Gameday Girls Basketball Power Poll - FINAL
STERLING, VA - Behold the FINAL regular season Gameday Girl's Basketball Power Poll. This certainly will not be our final installment, as it is play-off time around Northern Virginia. We know we haven't published regular updates of the Poll, like our counterparts in the Boy's division, but when teams are continuing their success, and nobody really making significant moves up or down, it all really becomes redundant after a time. So we continued to monitor the progress of everyone as the season progressed, and now that all regular season schedules have concluded, here is the final Top 10. But tournament time brings forth change, and teams will now start to move up, down...or out...of the Poll before it is all said and done.
Good luck to everyone in their tournament runs, and look for the FINAL Power Poll to be published as soon as the state tournament has reached its end. So, without further ado, we present to you, our final regular season Girls' Basketball Power Poll....
1. TC Williams - 19-0
Previous: 1
Congratulations to the Lady Titans, running the table on the season, and the clear favorite to continue that run in the Northern Region tournament. We won't talk about the Patriot District tournament...the best anyone can hope for in there is the #2 - #4 berths (4 teams from each of the Northern Region districts advance to the regional tournament)
2. Edison - 19-1
Previous: 2
The lone blemish on the Eagle's record came at the hands of TC Williams. These ladies should cruise through their district tournament, and be the #2 seed in the regionals. A rematch date against the Titans could be on the horizon!
3. Stonewall Jackson - 23-0
Previous: 4
Not enough can be said about the Lady Eagles...an untarnished perfect season, and running rough-shod through the Cedar Run, has this team leap-frogging to the #3 spot to end the season. Look for this success to carry the Eagles deep into the play-offs.
4. Robert E. Lee - 20-2
Previous: 3
This was the toughest team to rank. It was the General's tough break to have to be in the same district as TC Williams, and their only 2 losses on the season was to the Titans. However, with Stonewall Jackson's emergence, it was tough not to drop these ladies down one notch. The Generals should advance to the regional tournament with ease, and should give teams fits on their way to a possible title shot.
5. Madison - 21-1
Previous: 5
The Lady Warhawks played virtually flawless on the season, and are the top seed going into the Liberty District tournament. They ran the table in their district, and the only loss came right out of the gate...a 32-26 home loss to Centreville to start the season. A 21 game streak from that point is impressive, and the Warhawks should be a force to contend with come regional tournament time.
6. Oakton - 20-2
Previous: 6
This team, quite honestly, has been up and down in the Poll, before we actually published it! Their loss to then #10 Westfield a few weeks ago was to be the Lady Cougar's undoing, but they rebounded quite nicely, and capped off their season grabbing the Concorde District crown, on the road at Centreville last week, in overtime, and now stay in the #6 spot. This will be another Northern Region team nobody can take lightly.
7. Loudoun County - 19-3
Previous: 7
The Lady Raiders had a legitimate shot at ending the regular season as high as #5 in the Poll going into this past weekend, but they let their guard, and the Power Poll prognosticators, down by dropping their final game of the season to Freedom-South Riding, to ruin their undefeated Dulles District chances. But don't think that to be an apparent chink in the armor. This Raiders team is for real, and should go deep in the regionals, and quite probably the state.
8. Westfield - 17-5
Previous: 10
Another team that could have risen high in the Poll...until they lost to Centreville a few weeks ago. Regardless, they do climb to the #8 spot, and are arguably one of the hottest teams in the Northern Region right now. They should advance easily to the regional tournament, and will be a spoiler early on.
9. Centreville - 19-3
Previous: 8
The Wildcats were on a roll going into their Concorde District title game against Oakton last week, only to fall in overtime, in one of the best, and most exciting, girl's basketball games of the season. With an overall game as good as any team's right now, the Wildcats are chomping at the bit for another shot at Oakton, in the Concorde tournament championship game...but they have to keep an eye on the Westfield Bulldogs, first.
10. Brentsville - 18-4
Previous: NR
On the last week of the regular season Power Poll, welcome in a new player in our game...the Brentsville Lady Tigers! These ladies ran the table in the Northwestern District, and are already in the semi-finals of that tournament, totally dismantling Warren County, 75-24, in the 1st round. With home court advantage throughout, look for the Tigers to be a top seed in the Region II tournament
Outside Looking In:
Forest Park (18-4): Forest Park drops out of the Top 10 at the end of the season, by virtue of their inconsistent play, and the emergence of the Brentsville Tigers. They still are the #1 seed in the Cardinal District, and have a berth into the Northwest Region tournament, and should they do well, could see themselves back in when the final Poll is published.
Yorktown (17-5): The #2 seed in the National District, the Lady Patriots are looking for a date with the Edison Eagles for the tournament championship. But we always say, "Be careful what you wish for!" Nonetheless, Yorktown is almost a lock to advance into the Northern Region tournament, and should do some damage once inside.
W.T. Woodson (16-5): The #2 seed in the Liberty could be in some trouble now that it's tournament time. 4 of the 5 losses these ladies have, has come from Liberty foes. An opening round match-up with the Stone Bridge Bulldogs is ahead of them, and should they handle their business, they will advance into the regional tournament. Will that be enough for these ladies to garner an "Honorable Mention" at season's end in the Poll...we doubt it, but lets just see how far they can go, and who else falls out.
West Springfield (15-7): In spite of their overall record, the Lady Spartans played well, and in a district with top ranked TC Williams, and #4 Lee. 4 of their 7 losses came in district play....all to the aforementioned front runners. We'd like to see the Spartans go deep into the play-offs, as this team can beat anyone, at any time, if they bring their "A" game.
