Poll Ballots - 2017 - Happy New Year!

(Randolph has made its case with recent wins over South Park & Ellicottville)

 

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) - Okay, here's the deal...Call it a lifetime achievement award, call me a man of my word, or call it a 36-game streak that is still intact.  The Crusaders did drop three straight before defeating Elmira in the final game of the three-round Holiday Inn Classic. But let's look at those three losses: Cathedral Prep (traveled out of state to play with no shot clock), Mount Carmel of Maryland (who knows, they could have the next Carmelo Anthony), and Horseheads. Now I realize Horseheads in an unranked team from Section IV, but have you seen the Godfather?  What I'm trying to say is, no team from WNY should appear ahead of Canisius because I type their name.  League play in the MMA starts this week.  When, or if the mighty Crusaders fall to someone locally, I'll adjust accordingly.  Winning 36 straight and 68 of your last 69 games against WNY opponents deserves that level of respect.

2. Park (MMA) - Lost their first game of the season to Mount St. Michael, who went on to win the Holiday Inn Classic in Elmira.  The Pioneers did earn a pair of wins over the break and now set their sights on putting all that talent to work in a quest for the school's first Class A Manhattan Cup.  First up is a visit to St. Joe's on Tuesday.

3. St. Francis (MMA) - Giving Canisius a long leash on the Cathedral Prep loss doesn't mean the Red Raiders win over the Ramblers at the I-90 Showcase wasn't ultra impressive.  St. Francis earned the type of win that validates them as the elite team they've been talked about as and I don't think you'll even need your listening ears on to hear them make some noise this year.

4. Williamsville South (A1) - The Billies have been opening holiday gifts and slugging down egg nog since defeating Timon last year...(December 23rd).  They are unbeaten and resume game play after an 11-day layoff at Cheektowaga Tuesday night.  

5. Timon (MMA) - The Tigers traveled to Rhode Island over break and came back with a pair of wins.  All tuned up, they get the first crack at Canisius on Tuesday night at their place.  If that wasn't enough to be all geeked up about as school starts back up this week, they also have a Friday night tilt at Park.  Winning both of those games would be ringing in the New Year with a serious bang!

6. Amherst (A2) - These guys would be the first to tell you that my preseason polls should be taken with a grain of salt, or an entire shaker.  Absent from my top 10 on Black Friday and my predicted four at Buff State in Class A2, the Tigers have recent wins over Maryvale and North Tonawanda.  More importantly, they are loaded with players that are being groomed and will only get better.  Nine players scored in the 49-45 win over NT.  That many contributions in a low-scoring win speaks to their depth and that trust coach Chris Kensy has in his bench.

7. Niagara Falls (AA) - Like Williamsville South, the Wolverines used the break to take in the joyous yuletide and carb-load on sugar cookies.  They return to action this week after two weeks off with their sights set on winning the NFL, which happens if they run the table.  That's not such an easy task, and begins with a visit from Grand Island on Tuesday.

8. Cheektowaga (A2) - The Warriors' journey towards an ECIC III league crown begins at East Aurora on Friday night.  But first, Cheektowaga hosts Williamsville South on Tuesday, as the top two talents in WNY, Welch and Dolan, go head-to-head one last time.  At least until the playoffs.

9. Jamestown (AA) - Three games ahead this week for the Red Raiders, beginning with a visit from McDowell (PA) on Monday night.  They visit Lancaster in a game that will be key to the ECIC I race on Thursday and then host Leadership Academy on Saturday in the finale of their United Way Showcase.  

10. St. Joe's (MMA) - The Marauders are 4-0 locally and that includes road wins over Kenmore West & Lockport (who won at NT).  The intense league schedule in the MMA starts with a visit from Park on Tuesday, followed by a Friday night rivalry battle against Canisius.

 

Small Schools

1. Health Sciences (B2) - Used overtime to knock off Early College of Rochester at the I-90 Showcase.  It was good experience for the Falcons, as it was the first time they had to pull out a close victory this season.  They have a rematch with BASCS on Tuesday, who they defeated by 45 points in the first meeting.

