Each Tuesday through the end of the regular season, the Star will rank the top five boys basketball, girls basketball, boys soccer and girls soccer teams.
Here is this week’s poll, with last week’s ranking in parentheses.
Records include Monday’s action but do not include tournament games or matches.
Boys basketball
1. Sunnyside (1) 13-1: Wins over Sierra Vista Buena and Rincon/University last week have the Blue Devils at No. 1 for the third straight week. Tuesday’s road test at Nogales will be Sunnyside’s third straight against a team ranked inside the top 30 of Division II.
2. Cholla (2) 15-0: After edging out a close win against Tucson High at the MLK Classic, the Chargers rolled past Ironwood Ridge and Mountain View by a combined 53 points.
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3. Sahuaro (3) 12-1: The Cougars rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit to beat Cienega 47-45 last Thursday to win for the 18th time in the last 19 games overall.
4. Nogales (5) 13-1: Like Sahuaro, the Apaches notched a dramatic win last week when they scored 43 points in the final 16 minutes to rally from an 18-point deficit to win their fifth straight.
5. Cienega (4) 10-3: The three regular-season losses for the Bobcats have come by a combined five points. Cienega could very well be 13-0, and is a dangerous team.
Dropped out: None.
Girls basketball
1. Cienega (1) 14-0: Mountain View and Sahuaro provided the Bobcats with something last week they haven’t experienced much this year: close games in back-to-back nights.
2. Marana (2) 11-2: The Tigers have won their last four games by an average of 26.8 points, and the two opponents who have beat Marana in regular-season play are a combined 25-1.
3. Ironwood Ridge (4) 11-3: Since losing at Tucson High on Jan. 6, the Nighthawks have won seven of eight, including one against Sahuaro. I-Ridge’s lone loss in that stretch came against Marana.
4. Sahuaro (3) 12-2: It’s hard to penalize the Cougars for their two losses against I-Ridge and Cienega last week since they came by a combined nine points. Sahuaro remains tough.
5. Tucson (5) 10-2: Six straight wins have the Badgers ranked 12th in Division II and on track to get back to the state tournament after narrowly missing it in 2014.
Dropped out: None.
Boys soccer
1. Nogales (2) 8-0-2: Since back-to-back draws, the Apaches have rattled off four straight wins by a combined 15-4 heading into Monday’s match at Ironwood Ridge. Nogales also beat Tucson 1-0 earlier this month.
2. Tucson (1) 8-1-1: The defending state champion Badgers had a six-match winning streak snapped when it tied Salpointe Catholic on Friday. Tucson has to close the season out against a tough Desert View team Thursday.
3. Mountain View (3) 10-0-1: Dating back to a draw against Catalina Foothills in mid-December, the Mountain Lions haven’t missed a beat. They should be tested Wednesday night when they travel to Ironwood Ridge to close the regular season.
4. Catalina Foothills (5) 7-2-1: The Falcons have notched four straight shutout victories and are back in position to qualify for the Division II state tournament, as long as they win both matches this week.
5. Amphitheater (NR) 8-0-1: Friday’s 3-1 win at Palo Verde rewarded the Panthers with the No. 2 ranking in Division III and has them in line for a return trip to the state semifinals.
Dropped out: No. 4 Salpointe Catholic (6-3-1)
Girls soccer
1. Catalina Foothills (1) 8-0-2: Certainly a lock to qualify for the Division II state tournament, but now the question is if the Falcons can keep a remarkable run going and reach the state finals for the sixth straight year.
2. Sahuaro (2) 9-0-2: One year removed from being in the state semifinals, the Cougars are already in postseason mode and poised for another deep run. Sahuaro tied Foothills 1-1 on Monday night.
3. Walden Grove (4) 11-0: With a win against Rio Rico on Wednesday, the Red Wolves will secure the No. 1 seed in the Division III state tournament and gain even more momentum.
4. Tucson (5) 10-0-1: Heading into Wednesday’s regular-season finale against Sahuaro, the Badgers have won 10 straight and are in position to host matches in the first two rounds of the Division II state tournament.
5. Ironwood Ridge (3) 8-2: If the Nighthawks qualify for the postseason, don’t be surprised if they make a deep run. Their two losses are against Foothills and Sahuaro.
Dropped out: None.
