Tag: Softball Coaches Poll

LOUISVILLE, Ky. —Buford defeated two perennial powers en route to its 11th Georgia High School Association (GHSA) state championship last weekend, earning the right to be first in the final NFCA Summer/Fall High School Top 25 Coaches Poll of the season.

The (32-1) Wolves defeated newly-ranked, three-time 7A titlist East Coweta (30-8) twice in three days — including 9-1 in Saturday’s state final — and then-No. 23 North Gwinnett (29-8) for the second time this season in Friday’s semifinals to win their first crown in their current classification. Buford allowed a total of three runs over the three victories.

Fellow Georgia school Pope (35-1) also won three straight at states, beating River Ridge once and Apalachee twice to capture the GHSA 6A title and stay put in the rankings behind Buford, Columbine and Westfield School in an unchanged first four.

Blue Springs South (33-2) again rounds out the top five teams after breezing to its third Missouri state title in the last five years. The Jaguars defeated Marquette, 11-2, in last Thursday’s Class 5 semifinals, then rolled past Francis Howell, 10-2, in Friday’s championship to avenge a loss to the Vikings in last year’s state semis. Blue Springs South won back-to-back state Class 4 crowns in 2018 and 2019 before moving to Class 5 when Missouri expanded from four to five classifications in 2020.

Elsewhere, No. 12 Fatima (33-3) moved up two spots after wrapping up the Missouri state Class 3 crown, while Kearney (26-8) joins the rankings at No. 17 following its ranked win over Helias Catholic (28-7) in the Class 4 championship game.

North Gwinnett (29-8) dropped one place to 24th after losses to both No. 1 Buford and East Coweta in the double-elimination GHSA 7A Elite Eight.

State rankings submitted by the 2022 NFCA High School Steering Committee are used to compile the NFCA Summer/Fall High School Top 25 Coaches Poll. Teams are chosen based on performance, roster quality, strength of schedule, and active NFCA membership.

Final NFCA Fall High School Top 25 Coaches Poll: 2022 season

1. Buford (Ga.)

Record: 32-1 | PR: 1

2. Columbine (Colo.)

Record: 28-1 | PR: 2

3. Westfield School (Ga.)

Record: 28-0 | PR: 3

4. Pope (Ga.)

Record: 35-1 | PR: 4

5. Blue Springs South (Mo.)

Record: 33-2 | PR: 5

6. Marian (Neb.)

Record: 33-2 | PR: 6

7. Lutheran (Colo.)

Record: 28-1 | PR: 7

8. Gretna (Neb.)

Record: 37-2 | PR: 8

9. Rock Bridge (Mo.)

Record: 37-2 | PR: 9

10. Washington (Okla.)

Record: 38-3 | PR: 10

11. Piedmont (Okla.)

Record: 40-3 | PR: 11

12. Fatima (Mo.)

Record: 33-3 | PR: 14

13. Pocola (Okla.)

Record: 40-3 | PR: 13

14. Douglas County (Colo.)

Record: 26-3 | PR: 15

15. Mount Vernon (Iowa)

Record: 36-4 | PR: 16

16. Legend (Colo.)

Record: 22-6 | PR: 18

17. Kearney (Mo.)

Record: 26-8 | PR: NR

18. Tattnall Square Academy (Ga.)

Record: 29-7 | PR: 19

19. Winterset (Iowa)

Record: 37-4 | PR: 20

20. Twin Cedars (Iowa)

Record: 29-3 | PR: 21

21. Holy Family (Colo.)

Record: 24-5 | PR: 22

22. East Coweta (Ga.)

Record: 30-8 | PR: NR

23. Helias Catholic (Mo.)

Record: 28-7 | PR: 17

24. North Gwinnett (Ga.)

Record: 29-8 | PR: 23

25. Papillion-LaVista (Neb.)

Record: 25-10 | PR: 25

Dropped out: Eureka (Mo.) and Washington (Mo.).

LOUISVILLE, Ky. —Buford heads into today’s Georgia High School Association (GHSA) Elite Eight matchup against East Coweta as the No. 1 team in the NFCA Summer/Fall High School Top 25 Coaches Poll for a second consecutive week despite suffering its first loss of the season last Thursday.

After breezing past Norcross, 13-0, earlier in the day, the (29-1) Wolves fell 1-0 to Lambert in a state 7A playoff game, but then won four straight, including a 4-0 victory over Cherokee and two more one-run games versus Lambert (5-4 and 4-3 wins) on Friday, and a 9-1 triumph over Parkview on Wednesday. Buford, a 10-time state titlist, remains alive to win its first crown in its current classification.

