FOX 11 Top 11: Top 3 boys teams make impressions

GREEN BAY - The top three teams in the FOX 11 Top 11 boys basketball poll made big impressions last week, showing why they are ranked so high.

No. 1 Little Chute fell behind, 17-6, against Xavier and then went on a 42-6 run to eventually beat the Hawks, 67-53.

No. 2 Neenah won two games by 23 and 34 points, respectively, making the Rockets the most impressive team in the Fox Valley Association so far.

At No. 3, Sheboygan North’s Ethan Guske outscored Notre Dame, 34-18, in the first half of their game last week. Guske slowed down in the second and ended with 40 points. Guske is averaging 26 points per game.

There was a lot of movement in and out of the poll as three teams left and three entered. Those leaving were Appleton East, Appleton North and Brillion.

The replacements are Pulaski, Wrightstown and Sheboygan North, which shows up in the top 5.

Meanwhile, in the girls poll, the three defending state champions, De Pere, New London and Kewaunee, remain 1-2-3, and also Bay Port and Kimberly hold their positions at No. 4 and No. 5, respectively.

While the Top 5 had no movement, the bottom six had plenty with four teams exiting the poll: Lourdes Academy, Notre Dame, Pulaski and Xavier. The four new teams to the poll are ranked 8-11: Oshkosh North, Manitowoc, Berlin and Green Bay Southwest.

Here’s this weeks polls:

Top 11 Boys Teams
1. Little Chute (5-0): Mustangs took care of Xavier last week. Last week: No. 1.
2. Neenah (5-0): Rockets flying high early this season. Last week: No. 7
3. Sheboygan North (5-0): Golden Raiders’ Guske pouring in points. Last week: unranked.
4. Appleton West (5-1): Terrors have three players averaging 10 points per game or more. Last week: No. 5.
5. De Pere (3-1): Pritzl and Beyer leading the way on offense. Last week: No. 6.
6. Seymour (4-1): Can anybody in Bay threaten the Thunder? Last week: No. 8.
7. NEW Lutheran (7-0): Blazers have most wins in the area. Last week: No. 9.
8. Pulaski (4-1): Red Raiders win big game against Green Bay Southwest. Last week: unranked.
9. Wrightstown (5-0): Tigers edge Roncalli by one point in key Olympian showdown. Last week: unrandked.
10. Ashwaubenon (4-1): Jaguars have two tough games this week at Pulaski and against Southwest. Last week: No. 2.
11. Green Bay Southwest (3-1): Trojans lose tough one at Pulaski. Last week: No. 4.

Dropped out: No. 3 Appleton East (4-2); No. 10 Appleton North (4-2); No. 11 Brillion (6-1).

Top 11 Girls Teams
1. De Pere: (4-0): Redbirds’ winning streak has reached 24 games. Last week: No. 1.
2. New London (3-0): So far so good under new coach Andrea Flease. Last week: No. 2
3. Kewaunee (4-0): Storm has big game Thursday at Algoma. Last week: No. 3.
4. Bay Port (5-0): Pirates take care of Notre Dame in FRCC showdown. Last week No. 5.
5. Kimberly (4-0): Papermakers doing as expected – winning games. Last week: No. 6.
6. Sheboygan North (4-0): Golden Raiders once again look formidable. Last week: No. 9
7. Appleton North (4-1): Lightning has won three FVA games by 12 points or more. Last week: No. 8.
8. Oshkosh North (4-0): Spartans could be real deal this season. Last week: unranked.
9. Manitowoc (3-0): Ships could be contender in FRCC this season. Last week: unranked.
10. Berlin (5-0): Callie Walker playing big for Indians. Last week: unranked.
11. Green Bay Southwest (3-0): Trojans flying under radar in FRCC. Last week: unranked.

Dropped out: No. 10 Pulaski (2-1); No. 11 Xavier (5-1); No. 6 Lourdes Academy (3-1); No. 7 Notre Dame (1-2).

Follow Doug Ritchay on Twitter @dougritchay

doug.ritchay@wluk.com