(Brandon Smith drives for Park, a team that's looked ferocious in their last two wins/Photo: Larry Scheur)
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.
** After this, the polls will take a two-week hiatus over the holiday break and resume again on Monday, January 8th.
Large Schools
1. Canisius (MMA) - The Crusaders are off to a 3-0 start with wins over Cheektowaga, Aquinas, and Jamestown. Until the Crusaders lose to a team from WNY, they will own this place on my ballot. The last time that happened was February 26, 2014.
2. Park (MMA) - Holy Moses, these guys have looked entirely formidable in their last two wins over East & Cheektowaga. They actually doubled the Warriors point total at the ADPRO Challenge, winning 98-49. I'm still keeping them here until they earn that top spot from Canisius, who they've never defeated.
3. Timon (MMA) - Meanwhile, there's another team eyeing the top of this ballot. The Tigers have started their season with wins over Bishop Kearney & Amherst and have already shown they can win a shootout or a defensive grind. Love the MMA large school race this season.
4. Williamsville South (A1) - Found themselves in an unfamiliar position on Monday against Amherst - trailing much of a close game against a local team. In the end, they found a way to rally from a six-point deficit, force overtime, and pull out the win. After hosting West Seneca East on Tuesday, they travel to timon for a pre-holiday special on Thursday night. That's a battle of top ten teams I won't be missing. After the break, there's a January 3rd game at Cheektowaga that will feature Dolan vs. Welch. There's another game you can count me in for.
5. St. Francis (MMA) - Playing as a team and getting balanced contributions from their key players, the Red Raiders are legitimate. Ask Dunkirk, West Seneca East, Kenmore West, or any team preparing to face them. Like I said, love the competitiveness of the MMA league this season.
6. North Tonawanda (A1) - After wins over Health Sciences & Niagara Falls, the Jacks stumbled big time at home against Lockport. I'm keeping them ahead of Falls because they beat them, but the next head-scratching result won't receive that same consideration. Lockport isn't ready for the poll yet with loses to St. Joe's & Kenmore West already. It's still December, so lots to sort out.
7. Niagara Falls (AA) - The Wolverines are tough to gauge in this setting. They took Park to OT, split with UPrep, and defeated Kenmore West, with the lone local loss coming at North Tonawanda. They dropped a pair of games over the weekend in Rochester, with the second loss coming after the votes were cast. Really not sure what to make of Falls. When they're not playing teams from their league (NFL), most of their games are against Rochester and Canada
8. McKinley (A1) - Only two games played this season, wins over Kenmore West and Emerson. Relying on the eye test for the Macks, which tells me they definitely belong in the top 10. I wish they played against Niagara Falls. Who wouldn't want to see that one?
9. Jamestown (AA) - I didn't have them ranked last week. Then I saw them play against Canisius over the weekend, which was enough for me to view them as a top 10 team.
10. Maryvale (A2) - Overtime wins over Olean and Nichols are what we have to go on at this point. If they had played Cheektowaga last week (snowed out), we'd know a lot more. If you're not busy on Friday night, there will be a great episode of Family Feud at 6 pm on Main Street - Maryvale at Amherst, aka Kensy vs. Kensy.
Small Schools
1. Health Sciences (B2) - Already 6-1 and the only team to hang 100 points on someone (112-68 over Global Concepts). The Falcons have the cruise control set at a high rate of speed right now and are hoping there's no one waiting with a radar on the other side of the hill.
2. East (C2) - I took the Panthers up to number two on my ballot after their 20-point win over Riverside and watching Amherst take South to overtime last week, a team East got within two points of at the Cataract Classic.
3. East Aurora (B1) - I came into the season very high on the Blue Devils and I still am...but, they need to get out of the every-other-game mode they are in. Big win over Hornell, big loss to Olean. Big win over Pioneer, two-point win over Starpoint (who Niagara Catholic just beat). Then they win their tournament over the weekend, dropping Orchard Park convincingly in the final. If this is truly East Aurora's year, they need to be more consistent. At their best, they might be the Class B regional representative.
4. Dunkirk (B1) - It seems like I'm higher on this team than other pollsters. For me, winning at Lancaster and then turning around and pushing Health Sciences to the brink said a lot. I know they got rolled at St. Francis, but as I've written already this year - this isn't your big brother's St. Francis team.
5. Lackawanna (B2) - The Steelers are 3-0 with three wins by double figures, including the win over Hamburg. I think they improve to 5-0 with the same substantial winning trend continuing over the next two weeks, setting up a nice game on January 3rd against East Aurora.
6. Nichols (MMA) - I've had a chance to see the Vikings twice now, most recently against Maryvale in an overtime loss. I have also seen three of the four teams below them on this ballot. They have the right pieces in the right places and I think they only get better from here.
7. St. Mary's (MMA) - Welcome to my ballot Lancers. You beat Fredonia, who beat Gowanda (who I was ranking) and followed it up with a win over West Seneca East - a game they led by 24 points at one point. St. Mary's is much better than I had them pegged to be in the preseason. We will find out much more about them after they compete in the Depew Tournament and the Five Guys Tournament at Will North over the next two weeks.
8. Chautauqua Lake (C1) - The Thunderbirds are 5-0 and that start includes an exciting road win at Ellicottville. Tomorrow night I making the trip to Mayville to watch them host league favorite Olean, who they've never beaten.
9. Ellicottville (D) - Came off a tough one-point loss to Chautauqua Lake to go on the road the following night and take care of business at Gowanda. They start five underclassmen who play like seniors. The Eagles host Portville this week and face Sherman in the first round of the Randolph Tournament over break.
10. Cardinal O'Hara (MMA) - I slid the Hawks down a few spots from last week after getting to see them, Nichols and St. Mary's over a three-day stretch. O'Hara is loaded with talent, but also young. In a six-point win over Newfane, they trailed much of the game. When they find consistency and play for 32 minutes (also see third quarter against Health Sciences), they will be as dangerous as any team in MMA-B.
-centercourt
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