(Jayce Johnson & Canisius are at the top of my opening Poll Ballot)
As a pollster, I rank the top ten large and small schools in WNY each week. These rankings are based on games played through Saturday of each week. Here's how I see them and some of the rationale used to get there.
Large Schools
1. Canisius (MMA) - In the Season Preview, I said I'd learned my lesson and was done picking against the Crusaders. Then I watched them twice this weekend, including a win over defending Class AA state champion Aquinas. Different players stepped up in each game for Canisius. They take on Jamestown this Saturday night in the ADPRO Challenge finale.
2. Park (MMA) - After grinding one out in an overtime win at Niagara Falls, the Pioneers looked like a well-oiled machine in a rout of East at the Pastor-Cooper Showcase. Imagine the talent that will be on the floor when they face Dom Welch & Cheektowaga this Saturday at the ADPRO Challenge.
3. Timon (MMA) - The Tigers open their season at home tomorrow night against Bishop Kearney. With all they have back, along with the addition of Master Radford playing next to Davion Warren in the paint, this could be the best Timon team in a while.
4. Williamsville South (A1) - I've had a lot of people telling me the Billies wouldn't be as good this season because they lost such a strong senior class. I've been disagreeing with that sentiment. Greg Dolan is like having three starters back and you know he's taking another big step forward from sophomore to junior season. And his supporting cast is way more talented than skeptical fans realize. We learn a lot more about the Billies tonight, off to a 2-0 start, and giving up their home game in the 'Battle of Main Street' to take on Amherst at Daemen.
5. North Tonawanda (A1) - One coach calls this the greatest NT team of all-time. Time will tell, but a 3-0 start includes wins over Niagara Falls and Health Sciences. They have size, chemistry, depth, and talent. This group is fired up early and believing in itself. And that defense...
6. Niagara Falls (AA) - Oh those Wolverines. They take Park to overtime one night before a thrilling comeback win over completely loaded UPrep squad. Then they head to the Lumber Yard in North Tonawanda and score 37 points. I like this Falls team a lot, but they have to be the same team on the road. Over the last four minutes at NT, they looked like the team I watched for 65 minutes at the Cataract City Classic last weekend (they played a total of 68 minutes last weekend, but stumbled for the first three minutes of the game against UPrep and then snapped out of it).
7. St. Francis (MMA) - After Orchard Park won its first two games of the season by a combined 75 points, the Red Raiders smacked them by 34 points. Then they took a West Seneca East team that owns a double-digit win over South Park, down by 48 points. This seems to be the one team people are sleeping on the most. Time to wake up, this is the best St. Francis team in the last 10 years.
8. Cheektowaga (A2) - The Warriors are playing a nonleague schedule that is beyond ambitious. But early on, they found out they can hang with the likes of Class AA Bishop Kearney and perennial WNY powerhouse Canisius. Then they knocked off Nazareth on Saturday by putting a solid 32 minutes together and getting a great game out of Vaughn Burdette. The Warriors have been bringing the defensive intensity, getting some solid play from Adrian Baugh, and then there's this other kid who's pretty good for them too.
9. McKinley (A1) - Returning only Davonti Wardlaw to their starting lineup, the Macks took down a Kenmore West team with a very talented and experienced backcourt. The team has some things to work on, but they are easily correctable. As you would expect from a McKinley team, there was no lack of effort. The Macks have gone undefeated in the Yale Cup for two straight seasons and I didn't pick them to win their league this season because, well, I'm an idiot.
10. Maryvale (A2) - I wrote in the Season Preview that I could see them spending some time in the large school poll this season. Hey look, I was right. The Flyers' win over Olean to start their season could be the start of something special. Ray Blackwell played a big time game, but several players on that team made the big plays late in regulation and overtime. Remember, this is the team that kept Cheektowaga from reaching Buff State last season. And it just so happens that they host the Warriors this Wednesday night.
Small Schools
1. Health Sciences (B2) - With the way the Falcons have started their season, they absolutely deserve this spot. They beat a Dunkirk team that was beyond impressive in its win at Lancaster. They blew out Cardinal O'Hara, and I don't think another small school could do that. But most impressive may be the way they battled at North Tonawanda on Wednesday.
2. East Aurora (B1) - The Blue Devils have every reason to believe this is their season, despite being dealt a huge dose of humility from Olean in a 21-point loss. I think they got caught in a barrage of momentum created by a defending state championship Huskies team playing in front of a home crowd and couldn't dig out of a first half hole. They should have a game against Orchard Park coming up this Saturday if both teams advance in the Southtowns Tournament at EA.
3. Dunkirk (B1) - If you want to attribute Dunkirk's early success to a championship mentality created by the football team, that's fine. But when I watched them, my take was these guys are really good and play their butts off. The Marauders have a very intriguing matchup at St. Francis tomorrow night.
4. East (C2) - The Panthers haven't shown a lot of depth yet this season, but the guys who take the court for East make them the team to beat in Section VI Class C. They stood toe-to-toe with Amherst in the Cataract City Classic and I think they'll make some noise in Yale Cup I as well, a league that will have them hardened for the postseason.
5. Lackawanna (B2) - The Steelers just dealt Alden a 44-point loss, winning by more points than they allowed. That win followed a Hamburg Lions Club Tournament championship win over a good Hamburg team. Keep an eye on these guys, who I'm expecting will take an undefeated record into the New Year.
6. Cardinal O'Hara (MMA) - The Hawks are very young, but they have a lot of guys who can play. Opening the season against Health Sciences who is not only sitting at the top of this ballot, but also had four games under its belt, was a tall order that got away from them at the start of the second half. They face Newfane in the ADPRO Challenge this week, who is a team sitting just outside of this ballot with a win over MST Seneca (who beat Middle College). It's the perfect "take care of business" game for a team that wants to know where they stand.
7. Gowanda (B2) - The only thing we have to go on at this point is a 30-point win over Roy-Hart, which really doesn't tell us much, considering the Rams' other three games were against Section V teams. Still, I had the Panthers as favorites to win CCAA I East and see them as a Buff State team and a notch above the other Southern Tier small schools, with the exception of Dunkirk. A visit from Ellicottville tomorrow night will answer some questions.
8. Burgard (B1) - For me, this is the surprise team of the early season. The Bulldogs began their season with a difficult road win at Franklinville. Before you dimiss that one, consider they are a team that could be your Class D champions this year. Then over the weekend, Burgard won at Medina by 18 points - more than Williamsville North beat the Mustangs by on a neutral court.
9. Chautauqua Lake (C1) - The Thunderbirds began their season with a pair of 30-point wins over Westfield & Frewsburg. Remember, this is the team that lost the Class C1 Final to Olmsted by three at JCC in March. If there were two of me, one of them would be watching them play Ellicottville tonight (the other will be at Daemen to watch Amherst vs. Will South tonight at 7:30 pm).
10. Ellicottville (D) - The Eagles are 3-0 and each win has come against Class C schools. My trip to Ellicottville was the first game I covered this season, and I can attest, these guys are good. The bad weather forces the Eagles to make up a tournament championship game tonight against Chautauqua Lake (#9 on my ballot), then turn around and play at Gowanda (#7 on my ballot) tomorrow night.
-centercourt
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