D6SN Boys Basketball Rankings: Week Nine

AAA

1. Hollidaysburg  9-5

Hollidaysburg handled Richland in their lone game this week to improve to 9-5. They take on Hungtindon on the road tonight in a AAA showdown, and they host a very good AAAA Latrobe team on Saturday at home. The Wildcats are 13-3 and one of the better AAAA teams in the WPIAL this season.

2. Somerset 13-3

The Golden Eagles busy stretch continued this past week as they won three of their four games on the schedule.  Somerset was upset by Cambria Heights early in the week as the Highlanders knocked down 13 3 pointers, from there the Golden Eagles reeled off three straight to set their record at 13-3. The backcourt tandem of Dylan Barnes (16.4 PPG) and Jake Heiple (14.6 PPG) has been as good as any in the area this season. Somerset has home games with Penn Cambria, Richland, and a big one with Johnstown this week.

3. Johnstown 13-3

Johnstown scored a three win week to improve their winning streak to five games.  Johnstown took down AAAA Altoona for the second time this season, and humbled Bishop Guilfoyle.  Johnstown ehads to Bedford before hosting an important rivalry game against McCort.   The big one, though, is the game with Somerset on Friday night as the Trojans will look to avenge a four point loss earlier in the year.

D6 AA

1. West Branch 15-1

West Branch is riding a ten game winning streak and they now find themselves atop the AA rankings.  West Branch has been very good this season, and have been scoring points at a high level.  The Warriors will be put to the test this week with a road game at Mt. Union and a home game with Bellwood, the only team to conquer West Branch this season. 

2. Tyrone 13-2

Tyrone lost a heart-breaker to Westmont early on in the week by one point, but managed to easily dispatch conference foes Philipsburg-Osceola and Central to bounce back nicely.  The Golden Eagles have been steady all year long, but they will definitely be put to the test this week. Tyrone heads to Huntingdon to take on the 9-4 Bearcats, and welcome 15-1 Clearfield to town also. 

3. Blairsville 13-3

Blairsville has strung together four wins in a row since the loss to Homer-Center, including a statement 22 point win over a pretty good Saltsburg team. The Bobcats have home games with United and Purchase Line before heading to Penns Manor on Thursday. The slate presents a good chance for Blairsville to win three games easily.

4. Penns Valley 11-3

The Rams bounced back from a tough two point loss to Tyrone with wins over Mifflin County and Bald Eagle last week.  Penns Valley takes on Cambria Heights and Philipsburg-Osceola on the road, before a home game with Central to close out the week.

5. Westmont 9-6

Westmont started the year with a brutal 1-4 start, and since, the Hilltoppers have won 8 of 10, including four straight. Westmont heads to Bedford this week and hosts rival Bishop McCort.

D5 AA

1. Berlin-Brothersvalley 12-3

The Mountaineers have firmly established themselves as the team to beat in District 5 AA with a statement eight point win on the road at Chestnut Ridge.  Berlin has won six straight games, and they will look to keep things rolling with a big home game against Conemaugh Township.

2. Tussey Mountain 8-6

Tussey Mountain scored two wins last week over Forbes Road and Northern Bedford, and they finally have gotten over the .500 mark for the season.  The Titans have a big week highlighted by a road game to Bellwood-Antis.

3. Chestnut Ridge 9-5

Chestnut Ridge has lost to the two teams ranked ahead of them this season, but they can certainly still give both teams a run for their money in a rematch. Ridge heads to McConnellsburg and hosts Forbes Road this week

D6 A

1. Bishop Carroll 15-1

Bishop Carroll just continues to cruise along this season with a pair of double-digit wins over Bedford and Bishop McCort last week.  They welcome Penn Cambria to Husky Hill before making the short walk to Central Cambria on Friday night. 

2. Homer-Center 13-2

Homer took down AAA Punxsutawney early last week, but managed to get upset by Purchase Line on Thursday. I still rank Homer at number two, because I think they can give Carroll the best game among all the teams in class A. 

3. Saltsburg 10-6

The Trojans have been a nice surprise this season, and they are close to matching their 11 win total from last season.  Saltsburg hosts Penns Manor and heads to Marion Center this week in two winnable games for the Trojans. 

4. Portage 11-3

Portage suffered a humbling loss to Shanksville this week, but otherwise they have had a nice season to date.  The Mustangs will head to Shade before welcoming Windber to town. 

5. Bishop Guilfoyle 6-7 

Bishop Guilfoyle has really dropped off lately, and they haven't hit the stride I expected them to hit by now, BUT I am not ready to write them off by any measure. Still, BG needs to get off their current four game skid, and will hit the road to take on Cambria Heights and Penn Cambria this week. 