Second-ranked Columbine (28-1) wrapped up its season on Saturday with a 7-3 victory over then-No. 14 Douglas County (26-3) in the Colorado state 5A final, and No. 3 Westfield School (28-0) capped an unbeaten season with a 6-5 win over then-No. 18 Tattnall Square Academy (29-7) in the Georgia Independent Athletic Association Class AAA championship.

Later today, No. 4 Pope (32-1) plays River Ridge in the GHSA Class 6A Elite Eight, while fifth-ranked Blue Springs South (31-2) returns to action against Marquette in the Missouri Class 5 state semis.

No. 7 Lutheran (28-1) beat then-No. 21 Holy Family, 3-0, last Saturday for the Colorado state Class 4A championship, and 12th-ranked Washington plays No. 17 Helias Catholic in today’s Missouri Class 4 state semis. Fourteenth-ranked Fatima (31-3) rolled past Seneca, 9-0, and faces Westminster Christian Academy in tomorrow’s Missouri Class 3 state semis.

Legend (22-6) gained one spot this week after its ranked loss to Douglas County in the state semis, while North Gwinnett stayed put at No. 23 after a 3-2 win over North Paulding advanced the (27-6) Bulldogs to the GHSA Class 7A Elite Eight.

State rankings submitted by the 2022 NFCA High School Steering Committee are used to compile the NFCA Summer/Fall High School Top 25 Coaches Poll. Teams are chosen based on performance, roster quality, strength of schedule, and active NFCA membership.

NFCA Fall High School Top 25 Coaches Poll – Oct. 27, 2022

1. Buford (Ga.)

Record: 29-1 | PR: 1

2. Columbine (Colo.)

Record: 28-1 | PR: 2

3. Westfield School (Ga.)

Record: 28-0 | PR: 3

4. Pope (Ga.)

Record: 32-1 | PR: 4

5. Blue Springs South (Mo.)

Record: 31-2 | PR: 5

6. Marian (Neb.)

Record: 33-2 | PR: 6

7. Lutheran (Colo.)

Record: 28-1 | PR: 7

8. Gretna (Neb.)

Record: 37-2 | PR: 8

9. Rock Bridge (Mo.)

Record: 37-2 | PR: 9

10. Washington (Okla.)

Record: 38-3 | PR: 10

11. Piedmont (Okla.)

Record: 40-3 | PR: 11

12. Washington (Mo.)

Record: 33-3 | PR: 12

13. Pocola (Okla.)

Record: 40-3 | PR: 13

14. Fatima (Mo.)

Record: 31-3 | PR: 15

15. Douglas County (Colo.)

Record: 26-3 | PR: 14

16. Mount Vernon (Iowa)

Record: 36-4 | PR: 16

17. Helias Catholic (Mo.)

Record: 27-6 | PR: 17

18. Legend (Colo.)

Record: 22-6 | PR: 19

19. Tattnall Square Academy (Ga.)

Record: 29-7 | PR: 18

20. Winterset (Iowa)

Record: 37-4 | PR: 20

21. Twin Cedars (Iowa)

Record: 29-3 | PR: 22

22. Holy Family (Colo.)

Record: 24-5 | PR: 21

23. North Gwinnett (Ga.)

Record: 27-6 | PR: 23

24. Eureka (Mo.)

Record: 21-6 | PR: 24

25. Papillion-LaVista (Neb.)

Record: 25-10 | PR: 25

Dropped out: None.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. —Buford heads into today’s Georgia High School Association super regional game against Norcross as the new No. 1 team in the NFCA Summer/Fall High School Top 25 Coaches Poll.

The (24-0) Wolves, one of two remaining unbeaten teams in the rankings, rolled past Dacula, 12-1 last Thursday, in a tuneup for their state Class 7A playoff contest. Buford, a 10-time state titlist, is seeking its first crown in its current classification.

Meanwhile, the Nebraska state tournament produced the first losses for Gretna (37-2), which had held the top spot for the past eight weeks. The Dragons lost to then-No. 8 Marian, 2-1, in the Class A semifinals last Thursday, before earning a rematch with the Crusaders via a 4-0 victory over new No. 25 Papilion-LaVista on Friday.

In Friday’s state final, Marian (33-2) rallied from a 3-1 deficit and scored the championship-winning run in the bottom of the seventh during a Gretna rundown to secure the program’s second state title. There was little to separate the two Nebraska powerhouses this season, as they split their four meetings and all their losses came against each other.

Columbine (24-1) heads into this weekend’s Colorado state tournament as the No. 2 team after defeating both Fort Collins and Thunder Ridge this past week. The Rebels face Lakewood on Friday in a state Class 5A matchup.

