A clear theme has emerged from the first half of the high school basketball season in the South Shore – surprises.
The Patriot League is the best example of that. Pembroke (Fisher) and Marshfield (Keenan) enter this week as the leaders of the two divisions. If you took a preseason poll, I bet neither team would be one of the top two picks to be on top of the league. Plymouth South and Scituate are right on Pembroke’s heels in the Fisher Division.
Despite losing some key pieces from last season, Archbishop Williams is off to a strong start this season. The Bishops have some breathing room on top of the Catholic Central League South Division.
Third rankings:Plymouth South skyrockets: South Shore High School Boys Basketball Top 10 rankings
Second rankings:Small schools (and Scituate) start hot: South Shore high school boys basketball top 10
Preseason rankings:A lot of unknowns: South Shore high school boys basketball top 10 rankings
Last ranking and record as of Sunday morning in parenthesis.
1. BC High (1, 8-0)
It’s hard to imagine the Eagles having a better start to the season than this. Even through just eight games, BC High has built up a stellar resume of marquee wins. Mike Loughnane, who recently scored his 1,000th point, is having an incredible season. The Eagles best stretch is a pair of consecutive 22-point wins over Mansfield and Malden Catholic. The Eagles were the No. 4 seed in the MIAA Division 1 power rankings that were released on Friday.
More:A scorer at heart, BC High’s Mike Loughnane surpasses 1,000 career points
2. Pembroke (3, 11-0)
The Titans are in uncharted territory for the program with this incredible start. Pembroke has built a 2.5-game lead in the Fisher Division title race and have stellar wins over Hingham, Whitman-Hanson, Plymouth South, Scituate, North Quincy and Archbishop Williams. There’s one Patriot Power the Titans are looking to pick up a win against – Marshfield. Pembroke will play the Rams on Tuesday at home. During the girls basketball team’s run a few years, Pembroke’s gym was an electric atmosphere. That feeling is back this season when the boys take the floor.
More:H.S. BOYS BASKETBALL: Pembroke’s defense-first approach keys win over high-flying Scituate
3. Randolph (8-1, NR)
The Blue Devils lost their season opener to Middleboro, 42-40. Since then, Randolph has rattled off eight wins in a row. The South Shore League Sullivan Division title race is a crowded one with Randolph (5-1 in league), Abington (5-1) and Middleboro (5-2). Defense has been Randolph’s calling card this season. Only one opponent has scored more than 50 points against the Blue Devils (68-52 win over Cohasset). Randolph has big league games against Middleboro (Friday) and Abington (Feb. 7) coming up.
More:MIAA releases first tournament power rankings for high school girls and boys basketball
4. Marshfield (7-1, NR)
Since losing to North Quincy, the Rams have quietly ripped off five wins in a row. On Jan. 14, Marshfield won an overtime thriller over Whitman-Hanson, 71-69, as Connor Walden hit the winning shot with 2 seconds remaining. The Rams have a busy stretch of tough games coming up. In the next two weeks, Marshfield plays Pembroke, Plymouth South, Scituate and Hingham.
More:HIGH SCHOOL ROUNDUP: Friday night basketball filled with overtime drama
More:Marshfield boys hoop morphing into a different kind of a team than last year
5. Hingham (9-2, NR)
The Harbormen have won five in a row and that stretch includes stellar wins over Bridgewater-Raynham and Whitman-Hanson. Nick Johannes and Liam McBridge might be the best 1-2 scoring punch in the area.
6. Plymouth South (6-2, 2)
The Panthers hit some speed bumps this week dropping consecutive games to Whitman-Hanson and Pembroke. Plymouth South looks to get back on track with a three-game week.
More:These South Shore teams are off to surprising (to some) starts. What’s their secret?
More:With wins over Scituate and Hingham, Plymouth South high boys basketball a team to watch
7. Middleboro (8-2, 7)
The Sachems are right in the middle of a crowded SSL Sullivan Division title race. Middleboro had a setback with a loss against East Bridgewater but bounced back with strong wins over Norwell and Cohasset. Friday’s game at Randolph is a big one.
More:Middleboro High boys basketball out to prove it isn’t a one-hit wonder
8. Scituate (8-2, 4)
The Sailors two losses have come by a combined three points (Pembroke and Plymouth South). Friday’s game at North Quincy is a big one in the league title picture, especially with Pembroke having a two-game lead in the loss column.
9. Archbishop Williams (8-3, 5)
The Bishops are 2-2 in their last four games but still are in good shape in the league title picture. Friday’s game against St. Mary’s of Lynn (11-1) is a tough matchup.
10. Cardinal Spellman (6-5, NR)
The Cardinals started 0-5 and now have rattled off six wins in a row. Jaydan Exalus started that streak with a 41-point performance in a 59-58 win over Cathedral and it continued with an overtime triumph over O’Bryant, 67-64, on Saturday.
More:HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL: Jaydan Exalus simply excellent for Cardinal Spellman
More:Cardinal Spellman High coach Mike Perry reaches grand winning total
On the bubble: North Quincy (6-3), Braintree (5-3), Southeastern (3-2), Caver (7-3), Cohasset (6-3), Bridgewater-Raynham (6-3)
Bubble thoughts: North Quincy has a lot of ground to make up, but I wouldn’t count them out of the Patriot Fisher title race yet… The South Shore League Tobin Division title race should be a fun one… Carver is off to a surprising 7-3 start but the Skippers are used to be in big games… B-R’s non-league schedule is incredibly tough and the Trojans will be a team to keep an eye on in the tournament even if their record has some losses on it.
Credit: Source link