Records through Thursday
Girls
1. Pasco (12-0): The speedy Pirates keep finding ways to win — like Thursday’s buzzer beater over River Ridge. Brianca Roberts, Allahon Marbra and Ashley Webster remain three of the county’s top juniors.
2. Academy at the Lakes (16-0): Consider the Wildcats 1A. Their only flaw is injuries, though Tatiana Manuel and Timecia Cohen can carry Academy into the playoffs.
3. Gulf (11-5): The Buccaneers aren’t as powerful as in the past, but Kayla Kivinski (18.4 points, 10.5 rebounds per game) remains one of the North Suncoast’s top talents.
4. Wiregrass Ranch (12-8): The Bulls have dropped four of their past six games and have a tough road to the playoffs ahead in a district with Freedom and Steinbrenner.
5. Mitchell (9-7): The Mustangs’ past two losses have come by a combined four points, but Mitchell has had success with quality wins over Wiregrass and River Ridge.
6. River Ridge (9-8): Joeyn Dearsman’s Royal Knights came within 10 seconds of beating Pasco. A big rivalry matchup with Mitchell awaits next week.
7. Ridgewood (7-6): The Rams have been inconsistent, with a rough loss to Zephyrhills, but get the final spot with a four-game win streak — including an impressive victory over Fivay.
Boys
1. Wesley Chapel (14-3): Erik Thomas continues to dominate. His latest record: a career-high 46 points in a 71-44 win over Hudson this week.
2. Wiregrass Ranch (12-4): The Bulls have figured out how to win close games — including two-point victories over Nature Coast and Ridgewood — but haven’t deciphered Hillsborough County foes yet.
3. Nature Coast (13-3): As expected, Rohan Blackwood has fared well as the Sharks’ new go-to player. He’s averaging 16.8 points and 12.6 rebounds per contest.
4. Mitchell (12-4): After a respectable showing against Boca Ciega in a holiday tournament, the balanced Mustangs have won three in a row.
5. Hernando (9-3): The Leopards are one of the North Suncoast’s most improved teams thanks in large part to a standout senior season by Jeffrey Velasquez (18.1 points, 5.3 assists per game).
6. Ridgewood (10-7): The Rams are close to breaking into Pasco County’s top tier. They fell at the buzzer to Wiregrass Ranch and lost by three to Mitchell.
7. Anclote (8-8): The Sharks started slowly but have turned it around. The season highlight remains a five-point win over Ridgewood last month.