No. 3 Westfield School (24-0) is the other team still perfect in the Top 25, after overwhelming Deerfield-Windsor twice on Saturday by a combined 33-2 margin. The Hornets play Stratford Academy later today in the opener of Georgia Independent Athletic Association tournament.

The highly-anticipated playoff showdown of Missouri titans Blue Springs South and Rock Bridge came in the Class 5, District 6 final, rather than deep into the state tournament, with then-No. 7 Blue Springs South eliminating then-No. 3 Rock Bridge, 6-2 last Friday, in the fourth meeting of the teams this season. The two have accounted for all of the other’s losses.

Elsewhere in the Missouri playoffs, 12th-ranked Washington (33-3) will face No. 17 Helias Catholic (27-6) in an Oct. 27 state Class 4 semifinal. Helias Catholic won the first meeting of the teams, 11-3, on Aug. 27.

Sixteen-time Nebraska state champion Papillion-LaVista (25-10) returns to the poll for the first time since finishing No. 1 in both 2019 and 2020. The Monarchs took third in last weekend’s Class A tournament and won a game at states for a 29th straight season.

State rankings submitted by the 2022 NFCA High School Steering Committee are used to compile the NFCA Summer/Fall High School Top 25 Coaches Poll. Teams are chosen based on performance, roster quality, strength of schedule, and active NFCA membership.

NFCA Fall High School Top 25 Coaches Poll – Oct. 20, 2022

1. Buford (Ga.)

Record: 24-0 | PR: 2

2. Columbine (Colo.)

Record: 24-1 | PR: 4

3. Westfield School (Ga.)

Record: 24-0 | PR: 5

4. Pope (Ga.)

Record: 31-1 | PR: 6

5. Blue Springs South (Mo.)

Record: 31-2 | PR: 7

6. Marian (Neb.)

Record: 33-2 | PR: 8

7. Lutheran (Colo.)

Record: 24-1 | PR: 9

8. Gretna (Neb.)

Record: 37-2 | PR: 1

9. Rock Bridge (Mo.)

Record: 37-2 | PR: 3

10. Washington (Okla.)

Record: 38-3 | PR: 10

11. Piedmont (Okla.)

Record: 40-3 | PR: 11

12. Washington (Mo.)

Record: 33-3 | PR: 12

13. Pocola (Okla.)

Record: 40-3 | PR: 13

14. Douglas County (Colo.)

Record: 23-2 | PR: 14

15. Fatima (Mo.)

Record: 30-3 | PR: NR

16. Mount Vernon (Iowa)

Record: 36-4 | PR: 16

17. Helias Catholic (Mo.)

Record: 27-6 | PR: 17

18. Tattnall Square Academy (Ga.)

Record: 26-5 | PR: 18

19. Legend (Colo.)

Record: 20-5 | PR: 20

20. Winterset (Iowa)

Record: 37-4 | PR: 21

21. Holy Family (Colo.)

Record: 21-4 | PR: NR

22. Twin Cedars (Iowa)

Record: 29-3 | PR: 22

23. North Gwinnett (Ga.)

Record: 24-6 | PR: 19

24. Eureka (Mo.)

Record: 21-6 | PR: 23

25. Papillion-LaVista (Neb.)

Record: 25-10 | PR: NR

Dropped out: Creekview (Ga.), Elkhorn South (Neb.) and Valor Christian (Colo.)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Nebraska’s Gretna High School won two state tournament games to stay perfect and No. 1 in the NFCA Summer/Fall High School Top 25 Coaches Poll for an eighth straight week.

The (36-0) Dragons flew past both Papillion-LaVista South and Lincoln East in the Class A playoffs by a combined 20-1 score on Wednesday at the Bill Smith Complex in Hastings, and tuned up for those games with a similarly-impressive 12-0 triumph over North Star last Thursday.

Gretna plays Marian tonight in a matchup of top-10 teams in the state semifinals. The No. 8 (31-2) Crusaders advanced to the semis with victories over Lincoln Southwest and Papillion-LaVista on Wednesday, and have lost twice to Gretna this season — 2-1 in eight innings in their season opener on Aug. 18, and 9-1 on Sept. 12.

Meanwhile, new No. 10 Washington (38-3) is the only change in last week’s first 10 teams, following the Warriors’ run to an Oklahoma state 3A title. Washington defeated Morris, 6-0 last Thursday, then blanked Lindsay, 9-0 last Friday, before shutting out Tishomingo, 2-0 in the championship game.

Pocola (40-3), who held that No. 10 spot last week, dropped three places to 13th, after a 2-0 loss to Morrison on Saturday in the Oklahoma state 2A final.

No. 25 Elkhorn South (20-9), which plays an elimination game in the state tournament later today, replaces fellow Nebraska school Millard North (23-9), who had been ranked 19th, but lost three straight games.