D5 A

1. Southern Fulton 15-1 

Southern Fulton won three games last week by 20 or more points and they have been a force all year long. The Indians are riding a 13 game winning streak, and will look to keep it going against Fannett-Metal and McConnellsburg this week. 

2. Shanksville 13-1

Shanksville responded to their first loss of the season by winning three straight last week. The lone game on the slate is Turkeyfoot Valley. 

3. Conemaugh Township 11-4

Township has won nine in a row and finds themselves back in the weekly rankings.  The Indians have a huge game with Berlin on the road this week, and they also have to head to Johnstown to take on Conemaugh Valley. 

D6SN Boys Basketball Rankings: Week Eight

AAA

1. Hollidaysburg 8-5

The Golden Tigers had a nice week with a 2-1 mark. Their two wins came over AAAA schools Altoona and Gettysburg, and their lone loss was to AAAA Gettysburg.  They have asserted themselves as the clear favorites in AAA and a lot of it has to do with some of the tougher games on their schedule. They have just one game this week, as they head to Johnstown to take on Richland High School. 

2. Somerset 9-2

Somerset is right on the heels of Hollidaysburg, and they are really starting to hit their stride recently. The Golden Eagles had a convincing 4-0 week, and they will be busy again this week.  Somerset will travel to Cambria Heights and Forest Hills and they also host Central Cambria.  The three games can give Somerset an opportunity to move to 8-1 in the Laurel Highlands. 

3. Johnstown 10-3

Johnstown narrowly escaped with a 66-63 win over Westmont to improve to 10-3 overall. Johnstown will host Altoona and Bishop Guilfoyle this week, while mixing a game at Cambria Heights in between.  The Trojans have only played three games since December 27, but the schedule should start to pick it up here soon. 

D6 AA

1. Tyrone 11-1

With a Blairsville loss and a two win week, Tyrone climbs to our new number one team this week. They have a trio of home games ahead this week with Westmont, Philipsburg-Osceola, and Central coming to town.  If Tyrone handles business, they should be 14-1 after this week. 

2. West Branch 12-1

The Warriors also leapfrog Blairsville with a two win week. West Branch really showed some fire power by combing for 189 points in their two games last week.  They will look to keep the offense rolling with home games against Curwensville, Moshannon Valley, and Williamsburg this week. 

3. Blairsville 11-3

Blairsville lost to Homer Center by 5 on the road, and realistically I think they still may be the team to beat this season. The Bobcats have three losses by 9 points total to three teams that may win their respective district championships. They have a road game at United and host a pretty good saltsburg team, but the Bobcats should move to 13-3. 

4. Penns Valley 9-3

Penns Valley dropped a close one to Tyrone in their only game last week by a score of 52-50. They sit at an impressive 9-3 this season, and will welcome Mifflin County and Bald Eagle to town this week.

5. Penn Cambria 9-5

Penn Cambria climbs into the rankings after they have won four games in a row. The Panthers have a tough home game with Westmont and must travel to Bedford this week, and they will both to remain in the rankings.

D5 AA

1.  Berlin-Brothersvalley  8-3

Berlin hops back into the top spot with a pair of wins this past week.  The Mountaineers survived a late comeback from McCort on Saturday to hang on to a one point win. Berlin will head to CHestnut Ridge in a big game Saturday night. 

2. Tussey Mountain 6-6

The Titans had a nice week which was capped off by a narrow victory over Chestnut Ridge decided in the final seconds of the game.  They also handled Southern Huntingdon and took a good Southern Fulton to to the final seconds. Tussey Mountain has road games at Forbes Road and Williamsburg before a home game against rivals, Nothern Bedford. 

3. Chestnut Ridge 8-3

Chestnut Ridge lost a heartbreaker to Tussey Mountain, but the Lions are still in good shape and they have an opportunity for a statement week. They have a showdown with top ranked Berlin on Saturday night in a game with major implications for playoff seeding. 

D6 A

1. Bishop Carroll 13-1

Bishop Carroll had two wins over Cambria Heights and Forest Hills, and should have two more wins on the horizon this week with a home game against Bedford and a trip to struggling Bishop McCort. 

2. Homer Center 12-1

Homer Center lost their opening game by two points, since then, they have reeled off 12 straight victories.  The Wildcats had a big win this week over rivals, Blairsville by five points to assume sole possession of first place in the Heritage. 

3. Portage 9-2 

Portage has run off three straight wins to improve to 9-2 on the year.  They will have a chance to be 11-1 heading into a big game with Shanksville on Saturday night. 

