Not much movement in prep rankings -- yet

The scattershot pace of state playoffs will become more and more a factor in the coming weeks. Teams that have finished their schedule (Cardinal O’Hara of Philadelphia, for example) will have an opportunity to move up in the rankings when teams above them lose.

Two California teams, Sacred Heart Cathedral and St. Mary’s, are on a collision course in the Division III playoffs, and it’s unlikely both will remain in the top five. And of course, state tournament upsets are the stuff of legends across the country, and no team, no matter how glittering the record, is truly safe.

So here’s a thought: Support the sport in the most direct way possible – go to a nearby game. At this point, there are few 80-20 blowouts left on the schedule, and there’s nothing better than a postseason high school game between two outstanding teams.

1. Sacred Heart Cathedral (San Francisco CA) 29-0 (1): The Irish handled their league playoffs with no problems, and shouldn’t have to worry too much in the first rounds of the sectional tournament. But the road will start to get tougher soon.

2. Long Beach Poly (Long Beach CA) : Here’s a scary thought for California’s remaining Division I teams: ‘That might have been the best game of the year,’ coach Carl Buggs said after the Jackrabbits embarrassed perennial power Lynwood Tuesday (they were up 55-17 at one point). Then again, Millikan, which beat Poly once this year, is Friday’s opponent.

3. Notre Dame Academy (Middleburg VA) 24-2 (3): The Dragons don’t belong to a league, nor are they in the Virginia state playoffs, so their season will culminate at the Bishop Walsh Invitational March 6-8, where they’ll face other top Catholic schools that aren’t in state tournaments.

4. Murry Bergtraum (New York NY) 20-4 (4): The Blazers face Boys & Girls Wednesday, and the Kangaroos could use some boys – some very good boys – in this one. Expect Murry Bergtraum to roll to the March 8 quarterfinals (why do New York teams need so much time off between games?).

5. St. Mary’s (Stockton CA) 30-0 (5): It’s starting to get serious for the Rams, who will take on a pretty good Vanden team in the sectional semifinals and then either Sacramento or Del Oro in the finals. St. Mary’s should roll, but this is the time of year that strange things happen.

6. Highlands Ranch (Highlands Ranch CO) 20-3 (6): The Colorado postseason unveils itself at a placid pace, with just one game this week – and the Falcons won’t be tested Saturday. The anticipated rematch with Regis Jesuit, if it happens, will be March 14.

7. Sapulpa (Sapulpa OK) 26-1 (9): The Chieftains held Bartlesville to just 17 points in the regional finals Saturday, but unbeaten Claremore is next. Then again, Sapulpa beat Tahlequah by 41, and Claremore beat the Tigers by only 11.

8. Centennial (Circle Pines MN) 25-0 (8): The Cougars start the playoffs, but don’t get too excited: 5-20 Park Center is the first-round opponent and Centennial has established itself as the top team in the state.

9. DeSoto (DeSoto TX) 36-1 (10): The Eagles beat both Timberview and Duncanville (the only team to beat them) over the weekend, and now move on to the state semis, against Naaman Forest. But what everyone’s looking forward to is DeSoto versus Cy-Fair for the Texas title Saturday.

10. Dunbar (Lexington KY) 28-1 (11): Chelsey Johnson finished the regular season in fine form with 24 points and five of ten shooting from three-point distance. The playoffs begin Wednesday.

11. Lakota West (West Chester OH) 23-1 (12): There are always games like this in postseason: The Firebirds got into foul trouble, and had to turn to the bench for salvation – and the bench came through, with 15 points in a 44-35 win over Chaminade-Julienne. Pickerington Central is next, with unbeaten Coffman in the same four-team pod.

12. Buffalo Grove (Buffalo Grove IL) 32-3 (14): The Bison almost blew a 15-point lead to Wheeling, but held on to win by two, before winning by 11 to advance to Friday’s semifinals. Next up is Whitney Young, which was ranked earlier in the year, with the championship on Saturday.

13. Gentry (Indianola MS) 36-0 (13): If the Rams make it two straight state titles, they will earn it. They beat 31-3 Pontotoc by only three points last week and most likely will play them again in the state semifinals.

14. Lexington Catholic (Lexington KY) 25-4 (15): Last year, Lexington Catholic and Lexington Christian split four games, but Lexington Christian won the game that really mattered, the playoff elimination game. This year, Lexington Catholic was won both games, by six and seven points, but the one that really counts is the upcoming playoff game.

15. Cy-Fair (Cypress TX) 37-2 (19): The Bobcats survived two tough games in the Texas playoffs, getting by 6-5 junior Kelsey Bone’s Dulles team along the way. To get to DeSoto, though, they must get by Wagner and its 33-game winning streak in the semis.

16. Washington (South Bend IN) 23-2 (20): This is Washington’s third straight trip to the 4A finals, and the Panthers won it last year. Still, Carmel is rolling, and knocked off Ben Davis (in the top ten nationally at the time) earlier in the tournament.

17. Heritage Christian (Indianapolis IN) 27-1 (17): Unbeaten Oak Hill, the opponent in the 2A state title game, hasn’t played the same quality of opposition that the Heritage Christian has, but then again, the Golden Eagles haven’t lost. Still, Rick Risinger’s team has been to Conseco four times since 1994, and that’s a significant advantage.

18. Oak Ridge (Oak Ridge TN) 28-1 (18) Next up for the Wildcats is Farragut, an 11-loss team they’ve already beaten by 23. Even a loss Wednesday won’t keep them from advancing to the Sectionals Saturday, but don’t expect Oak Ridge to stumble.

19. Cardinal O’Hara (Springfield PA) 25-2 (21): Stephanie Holzer not only had 14 points and 14 rebounds for the Lions, her three-point play extended a late one-point lead over Archbishop Carroll to four – and that put Cardinal O’Hara into the top 20.

20. Southridge (Beaverton OR) 20-4) (NR): The Skyhawks jump back into the rankings despite four losses – and because of wins over Highlands Ranch and Sequoyah. Two of the losses were to top five teams, they avenged another (to Prairie), and the fourth is to Skyview, which has lost only three times, all to Prairie.

21. Sequoyah (Tahlequah OK) 24-2 (23): The Indians are rolling through the Oklahoma 3A playoffs, but they made their reputation at the Nike TOC, beating Archbishop Carroll of Philadelphia and Auburn Riverside of Washington.

22. Bob Jones (Madison AL) 33-2 (22): Rivalry games are always chancy, but the Patriots went on a 14-2 second-half run to knock off Sparkman and move into the 6A semifinals Thursday against Robertsdale.

23. St. Michael Academy (New York NY) 23-1 (25): Like Murry Bergtraum, the Eagles don’t get to do much while New York wends its dilatory way through postseason. Eventually they’ll get to play again.

24. Lower Richland (Hopkins SC) 25-0 (24): For the fourth straight season, the Diamonds Hornets and 23-4 Dorman will face off for the South Carolina title Saturday. A win there will run Lower Richland’s winning streak to 44, but the Cavaliers have played a much tougher schedule.

25. Whitney Young (Chicago IL) 28-3 (NR): Diminutive D’Franz Smart not only led the Dolphins back into the top 25, she also helped them get to the Illinois semifinals, where they’ll face Buffalo Grove.