State rankings submitted by the 2022 NFCA High School Steering Committee are used to compile the NFCA Summer/Fall High School Top 25 Coaches Poll. Teams are chosen based on performance, roster quality, strength of schedule, and active NFCA membership.

NFCA Fall High School Top 25 Coaches Poll – Oct. 13, 2022

1. Gretna (Neb.)

Record: 36-0 | PR: 1

2. Buford (Ga.)

Record: 23-0 | PR: 2

3. Rock Bridge (Mo.)

Record: 36-1 | PR: 3

4. Columbine (Colo.)

Record: 22-1 | PR: 4

5. Westfield School (Ga.)

Record: 22-0 | PR: 5

6. Pope (Ga.)

Record: 27-1 | PR: 6

7. Blue Springs South (Mo.)

Record: 28-2 | PR: 7

8. Marian (Neb.)

Record: 31-2 | PR: 8

9. Lutheran (Colo.)

Record: 22-1 | PR: 9

10. Washington (Okla.)

Record: 38-3 | PR: 11

11. Piedmont (Okla.)

Record: 37-3 | PR: 12

12. Washington (Mo.)

Record: 30-3 | PR: 13

13. Pocola (Okla.)

Record: 40-3 | PR: 10

14. Douglas County (Colo.)

Record: 21-2 | PR: 14

15. Valor Christian (Colo.)

Record: 18-4 | PR: 15

16. Mount Vernon (Iowa)

Record: 36-4 | PR: 16

17. Helias Catholic (Mo.)

Record: 24-6 | PR: 20

18. Tattnall Square Academy (Ga.)

Record: 24-5 | PR: 18

19. North Gwinnett (Ga.)

Record: 24-6 | PR: 17

20. Legend (Colo.)

Record: 18-5 | PR: 21

21. Winterset (Iowa)

Record: 37-4 | PR: 22

22. Twin Cedars (Iowa)

Record: 29-3 | PR: 23

23. Eureka (Mo.)

Record: 20-5 | PR: 25

24. Creekview (Ga.)

Record: 20-4 | PR: 24

25. Elkhorn South (Neb.)

Record: 20-9 | PR: NR

Dropped out: Millard North (Neb.).

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Nebraska’s Gretna High School won four more games to stay perfect and No. 1 for a seventh straight week in the NFCA Summer/Fall High School Top 25 Coaches Poll.

The (32-0) Dragons dodged a scare against North Platte on Saturday, winning just 3-2, after beating Papillion-LaVista South, 5-3, last Thursday. Earlier on Saturday, Gretna defeated Burke, 16-3, and its other win was a 12-1 rout of Lincoln on Wednesday. The Dragons are right back in action later today versus Omaha Westside.

A 2-0 loss by Columbine to then-No. 15 Douglas County (19-2) on Tuesday allowed both unbeaten Buford (22-0) and one-loss Rock Bridge (33-1) to leapfrog the (20-1) Rebels in this week’s ranking. Columbine won its other two contests, while the Wolves added two more victories and Rock Bridge racked up six wins in seven days.

Westfield School (21-0) stayed perfect and ahead of fellow Georgia school Pope (24-1), while Blue Springs South (26-2) and Marian (27-2) maintained their spots as well, with newcomer Lutheran (21-1) and Pocola (38-2) rounding out the top 10 teams.

A pair of Georgia schools — Tattnall Square Academy (22-4) and Creekview (17-3) — are the two other new teams in the poll this week, at No. 18 and 24, respectively.

State rankings submitted by the 2022 NFCA High School Steering Committee are used to compile the NFCA Summer/Fall High School Top 25 Coaches Poll. Teams are chosen based on performance, roster quality, strength of schedule, and active NFCA membership.

