Most of the time, when I finish one of these power polls, I will write, or, if I don't write, I'll think, "I hope some interesting results come through to shake things up." But, as that old cliché goes, "be careful what you wish for," or as the Chinese proverb warns, "may you live in interesting times," sometimes life is easier when things aren't so strange.
I kind of miss the boys basketball scene from three seasons ago, when Aberdeen stayed on top wire-to-wire, the next five teams shuffled around a bit but were somewhat stable, and the bottom four were rock solid. As it is, I've got to sort out this week's rankings, and though they aren't a complete turnaround from the last installment, they weren't easy to figure. Here's how I see things:
1. Aberdeen: Top dogs again, the Eagles started the season with back-to-back losses against tough teams, then picked off Bel Air Tuesday night for their first victory of the season. We shall see what they've got in the tank when Chesapeake (upper) Division play begins.
2. Edgewood: The undefeated Rams have knocked off Joppatowne, Bel Air and North East since the start of the regular season, with the last victory a 77-39 thumping of the Indians. They play a road game with Aberdeen in their first game back following the winter break, and I'm very curious to see what goes on in that one.
3. North Harford: I wrote last week that the Hawks are one of the teams hurt worst by departing seniors, but if that's true it hasn't shown in their season thus far, as they're 3-1 after Tuesday's overtime loss to a tough Hereford team. Before that, the North Harford boys knocked off Rising sun by 29, beat Harford Tech 62-54 (that's the same team that beat reigning UCBAC champ Havre de Grace last week), and started off with a win over North East. Of course, they haven't played any of their Chesapeake Division schedule yet; that begins on Monday, when the Hawks square off with C. Milton Wright.
4. Harford Tech: Another team that made a big jump from last week's poll, the Cobras got there with the aforementioned win over Havre de Grace, and by beating Fallston Wednesday night. So far, their only loss came at the hands of the team directly above them on this list.
5. C. Milton Wright: Bravo to the Mustangs for packing their early-season schedule with quality teams, as they have played Glenelg Country and Loyola Blakefield in the last week, but those two games resulted in CMW being outscored 169-76. At 2-2, they've evened out their record with victories over Bel Air and Overlea. As I said last week, this team has multiple personalities, and nobody will be able to tell where it's headed until division play starts. Monday's game with North Harford will be a good test for both sides.
6. Joppatowne: How do you jump from last up to sixth in a week? Simple: Beat Fallston, then knock off Havre de Grace in overtime. The Mariners are essentially tied with CMW on this list, but I'm going to wait for another victory, or loss, to move them anywhere.
7. Havre de Grace: Back-to-back Chesapeake Division champs in 2010 and 2011, the Warriors have lost twice to Susquehanna (lower) Division teams so far. They had better right the ship quickly, or they could have a tough season ahead.
8. Patterson Mill: Not much to go in here, as the Huskies have played just one game, but it ended with a 39-point victory over Carver A&T. I'm expecting them to be in contention for a lower-division title come season's end.
9. Bel Air: Another team that made a big move from last week's poll, albeit a negative one, as the Bobcats slipped five spots after following a season-opening victory over Fallston with three straight losses. That said, I still think the Bobcats, like Patterson Mill, will be in the running for the Susquehanna crown as the season develops.
10. Fallston: The Cougars have had the worst start of any team in the county, losing their first four games. Like Havre de Grace, they had better begin figuring out how to fix things, or they could be looking at a trip back to the Susquehanna Division.