Sacred Heart Cathedral to be tested Saturday

The dominos are falling as state champions are crowned, but the top five remain the same – for a few days.

Barring an upset Thursday, number one Sacred Heart Cathedral and number five St. Mary’s of Stockton will face off at 6 p.m. at Arco Arena in the Northern California Division III championship. The winner not only stays in the top five, it also moves on to the state championship game the following week – but that doesn’t mean a matchup with Long Beach Poly.

The Jackrabbits are a Division I school (the largest enrollment classification) and the other two have less than half as many students, so they won’t meet. In fact, the California state title games will be anticlimactic, at least on the national scene, for the toughest competition in Division I is in Southern California, and in Division III, in Northern California.

1. Sacred Heart Cathedral (San Francisco CA) 32-0 (1): The Irish may be unbeaten and number one, but it hasn’t been as easy road. Tragically, the father of a starter was shot and killed at halftime of one of their games, and now a more traditional and less shattering blow: Another starter has torn an ACL. And St. Mary’s looms on Saturday.

2. Long Beach Poly (Long Beach CA) 27-2 (2): The Jackrabbits left no doubt as to Millikan’s status: They doubled up the team that upset them earlier this year, 66-33. They then knocked off 26-6 San Clemente Tuesday and move into the Southern California semis Thursday against A.B. Miller, which is 30-2.

3. Notre Dame Academy (Middleburg VA) 25-2 (3): The Dragons draw 16-9 Holy Cross in the first round of the Bishop Walsh Invitational, with Seton Keough (ranked earlier in the year) most likely the next opponent.

4. Murry Bergtraum (New York NY) 20-0 (4): The Blazers are finally back in action Saturday, but seven-loss Francis Lewis probably won’t be that tough a test. McKee Voc Tech, though, could pose a threat in the PSAL finals March 16.

5. St. Mary’s (Stockton CA) 31-0 (5): The Rams won’t have an easy road to that hotly anticipated NorCal final against Sacred Heart Cathedral (Saturday at 6 p.m. at Arco Arena), but if form holds, they should get there. And if the two both advance, it will be the game of the year/decade/century in Northern California.

6. Cy-Fair (Cypress TX) 39-2 (15): The Bobcats lost just twice, in the first four games of the year, when the Ogwumike sisters were playing for the state volleyball title. After thumping DeSoto in the Texas title game, they ride that 37-game winning streak into the top ten.

7. Highlands Ranch (Highlands Ranch CO) 21-3 (6): The Falcons advance to the Sweet 16, where they’ll meet Central of Grand Junction. But the big rematch with Regis Jesuit will only occur if both teams make it to the March 14 finals.

8. Sapulpa (Sapulpa OK) 26-1 (7): Claremore’s Zebras (love the mascot) hung with Sapulpa for three quarters by slowing the pace (there’s no shot clock in Oklahoma), but Alyssia Brewer and the Chieftains eventually prevailed, 35-22. Three wins this weekend, and Sapulpa claims the state title.

9. Centennial (Circle Pines MN) 27-0 (8): If you believe in mathematical progressions, the Cougars should worry. The first time they played Osseo, they won by 43; the second time, by 14. If the Orioles improve by another 25 points Thursday, Centennial’s unbeaten run will be over. I would not, however, bet the rent.

10. Lakota West (West Chester OH) 25-1 (11): Previously unbeaten Coffman proved to be no match for the Firebirds, who got 18 points from Alexis Rogers in a 62-48 win. Lakota West moves to the state semifinals against battle-tested Boardman Friday.

11. Lexington Catholic (Lexington KY) 27-4 (14): Natalie Novosel led the Knights to two big wins: The first over rival Lexington Christian and the second over Dunbar, which had beaten Lexington Catholic twice before. But if form holds, they’ll play Dunbar again on Saturday to qualify for the state finals.

12. Gentry (Indianola MS) 37-0 (13): The Rams came thisclose to seeing that two-year winning streak dissolve, as they blew an eight-point lead with 4:26 in the fourth quarter of the state semis, and went into overtime against Brookhaven. Luckily, Brizzanai Washington scored nine points in extra time, and Gentry survived, 76-69. Yazoo Country is next.

13. Heritage Christian (Indianapolis IN) 27-1 (17): The Golden Eagles showed that a glittering record doesn’t mean all that much, pummeling previously unbeaten Oak Hill 53-31 to win the Indiana 2A title Saturday. A late 19-2 run removed all doubt for Heritage Christian, which lost only at Dunbar of Kentucky.

14. Whitney Young (Chicago IL) 29-3 (25): The Dolphins claimed the 4A title by beating Bolingbrook (which had upset Buffalo Grove) for the second time this season. Whitney Young dominated the boards to take over in the second half and, behind Ashlee Anderson’s 14 points, rolled to its first state title.

15. DeSoto (DeSoto TX) 37-2 (10): The Eagles had the best record of any team, boys or girls, in school history, but just didn’t have enough juice to get by Cy-Fair and the Ogwumike sisters in the finals.

16. Lower Richland (Hopkins SC) 26-0 (24): Dorman’s Fanchon Sortar was fouled on a three-point attempt as the clock expired – but only made one, and the Hornets held on for a 47-45 win, and their third straight title.

17. Oak Ridge (Oak Ridge TN) 33-1 (18): The word is that the team playing the best basketball in Tennessee is Shelbyville Central – and Oak Ridge draws the Eaglettes in the quarterfinals, so we’ll find out if the Wildcats really deserve this ranking.

18. Cardinal O’Hara (Springfield PA) 25-2 (21): The Lions have never played in the Bishop Walsh Invitational (for the top Catholic schools in the Northeast), and won’t in the future, as from now on, all Pennsylvania teams will be playing for the same state title. Still, it would have been interesting if the Lions had gone up against Notre Dame Academy.

19. Southridge (Beaverton OR) 21-4 (20): Michelle Jenkins led the three-time defending state champion Skyhawks past Clackamas, 53-50, with 19 points. Next up is South Eugene in the quarterfinals – most likely followed by Central Catholic and perennial power Oregon City.

20. St. Michael Academy (New York NY) 24-1 (23): The Eagles’ will finally face a quality opponent when they run into St. John the Baptist – the winner of that gets Christ the King.

21. Sequoyah (Tahlequah OK) 25-2 (21): Marietta is the Indians’ first opponent in the quarterfinals after an easy ride through the regionals. Angel Goodrich, naturally, was the star.

22. Bob Jones (Madison AL) 35-2 (22): Three players combined for 46 of Bob Jones’ 48 points in the six-point win over Clay-Chalkville in the state title game. Kellie Cook had 22, and not surprisingly, was tourney MVP.

Bob Jones first-ever state title. 23. Lewis & Clark (Spokane WA) 29-0 (NR): The Tigers won their third straight Washington 4A crown by knocking off Moses Lake, 42-37. Lewis & Clark has been pinned in Eastern Washington because of league commitments and thus didn’t play anyone outside its region until the state tournament – when the Tigers showed just how good they really are.

24. Carmel (Carmel IN) 23-4 (NR): Thanks to a record-tying 31 points from Chrissy Steffen, the Greyhounds upset defending champion (and previously number 16) Washington of South Bend, 84-72. It was the highest scoring state title game ever.

25. Dunbar (Lexington KY) 29-2 (11): Chantelle Pressley had 21 points for the Bulldogs, but it wasn’t enough in a 54-51 loss to Lexington Catholic. If they can win two more, though, they’ll play the Knights for the fourth time this season – so far, Dunbar has won two of the three matchups.