4. Bishop Guilfoyle 6-5

The Marauders had a rough week dropping two road games by double digits. They have road games with Central and Johnstown coming up, and a home game with McCort. 

5. Saltsburg 9-5 

The Trojans came up with two convincing wins this week to extend their record to 9-5. They have a home game with Purchase Line before a big game at Blairsville on Thursday. 

D5 A

1. Southern Fulton 12-1

The Indians scored a close win over Tussey Mountain before handling McConnellsburg. By virtue of those two wins and a Shanksville loss, I have Southern Fulton ranked first this week. They play Northern Bedford and travel to Forbes Road this week. 

2. Shanksville-Stonycreek 10-1

The Vikings played AAA Somerset tough, but ultimately lost their first game of the season. Still, Shanksville definitely validated themselves as a really good team, and one that can make noise this season. They have one game this week, and that's a trip to 9-2 Portage. 

3. McConnellsburg  9-1

The Spartans took care of Northern Bedford, but had a humbling defeat to Southern Fulton. They have two road games this week at Everett and Fannett-Metal and will look to get back on track. 

D6SN Boys Basketball Rankings: Week Seven

AAA

1. Hollidaysburg 6-4

The Golden Tigers cruised to a very easy win over single-A St. Joseph's Academy 76-22 in their lone game last week. Hollidaysburg will be put to the test this week as they host Williamsport and Gettysburg, while fitting a road game at Altoona in between the two.  All three opponents are AAAA teams and should be a good challenge for the Golden Tigers

2. Somerset 5-2

Somerset leapfrogs Johnstown in the rankings by virtue of beating the Trojans on their home floor. They have a busy week on the horizon with four games in six days. Luckily for the Golden Eagles, all four games will be played on their home floor. The games with Bishop Guilfoyle and Shanksville should be the most challenging. 

3. Johnstown 9-3

The Trojans drop in the rankings after that loss to Somerset, but they are still off to a good start this season.  They make the long trip down to Bedford and host Westmont this week. 

D6 AA

1. Blairsville 9-2

The Bobcats are off to an excellent start this season and handled Marion Center with no problems last week. This week could be a totally different story as it will be much more difficult with three road games including a showdown with Homer-Center tonight at the Homer Dome. 

2. Tyrone 9-1

Tyrone is currently riding a modest four game winning streak. The Golden Eagles have two monster games this week at Penns Valley and home against Mt. Union. 

3. West Branch 10-1 

The Warriors are on a solid five game winning streak and should be able to keep it rolling with games against Glendale and Juniata Valley this week. 

4. Mt. Union 9-1

Mt. Union moved to 9-1 this week after two wins, including a one point nailbiter over Bellwood-Antis. They have road games at Moshannon Valley, Williamsburg, and Tyrone. 

5. Penns Valley 8-2

Penns Valley drops a bit with a loss to Huntingdon, but the Rams are still a very good basketball team. The only game on the slate this week is when they host #2 Tyrone on Wednesday. 

D5 AA

1. Chestnut Ridge 6-3

Chesnut Ridge has lost three of four, but nobody is really emerging in the D5AA race. They have home games with Everett and Tussey Mountain, and take a short trip to take on Bedford mid-week. The Lions could really assert themselves as the team to beat with a big week here. 

2. Berlin-Brothersvalley 6-3

Berlin dropped two games last week to fall to 6-3. They take on Turkeyfoot Valley at home and travel to Bishop McCort on Saturday. 

3. Tussey Mountain 4-5

The Titans handled their archrivals, Northern Bedford last week to improve to 4-5. They have some tough games this week highlighted by Southern Fulton and at Chestnut Ridge. 

D6 A

1. Bishop Carroll 11-1

The Huskies played two rivalry games last week, and won them both handily.  They have a home game with Cambria Heights and a road game at Forest Hills this week, both games Carroll will be heavy favorites. 

2. Homer-Center 9-1

The Wildcats beat Saltsburg in their lone game last week, but it was enough to slide them into the second spot.  Homer has three home games this week with the big one coming tonight against Blairsville.

3. Bishop Guilfoyle 5-3

Guilfoyle started the week out strong with wins over Penn Cambria and Bellwood, but dropped with the loss to Carroll. I still thing this team is not a finished product, and they will get better. They head to Forest Hills, Somerset, and Central Cambria this week.  

4. Portage 7-2

Portage has been a bit of a surprise this season, but they have played steady basketball all year long.  They have road games at Harmony and Ferndale and they also host Conemaugh Valley. 

5. Saltsburg 7-4

Quietly, Saltsburg is having a nice season. They head to Ligonier this week before hosting Northern Cambria and United. 

