Coach Storm’s EMass Top 25

Written by Tom Hellen

February 4, 2008

 

 Somerville MA – Early things I think I think about the state tourney right now…In D2 North Masco has been the most consistent.  They have that strength in the middle with Stewart and at the point with Burns, both quality seniors.  Jamie White just messes everybody up creating chaos.  The other starters and the bench appear to have found their niches.  They are well coached and appear to be a tiny bit ahead of the rest of the field.  L-S has the best defense around giving up less than 32 points per game…yep not even a point a minute.  They also have quality seniors in Wetmore at the point along with Kearse and Donaldson inside plus they have that intangible of having won it all last year.  They missed a bunch of free throws against Westford though…a key question mark.  Melrose is hot and has improved each game.  Meg Kerwin is a quality senior leader but a lot of their other key players are sophs…that’s a question mark.   Westford has many good players but if senior point guard Jocelyn Veilleux is still hobbled…that’s a BIG question mark.  If the tourney started today AC would be visiting Westford and that would be a tough matchup to start.  Reading and Belmont are dangerous but may be a notch below.

 

In the South Bishop Feehan is the clear frontrunner.  They have the star in Lepley… solid depth and, having played at the Garden last year, that experience is a huge advantage.  Walpole has a great senior leader in Caroline Stedman and has quality talent but the rest are juniors and so the Rebels may be a year away.  Both D-R and W-H have super studs up front in Nwachukwa and Trapp respectively and that can carry either one of those clubs on any given night but…Feehan and Walpole may just be too deep. 

 

Next week we’ll take a look at the ultra competitive D3.  Anyways…check it out and see who moved up and who moved down and always feel free to e-mail me at coachstorm5@comcast.net with any comments or post a comment on the new forum if I ever have time to figure that thing out…LOL. 

 

 

Top 25 Rankings

 

NOW

LAST WEEK

DESCRIPTION

#1.       

#1.

Cardinal Spellman (D3 S) – 13 - 0 Lamb’s ladies host AC this Friday in bitter rivalry game…can they keep the train on the tracks?

#2.

#2.        

Bishop Feehan (D2 S) – 14 – 0 Beat Durfee pretty good and smoked Bishop Connolly…can anyone test these girls?

#3.

#3.        

Lowell (D1 N) – 13 – 1 Here we go again…round 3…like Ali and Frazier…instead of the “Thrilla’ in Manilla” we get the “Thriller in Andover”…it’s a reach but what the heck….great match Wednesday. 

#4.

#4.        

Masconomet (D2 N) – 14 – 1 Good road win at Central Catholic solidifies they are ready for the states.

#5.

#5.        

Andover (D1 N) – 14 – 2 – Andover is the place to be this week  with huge home tilts against Lowell, the Archies, and Pentucket…I could be heading North a lot this week.

#6.

#6.        

Pentucket (D3 N) – 12 – 1 Passed the tests…big win at Wilmington and 3 point squeaker at Ipswich…can’t wait for the Andover game on 2/10.

#7.

#7.        

Brockton (D1 S) – 13 – 1 Boxers keep doin’ what they gotta’ do each week.  Can Big 3 rival Durfee pull an upset?

#8.

#8.        

Walpole (D2 S) -- 13 – 1 Needham tested them in close 6 point win but got back on track smoking Natick by 38.  Could run the table until the states. 

#9.

#9.        

Archbishop Williams (D3 S) – 11 – 3 – Archies’ rolled over AC and now head up to Andover Friday night and that should be fun. 

#10.

#10.     

Winthrop (D3 N) – 12 – 1 Smoked Peabody and got by solid Gloucester setting up revenge tilt with Swampscott…and Mallios is healthy this time.  Will they avenge only loss??

#11.

#11.      

Lincoln-Sudbury (D2 N) – 13 – 1 May have the best team “D” around…only 2 teams scored more than 40 and Westford took 2 OT’s to do it…think they want to get a payback on Friday vs. AB for their only loss to date???  I do.

#12.

#12.      

Swampscott (D3 N) – 14 - 1 Tough win over stubborn Danvers and Danielle Sherry sets up the big one at Winthrop Wednesday night.  Both clubs playing super…will Winthrop get revenge?

#13.

#13.      