2. St. Mary's (MMA) - The Lancers are 5-1 after winning the Five Guys Tournament, which included a win over host Williamsville North, who had just defeated McKinley.  Games against Niagara Catholic and Cardinal O'Hara are coming up for the Lancers this week, who didn't take long to shoot up my rankings.

3. East (C2) - Willard Anderson's late game heroics were nearly enough to get the Panthers past Clyde Savannah, but they ultimately dropped at nailbiter.  A second game with Riverside, who they beat by 18 in the first meeting, comes on Thursday, followed by a trip to the United Way Showcase in Jamestown to play Randolph.

4. Dunkirk (B1) - Beat Niagara Catholic over break, before dropping the championship game of the Harborcreek Tournament and falling to Rochester SOTA at the I-90 Showcase.  They'll look to get right in a rivalry game versus Fredonia on Wednesday before heading to Olean on Friday night.

5. East Aurora (B1) - Lost a battle with a similarly hard working Newark out of Section V team on Friday.  They will travel to Lackawanna on Tuesday night in an intriguing nonleague game before hosting Cheektowaga on Friday in a game with major implications on the race in ECIC III.

6. Walsh (MMA) - Tavien Kemp is averaging over 33 points per game and the Eagles own a win over Franklinville, who beat Chautauqua Lake, who beat Olean.  They'll welcome CCA to the Monsignor Martin Association on Tuesday night, before traveling to St. Francis on Friday.

7. Franklinville (D) - The Panthers earned all sorts of attention for their win over Chautauqua Lake at the IAABO Tournament on Friday.  Now the pressure is on with Ellicottville coming to town on Wednesday in a battle for first place in CCAA II East.

8. Chautauqua Lake (C1) - Sometimes a good loss is necessary, which is what the Thunderbirds are hoping.  A nonleague slip to Franklinville won't change anything other than rankings.  Games with Panama and Maple Grove are ahead for Chautauqua Lake this week.

9. Randolph (C2) - The win over South Park on December 16th gave us a good indication that the Cardinals were a team to be reckoned with.  Then winning their holiday tournament by avenging a loss to Ellicottville made it official.  They visit Salamanca on Friday night before a date with East, a potential counterpart in the Class C2 sectionals, on Saturday.

10. Ellicottville (D) - The Eagles slip behind Randolph after dropping the more recent meeting with the Cardinals, but have an opportunity to climb back up the rankings coming up on Wednesday - the 'Game of the Week' at Franklinville.

 

- centercourt

Comments

[StateChamps2003]

Through 1/4/17, I would expect Canisius to drop to at least 5th in the rankings not just based on number of losses but the loss to fellow MMA school Timon, blowout loss to the same Cathedral Prep team that St. Francis beat, Park just obviously being the better team based on the "eye test", Williamsville South beating the same team that Canisius just lost to (on the same court).

Niagara Falls should probably be dropped from the rankings. Their performance during the first few weeks of the season has long been forgotten with their most current loss to Grand Island, at home nonetheless. Has Grand Island ever done that??? With that said, I would expect GI to make their debut into the top 10 at 9-1.

[PJB]

We will have a much better read than an "eye test" on Park soon, as they play Timon, Canisius and St Francis within the next 10 days. They will need to play to their talent level to win all those. The MMA is brutally difficult this year. The MMA four and Will South have seemed to separate themselves from the pack as the best teams in WNY.

Niagara Falls is offensively challenged from the perimeter and will struggle to beat teams that force them to make jump shots.

[Nelson Adams]

Park also matches up against Will South on Thursday the 12th, so that is four big games in a row for them.

[dose of reality]

Park showed last night that they capable of playing at another level than the rest of wny in first half of Timon game. Then showed in the second half why they are no lock. Lots of things you could point to, but all under Park's control. The only team beating Park this year is themselves. Timon is a nice team but I haven't seen anyone step up there after Warren and Harrison. Last night was like watching a cat that beat a mouse nearly to death and then got bored and let it suffer and keep trying to get away

[music]

Opinion: Dom Welch of Cheektowaga 2,000 pts, 1000 rebs by years end. Should have checked into attending prep school at end of last year.

[PJB]

DOR is right on, Park is by far the most talented team in WNY they just have to play like it every night. There defense was outstanding in the first half last night.