Basketball season is starting to get into the swing of things are some Kanzaland area teams are off to fast starts this season. The Kansas Basketball Coaches Association (KBCA) has released their third set of rankings and second set during the season. This week 20 Kanzaland area teams find themselves ranked in the latest set of KBCA rankings; that total is up three from last week.

Girls Rankings

In Class 4A, the Holton Lady Wildcats remained at number three this week as they've won two-straight since opening the season with a loss, winning both contests by double figures to move to 2-1 on the season thus far. Its been multiple scorers thus far this season with a balanced attack on the team.

Class 3A, the Lady Tigers of ACCHS have made perhaps the biggest jump of a preseason ranked team as they started the year ranked tenth but after a 3-0 start to the year dispatching Perry Lecompton, Horton and Atchison the Tigers are now ranked third. Lady Tigers are being lead by senior, Allison Wallisch who has scored double figures all three games this season. The Sabetha Bluejays join the Tigers in the Class 3A polls as the Bluejays are ranked for the first time this season checking in at number ten this week, as they too have opened the season 3-0.

The Class 2A girls poll is quite familiar with the team that remains atop the rankings that is the lady Tigers of Washington County who has opened the season a perfect 5-0 after a one loss season last year. Despite the loss of one of their top returning guards too transfer players like senior, Samantha L'Ecuyer, junior, Megan Stegman and sophomore, Erin Alexander all have stepped up to carry the Tigers. The Delaware Valley League is represented in the Class 2A rankings as well with the defending champion Jefferson County North Chargers who have responded with two-straight wins after a season opening loss. Junior, Jacee Kramer helped lead the Lady Chargers to the pair of wins with a pair of 25 point performances this past week.

Four teams represent the Twin Valley League in the Class 1A-Division I and II polls on the girls side. Only one of those four is ranked in the Division I polls that being the Lady Mustangs of Valley Heights. Valley Heights has started the year off 3-0 with blistering scoring, averaging about 68 points per game thus far. Mustangs have been lead by a young trio thus far with sophomores, Kelsey Potter and Sidney Blackburn and freshman, Brandi Roepke.

In Class 1A-Division II, the Wetmore Cardinals remain at number three despite suffering their first loss of the season to Baileyville-B&B who ranks fifth in the latest polls. Lady Cardinals have started the season off to a 3-1 start, being lead by four year starting point guard Alayna Noe. While the Lady Falcons have gotten off to a 4-1 start thus far with junior forward, Laura Sudbeck posting a double-double nearly every night, along with other great performances from other juniors, including Katie Heurter. Joining Wetmore and B&B in the rankings this week are the Lady Wildcats of Frankfort who jump into the rankings at number ten. Lady Wildcats are 2-1 on the season with lone loss to Washington County this season.

Boys Rankings

One team continues to be ranked in Class 4A from the area and that is the Holton Wildcats who remained at eighth this week. Wildcats are 1-2 on the season thus far earning their first win of the season in their last game against Royal Valley; Holton still trying to work through minimal practices due to starting late after a successful football season.

In Class 3A, the top team of any Kanzaland are squad ranked comes out of this class with the Nemaha Valley Raiders who have opened the season 3-0. Raiders eeked out a win at home against 4A Wamego last week then disposed of Santa Fe Trail to start Big Seven League play. Raiders are being lead by senior big men, Creighton Brinker early on this season who's averaging 14 ppg, but Nemaha Valley has a handful of players who could score double figures any given night. This week two other Kanzaland area teams have joined the Raiders in the Class 3A rankings in Marysville at number seven and ACCHS at number ten. For the Bulldogs after a tight season opener against Sabetha, they have dispatched their last two opponents by double digits. Tigers have opened the season 3-0, beating all their opponents by double figures.

For Class 2A, the Jefferson County North Chargers continued to remain in the rankings checking in this week at number six after winning their last two games to improve to 2-1 on the season. Senior, Jacob Grandpre helped the Chargers to those wins with 11 points in each contest. The Onaga Buffalos have climbed into the rankings this week as they are 4-0 to start the year, going 3-0 in the St. Mary's Duals this past week with a great balanced attack and multiple scorers in double digits.

Just like in the girls rankings four TVL teams are ranked in the Class 1A Division I and II rankings but unlike the girls the teams are split evenly between the two classifications as two teams are in each set of rankings. In Class 1A-Division I, after jumping into the rankings last week the Valley Heights Mustangs remained in the top five coming in at number four with their 3-0 record. Just like their counterpart the boys Mustangs have put up the points early on this season including a game were they scored 102 total points. The Centralia Panthers have opened the season 1-1, but after a season opening loss the Panthers responded with a win over Clifton-Clyde last week as they try to still get into the basketball groove after another long football season.

In Class 1A-Division II, the B&B Falcons have started off 4-1 this season under their new head coach, Jason Hajek and have started TVL league play 2-0 with wins over Washington County and Wetmore this season, they check in at number seven this week. The Axtell Eagles remain ranked this week after jumping into the rankings last week, as the Eagles fell to tenth this week with their 3-2 record, falling in their last two contests. Eagles just searching for that ability to close out games as they could feasibly be unbeaten on the year.

For full rankings by the KBCA (click here)