Tuesday, January 10, 2017

11/12 House Ball Rankings: Week Four

By Will Pegler

We're coming close to the half way point of the house ball season, and with only one undefeated team left, the fight for high seeding in the playoffs is shaping up to be a very close one. Time to see which teams stand atop the rankings after five games played.

1. Hornets (5-0)
As the only undefeated team left in the league, the Hornets are an obvious choice for number one. Led by junior Nick Green, their offense has been almost impossible to stop as they are able to move the ball quickly up the court. Craig Triano, Charlie Olsen, and Mike Neary have also been effective for this team on offense, providing even more size, speed, and agility.  Soccer phenom Pablo Martinez is the only senior on the team, but has stepped in to his leadership role well along with being a strong defender. Despite their young roster, the Hornets have yet to be challenged, but this may change when they face a strong Warriors team on Wednesday night.

2. Warriors (4-1)
The Warriors have quietly climbed to a 4-1 record and have launched themselves into championship contention. Led by senior Jack Beatty, the Warriors have a strong pack of seniors whose veteran leadership could be strong down the stretch this season. "Benny Boy" Bidell and Jack Campbell are two of these seniors who could come up big from the three point line. This team looks to dethrone the undefeated Hornets on Wednesday night in what could be the matchup of the season.

3. Spurs (4-1)
The loss of Quinn Fay is obviously going to be a problem for this team going forward. This was seen clearly in their first game without him as they lost by 11 to a three loss Raptors squad. Senior Nick Percarpio will need to transfer his lacrosse talents on to the basketball court if this team wants to have a strong record. The Spurs also look to get production from juniors Hank Rech, Patrick Burke, and Connor Percarpio. The Percarpio brothers can make for a dangerous combination, and if they can refrain from their notorious off court antics, they could carry this team a long way.

4. Nets (3-2)
The last of the four teams with a winning record, the Nets could do big things in the second half of the season. They have a good mix of size and shooting ability, with two big men in Teddy Brannigan and Ryan Corcoran, and good guard talent from Chris Davey, Justin Van de Graff, and Ethan Ehlers. As always, I will remind you that you can't forget about junior Charlie Baylis, who is a pure grinder and will do anything to win.

5. Knicks (2-3)
This team has a whole lot of potential but has yet to do much with it. Senior Spencer Jarecke has some size and quickness, making him a huge asset for this team, while Peter Marren is a strong three point shooter. Chris Magnusson could also do some big things this season, as he is a talented guard who can play strong defense. Junior Tommy Murphy also looks to add some value anyway he can, and his sweatiness on the court is a clear sign of his pure determination to win.

6. Raptors (2-3)
The Raptors are my sleeper pick for this week, despite their losing record, I could see them getting on a roll and winning a few games in a row. Senior Teddy Burke is a big man who can pull down boards, and even has the ability to play guard. Junior David Volz is a solid player who can get hot from three and put up big numbers, while Alex Murray has the ability to drive to the hoop. Junior Ryan Griffin is also on this team.

7. Bulls (2-3)
Junior Jackson Vaught's shooting ability has not been enough to get this team a winning record after five games. Senior Jack Farren can do big things on offense, if he and Vaught get strong chemistry going this team may be able to find more success. Farren and Vaught will need more help from juniors Will Rehm and Jackson Mcnear, two players who have the potential to be big parts of their offense.

8. Celtics (1-4)
After a tough loss on Sunday to the Hornets, the Celtics look to bounce back and get some momentum going into the next few games. Junior Sean Collins has been a strong offensive threat and has gotten some help from Zach Dimonekas and Nick Trager. Big man Brendon Berrigan is a beast on the boards, but is going to need more support from Harry Rayhill and Alex Phillips. Despite being led by the multi-championship winning Brian Rayhill, the Celtics have yet to find any form of consistent success.

9. Suns (1-4)
This team has a lot of junior talent, but it has yet to translate in to wins. Kevin Grune, Max Grant, Max Gasvoda, Brian Minicus, and Matt Gould are all solid players, but for some reason the Suns have yet to hit their stride. The main reason for this probably being their lack of height, this team will need to find some way to score, and fast.

10. Cavaliers (1-4)
Fin Batson, Cord Fox, and Matt Meyjes could all do some damage in this league. Unfortunately for the Cavs, though, the big names have yet to carry them to multiple wins. I don't have much else to say about this team other than the fact that everyone makes the playoffs, and maybe they could make a run there, but I don't see that as very likely.



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