Bill Lusk | WVOW Sports
CHARLESTON Spring Mills, Fairmont Senior, Charleston Catholic and Tucker County continue to hold down the top spots in their respective classes of the boys high school basketball poll released Monday evening by the West Virginia Associated Press.
It is the third consecutive week the quartet of schools has held down the top spots in West Virginia’s four classification system for basketball.
A pair of Logan County teams, Chapmanville and Logan, held firm in their respective class.
Chapmanville was the highest of the two, checking at No. 4 for a second straight week, but the Tigers are tied with Wheeling Central, a team they defeated 62-48 on January 13 at Chapmanville’s Danny Godby Gymnasium.
The Tigers are coming off a 75-70 overtime win over George Wythe (VA) in the Friendships Cars Virginia Invitational presented by Big Shots at Virginia High School.
The win over last season’s Virginia Class 1 state runner-up was the fourth consecutive win for the Tigers, improving them to 8-5 on the year.
Logan, one of many schools to not play last week, remained No. 9 in Class AAA. Entering play this week, the Wildcats have lost six straight games and are 4-6 overall after winning its first four to start the 2023-24 season.
Spring Mills, one of four unbeatens in West Virginia this week, strengthened its lead over No. 2 Morgantown. The Cardinals received eight of nine first-place votes and is ahead of Morgantown by seven points with George Washington, Martinsburg and Bridgeport rounding out the top five.
It is the same top five from last week and depending on how one looks at it, the same top 10 schools occupy the 10 spots in AAAA.
Jefferson remained sixth, Wheeling Park was seventh with Hedgesville eight just ahead of Huntington in ninth, who the Eagles were tied with in last week’s rankings, and St. Albans 10th in the AAAA ratings.
There were no changes to the top 10 in Class AAA as Fairmont Senior was a unanimous selection receiving all nine first-place votes to distant themselves from second-place Shady Spring.
Nitro, despite being unbeaten, was third followed by East Fairmont and Herbert Hoover rounding out the five with Lewis County sixth, Sissonville seventh, Midland Trail eighth, Logan ninth and Liberty (Harrison) 10th.
Class AA saw the most changes amongst its top 10, but at the top, undefeated Charleston Catholic maintained its hold on the top spot. The Irish, just like Fairmont Senior, were a unanimous selection after receiving all nine first-place votes to stay ahead of No. 2 Williamstown with Bluefield checking at No. 3.
Chapmanville remained fourth, however, the Tigers are tied with Wheeling Central, who jumped one spot from its fifth place ranking last week.
Ravenswood was sixth followed by Petersburg, Poca, Trinity and Wyoming East rounding out the top 10 for Class AA.
There was very little change in Class A, in fact there was just one change in the rankings of the state’s smallest classification. That change was in the top five.
The top three teams remained the same as Tucker County received eight of nine first-place votes and is 10 points ahead of No. 2 James Monroe. The two-time reigning Class A champions are five points ahead of fast-charging Tug Valley, who received the other first-place vote.
Webster County moved up one spot from No. 5 to No. 4 knocking last week’s No. 4 East Hardy down to five this week.
The rest of the top 10 in Class A has Clay-Battelle setting at No. 6 followed by Wahama, Greater Beckley Christian, Cameron and Madonna.