Well we have admit we're a little disappointed.
Not in who is #1 or #27 or whatever, but because we didn't end up making a lot of changes. Most (but not all) of our results from the past week-plus were from the Boys HS Rugby National Championships, and we did figure we'd see a few rankings upsets, but we didn't see a lot.
Of the 12 games in the Single-School bracket, the higher-ranked team won 10 times. The two upsets were a one-point game between #5 and #2, and then #3 over #2 which was 19-14 until very late. So we don't feel too bad about those.
The big upset in the rankings was St. Edward over St. Thomas Aquinas, and we're quite willing to acknowledge that we had STA up too high. Strake Jesuit lost three games in the HSNC, but somebody has to and they are brand-new to the event. They do drop down, but not especially far.
The only other rankings upset was #50 Marist over #46 Neuqua.
So we don't have a ton of major moves. We feel a little justified in our serious consideration of Herriman as the #1 team. They were pretty close, that's for sure. But we also feel pretty good about having had St. Ignatius ranked #1 since Week 14. As many, or most, of you know, this writer helps coach the freshmen at St. Ignatius. But there's no sentimentality about that. We've had Ignatius at #1, and we've dropped them. There is no pressure locally to have Ignatius ranked anywhere, which is a testament to some impressive self-awareness among the St. Ignatius varsity coaching staff.
Hmm ... self awareness. What a concept.
One final note: Trumbull, Greenwich, Fairfield prep, Rye, and Fordham Prep are all really close. Staples and Pelham, in the same region, are not far behind. Yes a team that has lost to another is ranked ahead of them, and that's because additional results have to be tied in. Connecticut and NY playoffs are in front of us, now, and that could re-organize those teams a bit.
