ESPN Rise released its second national high school softball FAB 50 ranking for 2011, and No. 5 Soddy-Daisy and No. 14 Riverdale are holding down the same spots they had in the preseason poll.
After starting 14-0 and winning Hendersonville’s Commando Classic, Riverdale recently returned from a Florida trip during spring break. The Lady Warriors beat Forrest 11-0, won 5-0 at Dunnellon and lost 2-0 at Gulliver Prep.
Dunnellon, ranked No. 40 in the preseason FAB 50, is now one of 26 teams listed as being “on the bubble.” Gulliver Prep opened at No. 9 and has fallen one spot.
Riverdale coach Jeff Breeden said he didn’t see much difference between those Florida teams, his team and Soddy-Daisy (2-0), or even recent good Tennessee teams at Beech, Goodpasture and GPS.
“It’s about pitching. If you’ve got a good pitcher, you’re going to be in it,” Breeden said. “The Soddy-Daisy girl (junior right-hander Kelsey Nunley) is better than anybody we faced from Gulliver Prep or Dunnellon.”
Riverdale’s Lady Warrior Southern Classic is set for Thursday through Saturday at various Rutherford County schools and will include 11th-ranked Alexander Central from Taylorsville, N.C., and 33rd-ranked Elyria, Ohio. East Ridge and Grace Academy are Chattanooga teams in the tournament, along with nearby Coffee County.
Dalton netters No. 5
Although two northwest Georgia high school tennis teams are undefeated going into the last week of the regular season, Dalton’s 10-1 boys remain the area’s only ranked state-ranked team.
The Catamounts have four matches remaining.
Gordon Lee’s Class A girls are currently 10-0 , while Calhoun’s girls – Class AA state quarterfinalists in 2010 – are 11-0.
The Georgia teams will play this week before spring break the next. Region tournaments will start the week of April 10.
Southeast, Dalton ranked
The Southeast Whitfield boys’ soccer team continued its ascent in the Georgia state poll, improving to third. The Class AAA Raiders are 10-0.
Dalton (8-2) is ranked sixth in Class AAA with matches this week against Cass, Ringgold and Friday night across the state line at Chattanooga Christian.