Welcome to the fourth installment of BSR’s weekly top 15 rankings.

This week sees Mount St. Joseph’s keeping the top spot in the rankings, despite picking up their first loss of the season in a holiday tournament. In fact, several of the metro area’s top teams lost while participating in tournaments over the break, and those losses have been reflected in this week’s rankings.

As will be the case all season, these rankings reward results, taking into account opponent strength and margin of victory/loss. Teams will not be ranked highly because of the hype or publicity surrounding their teams, but rather the consistency and impressiveness of their play. Rankings will typically be released every Monday.

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See past rankings: Preseason || Week 1 || Week 2 || Week 3

BSR Top 15: Week 4

  1. Mount St. Joseph’s, 13-1 (Last Week: #1)
  2. John Carroll, 14-3 (LW: #5)
  3. Patterson, 6-2 (LW: #2)
  4. Dunbar, 9-0 (LW: #6)
  5. Milford Mill, 5-1 (LW: #4)
  6. St. Frances, 7-4 (LW: #3)
  7. Forest Park, 6-1 (LW: #7)
  8. Arundel, 7-0 (LW: #11)
  9. City, 6-1 (LW: #12)
  10. Edmondson, 6-2 (LW: #9)
  11. Glen Burnie, 9-0 (LW: #14)
  12. Poly, 6-3 (LW: #8)
  13. Lake Clifton, 6-2 (LW: Unranked)
  14. McDonogh, 9-4 (LW: Unranked)
  15. Archbishop Spalding, 10-5 (LW: #10)
Mount St. Joe’s keeps the top spot in our rankings for the fourth straight week. They picked up their first loss of the season at a holiday tournament in North Carolina, but their tough schedule and consistency keeps them atop the rankings.
All the top teams dropped a game over the holiday break, except for Dunbar. The Poets’ win over St. Frances sees them jump to the #4 spot.
John Carroll fared well at one of the toughest tournaments in the country, and Patterson had mixed results. The Clippers played in the Jameer Nelson Classic in Philadelphia, and split games against Philly-area opponents. An 18-point loss to Math, Civics, and Sciences of Philadelphia bumped Aquille Carr and Co. down to the third spot.

Milford Mill rounds out the top five, and the Millers should be smooth sailing for most of the remaining season, as they play in a fairly weak Baltimore County league.

Forest Park, City, Poly, Edmondson, and Lake Clifton all look like contenders in Baltimore City, and we’re finally getting into the fun part of the City League season. Patterson and Dunbar are the favorites, but the city is as deep as it’s been in years.

McDonogh and Archbishop Spalding are two private schools who have played tough schedules, but have still salvaged fairly solid records. As this week’s “Key Games” section will show, McDonogh faces Mount St. Joe’s, John Carroll, and Spalding this week, and will be extremely fortunate to come away unscathed.

We’re really starting to get into league play now that the new year has begun, and the main two leagues to watch are the MIAA A Conference, and the Baltimore City League. Milford Mill should easily take Baltimore County, and Arundel looks to be the best in Anne Arundel County.

Key Games This Week

  • #8 Arundel vs. #11 Glen Burnie, Tuesday, 1/3, 5 p.m.
  • #1 Mount St. Joe’s vs. #14 McDonogh, Tuesday, 1/3, 7 p.m.
  • #5 Milford Mill vs. Randallstown, Wednesday, 1/4, 6:30 p.m.
  • #2 John Carroll vs. #14 McDonogh, Friday, 1/6, 5 p.m.
  • #15 Archbishop Spalding vs. #14 McDonogh, Sunday, 1/8, 3:30 p.m.
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Edgar Walker is a staff writer for BSR, focusing on high school sports and the Ravens. Check out his work for MdHigh/Rivals.com, or follow him on Twitter.

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