Tuesday pollin'

Headed into the last week of the regular season...

MV has a hammerlock on the Toledo Blade Divison IV poll, leading its closest competitor, Gibsonburg, by three full games.  Come by the Varsity Gym trophy case in a few weeks to view this hardware. - No link was available - the published version of the Blade shows:

1.  Maumee Valley
2.  Gibsonburg
3.  Pettisville
4.  Holgate
5.  Toledo Christian

Alas, MV never got traction in the State AP poll, despite the Toledo Blade's Steve Junga trying as hard as possible to promote the Hawks.  Scroll about 1/3 of the way down.  Mr. Junga voted the Hawks third in the state this past week. 

The final JJ Huddle poll was also released today and MV finished in the others to watch. JJHuddle predicts a strong tournament run for the Hawks, but that's a subject for a later post. 

PS - a Thursday night game with state implications will be held out west Thursday evening when 11-7 D-III Delta from the NWOAL travels to 19-0 Edgerton in a non-league contest.  MV defeated Delta twice in summer league play.

Tuesday pollin'

No changes from last week. 

MV is number 1 in the Blade D-IV poll.

MV is not listed in the AP poll (placing or receiving > 12 votes) despite Steve Junga moving MV up to 4th place with his vote - scroll about 3/4 down on the page.

MV is in the 'others' in the JJ Huddle locked in D-IV poll. 

There's one way to change that...play on gentlemen.

They are not afraid of you - Part II

As we approach the end of the regular season, here's how the Hawks have done against the top ranked teams in the Toledo Blade poll from last week.

Overall, MV is 10-2-1 against currently ranked teams played against over the last year (2011 summer league and 2011-12 regular season).

Division I

1. Central Catholic 12-3 - 0-1 smacked in CCHS summer league semi-final by the home team*
2. Whitmer 14-2 Did Not Play (DNP)
3. Rogers 11-3 -DNP
4. St. John's 10-5 -DNP
5. Bowsher 11-4 - DNP

Division II

1. Wauseon 13-2 - 2-0 - defeated twice in Premier league play
2. Napoleon 12-3 - DNP
3. Scott 9-6 - 1-0 defeated once in CCHS summer league
4. Eastwood 10-5 - DNP
5. Otsego 9-6 - DNP

Division III

1. Archbold 12-4 - scrimmaged twice - about evenly
2. Liberty-Benton 11-3 - DNP
3. Delta 10-4 - 2-0 - defeated twice in Premier league
4. Lake 12-4 - 1-0 - defeated in scrimmage
5. Patrick Henry 9-6 - DNP

Division IV

1. Maumee Valley 13-1
2. Gibsonburg 12-2 1-1 in TAAC play
3. Pettisville 11-4 - 2-0 defeated twice in Premier league play
4. Fayette 11-5 - 1-0 defeated once in regular season
5. Holgate 10-6 - DNP

* - We tell it like it is here at the HawkBlog!

Tuesday pollin'

As expected, MV took over the top spot in the Blade D-IV poll today.

The Hawks also got the fifth place vote from the Blade's Steve Junga in the state poll.  Mr. Junga ranked undefeated Edgerton fourth and Gibsonburg 10th. 

The JJ Huddle poll comes out Wednesday, however, that poll clearly focuses on teams with heavy AAU participation.  Edgerton comes nowhere near their top 10, but teams with .500 records do.  No beef there, JJH's following is focused on AAU / college recruiting type players.  MV probably gets a boost in the JJ Huddle rankings as they have identified a couple of Hawks on their radar.

Tuesday pollin'

No change in the Blade poll; Hawks still ranked second.

No change in the State AP poll - Hawks getting no love.  But in a signaling mechanism, the Blade's Steve Junga votes Gibsonburg sixth over undefeated and fifth-ranked Edgerton.  The signal?  Beat Gibsonburg and you get the top ten vote.

This post will be updated when the JJ Huddle post is released.

MV in 2nd place in new Blade poll; no love from AP - click through to links

Maumee Valley as expected is ranked second behind Gibsonburg in the initial Blade poll. 

The Blade gets a vote in the poll and writer Steve Junga gave the Golden Bears a 10th place vote.

This was not enough to get Gibsonburg into the state-wide AP top ten, although they did get enough votes for honorable mention. 

MV is still in the Teams to watch list of the JJ Huddle poll.

MV Ranked T10th in JJ Huddle preseason D-IV poll

Here's the link.

For what it's worth, JJ Huddle subjectively weights its evaluations on team results, schedule difficulty and individual player strength -individual play heavily weighted toward high-end AAU competition.

It's all bluster if you don't back it up...

But Maumee Valley was picked by the TAAC coaches as the front runner.

Here's the link to the Blade TAAC preview.