D5 A

1. Shaksville-Stonycreek 8-0

Shanksville is off to a great start and they have a huge showdown with Somerset on Saturday. It's hard to think they can take down a good AAA team like that, but don't count them out in that game. 

2. Southern Fulton 10-1

The Indians picked up two wins last week and they sit with an impressive 10-1 record at the midway point of the season. They go to Tussey Mountain and welcome McConnellsburg this week.

3. McConnellsburg 8-0

The Spartans picked up two easy wins last week to improve to 8-0. The travel to Southern Fulton on Wednesday for a big game. 

D6SN Boys Basketball Rankings: Week Six

AAA

1. Hollidaysburg 5-4

The Golden Tigers dropped a close one to Ambridge by three on the road.  Ambridge is regarded as one of the better AAA teams on the Western half of the state, and it was a good showing for Hollidaysburg.  They retain the top spot in the rankings despite the loss. 

2. Johnstown 8-2

Johnstown had the week off, but they get back into action in a big way with a big section game against Somerset tonight. The also travel up the road to Richland on Thursday. It is a big opportunity for Johnstown to take a commanding lead in section II of the LHAC. 

3. Somerset 4-2

Somerset traveled East last week to the Harrisburg area, and took on a pair of AAAA teams from District 3, and they split to improve to 4-2 on the year.  The head to Johnstown tonight for a big showdown against the Trojans. They'll have to come back to Johnstown on Thursday to take on upstart Westmont-Hilltop also, 

D6 AA

1. Blairsville 8-2

The Bobcats sat last week and they have 12 conference games on the horizon before the postseason.  It starts with struggling 3-7 Marion Center on Wednesday night.

2. Tyrone 7-1

The Golden Eagles defended their home turf with two wins in their own tournament last week. Tyrone travels to Bellefonte and hosts Bald Eagle this week in a pair of conference games.

3. Penns Valley 8-1

Penns Valley has reeled off four consecutive wins since their loss to Tyrone. They take on Hungtingdon and go on the road to take on undefeated Clearfield this week before they have the rematch with Tyrone next week.

4. West Branch 7-1

The Warriors knocked off Bedford and Everett last week to move to 7-1. They have a pair of home games this week against Harmony and Claysburg sandwiching a road game with Philipsburg-Osceola. It could be a big week for West Branch as their three opponents have a combined 3 wins. 

5. Mt. Union 7-1

The Trojans re-enter the rankings after a brief hiatus. They absolutely handled Northern Bedford last week by a score 74-41. They have two big tests this week with a road game at Bald Eagle and they will also host Bellwood-Antis.

D5 AA

1. Berlin-Brothersvalley 5-1

Berlin lost to Southern High School from Maryland last week, but they still are out to an impressive 5-1 start to the season. The host Shade tonight in a big WestPac showdown. They must also head to Windber later in the week. 

2. Chestnut Ridge  6-2

Chestnut Ridge was able to pull off a 1-1 mark in the Tyrone tournament last week. They host Fannett Metal and Southern Fulton this week in a pair of big games for the Lions. 

3. Tussey Mountain 3-5 

Tussey Mountain had a bye week over New Year's and will look to make their move in 2015. They have a pair of winnable road games at Williamsburg and Northern Bedford. 

D6 A

1. Bishop Carroll 9-1

The Huskies sat last week idle, but they will be hungry coming into 2015 with a long time to think about their first loss. They have two of their biggest rivalry games this week with a home game against Central Cambria and a road game in Altoona against Guilfoyle. 

2. Bishop Guilfoyle 3-2

Guilfoyle easily advanced to the championship of their own tournament over United, and there they gave a good Fairview team all they could handle.  Guilfoyle probably got some time to get more practice in this past week, and should be ready for a busy next couple of months.  They have a three game week filled with big games, most notably the game against Carroll Thursday night. 

3. Homer-Center 8-1

The Wildcats are off to an excellent start, and easily dispatched Derry last week to move to 8-1. They have games with United and at Saltsburg this week as they will look to go 10-1 to open the year.

4. Moshannon Valley 5-2

 Moshannon Valley has a big four game week coming up, and we will find out a lot this team over the course of this stretch. 

5. Portage 6-1

Portage starts the New Year with home games against Coneamugh Township and Blacklick Valley. 

D5 A

1. Shanksville 5-0

The Vikings have games with Meyersdale and North Star this week after laying low last week. 

2. Southern Fulton 8-1

Southern Fulton opened the year in a big way with a nice 8-1 start. They have a big road test with Chestnut Ridge this week before hosting Forbes Road. 

3. McConnellsburg 6-0

The Spartans are off to a nice undefeated start.  They host Fannett Metal this week.