NFCA Fall High School Top 25 Coaches Poll – Oct. 6, 2022

1. Gretna (Neb.)

Record: 32-0 | PR: 1

2. Buford (Ga.)

Record: 22-0 | PR: 3

3. Rock Bridge (Mo.)

Record: 33-1 | PR: 4

4. Columbine (Colo.)

Record: 20-1 | PR: 2

5. Westfield School (Ga.)

Record: 21-0 | PR: 5

6. Pope (Ga.)

Record: 24-1 | PR: 6

7. Blue Springs South (Mo.)

Record: 26-2 | PR: 7

8. Marian (Neb.)

Record: 27-2 | PR: 8

9. Lutheran (Colo.)

Record: 21-1 | PR: NR

10. Pocola (Okla.)

Record: 38-2 | PR: 10

11. Washington (Okla.)

Record: 35-3 | PR: 11

12. Piedmont (Okla.)

Record: 33-3 | PR: 9

13. Washington (Mo.)

Record: 29-3 | PR: 14

14. Douglas County (Colo.)

Record: 19-2 | PR: 15

15. Valor Christian (Colo.)

Record: 16-4 | PR: 16

16. Mount Vernon (Iowa)

Record: 36-4 | PR: 18

17. North Gwinnett (Ga.)

Record: 23-5 | PR: 19

18. Tattnall Square Academy (Ga.)

Record: 22-4 | PR: NR

19. Millard North (Neb.)

Record: 23-6 | PR: 13

20. Helias Catholic (Mo.)

Record: 22-6 | PR: 17

21. Legend (Colo.)

Record: 18-4 | PR: 24

22. Winterset (Iowa)

Record: 37-4 | PR: 21

23. Twin Cedars (Iowa)

Record: 29-3 | PR: 22

24. Creekview (Ga.)

Record: 17-3 | PR: NR

25. Eureka (Mo.)

Record: 17-5 | PR: 23

Dropped out: Chatfield (Colo.), Horizon (Colo.) and Lassiter (Ga.).

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Nebraska’s Gretna High School won four more games to stay perfect and No. 1 for a sixth straight week in the NFCA Summer/Fall High School Top 25 Coaches Poll.

The (28-0) Dragons beat No. 13 Millard West, 2-0, last Thursday, then reeled off three more victories — including two more shutouts — to cap another perfect week. Gretna beat Papillion-LaVista, 6-1, on Saturday, and blanked both Elkhorn South (3-0 on Saturday) and Omaha South (12-0 on Tuesday). The Dragons play Papillion-LaVista South later today.

Columbine (18-0) and Buford (20-0) kept pace in the second and third positions, respectively, while Rock Bridge (27-1) strengthened its standing as the No. 4 team with Wednesday’s top-10 victory over Blue Springs South (24-2) under the lights at Mizzou Softball Stadium, its second win over the Jaguars in three matchups between the two Missouri powerhouses this season.

The Westfield School (19-0) stayed undefeated and broke into the rankings this week in the fifth spot, just ahead of fellow Georgia school Pope (20-1), while Marian (25-2) added five more victories to remain eighth. Piedmont (31-2) and Pocola (35-2) round out the top 10.
Colorado’s Valor Christian (13-4), which fell to No. 2 Columbine on Wednesday, is this week’s other poll newcomer at No. 16. Carl Albert and Westmoore dropped out.

State rankings submitted by the 2022 NFCA High School Steering Committee are used to compile the NFCA Summer/Fall High School Top 25 Coaches Poll. Teams are chosen based on performance, roster quality, strength of schedule, and active NFCA membership.

NFCA Fall High School Top 25 Coaches Poll – Sept. 29, 2022

1. Gretna (Neb.)

Record: 28-0 | PR: 1

2. Columbine (Colo.)

Record: 18-0 | PR: 3

3. Buford (Ga.)

Record: 20-0 | PR: 7

4. Rock Bridge (Mo.)

Record: 27-1 | PR: 5

5. Westfield School (Ga.)

Record: 19-0 | PR: NR

6. Pope (Ga.)

Record: 20-1 | PR: 5

7. Blue Springs South (Mo.)

Record: 24-2 | PR: 6

8. Marian (Neb.)

Record: 25-2 | PR: 8

9. Piedmont (Okla.)

Record: 31-2 | PR: 9

10. Pocola (Okla.)

Record: 35-2 | PR: 11

11. Washington (Okla.)

Record: 33-3 | PR: 7

12. Lassiter (Ga.)

Record: 16-3 | PR: 12

13. Millard North (Neb.)

Record: 21-5 | PR: 13

14. Washington (Mo.)

Record: 25-3 | PR: 10

15. Douglas County (Colo.)

Record: 16-2 | PR: 19

16. Valor Christian (Colo.)

Record: 13-4 | PR: NR

17. Helias Catholic (Mo.)

Record: 21-5 | PR: 17

18. Mount Vernon (Iowa)

Record: 36-4 | PR: 18

19. North Gwinnett (Ga.)

Record: 18-5 | PR: 15

20. Chatfield (Colo.)

Record: 14-5 | PR: 16

21. Winterset (Iowa)

Record: 37-4 | PR: 23

22. Twin Cedars (Iowa)

Record: 29-3 | PR: 24

23. Eureka (Mo.)

Record: 16-4 | PR: 22

24. Legend (Colo.)

Record: 16-4 | PR: 20

25. Horizon (Colo.)

Record: 15-4 | PR: 21

Dropped out: Carl Albert (Okla.) and Westmoore (Okla.).

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Nebraska’s Gretna High School won four more games to stay perfect and No. 1 for a fifth straight week in the NFCA Summer/Fall High School Top 25 Coaches Poll.