Gentlemen, enjoy the target on your respective backs.  You worked hard to get here, but your next job lies ahead starting Saturday.

Hawks one of eleven teams detailed in Ohio D-IV pre-season preview

JJ Huddle is one of the largest High School sports websites.  They are currently gearing up for baskball season with divisional previews. 

Here is a link to their D-IV preview - Maumee Valley is one of eleven teams to watch.

Here's the JJ Huddle capsule on MV:

Toledo Maumee Valley Country Day

• Toledo MVCD returns all but two points per game from last year’s (16-4) squad. The Hawks lost a heartbreaking 54-51 overtime contest to rival Toledo Christian in sectional play. MVCD and Toledo Christian decided its three games by just seven points. Leading the group of returnees is 6’6 senior Jared Sturt (12.6 ppg.), 6’0 senior Rick Deichert (12.5 ppg.), 6’1 senior Julius Turner (9.9 ppg.), and 5’6 junior Dave Brown (5.4 ppg.). 6’2 senior Dixon Stoddard and 5’10 senior Jonathan Krueger also return. MVCD will be involved in a tough sectional with the likes of Toledo Christian, Ottawa Hills, and Gibsonburg who has dropped down from DIII. The Hawks will meet the above mentioned teams in the regular season as well.

In addition, Jared Sturt was named pre-season D-IV third team and Dave Brown honorable mention on the website.  Congratulations to these Hawk players.  Lucas Janowicz from Ottawa Hills (honorable mention) was the only other TAAC player named to preseason honors.

Finally, the D-IV state-wide competitive landscape looks to be that much harder with the addition of 2011 state D-III final four participant Columbus Africentric and perennial basketball power Cleveland VASJ.  These teams moved down from Division III similar to TAAC member Gibsonburg.

Polls

For the second straight, little change in the main Division IV polls.

The Blade Poll is status quo (1. McComb, 2. MV, 3. Ottawa Hills, 4. TC,   5. Van Buren)

MV moves up to 18th in the JJ Huddle poll

And no respect for anyone north of the Blanchard River in the OHSAA poll. 

Poll update

Not much change for the Hawks in the polls this week. 

Still ranked second in the Blade D-IV poll behind McComb.  Ottawa Hills is third, TC fourth.

MV is 22nd in the JJ Huddle poll.  Curiously, Ottawa Hills is tied for tenth place here, but the Hawks control their destiny.

Still no love for any TAAC teams in the OHSAA AP poll. 

Division IV top ten battle - #4 McComb 52 - #10 Vanlue 45

Here's what two top ten teams in MV's division looked like last night as they played a big regular season game at Vanlue.  Story link is to the fine Blanchard Valley Buzz sportsblog.

Girls' basketball fans will recognize this gym - they nearly defeated Vanlue 42-40 on this floor on December 11, 2010.

How do you think the Hawks would match up?

We're number 2!, We're number 15!, We're getting no love!

Boys basketball polls are being realeased in droves now.

MV is ranked second in first local Blade D-IV poll behind 8-0 McComb.

Comments: Props to Ottawa Hills which has defeated Blade poll Division III  fifth-ranked Delta and plays No 4 Evergreen later this month.  Toledo Central Catholic is third in Division 1.

We are (I guess) number 15 in the week 6 JJ Huddle poll.

One slot ahead of OH.  McComb is currently state No. 4.  Central is No. 25 in Division I.

We have no standing in the initial Associated Press State D-4 poll. 

 Ottawa Hills received some votes.  McComb is 6th with one first place vote.

Getting Some State-wide Love

Maumee Valley is starting to get noticed.

We got some votes in this poll...

Great kid!  Don't get cocky.  Both Ottawa Hills and TC are right there with us.

Scrimmage opponent Bowsher is ranked 18th in Division 1.

Upcoming opponent Toledo Central Catholic was ranked 11th in D-1 before their loss to Whitmer knocked them out of the poll - probably only temporarily.

Northwood Preview from BG Sentinel-Tribune

Northwood is picked to finish fifth in the TAAC pre-season coaches poll. 

It appears MV has at least one thing to shoot for - Ottawa Hills was picked to win the Conference. 

We don't see the Rangers until January 14, 2011 so there's plenty of time for them to get better.

Pre-season polls popping up

It's the pre-season and that means it's polling time.  Of course we all believe the polls - especially the ones taken before anyone plays a single game!

A few tidbits of information concerning TAAC opponents.

The Firelands Conference coaches poll was recently released.  MV scrimmage opponent New London is projected to finish third behind Western Reserve and Monroeville.

The Sandusky Bay Conference poll is also out.  Among TAAC out-of-conference opponents, Margaretta was picked second by the coaches, with Oak Harbor selected 6th and Sandusky St. Mary's 8th.  All three teams are Danbury opponents.