By Matt Turer — mturer@ky3.com
@MattTurer
Each week, OzarksSportsZone.com will release local girls basketball power rankings. Like our other power rankings, these rankings will be based on dominance by Class, not head-to-head matchups.
Recent success and strength of schedule are also factored into the rankings. These rankings are through games played on Dec. 6.
Overall record, Class and last week’s ranking are listed in parenthesis.
1. Strafford (4-0, C3, LW: 1)
No reason to move the Indians down and unfortunately they can’t be moved up any higher. Strafford ran rampant through the Ash Grove tournament, beating Stockton, Marshfield and Walnut Grove by a combined 139 points for an average margin of victory of 46.3 points. Strafford’s closest game in that tournament was a 77-37 win over Class 1 No. 1 Walnut Grove, a game that saw Hayley Frank, Kayley Frank and Abby Oliver all score at least 20 points. Oliver has hit at least five three-pointers in every game this year and she and Hayley are shooting over 60 percent from deep.
This week: 12/8 @Clever (2-2)
2. Kickapoo (2-2, C5, LW: 2)
Back-to-back losses to a pair of fellow Class 5 opponents in Jefferson City and Washington aren’t what you want to see from the Chiefs. But the Jays and Blue Jays (apparently Kickapoo doesn’t like bird mascots) are both undefeated and the losses came by a combined 16 points—51-45 to Jefferson City and 63-56 to Washington—so they could be chalked up to some early season rust still coming off the state champs.
This week: 12/9 Olathe East (Kan.), 12/10 Aurora
3. Walnut Grove (3-1, C1, LW: 3)
Walnut Grove left the Ash Grove tournament with a dominant win over four-time defending Class 1 champion Crane, 64-39, and a 22-point win over a Miller team that claimed third in the tournament. The Tigers ran into Strafford in the title game, losing 77-37. Can’t put too much on Walnut Grove for that loss. Strafford appears to be in a different class this year for its own Class, let alone those below it. Take out that game and the Tigers are beating opponents by an average of 30 points.
This week: 12/8 @Purdy (4-0), 12/12 Crane (1-4)
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4. Skyline (3-0, C2, LW: 4)
Another state No. 1, Skyline is backing up that ranking early. The Tigers cruised to a title in the Warsaw tournament, beating Knob Noster, Lincoln and Butler by an average of 50.7 points while scoring between 82 and 86 points in each game.
This week: 12/9 Warsaw (2-4), 12/13 Buffalo (3-2)
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5. Carl Junction (3-0, C4, LW: 5)
The No. 2 team in Class 4 swept its way its own season-opening tournament behind borderline-remarkable defensive efforts. The Bulldogs held Monett, McDonald County and Seneca to 19, 17 and 18 points, all of which are the lowest point totals those teams have posted so far this season. Carl has shown plenty of depth early with eight starters averaging double-digit minutes. Alex Vogt is leading all scorers with 14 points per game. CJ doesn’t face another in-state opponent until Dec. 19.
This week: 12/9 Pittsburg (Kan.), 12/13 Frontenac (Kan.)
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6. Clever (2-2, C3, LW: 6)
Clever lost a pair of close games to Class 5 Lebanon, 52-46, and Class 4 West Plains, 48-47, in the Fair Grove tournament. The Blue Jays looked good, though, and can’t be blamed too much for close losses to quality higher-Class teams. As Lebanon head coach Brendan Kelley said, Clever is going to win a lot of games this year.
This week: 12/8 Strafford (4-0), 12/12 Ash Grove (4-1)
7. Wheatland (5-0, C1, LW: 8)
Wheatland blew out Northeast Vernon County in its only game against a varsity opponent this week, 79-17. Meaning the Mules held serve. They opened the Hermitage tournament with a win over a JV squad, but a rematch with a good Fair Play team awaits in Thursday’s semifinals.