When the (24-0) Dragons beat Millard West, 9-2, on Tuesday, they allowed runs to an opponent for the first time in five games. Gretna had won the previous four games by a combined 40-0 margin. Next up on the schedule is Papillion-LaVista South later today.

Meanwhile, the reformulated top five includes Columbine (16-0) moving up one place to second and fellow unbeaten Buford (17-0) taking over the No. 3 spot. Rock Bridge (20-1), who beat last week’s No. 2 team Blue Springs South, 11-5, on Saturday in a matchup of top-five teams — and has now won 16 straight — climbed one place to fourth, while Pope (19-1) leapfrogged the (21-1) Jaguars into fifth. Blue Springs South has a third matchup with Rock Bridge (each team has won once) slated for next Wednesday.

Westmoore (25-5) made the biggest move in the rankings, dropping all the way from 10th to 25th off a 3-3 week. Helias Catholic (19-4) slipped six places to 17th after two losses.

State rankings submitted by the 2022 NFCA High School Steering Committee are used to compile the NFCA Summer/Fall High School Top 25 Coaches Poll. Teams are chosen based on performance, roster quality, strength of schedule, and active NFCA membership.

NFCA Fall High School Top 25 Coaches Poll – Sept. 22, 2022

1. Gretna (Neb.)

Record: 24-0 | PR: 1

2. Columbine (Colo.)

Record: 16-0 | PR: 3

3. Buford (Ga.)

Record: 17-0 | PR: 7

4. Rock Bridge (Mo.)

Record: 20-1 | PR: 5

5. Pope (Ga.)

Record: 19-1 | PR: 4

6. Blue Springs South (Mo.)

Record: 21-2 | PR: 2

7. Washington (Okla.)

Record: 30-2 | PR: 6

8. Marian (Neb.)

Record: 20-2 | PR: 8

9. Piedmont (Okla.)

Record: 29-2 | PR: 9

10. Washington (Mo.)

Record: 22-2 | PR: 12

11. Pocola (Okla.)

Record: 33-2 | PR: 13

12. Lassiter (Ga.)

Record: 15-3 | PR: 14

13. Millard North (Neb.)

Record: 20-4 | PR: 15

14. Carl Albert (Okla.)

Record: 18-4 | PR: 16

15. North Gwinnett (Ga.)

Record: 16-4 | PR: 17

16. Chatfield (Colo.)

Record: 12-4 | PR: 18

17. Helias Catholic (Mo.)

Record: 19-4 | PR: 11

18. Mount Vernon (Iowa)

Record: 36-4 | PR: 19

19. Douglas County (Colo.)

Record: 13-1 | PR: 20

20. Legend (Colo.)

Record: 13-3 | PR: 22

21. Horizon (Colo.)

Record: 13-3 | PR: 23

22. Eureka (Mo.)

Record: 13-3 | PR: 21

23. Winterset (Iowa)

Record: 37-4 | PR: 24

24. Twin Cedars (Iowa)

Record: 29-3 | PR: 25

25. Westmoore (Okla.)

Record: 25-5 | PR: 10

Dropped out: None.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Nebraska’s Gretna High School stayed perfect and No. 1 for a fourth straight week in the NFCA Summer/Fall High School Top 25 Coaches Poll.

The (20-0) Dragons won five more games, including a 6-1 victory over then-No. 25 Elkhorn South on Monday. Gretna outscored its opponents over the past week by a 47-3 margin. They play later today at Omaha Central, a team they breezed by 13-1 last Thursday.

There was no change in the top three, as Blue Springs South (15-0) and Columbine (14-0) also continued their winning ways. Pope (16-1), Rock Bridge (15-1) and Oklahoma’s Washington (28-2) each moved up two places to the fourth through sixth spots, after going a combined 15-0 since last week’s ranking.

Buford (14-0) is the lone newcomer to the poll, jumping right into the top 10 at the No. 7 position. The Wolves edged No. 17 North Gwinnett, 2-1, in their opener on Aug. 10 and haven’t looked back, dominating the competition by a 122-21 margin so far this season.

Elsewhere, Missouri’s Washington (20-2) made the biggest climb of any team this week — gaining seven places to No. 12 — after excelling in two tournaments and adding 10 wins in seven days.

State rankings submitted by the 2022 NFCA High School Steering Committee are used to compile the NFCA Summer/Fall High School Top 25 Coaches Poll. Teams are chosen based on performance, roster quality, strength of schedule, and active NFCA membership.

