SMAA Week 2 Basketball Power Rankings

For games played through Dec. 13

The recent ice storm wrecked havoc on the Thursday and Friday schedules. Some games were pushed to Saturday while others were moved to this week, and others sent even further into the future. The rankings on the boys side remain the same, though some of the teams outside the Front Five are beginning to make a strong case for inclusion. With the Scarborough girls being upset by Windham on Saturday, there are some changes on the girls side, though the top two cemented their respective positions with impressive wins.

Boys Basketball Front Five:

1. Cheverus (3-0): Hard to put the Stags anywhere else. Through three games, their closest was an 18-point win on the road over Bonny Eagle last Tuesday. While Cheverus struggled shooting against a gritty Scots defense and looked mortal at times in that game, the Stags used a smothering defense to create easy transition baskets and keep Bonny Eagle from ever really challenging. As Bonny Eagle coach Rick Simonds said afterward, “They have a little bit of everything. They can run. They can shoot. They can defend. They pass extremely well. … They have good size. It’s a good ball club.”

2. Thornton Academy (2-0): The Golden Trojans only got one game in last week, a 24-point road win over Massabesic in which they jumped ahead big early on and never looked back. Former Cheverus player Ian Barwise scored 16 to pace four Trojans in double figures. They have a solid lock on the No. 2 spot. A big rivalry game against Biddeford was pushed to this week and Thornton shouldn’t have any other major conference tests until the New Year. When do the Stags and Trojans square off? Not until Jan. 27 in Saco.

3. South Portland (2-0): The Red Riots hold on the third spot is slipping after a lackluster 53-50 home win over Biddeford early in the week. The Tigers held South Portland’s top scorer, Keegan Hyland, to 13 points, but Matt Lee stepped up for the Riots with 15. Even good teams have off games. That the Riots still found a way to win is a positive sign for a team with no seniors on the roster.

4. Westbrook (2-0): In two games, Nich Jobin has established himself as a scoring and rebounding force for the Blue Blazes, averaging 20 points and more than 10 rebounds a game. Junior center Dominic Borelli has missed the first two games with an injury. His return will bolster the Blazes, but Tyler Kelly, Christian Hamilton and Jose Nouchanthavong have shown in the early going that Westbrook has plenty of players who can chip in.

5. Portland (1-1): The Bulldogs made last week’s Front Five purely based on talent and potential, as they were crushed by Thornton in the opener. But they bounced back with a 45-point win over Noble this week to even out their record. In order to move up, the Bulldogs will have to show they can beat the good teams, not merely beat up on the lesser ones.

The rest of the pack: Scarborough’s doing all it can to earn some respect around the conference. The Red Storm is 3-0 after rolling past Sanford and Gorham last week. … Deering, too, is 3-0 after pulling out a tight win on the road against Windham (2-1). … Bonny Eagle (1-1) doesn’t have much size or a true point guard, but showed against Cheverus that it will play tough on the defensive end and has a number of players with 3-point range. If the Scots shoot well and can limit turnovers, they’ll be a tough matchup for any team. … Biddeford, Gorham, Marshwood, Kennebunk, Massabesic, Sanford and Noble all enter the third week looking for their first win.

Girls Basketball Front Five:

1. Deering (3-0): The Rams topped Windham by 11 and crushed Gorham by 47 last week to solidify their spot atop the rankings. With talent, depth and experience, Deering is the heavy favorite to repeat as champ in Class A West. That’s how it looks now, anyway, but it’s a long season and when there is a target on your back every time out, anything can happen.

2. Biddeford (2-0): The Tigers showed their depth as nine players scored in a 40-32 win over South Portland on Tuesday. Since Biddeford loves to press and run, having fresh bodies to step in and contribute is huge. A game against Thornton was pushed to this week. The Tigers are scheduled to take on Deering on Dec. 23 in a game that will have major implications on the rankings.

3. Noble (2-0): Behind a 25-point outing from Sloane Sorrell, the Knights cruised to a road win over Portland last week. They move up a spot with Scarborough dropping. They’ll get a stern test this week when they travel to Biddeford.

4. Scarborough (2-1): The Red Storm fell to Windham on Saturday, 36-34, as the Eagles’ Riley Graves beat the buzzer with a putback. Scarborough trailed early but used a 16-0 run in the middle of the game to take an eight-point lead in the third quarter, only to squander it. The Red Storm struggled across the board shooting the ball, as no player scored more than eight points. The team won’t have to wait long for a chance to put the loss in the rearview, however. After playing Gorham early this week, the Red Storm is scheduled to play Deering on Friday.

5. South Portland (1-1): The Red Riots young backcourt struggled against Biddeford’s pressure in last week’s loss, but most guards will. South Portland has a strong inside game. As the guards become more comfortable and confident, this will be a team to watch. Friday’s game against Windham could be a good one.

The rest of the pack: Windham showed it will be a factor this season with its first win, coming against Scarborough. The Eagles have two freshmen starting in guards Stephanie Frost and Meghan Gribbin. Both came up big down the stretch against the Red Storm. … Massabesic got its first win last week, 67-52 over Thornton. Georgia Boisse scored 27 to lead the Mustangs. … McAuley and Cheverus have both shown some promise in the early going. … Westbrook, Sanford, Thornton, Kennebunk and Sanford remain in search of their first win. … Sanford has had the toughest early schedule with Deering and Scarborough in its first two games. A game against Westbrook slated for Thursday was postponed.

Can’t wait for the paper to find out how the teams stack up? Check www.KeepMeCurrent.com every Monday for updated SMAA Basketball Power Rankings.