LOUISVILLE, Ky. — For the fifth week running, and second consecutive week to start the season, unbeaten Buford is the No. 1 team in the NFCA Summer/Fall High School Top 25 Coaches Poll.
The (8-0) Wolves, who defeated Mountain View, 4-3, last Thursday, return to action later today against Central Gwinnett. Buford went 32-1 and claimed its 11th Georgia High School Association championship — and first in their current classification — last season.
Gretna (7-0), the last team before Buford to hold the top spot, heads into this weekend’s NFCA Kaiti Williams Memorial Leadoff Classic title defense as the No. 2 team. The Dragons gained two places this week following triumphs over perennial Missouri power Blue Springs South and crosstown rival Gretna East.
The shuffling of the top five continued with Oklahoma’s Caddo (13-0) moving up from fifth to third, and Colorado schools Columbine (8-0) and Holy Family (7-0) slipping from second and third, respectively, to fourth and fifth. Newcomers Seward (7-0) and Horizon (7-0) round out an unbeaten first seven that is a combined 57-0 so far this season.
The other newcomer in this week’s poll is Colorado’s Riverside Ridge (5-1), which is coming off a 2-0 loss to unbeaten No. 11 Eaton on Tuesday.
Elsewhere, No. 8 East Paulding (12-1) improved its position by eight places this week after four wins, while two losses dropped Owasso (19-2-1) from sixth to 16th.
State rankings submitted by the 2023 NFCA High School Steering Committee are used to compile the NFCA Summer/Fall High School Top 25 Coaches Poll. Teams are chosen based on performance, roster quality, strength of schedule, and active NFCA membership. Five states — Colorado, Georgia, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Missouri — play a fall fastpitch schedule, while Iowa recently completed its summer season.
NFCA Summer/Fall High School Top 25 Coaches Poll – Aug. 31, 2023
|
Rank |
Team |
2023 Record |
Previous |
|
1 |
Buford (Ga.) |
8-0 |
1 |
|
2 |
Gretna (Neb.) |
7-0 |
4 |
|
3 |
Caddo (Okla.) |
13-0 |
5 |
|
4 |
Columbine (Colo.) |
8-0 |
2 |
|
5 |
Holy Family (Colo.) |
7-0 |
3 |
|
6 |
Seward (Neb.) |
7-0 |
NR |
|
7 |
Horizon (Colo.) |
7-0 |
NR |
|
8 |
East Paulding (Ga.) |
12-1 |
16 |
|
9 |
Turner (Okla.) |
17-1 |
11 |
|
10 |
Erie (Colo.) |
6-1 |
9 |
|
11 |
Eaton (Colo.) |
6-0 |
10 |
|
12 |
Lincoln Southwest (Neb.) |
5-0 |
17 |
|
13 |
Riverside Ridge (Colo.) |
5-1 |
NR |
|
14 |
Houston County (Ga.) |
10-2 |
14 |
|
15 |
Pope (Ga.) |
11-2 |
18 |
|
16 |
Owasso (Okla.) |
19-2-1 |
6 |
|
17 |
Lincoln East (Neb.) |
7-2 |
13 |
|
18 |
Broken Arrow (Okla.) |
12-2 |
12 |
|
19 |
Millard West (Neb.) |
4-2 |
15 |
|
20 |
Moore (Okla.) |
14-2 |
20 |
|
21 |
Lone Grove (Okla.) |
15-5 |
19 |
|
22 |
North Linn (Iowa) |
39-6 |
21 |
|
23 |
Ankeny Centennial (Iowa) |
36-5 |
22 |
|
24 |
Regina Catholic (Iowa) |
30-8 |
23 |
|
25 |
Williamsburg (Iowa) |
36-9 |
24 |
Dropped out: Jeff Davis (Ga.), Strasburg (Colo.) and Winterset (Iowa).
State rankings submitted by the 2023 NFCA High School Steering Committee are used to compile the NFCA Summer/Fall High School Top 25 Coaches Poll. Teams are chosen based on performance, roster quality, strength of schedule, and active NFCA membership. Five states — Colorado, Georgia, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Missouri — play a fall fastpitch schedule, while Iowa recently completed its summer season.
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