Acton Boxborough (D1 N) -- 13 – 1 What a week coming up…at Westford and at L-S.  AB is only team to beat L-S and also to score more than 40 points against them in regulation…earlier loss to Westford by only 5.

#14.

#14.      

Melrose (D2 N) – 14 - 2 Big one Tuesday hosting Reading Rockets with another Middlesex League title in their sights.

#15.

#15.      

Westford (D2 N) 12 – 3 – Hosting AB Tuesday in a dynamite DCL contest…will Veilleux be ready?

#16.

#19.     

Westwood (D3 S) – 13 – 1 Both clubs have done their due diligence winning all contests setting up the Medway rematch on the road perfectly.

#17.

#20.     

Fairhaven – (D3 S) -- 15 – 3 Quietly won 12 straight and smokin’ hot shooting scoring almost 65 a game in that stretch…hosting New Bedford Thursday in a beauty.

#18.

#21.

Franklin (D1 S) – 12 - 3 Panthers back preying on Hock foes and travel to OA on Wednesday and a win gives them a 2 game Hock lead.  Step one in Mid-term exam time for Panthers…me thinks they ace this one.

#19.

#22.

Barnstable (D1 S) – 12 – 3 One of the hottest teams around right now…congrats to Jill Lyon for getting her 1,000th point.

#20.

#16.

Peabody (D1 N) – 11 – 3 Big shooting woes at Winthrop but pumped in 57 vs. Beverly so slump may be over.

#21.

#17.

Dighton Rehoboth – (D2 S) -- 12 – 3 Okay…Fairhaven’s better than D-R so we make our adjustments.

#22.

#18.

Whitman Hanson (D2 S) – 13 – 3 Lose to very hot North Quincy in league battle but rally with huge win over D1 toughie New Bedford…will the real W-H please stand up?  Rockland in town Wednesday.

#23.

#25.

Oliver ames (D1 S) – 13 – 2 Congrats to Coach Laney Clement-Holbrook on her 500th career win.  Need to beat Franklin to keep Hock title hopes alive.

#24.

Cusp

Reading – (D2 N) -- 12 – 2 In the Poll…on the Cusp…In the Poll…Rockets get to stay with 1st win this century at Melrose this week.

#25.

Cusp

New Mission (D4 N) – 13 – 1 Club can score going over 100 for the 2nd time this season against Dorchester…they are now ready for the rematch with the Bengals of Brighton.

         

                  

On the Cusp

New Bedford (D1 S) – 10 – 4 Good win vs. Carver…tough 2 point loss to W-H…at smokin’ hot Fairhaven Thursday…host bitter rival Brockton on 2/12…need consistency now.

Belmont (D2 N) – 13 – 3 Tough upset loss to Woburn hurts power rating.

Medway (D3 S) – 13 – 1 They won the 2 needed to set up revenge rematch with Westwood on 2/5.  Someone please give them the Boston #’s to call in scores though.

Arlington Catholic (D2 N) – 8 - 5 Cougars got smoked by the Archies so still many bugs to be worked out…rallied with 20 point win over Fenwick.  At Spellman Friday night.

Falmouth (D1 S) – 10 – 3 Solid team these Clippers but need a power win to move up.

Rockland (D3 S) -- 12 – 2 Hope they win Tuesday to set up huge contest at W-H on Friday.  Won 5 straight after mini 2 game slump.

Silver Lake (D2 S) – 13 – 2 Won 4 straight and should get #5 Tuesday at Hingham before Duxbury rematch on the road Friday night.

Lexington (D1 N) – 11 – 4 Lex has good week with 3 “W’s” and starting to score well averaging 60 points per contest in those games.

Sacred Heart (D4 S) – 13 – 1 Good one over Coyle-Cassidy on the road in payback match…strong favorite in D4 South now.

Pope John (D3 N) – 12 – 1 Tigers still rollin’ behind “A-Mac”.

Central Catholic (D1 N) – 9 – 6 Confidence level lost a lot of ground with losing all 3  this week at Lowell, at Andover and at home vs. Masco…Coach “Downer” needs to keep a stiff “Upper” lip here the rest of the way.  Note that 4 of their 6 losses are to Top 5 ranked teams.

 

 

Gotta run folks!.…  Remember…  “No ability without eligibility!”