Princess Anne keeps hold on No. 1
It’s been two seasons since Princess Anne last occupied the top rung of the girls basketball 757Teamz Top 15, but the Cavaliers could be back for a long stay. The Cavaliers seized the top spot following an emphatic 68-52 win over then-No. 1 Menchville in the Boo Williams tournament in December and have not loosened their grip on it since.
Micah Ojo, a 6-foot-1 freshman averaging 18.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, 4.2 blocks, 4.7 steals and 3.5 assists per game, is the biggest reason the Cavaliers will be difficult to knock off of the perch in coming seasons.
She has the potential to graduate as one of the best players ever to lace up her shoes in Hampton Roads.
The Cavaliers have some very good seniors this season in Tinasia Spencer, Damaria Moree and Celeste Bailey, but Ojo is the star. A large group of key young players, including sophomore Jizelle James (8.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.4 spg), ensures Ojo won’t lack for support.
No. 2 Catholic, which started the season No. 1, finishes its regular season with a 20-game winning streak after starting out 2-6 against a schedule, by far, the most challenging in Hampton Roads. Menchville, which was No. 1 in the final rankings a year ago, finishes third and looms as Princess Anne’s biggest roadblock to a repeat Class 5 state title.
The rest of the first 13 is the same as last week. Two new teams enter the Top 15 for the first time in rankings that had been steady in recent weeks.
Lafayette has gone 9-2 since 2023 Bay Rivers District Player of the Year Dynasti Pierce joined the fold, and she has scored about 21 points per game. The Rams move into the No. 14 spot.
Lake Taylor, a longtime area and state power rebuilding a bit the past three seasons, is on the upswing, finishing the regular season 14-5 to enter the rankings at No. 15. Hampton Christian Academy won its closest game of the season, 45-43 over Atlantic Shores, and joins the next five after finishing the regular season 20-0. No. 8 Jamestown (21-0) is also unbeaten.
NOTE: These rankings are based on results reported to The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press before Monday’s games. To report your score, email sports@pilotonline. com.
School, record, previous ranking
1. Princess Anne, 20-2, 1
2. Catholic, 22-6, 2
3. Menchville, 20-2, 3
4. Deep Creek, 21-1, 4
5. Hampton, 19-3, 5
6. Norview, 16-5, 6
7. Kellam, 19-4, 7
8. Jamestown, 21-0, 8
9. Norfolk Christian, 20-7, 9
10. Manor, 19-3, 10
11. Nansemond River, 18-3, 11
12. Salem, 15-6, 12
13. Green Run, 14-9, 13
14. Lafayette, 14-8, NR
15. Lake Taylor, 14-5, NR
The next five: King’s Fork, Grafton, Grassfield, Hampton Christian Academy, Kempsville,