NFCA Fall High School Top 25 Coaches Poll – Sept. 15, 2022

1. Gretna (Neb.)

Record: 20-0 | PR: 1

2. Blue Springs South (Mo.)

Record: 15-0 | PR: 2

3. Columbine (Colo.)

Record: 14-0 | PR: 3

4. Pope (Ga.)

Record: 16-1 | PR: 6

5. Rock Bridge (Mo.)

Record: 15-1 | PR: 7

6. Washington (Okla.)

Record: 28-2 | PR: 8

7. Buford (Ga.)

Record: 14-0 | PR: NR

8. Marian (Neb.)

Record: 16-2 | PR: 5

9. Piedmont (Okla.)

Record: 22-2 | PR: 9

10. Westmoore (Okla.)

Record: 22-2 | PR: 12

11. Helias Catholic (Mo.)

Record: 15-2 | PR: 13

12. Washington (Mo.)

Record: 20-2 | PR: 19

13. Pocola (Okla.)

Record: 27-2 | PR: 4

14. Lassiter (Ga.)

Record: 13-3 | PR: 10

15. Millard North (Neb.)

Record: 16-4 | PR: 11

16. Carl Albert (Okla.)

Record: 11-1 | PR: 14

17. North Gwinnett (Ga.)

Record: 13-4 | PR: 15

18. Chatfield (Colo.)

Record: 9-3 | PR: 17

19. Mount Vernon (Iowa)

Record: 36-4 | PR: 18

20. Douglas County (Colo.)

Record: 11-1 | PR: 20

21. Eureka (Mo.)

Record: 12-2 | PR: 22

22. Legend (Colo.)

Record: 13-3 | PR: 16

23. Horizon (Colo.)

Record: 12-2 | PR: 21

24. Winterset (Iowa)

Record: 37-4 | PR: 23

25. Twin Cedars (Iowa)

Record: 29-3 | PR: 24

Dropped out: Elkhorn South (Neb.).

LOUISVILLE, Ky. —Nebraska’s Gretna High School kept rolling this past week at the NFCA Kaiti Williams Memorial Leadoff Classic, winning four games there to stay unbeaten and firmly atop the NFCA Summer/Fall High School Top 25 Coaches Poll.

The (15-0) Dragons won five games in all since last Thursday’s ranking, including a 3-0 victory over then-No. 7 Millard North to claim the Leadoff Classic crown on Saturday. Gretna also scored triumphs over Skutt Catholic, Papillion-LaVista and Millard South at the inaugural two-day event hosted by Papillion-LaVista South at the Papillion Landing Softball Complex, and the Dragons opened their poll week with a 3-0 win over Norfolk last Thursday.

Meanwhile, Blue Springs South (12-0) rocketed all the way to No. 2 after scoring two top-10 victories and three triumphs overall in a whirlwind 24-hour period. The Jaguars won five games for the week, with an 8-6 eight-inning win over then-No. 3 Washington and a 8-6 victory over then-No. 6 Piedmont sandwiched around a 7-1 win over Mustang on a trip to Oklahoma for the Piedmont Festival that started at 5 a.m. Friday and ended with their return home at 1:20 a.m. Saturday.

Columbine (8-0) continued its winning ways to take advantage of losses above them in the rankings, and moved into the No. 3 spot. The Rebels beat Ponderosa and Grandview last week, and will put their perfect mark on the line later today against Golden in the Dave Sanders Memorial Tournament.

Five teams moved into the rankings this week: Oklahoma’s Westmoore (18-2) and Carl Albert (11-1) at Nos. 12 and 14, Colorado’s Chatfield (9-2) and Douglas County (10-1) at 17th and 20th, and Nebraska’s Elkhorn South (11-5) at No. 25.

State rankings submitted by the 2022 NFCA High School Steering Committee are used to compile the NFCA Summer/Fall High School Top 25 Coaches Poll. Teams are chosen based on performance, roster quality, strength of schedule, and active NFCA membership.

