long beach national & west coast polls

SoCal High School & Prep Report

Long Beach Press-Telegram: The "National"
& "West Coast" Polls--(February 3, 1998)

Polls. Polls. Who's doing all this polling. Well in this instance, at least according to the Long Beach Press-Telegram, the following polls were compiled by "scholastic sports expert Doug Huff and a panel of 35 prep sportswriters". We weren't asked to give our opinion, but then we don't know that we'd disagree too much, except perhaps with the choice of Mt. Zion as No. 25, or last in the National Poll, and with Dominguez rated at No. 12 ahead of them. We've seen both teams play, and no disrespect to Dominguez, even with 7'-0" Tyson Chandler, 6'-8" Tayshaun Prince, and the rest of the fellas from Compton, Mt. Zion is just much more physically imposing. Ask any of the teams who they got crushed by in Vegas. In any event, here are both polls, for whatever they're worth:

National Poll

1. St. John's Frederick Md. (17-0)

2. Oak Hill, Mouth of Wilson, Va. (19-1)

3. Senior, Miami, Fl. (27-1)

4. St. Patrick's, Elizabeth, N.J. (12-2)

5. St. Edward, Lakewood, Oh. (12-1)

6. Catholic, Lexington, Ky. (21-2)

7. Whitney Young, Chicago, Ill. (15-1)

8. Bishop Loughlin, Brooklyn, NY (16-1)

9. Anderson, Ind. (12-1)

10. De Matha, Hyattsville, Md. (22-1)

11. Mountain View, Mesa, Az (25-1)

12. Dominguez, Compton, CA (16-3)

13. St. Anthony, Jersey City, NJ (14-1)

14. Provo, Utah (13-2)

15. St. Joseph-Notre Dame, Alameda, CA (16-3)

16. Rice, New York, NY (13-4)

17. Wheeler, Marrietta, GA (21-1)

18. Minetonka, Minnesota (14-1)

19. Plymouth-Whitemarsh, Plymouth Meeting, PA (19-1)

20. Hampton, Va (16-1)

21. Westchester, Los Angeles, CA (16-3)

22. Lanier, Jackson, Mississipi (37-1) [when do they find time to go to school?]

23. Woodrow Wilson, Beckley, W. Va. (9-0) [how can this be, only 9 games, and they're the 23rd best team in the country?]

24. Christ the King, Middle Village, NY (15-2)

25. Mt. Zion Academy, Durham, N.C. (19-5)

And here's the "West Coast" poll from the same group, as published by the Press-Telegram today, February 3, 1998:

1. Mountain View, Mesa, Az (25-1)

2. Dominguez, Compton, CA (16-3)

3. St. Joseph-Notre Dame, Alameda, CA (16-3)

4. Westchester, Los Angeles, CA (16-3)

5. Mercer Island, Seattle, Wa. (18-1)

6. Artesia, Lakewood, CA (18-3)

7. Vallejo High, Vallejo, CA (20-1)

8. Franklin High, Seattle, Wa. (14-2)

9. Washington Union High, Fresno, CA (18-3)

10. Mt. Vernon High, Washington (14-1)