Baseball Top 10

The high school baseball is getting under way now, so I thought I would make a beginning of the season top 10. Here are my thoughts:

1. Malden Catholic

2. Plymouth North

3.  Catholic Memorial

4. Andover

5. BC High

6. King Philip

7. St. John’s Prep

8. East Bridgewater

9. Masconomet

10. Abington

Here are some players to watch as well:

Division 1:Eddie Campbell, Pitcher, Bridgewater-Raynham; Nelfi Zapata, Catcher, Boston English; Chris Carmain, 1st Base, St. John’s Prep; Ryan Cusik, 2nd Base, Gloucester; Justin Quinn, Shortstop, Lincoln-Sudbury; Justin Sencabaugh, 3rd Base, Malden Catholic; Tyler Horan, Outfield, BC High; Michael Yaztremski, Outfield, St. John’s Prep; Brendan Walsh, Outfield, Central Catholic.

Division 2:Joe Flynn, Pitcher, Plymouth North; Matt Walsh, Catcher, Plymouth North; KC Murphy, 1st Base, Hingham; Nick DeStefano, 2nd Base, Belmont; Chris Splinter, Shortstop, Masconomet; Mike Pratt 3rd Base, Bishop Stang; Ben Bullock, Outfield, Apponequet; Brandon Lee, Outfield, Marblehead; Michael Muse, Outfield, Milton.

Division 3:Sahil Bloom, Pitcher, Weston; Ricky Travers, Catcher, Norton; Kevin Singer, 1st Base, North Reading; Kristian LaPointe, 2nd Base, Abington; Matt Greeke, Shortstop, Hamilton-Wenham; David Papagni, 3rd Base, Northeast Regional; Darren Hartwell, Outfield, North Reading; Joe Esposito, Outfield, Georgetown; Eddie Blum, Outfield, Weston.

Danny Ventura at the Boston Herald Keeps churning out some gems. Him and his staff has a bunch of previews and here are the links to them:

Division 1 Baseball Preview

Division 2 Baseball Preview

Division 3 Baseball Preview

Hockey Top 10

Here is this week’s installment of the boys and girls hockey top 10 (last week’s rankings in parenthesis and records as of Feb. 8):

Boys

1. Catholic Memorial 7-3-4 (2)

2. Malden Catholic 11-2-2 (1)

3. Central Catholic 12-0-5 (4)

4. Hingham 12-2-4 (3)

5. Arlington Catholic 10-3-3 (5)

6. Needham 12-3-1 (NR)

7. Winchester 11-1-1 (6)

8. Burlington 11-2-0 (7)

9. Xaverian 8-3-2 (10)

10. Pembroke 15-0-1 (NR)

Girls

1. St. Mary’s 17-0-0 (1)

2. Acton-Boxboro 14-0-2 (2)

3. Woburn 13-2-1 (5)

4. Chelmsford 12-1-3 (NR)

5. Wakefield 10-1-5 (9)

6. Whitman-Hanson 11-1-3 (8)

7. Arlington 11-3-2 (3)

8. Lynn English 12-2-0 (6)

9. Hingham 12-4-1 (4)

10. Lexington 9-1-4 (10)

Top 10 Basketball

Here is this week’s installment of the boys and girls basketball top 10 (last week’s rankings in parenthesis):

Boys

1. Central Catholic 15-1 (1)

2. Brockton 16-0 (2)

3. Lexington 18-1 (3)

4. Lynn English 16-0 (4)

5. Newton North 16-2 (6)

6. Durfee 14-2 (7)

7. Watertown 14-3 (NR)

8. Westford 16-1 (10)

9. Wareham 16-1 (5)

10. Stoughton 14-2 (NR)

Girls

1. Wellesley 16-0 (1)

2. Arlington Catholic 17-1 (4)

3. Reading 15-1 (3)

4. Lowell 13-2 (6)

5. Andover 14-3 (2)

6. Cohasset 18-0 (7)

7. Westford 15-1 (NR)

8. Bishop Feehan 12-3 (NR)

9. Central Catholic 14-3 (5)

10. Stoneham 16-2 (NR)

Hockey Top 10

Here is this weeks installment of the boys and girls top 10 (last week’s ranking in parenthesis). Records as of February 1:

