Four new teams join The Charlotte Observer’s Sweet 16 high school basketball polls

Langston Wertz Jr.
·2 min read
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Four new teams join The Observer’s Sweet 16 boys’ and girls’ high school basketball polls this week.

The Sweet 16, which began in the 1984-85 season, ranks the top teams in the media company’s coverage area, which includes schools in the following counties: Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Gaston, Iredell, Lancaster, Lincoln, Union and York.

Rankings are based on strength of schedule, strength of a classification, team success within that classification and head-to-head competition between teams ranked in the Sweet 16. It does not consider how ranked teams would fare against each other — or other unranked teams — unless those teams actually meet.

The Sweet 16 champions, named at the end of the season, will get a banner to hang in the school’s gym.

▪ Lake Norman (10-1) takes over the top spot in the girls’ poll.

The Wildcats beat Newton High from Covington, Georgia, and Willow Spring from Wake County at the Cherokee Invitational.

Lake Norman is the fourth girls’ team to be ranked No. 1 this season.

This week, the Wildcats are ranked ahead of Charlotte Catholic, Cannon School, Mallard Creek and Independence. Of that group, only Cannon School hasn’t been ranked at the top so far.

Two new teams join the poll: 9-4 Porter Ridge is in at No. 14; and 7-2 AL Brown is in at No. 16.

▪ In the boys’ poll, Myers Park, North Mecklenburg and Central Cabarrus hang onto the top three spots.

Myers Park (9-2) went undefeated at the Jasper (Alabama) Christmas Classic and won its bracket at the John Hall Holiday Invitational in Raleigh, playing national and regional competition.

North Mecklenburg (10-2) went 2-1 at the City of Palms Classic in Fort Myers, Florida., playing national competition.

Central Cabarrus won the Sam Moir Christmas Classic in Rowan County, beating Sun Valley, Mount Pleasant and Charlotte Catholic by an average of more than 40 points.

Elsewhere, Northside Christian (15-6) jumped five spots to No. 6, and two new teams joined the poll: 13-0 South Mecklenburg is No. 10, and 9-2 North Lincoln is in at No. 12.

Note: The Sweet 16 polls will return to their usual Tuesday release date beginning next week.