NFCA Fall High School Top 25 Coaches Poll – Sept. 8, 2022

1. Gretna (Neb.)

Record: 15-0 | PR: 1

2. Blue Springs South (Mo.)

Record: 12-0 | PR: 9

3. Columbine (Colo.)

Record: 8-0 | PR: 4

4. Pocola (Okla.)

Record: 21-1 | PR: 2

5. Marian (Neb.)

Record: 12-1 | PR: 5

6. Pope (Ga.)

Record: 14-1 | PR: 8

7. Rock Bridge (Mo.)

Record: 10-1 | PR: 10

8. Washington (Okla.)

Record: 20-2 | PR: 3

9. Piedmont (Okla.)

Record: 18-2 | PR: 6

10. Lassiter (Ga.)

Record: 12-2 | PR: 13

11. Millard North (Neb.)

Record: 15-3 | PR: 7

12. Westmoore (Okla.)

Record: 18-2 | PR: NR

13. Helias Catholic (Mo.)

Record: 11-2 | PR: 1

14. Carl Albert (Okla.)

Record: 11-1 | PR: NR

15. North Gwinnett (Ga.)

Record: 10-3 | PR: 15

16. Legend (Colo.)

Record: 10-2 | PR: 16

17. Chatfield (Colo.)

Record: 9-2 | PR: NR

18. Mount Vernon (Iowa)

Record: 36-4 | PR: 14

19. Washington (Mo.)

Record: 10-2 | PR: 19

20. Douglas County (Colo.)

Record: 10-1 | PR: NR

21. Horizon (Colo.)

Record: 9-2 | PR: 20

22. Eureka (Mo.)

Record: 7-1 | PR: 21

23. Winterset (Iowa)

Record: 37-4 | PR: 22

24. Twin Cedars (Iowa)

Record: 29-3 | PR: 23

25. Elkhorn South (Neb.)

Record: 11-5 | PR: NR

Dropped out: Fossil Ridge (Colo.), Iowa City Regina (Iowa), Lincoln East (Neb.), Tishomingo (Okla.) and Waukee Northwest (Iowa).

LOUISVILLE, Ky. —Nebraska’s Gretna allowed zero runs in four games this past week to remain unbeaten and firmly atop the NFCA Summer/Fall High School Top 25 Coaches Poll.

The (10-0) Dragons, who scored 19 runs in those four shutouts, have now outscored their opponents 68-23 this season. They are back in action later today at Norfolk.

Meanwhile, No. 5 Marian (7-1) is the other Nebraska school in an unchanged first six, picking up two more victories, to leave a 2-1, eight-inning loss to No. 1 Gretna in their season opener as the only blemish on the Crusaders’ record thus far. Oklahoma schools Pocola and Washington both improved to 20-0 to remain second and third, respectively, while Colorado’s Columbine (6-0) won four contests to stay perfect at No. 4, and Oklahoma’s Piedmont (17-1) stayed sixth with a 2-1 week.

Seventh-ranked Millard North (11-1) and No. 15 North Gwinnett (8-3) were the poll’s biggest gainers, climbing six and five places, respectively, from last week’s placement.

The poll’s four newcomers — Blue Springs South (7-0), Rock Bridge (4-1), Helias Catholic (6-1) and Lincoln East (9-2) — all ended up grouped together in spots 9-12, while multiple losses bounced out Arvada West, Lincoln Southwest, Millard West and North Rock Creek.

State rankings submitted by the 2022 NFCA High School Steering Committee are used to compile the NFCA Summer/Fall High School Top 25 Coaches Poll. Teams are chosen based on performance, roster quality, strength of schedule, and active NFCA membership.

NFCA Fall High School Top 25 Coaches Poll – Sept. 1, 2022

1. Gretna (Neb.)

Record: 10-0 | PR: 1

2. Pocola (Okla.)

Record: 20-0 | PR: 2

3. Washington (Okla.)

Record: 20-0 | PR: 3

4. Columbine (Colo.)

Record: 6-0 | PR: 4

5. Marian (Neb.)

Record: 7-1 | PR: 5

6. Piedmont (Okla.)

Record: 17-1 | PR: 6

7. Millard North (Neb.)

Record: 11-1 | PR: 13

8. Pope (Ga.)

Record: 9-1 | PR: 12

9. Blue Springs South (Mo.)

Record: 7-0 | PR: NR

10. Rock Bridge (Mo.)

Record: 4-1 | PR: NR

11. Helias Catholic (Mo.)

Record: 6-1 | PR: NR

12. Lincoln East (Neb.)

Record: 9-2 | PR: NR

13. Lassiter (Ga.)

Record: 9-2 | PR: 8

14. Mount Vernon (Iowa)

Record: 36-4 | PR: 9

15. North Gwinnett (Ga.)

Record: 8-3 | PR: 20

16. Legend (Colo.)

Record: 8-2 | PR: 11

17. Tishomingo (Okla.)

Record: 14-2 | PR: 14

18. Fossil Ridge (Colo.)

Record: 4-3 | PR: 10

19. Washington (Mo.)

Record: 6-1 | PR: 15

20. Horizon (Colo.)

Record: 5-1 | PR: 22

21. Eureka (Mo.)

Record: 5-1 | PR: 18

22. Winterset (Iowa)

Record: 37-4 | PR: 19

23. Twin Cedars (Iowa)

Record: 29-3 | PR: 21

24. Waukee Northwest (Iowa)

Record: 35-7

25. Iowa City Regina (Iowa)

Record: 24-11

Dropped out: Arvada West (Colo.), Lincoln Southwest (Neb.), Millard West (Neb.) and North Rock Creek (Okla.).