Rankings updated 12/7
1) Bishop Ireton (2-0)–Bishop Ireton got a massive win versus Christ The King (NY) at Art Turner this weekend. They also played powerhouse Archbishop Wood (PA) but results were unavailable at ranking time. This team has no seniors, so expect inconsistency, but they’re very good.
2) Virginia Academy (4-0)–VAA got four nice wins last week over Elizabeth Seton and Good Counsel from Maryland, and also against Virginia private schools St. Anne’s Belfield and Steward. Amaya Ramey is averaging 16 ppg since coming over from PVI.
3) Osbourn Park (1-1)–OP rebounded nicely from a loss to Belfield at Art Turner with a great win over PVI. Players like sophomore guard Kai Jones will play a bigger role with Payton Walters out for the year. The early returns are promising.
4) Paul VI (2-2)–PVI had a decent opening week despite two close losses on their home floor to Christ The King and Osbourn Park. Sabrina Eldredge, who came from Potomac School, has looked impressive and centers Lyla Ames and Katherine Maroulis have looked good alongside Demi Gilliam.
5) Potomac School (3-2)–The Panthers turned the page from two losses to very tough competition earlier in the week by winning their Tip-Off Tournament over the weekend. Freshman Nyla Curry had 21 points in the title game.
6) Oakton (2-0)–Cougars looked good scoring 57 and 64 points in two good victories over solid Arlington teams Yorktown and Washington-Liberty.
7) West Potomac (3-0)–Wolverines opened with three nice wins, all by double digits. Especially impressive were the ones over Woodgrove and defending Class 4 champion Heritage. Senior guard Dawn Houston delivered a career-high 27 points in the win over the Pride.
8) Langley (3-0)–The Saxons are off and running, getting a very good 40-38 win over a hot Gainesville team on Saturday. Mariah Armah is really tough to deal with when she’s hitting threes, and Maddie Shamloo is going to score a lot of points this year.
9) Gainesville (2-1)–The Cardinals’ didn’t move up in the rankings, but had a very, very positive week even with the loss to Langley. Playing without senior Peyton White, they still beat two very good teams in Centreville and South County. This is a state contender at 100%.
10) Potomac Falls (3-0)–Our first example of “we knew they were good, but didn’t know they were that good” this year. The Falls burst into the rankings after three opening week wins. If you thought, well the Heritage win was against a wounded team, the Chantilly win on a neutral floor left no doubt–this is a very good team.
11) O’Connell (1-0)–O’Connell looked good dismantling Freedom-Woodbridge in the team’s opener, and also competed at Art Turner on Sunday, although results were unavailable at rankings time.
12) South County (3-1)–The Stallions rebounded from the close Gainesville loss well, beating Colonial Forge, Episcopal, and Flint Hill by 30-plus points.
13) Centreville (2-1)–The loss to Gainesville was disappointing, but the Wildcats get a really good chance to rebound with a battle versus #8 Langley later this week.
14) Hayfield (2-0)–Hawks looked good to open the season with convincing wins versus Potomac and then-#18 Lightridge. Hayfield gets a much bigger test against #12 South County this week.
15) Chantilly (2-1)–Chargers had tougher-than-expected sledding at South Lakes’ tournament against Freedom-South Riding and Potomac Falls. The loss to the Panthers is no big deal as Chantilly should rebound against Marshall, Patriot, and Fairfax this week.
16) Madison (3-0)–The Warhawks started the season undefeated, the highlight being an overtime win against a very good Robinson team. This team has some depth and they play defense–Madison only gave up an average of 25.33 ppg last week to opponents even with the overtime game.
17) Clarke County (2-0)–Class 2 Clarke impressed last week with a close win over a good Loudoun Valley team that went on to beat Woodgrove later in the week. There’s a rematch against Valley early this week at the Vikings’ place.
18) Washington-Liberty (1-1)–Generals rallied from the loss to Oakton with a big 64-23 win over Alexandria City. Have a big test on Friday night at #16 Madison.
19) Briar Woods (3-0)–Briar Woods also got a big win against Heritage last week. This team returned everybody from last year’s solid team, and the Falcons added a talented freshman in Tana Buffalo. Intriguing matchup against Loudoun County next week, coached by former Woods coach Raven Short and another team close to entering the Nova Nineteen.
Also Receiving Votes–Heritage, Robinson, Loudoun County, Loudoun Valley