We love rankings. Come on, admit it.
Coaches will tell you rankings don't mean anything. Players are supposed to ignore them, and everybody says the only ranking that really matters is the one at the end of the season. Yeah, OK. Then why does everybody look?
That's what makes rankings fun. They give fans something to talk about, something to debate and, sometimes, something to complain about. It's still early in the fall sports season, but Savannah-area teams are already appearing in statewide rankings for softball, volleyball, football and cross country.
That's not bad for our little corner of the state.
SOFTBALL
Let's start on the diamond.
In the Week 3 Coaches Box softball rankings, South Effingham is No. 2 in Class 6A, while Richmond Hill is receiving votes in Class 7A. Bradwell Institute and Effingham County are also receiving votes in Class 6A.
South Effingham being near the top shouldn't surprise anybody who follows softball around here. The Mustangs have been one of the area's strongest programs, and the fact that three other local teams received votes tells you Savannah-area softball is getting some attention around the state.
But here's where rankings get interesting. Put a No. 2 next to South Effingham, have Richmond Hill receiving votes, and then let everybody settle it on the field. That's when those numbers next to a team's name become something worth talking about.
VOLLEYBALL
The Savannah area is getting plenty of attention on the volleyball court, too. In the Week 3 Score Atlanta volleyball rankings, Richmond Hill is No. 10 in Class 7A, while South Effingham is No. 8 in Class 6A.
The private schools are represented, too, with Savannah Christian at No. 7 and St. Vincent's Academy at No. 10. That's four area volleyball programs in the statewide Top 10, and the season is just getting going.
St. Andrew's is also No. 2 in the MaxPreps GIAA state rankings, adding another Savannah-area volleyball program near the top of a statewide poll.
Those rankings will move. Ranked teams will lose, unranked teams will knock somebody off, and before long fans will be trying to figure out why one team moved up while another moved down. That's exactly what makes following the polls interesting.
FOOTBALL
Now comes the sport that really gets everybody talking — football.
The AJC weekly composite rankings give the Savannah area plenty to talk about. Calvary Day is No. 1 among the Class 4A-2A private schools, while Savannah Christian is No. 6.
Calvary didn't exactly hurt its case in Week 1. The Cavaliers fell behind Glynn Academy 22-7 and then scored 42 unanswered points on the way to a 49-22 win. If you're going to have a No. 1 next to your name, that's a pretty good way to back it up.
Benedictine is No. 5 in the Class 5A composite rankings, which shouldn't surprise anybody around Savannah. The Cadets have reached the point where people expect to see Benedictine somewhere in the state rankings every season.
Outside the GHSA, Bethesda Academy is No. 8 in the MaxPreps SCISA rankings. The Blazers are coming off a state championship season and have already put 60 points on the board in a game this year, so that's another local program worth keeping an eye on.
Four local football programs with numbers next to their names. Not bad at all.
CROSS COUNTRY
Don't forget about the runners.
Cross country is a little different because the rankings Prep Sports Report could find are Georgia MileSplit's preseason rankings, based on returning runners. On the boys side, Richmond Hill is No. 6 in Class 7A, while Bryan County is No. 8 in Class 2A.
On the girls side, Islands is No. 2 in Class 3A.
These aren't weekly in-season rankings like those in some other sports, but they still give a good early look at the teams bringing back some of the state's top runners. Islands sitting at No. 2 is certainly worth watching, and the same goes for Richmond Hill and Bryan County on the boys side as the season gets rolling.
SO WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?
Maybe a lot.
Maybe nothing.
That's the beauty of rankings.
Take a look around the Savannah area right now. There are teams ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the state, several more sitting in the Top 10, and others receiving votes. And it's happening across four different fall sports.
That's pretty good for Savannah-area high school sports.
But here's the thing: rankings don't win games. They don't hit the softball, make the serve, block anybody on Friday night or run three miles for you. Eventually, every team has to go out and prove where it belongs.
Rankings do give everybody something to shoot at. If you're ranked, somebody wants to knock you off. If you're not ranked, there's a chance to prove the people doing the rankings wrong.
And for Prep Sports Report, that's what makes watching these rankings so much fun. They'll change. There will be arguments. There will be surprises. And by the end of the season, the teams themselves will have the final say.
Photos courtesy of CalvaryDay School Athletics
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