Boys basketball rankings
1. Keyser
2. Bishop Walsh
3. Hampshire
4. Allegany
5. Mountain Ridge
6. Southern Garrett
7. Northern Garrett
8. Fort Hill
9. Frankfort
Games covered by Dispatch staff this season (through Feb. 19)
Boys Girls
7 BW 2
5 SG 3
6 Keyser 2
1 Hampshire 3
3 Allegany 5
3 Fort Hill 5
7 NG 6
6 Mtn Ridge 5
1 Frankfort 3
PhDispatch.com has watched AMAC teams a total of 72 times through Feb. 19.
Coverage has included every team at least once and 16 of the 18 teams at least twice. In addition, PhDispatch.com has traveled to all nine AMAC gymnasiums at least once and eight of the nine no less than three times each.
Still, we can't be at every game.
Please consider calling in or phoning in results each night after 10:30 p.m. just like you would any other media outlet or emailing stats and highlights that same night to [email protected].
With playoffs just around the corner, it's more important now than at any point in the season you help PhDispatch.com become the one-stop shop for the area's most complete sports coverage.
Girls basketball rankings
1. Allegany
2. Northern Garrett
3. Mountain Ridge
4. Keyser
5. Frankfort
6. Hampshire
7. Southern Garrett
8. Fort Hill
9. Bishop Walsh
Next rankings will be released Feb. 27
Weekly Power Rankings are not to be considered a projection on how teams might end the season. Instead, it's mostly based on how teams are perceived to be playing now - largely determined by head-to-head matchups, but not exclusively so. And it's all for fun, so take it for what it's worth.
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The Potomac Highlands Dispatch
Phone: 301-264-3147
Email: [email protected]
P.O. Box 651
Mount Savage, MD 21545
This week, Trojans and Golden Tornado are on a roll
By Kevin Spradlin
The Potomac Highlands Dispatch
MOUNT SAVAGE, Feb. 19 -- With wins over Northern Garrett, Southern Garrett and Petersburg, Keyser strengthened its hold on the top spot in Week 10 of the PhDispatch.com Power Rankings.
However, the Golden Tornado close out their regular season by running the proverbial gauntlet. They play at Hampshire on Tuesday, then host former No. 1 Bishop Walsh on Thursday and, on Friday, welcome West Virginia power Washington.
And after that, it seems anything goes. Mountain Ridge beat Bishop Walsh - its third quality win over a No. 1 or former No. 1 (two wins over Southern Garrett) in a two-plus week period.
But the Miners fell mightily to Allegany - and the Campers were beaten soundly by Hampshire - this week, then were pummeled into submission - at least, in a single game - by visiting Northern Garrett.
Hampshire beat Allegany and Southern lost its fourth in a row, this time to nonconference opponent Tucker County.
Games to watch:
Feb. 20 - Maryland playoff draw announced
Feb. 21 - Frankfort at Northern Garrett
Feb. 22 - Keyser at Hampshire
Feb. 22 - Bishop Walsh at S. Garrett
Feb. 24 - Bishop Walsh at Keyser
Feb. 25 - Washington at Keyser
Sometimes, sharing a spot might seem best
By Kevin Spradlin
The Potomac Highlands Dispatch
ACCIDENT, Feb. 17 -- After the first half of Southern Garrett's game against their north county rival Huskies, the score was 37-20 in favor of the home team.
It seemed as if the Week 9 PhDispatch.com Power Rankings were wholly justified and confirmed.
Then the second half started. And regardless of the "why" and "how" they did it, the Rams made a game of it and made things interesting in the second half of the game.
The Huskies led by 13 with 6:22 left in the fourth quarter after Taryn Brenneman nailed a 3-pointer. In a short amount of time, though, the Rams cut the lead to seven - with plenty of time left on the clock to pull off an upset.
That didn't happen. Northern's Terra McKenzie hit what proved to be the go-ahead points with 4:15 to play.
At times, there seemed to be little distinction between the level of play between the Huskies, who have spent all but one week at either the No. 1 or No. 2 spot, and the Rams, who have spent most of the season in the bottom third of the weekly PhDispatch.com Power Rankings.
Add to this season's confusion the fact that Keyser beat Frankfort, but Frankfort beat Hampshire, but Hampshire played Northern Garrett to within one point - and was 20.7 seconds away from victory.
Of course, Fort Hill recently beat Keyser, was pummeled by Hampshire and then, four days later, beat Hampshire.
Sometimes, it seems best to put Allegany in the top spot and list almost every other team as a co-No. 2.
At least for now, the top three spots in the girls' rankings seem safe. But on any given game night, anything can happen.
These rankings are based primarily on what's happened most recently. Head to head match-ups count for a lot, too. Injuries also are a factor.
Mostly, though, these rankings give us a reason to look forward to the next game. Because until the final whistle blows and the buzzer sounds, you just don't know who might win.
Games to watch:
Feb. 20 - Maryland playoff draw announced
Feb. 21 - Musselman at Hampshire - playoff
Feb. 21 - Northern Garrett at Fort Hill
Feb. 22 - Keyser at Frankfort - playoff