Boys

1. Malden Catholic 11-1-1 (1)

2. Catholic Memorial 6-3-4 (8)

3. Hingham 10-2-3 (2)

4. Central Catholic 10-0-5 (7)

5. Arlington Catholic 9-2-2 (3)

6. Winchester 11-1-1 (5)

7. Burlington 11-2-0 (6)

8. Waltham 9-1-4 (4)

9. Winthrop 11-0-1 (NR)

10. Xaverian 6-3-2 (9)

Girls

1. St. Mary’s 15-0-0 (1)

2. Acton-Boxboro 12-0-2 (2)

3. Arlington 11-1-2 (5)

4. Hingham 11-3-0 (3)

5. Woburn 11-2-1 (4)

6. Lynn English 11-2-0 (9)

7. Wellesley 10-2-3 (7)

8. Whitman-Hanson 9-1-3 (8)

9. Wakefield 7-1-5 (NR)

10. Lexington 7-1-5 (10)

Basketball Top 10

Here is this weeks installment of the Top 10 for boys and girls basketball (last week’s rank in parenthesis). Records included are as of Feb. 1:

Boys

1. Central Catholic 13-1 (1)

2. Brockton 13-0 (3)

3. Lexington 13-1 (5)

4. Lynn English 13-0 (6)

5. Wareham 16-1 (NR)

6. Newton North 14-2 (2)

7. Durfee 12-1 (NR)

8. Franklin 15-1 (NR)

9. Duxbury 15-1 (9)

10. Westford 14-1 (7)

Girls

1. Wellesley 13-0 (1)

2. Andover 13-2 (3)

3. Reading 12-1 (4)

4. Arlington Catholic 13-1 (7)

5. Central Catholic 11-2 (6)

6. Lowell 11-2 (2)

7. Cohasset 16-0 (10)

8. Coyle & Cassidy 11-2 (NR)

9. Brockton 10-3 (5)

10. Acton-Boxboro 11-2 (NR)

Hockey Top 10

Here are my Top 10 teams in Boy’s and Girl’s Hockey:

Boys

1. Malden Catholic

2. Hingham

3. Arlington Catholic

4. Waltham

5. Winchester

6. Burlington

7. Central Catholic

8. Catholic Memorial

9. Xaverian

10. Waltham

Girls

1. St. Mary’s

2. Acton-Boxboro

3. Hingham

4. Woburn

5. Arlington

6. Arlington Catholic

7. Wellesley

8. Whitman-Hanson

9. Lynn English

10. Lexington

Basketball Top 10 and Players

These are my rankings for the Top 1o teams in Basketball. I also threw in some players that are worth watching.

Boys Top 10

1. Central Catholic (10-1)

2. Newton North (13-0)

3. Brockton (12-0)

4. Malden (10-1)

5. Lexington (10-1)

6. Lynn English (13-0)

7. Westford (13-0)

8. Lowell (11-2)

9. Duxbury (14-0)

10. Watertown (10-1)

Girls Top 10

1. Wellesley (11-0)

2. Lowell (10-1)

3. Andover (11-2)

4. Reading (10-1)

5. Brockton (9-2)

6. Central Catholic (9-2)

7. Arlington Catholic (10-1)

8. Durfee (9-1)

9. Bridgewater-Raynham (12-1)

10. Cohassat (13-0)

Boys Players to Watch

1. Carson Desrosiers, Central Catholic –Desrosiers has the size (6’10”) and ability to carry a team. He is one of the top basketball prospects in the state. He has a relatively polished inside game and does the dirty work.

2. Doug Scott, Quincy– Scott is the consummate scorer. He can score from anywhere on the court and basically carries his team on his back. he averages 30 points per game.

3. Ike Azotam, O’Bryant –Azotam is another big man who can score. He has a variety of moves in the post and is a headache for all opponents

4. Egi Gjikondi, Malden –Gjikondi is a monster inside. He has the height to play all forward positions and the ability to score and hold his own under the basket.

5. Lance Greene, Lexington – Greene is the floor general of won of the most storied schools in the state when it comes to basketball. He has quick reflexes and is a defensive force. The point guard has a pass first mentality but has more than enough ability to score at will.

Girls Players to Watch

1. Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir, New Leadership –Abdul-Qaadir is the new scoring champion in Massachusetts. Despite her small stature (5’3″) she can score whenever she wants.

2. Brenna Gonsalves, Coyle & Cassidy –Gonsalves carries the Lady Warriors. She is a polished scorer and has the abilty to take over whenever she needs to.

3. Shary Martinez, Brighton –Martinez is a physical presence. She gets rebounds and puts them back. She is a double double machine.

4. Lauren Battista, Oliver Ames– Battista paces a talented Oliver Ames squad. She is a scorer.

5. Mary Nwachukwu, Digthon-Rehoboth – She is one of the top scorers in the state and her prowess on the courts will lead her to play for the Boston College Lady Eagles next season.