This week: 12/8 Fair Play (5-1), 12/13 Appleton City
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8. Purdy (4-0, C2, LW: 9)
Purdy claimed the Diamond tournament title with a 58-38 win over Lockwood on Saturday after easy wins over Verona and College Heights Christian. The Eagles are perfect early but a big test awaits in Walnut Grove at home on Thursday. Lane Skiles has been a force for Purdy early on, averaging 19.8 points, 13 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 3.5 steals and two blocks per game so far.
This week: 12/8 Walnut Grove (3-1), 12/10 Crane (1-4), 12/12 Miller (3-1)
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9. Hartville (3-1, C2, LW: 10)
New Covenant and Rush didn’t challenge Hartville last week, with the Eagles winning those two by a combined 55 points. The win over Rush set up a semifinals matchup with Class 3 Willow Springs in the Norwood tournament that could be a bit more challenging.
This week: Dec. 8 Willow Springs (2-2), Dec. 12 Rogersville (4-1)
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10. Plato (3-2, C2, LW: 11)
Wins over Iberia and Richland last week for Plato before falling to Class 3 Licking in the Frisco League tournament championship, 62-51. Plato followed up that loss with a 24-point win over previously undefeated Mountain Grove in the quarterfinals of the Norwood tournament. They’re scheduled to face undefeated host Norwood in Thursday night’s semis.
This week: Dec. 8 Norwood (4-0), Dec. 12 Ava (3-0)
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11. Licking (5-0, C3, LW: 12)
It’s been a good year for Licking basketball with both the boys and girls taking home Frisco League tournament titles. The Ladycats did that this week, beating top-seed Newburg in the semifinals, 56-50, and beating Class 2 Plato in Saturday’s title game, 62-51. Licking beat Houston on Monday, 67-53.
This week: 12/8 @Cuba (2-0), 12/12 Richland (3-3)
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12. Hermitage (2-0, C1, LW: 13)
A light schedule so far for Hermitage. The Lady Hornets got their second win of the season this week in the quarterfinals of their own tournament, beating Humansville, 64-25. They’ll get 3-seed Macks Creek in Thursday’s semis. Sadi Hostettler is averaging 19 points and 10 rebounds, three assists and four steals per game so far. Pretty good!
This week: 12/8 Macks Creek (1-0), 12/13 Richland (3-3)
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13. Ozark (4-0, C5, LW: 15)
Ozark waltzed down into Rogers, Ark. and knocked off three teams from across the southern border, eventually taking the Rogers tournament title in a 59-57 win over the hosts. Ozark followed that up with a dominant 74-45 win in Glendale. They travel south to Arkansas again this week to face Valley Springs.
This week: 12/10 Valley Springs
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14. Rogersville (4-1, C4, LW: NR)
Rogersville has surprised some people early on. The Wildcats beat a good Class 2 Mansfield team by 13 a couple weeks back and then, this week in the Fair Grove tournament, handed Class 3 Fair Grove its only loss of the season before knocking off Class 4 West Plains (ranked No. 7 in the state) in the semifinals, 44-40. (Rogersville fell to Class 5 Lebanon (3-1) in the title game, 50-43). The impressive thing here is the Wildcats have done most of this with their supposed two best starters injured in Sarah Jordan and Kayla McAllister. They’ve countered that with big performances from Jordyn Gault and Maci McHenry, a smart half-court offense and a defense that held Fair Grove and Lebanon to their lowest point totals of the season.
This week: 12/8 Willard (3-1), 12/12 Hartville (3-1)
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15. Norwood (4-0, C2, LW: NR)
Good wins this week over Class 3 Willow Springs, 60-44, and Class 1 Eminence, 69-61. Pair those with an opening win over Alton and a 71-26 demolition of Class 5 Springfield Central in the Norwood tournament quarterfinals, and the Pirates have done enough to break into the Top 15. The Pirates’ semifinal matchup with Plato will be a good measuring stick. Norwood was a 23-win team a season ago before falling to Gainesville by 40 in its district championship.
This week: 12/13 Mountain Grove (3-1)
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Keep An Eye On: West Plains (2-1), Bakersfield (0-2), Lebanon (3-1), Spokane (4-0), Eminence (1-2), Salem (2-0), Mansfield (0-2), Nixa (2-0), Newburg (4-1)
