Rankings

Rugby Mag's rankings of high school girls rugby teams have come out for 2014.  As always, it's a nice article and a tough one to write too, as there are so many teams across the country.

Rankings are also tough.  Is it a predictor of where one thinks a team will finish, or purely a ranking of where a team is currently at in terms of resuls?  In terms of results, it's seems to be a fair beginning.  The second half of such rankings are even tougher because there seems to be less crossover matches to compare.

One of the stories of the spring season should be the great competition at the Midwest Girls Championships at the end of April.  Featuring FIVE teams in the pre-season top twenty, it might be the most competitive Midwest Championship tournament in the 16 year history of the event.  There are also a few programs on the outskirts of the top twenty .. will Penn HS from Indiana take the next step and crack the top twenty?  They've played an ambitious schedule, even playing Illinois state champ Plainfield in a fall friendly in addition to some summer sevens at events like the Milwaukee Lakefront Sevens.  Or how about one of the other Indiana programs?  Brownsburg seems to get big numbers.  Plus, Plainfield seems to be gaining momentum as the Illinois state champs, and will get a chance to play good competition at the WGR pre-season festival.

In the meantime, congrats to the two WGR teams in the top ten.  For the full article go to www.rugbymag.com

Girls' High School Top 25 - Feb. 26, 2014
1. Fallbrook (Calif.) 1-0 in SoCal, 40-0 forfeit win over Dead Rabbits; three-time national champion
2. Kent (Wash.) Idle. Washington State Champion's season starts March 2
3. Divine Savior Holy Angels (Wisc.) Won Wisconsin State Championship 22-7 over Catholic Memorial
4. Sacramento (Calif.) 1-0 in NorCal, defeated the Lancers 50-10
5. Catholic Memorial (Wisc.) Finished second in Wisconsin, lost 22-7 to DSHA
6. Summit (Colo.) Won Colorado State Championship 53-0 over Ft. Collins
7. West Carroll (Md.) Idle.
8. Fullerton (Calif.) 1-0 in SoCal, 53-19 win over Dead Rabbits
9. Armstrong (Minn.) Idle. Reigning Minnesota State Champion's season begins in April
10. Pleasanton (Calif.) 3-0 in NorCal, defeated Danville 15-10
11. Danville (Calif.) 0-1 in NorCal, lost 15-10 to Pleasanton
12. Lowland (Utah) Idle. Three-time reigning Utah State Champion
13. Snow Canyon (Utah) Idle. Three-time reigning Utah State finalist; finished 3rd in D2 at NITs
14. Downingtown (Pa.) Idle. Pennsylvania State Champion's season begins March 30.
15. St. Joseph's (Ohio) Idle. Reigning State Champions
16. Grant (Ore.) Idle. Reigning Oregon State Champion's season starts with a pre-season tournament on March 1; was runner-up in fall 7s season
17. Ravenwood (Tenn.) Idle. Reigning Tennessee State Champion's season starts Feb. 28
18. Maryville (Tenn.) Idle. Tennessee State finalist and 7s champion's season starts March 1.
19. Lakewood (Ohio) Idle.
20. Hempfield (Pa.) Idle. Second-best in state.
21. ICEF (Calif.) 2-0 is SoCal
22. Fairfax Police (Va.) Idle. Four Virginia State titles
23. Kingston (N.Y.) Idle. Reigning New York State champ
24. Sebastian River (Fla.) Idle. Big fish in a small lagoon
25. West End (Va.) Won first pre-season game

Wisconsin Pre-Season Top Ten
1.DSHA
2.CMHS
3.KMHS
4.Vernon
5.Oak Creek
6.DSHA jv
7.Brookfield
8.Appleton
9. Muskego
10. Fond Du Lac