22)
18. Mother McAuley IL (24)
19. Santa Fe FL (21)
20. St. James Academy (27)
***
21. Papillion-LaVista NE (25)
22. Liberty North MO (30)
23. Fayetteville AR (17)
24. ‘Iolani HI (18)
25. Ursuline Academy OH (28)
26. Valor Christian CO (29)
27. Magnificat OH (31)
28. Brebeuf Jesuit IN (32)
29. Liberty MO (33)
30. Mater Dei CA (34)
***
31. Plano West TX (35)
32. Millbrook NC (36)
33. Corona del Sol AZ (37)
34. Notre Dame Academy KY (n/r)
35. North Raleigh Christian Academy NC (43)
36. Eureka MO (39)
37. Millennium AZ (40)
38. Assumption KY (38)
39. Flint Hill VA (42)
40. Lakewood CA (49)
***
41. Timpview UT (n/r)
42. Torrey Pines CA (41)
43. Cleveland TN (50)
44. Marist IL (n/r)
45. Palos Verdes CA (n/r)
46. Mountain View UT (46)
47. Archbishop Mitty CA (45)
48. St. Ursula Academy OH (47)
49. Bountiful UT (48)
50. Benet Academy IL (n/r)
Out: Oconomowoc WI; Cypress Ranch TX; Lincoln Southwest NE; Dike-New Hartford IO; Jesuit OR
In: Notre Dame Academy KY; Timpview UT; Marist IL; Palos Verdes CA; Benet Academy IL
***
HONORABLE MENTION
Benton AR
Divine Savior Holy Angels WI
Oconomowoc WI
Cypress Ranch TX
Omaha Westside NE
Lincoln Southwest NE
Western Christian IO
Dike-New Hartford IO
Jesuit OR
Sheldon OR
Middle Creek NC
Punahou HI
Reagan NC
North Gwinnett GA
Redondo Union CA
Newport Harbor CA
Horizon AZ
Liberty AZ
Huntley IL
Mercy McAuley OH
Rock Bridge MO
Hamilton AZ
Mount Notre Dame OH
Mercy MI
Skyline MI
Iowa City Liberty IO
Xavier IO
Ankeny IO
Lyons IL
Mercy KY
Wayzata MN
Lakeville North MN
Northfield MN
Marshall MN
Skutt Catholic NE
Pickens SC
Dorman SC
Cardinal Newman SC
Nolensville TN
Knoxville Catholic TN
Pope GA
Buford GA
Alpharetta GA
Sequoyah GA
Lake Catholic OH
Rock Canyon CO
Heritage CO
Legend CO
Chaparral CO
Trinity Catholic FL
Olathe Northwest KS
Lincoln-Way East IL
Vista Murrieta CA
Harvard-Westlake CA
Huntington Beach CA
Alemany CA
Calvary Christian FL
Tampa Prep FL
Tompkins TX
Bryon Nelson TX
Bishop Watterson OH
Ardrey Kell NC
Kamehameha HI
Moanalua HI
Jackson Academy MS
Ponte Vedra FL
Venice FL
O’Connor AZ
Appleton North WI
Burlington WI
Hamilton WI
