West Power Rankings 11.17.09

Tuesday, 17 November 2009

#1 Strong Island
With 3 teams currently undefeated, its tough to say who deserves the number one spot. This decision comes down to scheduling and opponents. Strong Island has managed to beat the defending champion HUMANS and overcame a 12pt deficit to beat SWAT in OT. Well deserving of a number one spot. Let’s see what happens this week against Hitmen.

#2 Hit-Men
Hitmen fall to number 2. Again it’s a game of schedules and opponents. Hitmen are a seasoned team full of SABL veterans. They know how to play the game. However this may have been different if the Panthers had a full squad in their week 3 matchup. All in all, Hitmen are our number two ranked team. Huge game against number 1 ranked SI this week.

#3 Strictly Biz
Newbies Strictly Biz gets the number 3 spot. They are a dangerous team and play extremely well together. These guys have championship blood and are looking to make some noise in the SABL. However, many say their early easy schedule may have been the reason for an undefeated record. We will have to see how they fair against the SABL elite in weeks to come.

#4 HUMANS
Defending champs, HUMANS, suffered a tough loss in week 1 against SI. However they have now won 2 in a row and look like the HUMANS of old. With a couple new faces, this team looks as dangerous as ever. Top 3 seeds watch out, the HUMANS are back in action.

#5 Titans
Titans grab the number five spot. With a 2-1 record they are still in the mix and one of the elite teams. Although somewhat quiet this year, the Titans still have one of the leagues most potent offenses. Attendance is key for them if they want to make some real noise.

#6 SWAT
The six spot could be a toss up at this point. But again we look at scheduling and opponents. SWAT grabs the six spot. This team had an impressive win against MKA and took SI to overtime. Yet shorthanded, they let up 100 pts to a winless Rukus team. Attendance is key for them, and they need all their bodies if they want to be knows as one of the elites.

#7 Ballers
Ballers end up at 7. We all know what these guys are capable of. However, seems like they aren’t clicking just yet. Notorious for starting off slow, the Ballers find themselves at 1-2. But they still have some of the core from their championship year and a lethal backcourt. Look for these guys to get serious and start racking up the wins.

#8 Panthers
The Panthers find themselves at the 8 spot. They are a deep team and if they play as they have in the past, they will remain one of the most feared teams in the league. However, attendance is also key for them. In order to win they will need all their bodies to show up. Otherwise they will suffer from it.

#9 MKA-NY
MKA-NY has been one of the most competitive teams this year. They have started out with a tough schedule and have not faired well. However this team can run with the best of them. It will be interesting to see how this team plays in the next week. A couple of easy matchups and this team will be right in the mix.

#10 Rukus
Some say that a 100 point effort should send these guys right to the top. But with a 1-2 record and their lone win coming against a shorthanded SWAT team, Rukus will need another few weeks to carve out a solid identity. But what we do know is that this team can score. Tough game against the Panthers this week, can they make it two in a row?

#11 Ravens
Officially the hardest schedule so far has been given to the Ravens. With losses against Titans, SB and SI this team finds themselves at 0-3. However, they have kept it competitive. If they keep playing as they have and tighten up the D, this team can definitely make some strides. They play a winless Red Jags this week and hope to get their first win.

#12 Red Jaguars
Red Jaguars, offshoot of SWAT, have also been dealt a tough schedule. They find themselves at 0-3 and face a winless Ravens team this week. Can they finally put a win in their record? One thing is certain; this team has been getting better week by week. This can be the week where they start to turn things around