SIMA FAB 50: Texas teams top both rankings

by Sheldon Shealer

December 24, 2019

In what is often the case in the winter rankings, Texas UIL teams -- which have yet to start their seasons -- climb in the SIMA FAB 50 rankings during December as their California and Florida counterparts take early season knocks.

It's all part of the usual churn.

The Texas preseason favorites inch higher and higher and then once UIL play starts in January, they need to stay perfect in order to maintain those positions. Basically, it's part of the year where California and Florida teams had their chance, now it's Texas' turn.

This week, Coppell (Texas) girls move to No. 1 following a tie last week by former top-ranked Monte Vista (Danville, Calif.) at the Tri-Valley Classic. Texas now holds No. 1 in both the boys and girls rankings with San Antonio LEE (San Antonio, Texas) in the boys No. 1 spot.

One thing is for certain, the Texas teams will remain No. 1 next week as neither Coppell nor LEE starts play until Jan. 2.

Now, on with the rest of the rankings ...

BIG MOVERS: BOYS: Boca Raton (Fla.). Are the Bobcats back? This one-time state and national power has taken a back seat in recent years, but this year the team is off to a 12-0 start. The win streak helped Boca Raton move from No. 44 to No. 31 this week, the largest upward movement of any ranked team. ... GIRLS: Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.). A tie with former No. 1 Monte Vista allowed Mitty to vault from No. 19 to No. 6 in this week's rankings.

NEWCOMERS: BOYS: No. 38 Pac-Five (Honolulu, Hawaii), No. 44 Whitney (Cerritos, Calif.), No. 47 JSerra (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.), No. 48 Pembroke Pines Charter (Pembroke Pines, Fla.), No. 49 Long Beach Poly (Long Beach, Calif.) and No. 50 Cathedral Catholic (San Diego, Calif.). ... GIRLS: No. 36 Clovis North (Fresno, Calif.), No. 37 Claremont (Calif.), No. 38 Granite Bay (Calif.), No. 40 Punahou (Honolulu, Hawaii), No. 41 Pleasanton Foothill (Pleasanton, Calif.), No. 47 California (San Ramon, Calif.), No. 48 Amador Valley (Pleasanton, Calif.), No. 49 Pacifica/Garden Grove (Garden Grove, Calif.) and No. 50 The Woodlands (Texas).