It’s been a big year for the St. Mary’s boys and girls basketball teams to this point, and the two squads have rightfully earned their spots atop their respective divisions in the latest edition of the MIAA power rankings.
The St. Mary’s boys sit at the top of Division 3, currently sporting a 16-1 record. The Spartans have already clinched the Catholic Central League title, and they haven’t lost to a team in Massachusetts yet this season. David Brown Jr. has been a do-it-all man for St. Mary’s, while key players like Omri Merryman, Ali Barry, Derick Coulanges and others have all stepped up.
The Spartan girls are also 16-1 and also sit atop Division 3. Behind last year’s CCL co-MVP Yirsy Queliz and breakout years from Kellyn Preira and transfer student Niya Morgen, St. Mary’s is back on the fast track to a deep state-tournament run.
Elsewhere in Division 3 on the boys side, Bishop Fenwick sits ranked at No. 11 after putting up a 7-5 record. Swampscott comes in two spots behind at No. 13, but the Big Blue have rattled off six straight wins — including one at the buzzer against Peabody on Tuesday — and currently sit at 8-4.
Saugus is having a solid season at 6-6 and is ranked No. 25 in Division 3, while 1-14 Lynnfield is ranked No. 68.
The Division 1 rankings are a case study in strength of schedule. St. John’s Prep — which has played a number of games against top-10-ranked teams already — is ranked No. 19 with a 5-5 record while Lynn English — which plays in a statistically weaker league in the Greater Boston League — sits at 10-3 and is ranked No. 39.
Peabody, which plays in the Northeastern Conference, finds itself somewhere in the middle of those two teams, sitting at 9-5 on the year and ranked No. 37.
Lynn Classical, also in the GBL, is ranked No. 58 with a 6-7 record.
In Division 2, Salem’s strong season in the NEC has earned them a spot at No. 21 in the rankings. The Witches are currently 10-3. Marblehead is 7-5 and is ranked at No. 38, while Revere is ranked at No. 56 with a 5-5 record.
Winthrop is the highest ranked team in Division 4, sitting at 7-7 and just inside the top 25 at No. 24 overall. The only other local team in Division 4 is Lynn Tech, which is ranked No. 54 with a 1-10 record.
Rounding out the local team on the boys side is KIPP, which is the No. 45 team in Division 5 with a 3-7 record.
On the girls side, Bishop Fenwick isn’t far behind St. Mary’s in Division 3. The Crusaders are currently 8-4 on the year and are ranked No. 4. Saugus sits at No. 23 with its 8-5 record, while Swampscott’s 7-5 record puts it at No. 32 overall. Lynnfield rounds out the local teams in Division 3, sitting at No. 36 with a 5-8 record.
Peabody is doing all it can to move up the rankings in Division 1, but it’s tough sledding against such tough competition. Still, the Tanners are currently 12-2 and sit at No. 26 overall. Lynn Classical and Lynn English, which are both having great seasons at 12-3 and 11-2 respectively, currently sit four spots away from each other in the rankings. The Bulldogs are ranked No. 43, while the Rams are at No. 47.
Over in Division 2, Marblehead and Revere both sit at 9-5 and both occupy the bottom half of the rankings. The Magicians are ranked No. 43, while the Patriots are ranked No. 48. Salem, which is 3-9 on the year, is ranked No. 64.
Winthrop is 9-6 in Division 4 and sits at No. 22, while Lynn Tech — which qualified for the state tournament on Thursday — sits at 10-4 and is ranked No. 44.
Rounding out the local teams in the power rankings is KIPP, which is ranked No. 50 in Division 5 with a 5-4 record.
