Updated Team Rankings for Tuesday, Sept. 4
Maybe I’m just stubborn in my old age or my trigger finger just isn’t as quick as it once was. I’m not quite sure what it is, but I’m not ready to move Skutt Catholic off the top spot in Class B.
Now, I know my friends at the Omaha World-Herald and Lincoln Journal-Star have made different choices this week. I get it, because Elkhorn South is a helluva good team. But, I think elevating the Storm – or anyone – over Skutt at this point is a little premature.
Yes, Skutt Catholic has two losses on the season already and hasn’t looked as sharp as it has to start most seasons. But, let’s remember that Lindsay Krause – probably the best player in the state – is going to be making her return to the team after helping Team USA win Gold in some far away land.
Let’s also remember who those two losses have come against for Skutt Catholic – Western Christian and Ankeny Centennial. That’s the Western Christian team that is a traditional power in Iowa and the team that has played Class A #1 Millard North the toughest this year and wound up finishing third at the Bellevue West Invitational. Ankeny Centennial is one of the top teams in the nation. So, I’m not going to be in any big hurry to punish anyone for those losses – let alone a team without its best player.
When we take a look at Elkhorn South, yes the Storm have a nice sweep of Elkhorn – but so does Omaha Duchesne. Yes, Elkhorn South does have a nice sweep of Millard West, but it was very tight, as was the Storm’s win over Gretna.
I guess what I’m saying is that there just isn’t enough compelling evidence – for me – to remove Skutt from the top spot in place of either Elkhorn South or Omaha Duchesne at this point. If anything, I think my friends at the newspapers probably just lit a fire under the Skyhawks at a time when they were about to get Krause back anyways.
Plus, I like to let things play out a little bit. Elkhorn South has a brutal – I mean, brutal – schedule coming up with matches at Millard West and at home against Papillion-LaVista. Skutt and Duchesne, meanwhile, are both competing in the Millard North Invite this coming weekend – which is likely the toughest tournament in the state this year. So, I’m willing to let the teams sort it out on the court for another week.
Class A is just a jumbled mess. I know Millard North is the clear number one, but frankly, numbers two through nine are probably going to be fluid all year long. There is a chance the Mustangs get 6’3 senior Emma Grunkemeyer back soon. She went through warm-ups last week at the Pius X triangular, so the rich may be getting richer in the coming days or weeks.
The only top-ranked team to drop a spot this week is Johnson-Brock in Class D-1, which lost to Sidney, Iowa, while Archbishop Bergan has been really impressive in going 7-0 without dropping a set against some really good competition.
Here are the updated rankings in each class:
Rank, Team, Record, Last Week’s Ranking
Class A
1.) Millard North (8-0) 2
2.) Lincoln Pius X (2-1) 1
3.) Papillion-LaVista South (4-3) 5
4.) Millard West (3-2) 3
5.) Papillion-LaVista (5-2) 4
6.) Millard South (4-3) 6
7.) Omaha Marian (4-2) 8
8.) Lincoln Southwest (1-2) 7
9.) Gretna (3-2) 9
10.) Lincoln Southeast (4-3) 10
Class B
1.) Skutt Catholic (5-2) 1
2.) Elkhorn South (6-0) 2
3.) Omaha Duchesne (5-0) 3
4.) Hastings (7-1) 8
5.) Bennington (6-2) 9
6.) Norris (4-2) 4
7.) Seward (3-1) 5
8.) Alliance (2-0) 7
9.) Elkhorn (2-2) 6
10.) Sidney (2-0) 10
Class C-1
1.) Wahoo (6-0) 1
2.) St. Paul (5-0) 2
3.) Lincoln Lutheran (4-0) 3
4.) Bishop Neumann (4-0) 6
5.) Kearney Catholic (2-0) 7
6.) Grand Island Central Catholic (4-2) 4
7.) Omaha Concordia (3-3) 5
8.) Minden (4-1) 9
9.) Syracuse (2-0) 10
10.) Broken Bow (5-1) NR
Class C-2
1.) Stanton (5-1) 1
2.) Superior (1-1) 2
3.) Blue Hill (6-1) 6
4.) Hartington Cedar Catholic (5-2) 3
5.) Thayer Central (1-0) 4
6.) Arcadia-Loup City (3-0) 5
7.) Southern Valley (3-0) 7
8.) Freeman (5-1) 10
9.) Doniphan-Trumbull (1-1) 8
10.) Clarkson-Leigh (2-1) 9
Class D-1
1.) Archbishop Bergan (7-0) 2
2.) Johnson-Brock (5-1) 1
3.) Humphrey-Lindsay Holy Family (1-0) 4
4.) Nebraska Christian (2-0) 6
5.) Lutheran High Northeast (4-2) 7
6.) Central Valley (2-0) 8
7.) Hartington-Newcastle (4-1) 9
8.) Giltner (2-0) 10
9.) Diller-Odell (2-2) 3
10.) Cambridge (5-0) NR
Class D-2
1.) BDS (5-0) 1
2.) Ewing (2-0) 2
3.) CWC (2-0) 4
4.) Exeter-Milligan (2-1) 3
5.) Falls City Sacred Heart (5-1) 5
6.) Mullen (2-0) 9
7.) Mead (0-1) 7
8.) Cody-Kilgore (6-0) NR
9.) Red Cloud (4-2) NR
10.) Bertrand (2-2) 6