St. Augustine and Archbishop Chapelle high schools, two members of the Catholic League (District 10-5A), received the top recognition in the first 2011 Louisiana Sports Writers Association boys’ and girls’ basketball polls, released Tuesday.

Both the St. Augustine Purple Knights and Chapelle Chipmunks played well enough in the pre-district season to merit first place votes in the polls released today for the LSWA by the Associated Press.

Also receiving first place recognition is Riverside Academy’s boys’ team, which finished second in the recent Allstate Sugar Bowl National Prep Classic to Dallas Kimball after defeating defending 5A champion Brother Martin and 4A titlist Peabody in earlier rounds. Like the Purple Knights, Riverside swept the 12 first place votes in Class 2A.

John Curtis’s girls hold down the top spot on the Class 2A initial Top 10 poll.

The 12 voting chapters – two in New Orleans and one each in Baton Rouge, Hammond, Houma-Thibodaux, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Alexandria, Shreveport, Leesville, Ruston and Monroe – gave St. Augustine all 12 first-place votes.

St. Augustine won its first 16 games before incurring its first setback to Dwyer Palm Beach Gardens in an Ocala, Fla. Tournament. The Purple Knights’ other losses also occurred in out-of-state tournaments.

Chapelle gave head coach Christy Thieler her 300th coaching victory while running off a string of 13 wins before losing to Northshore on Dec. 21. Since, the Chipmunks have not been defeated.

While no other 10-5A team merited voting points in the girls 5A poll, reigning state champion Brother Martin got the nod at No. 4 while Archbishop Rummel was ranked No. 8 in the boys’ poll.

Both teams from John Ehret were lauded by the writers for their early-season play. Ehret’s boys is ranked No. 3, just 13 votes behind No 2 Scotlandville. The Lady Patriots are on a five-game victory streak since losing back-to-back games to Chapelle and No. 7 Mandeville. Following a 63-7 blowout of Belle Chasse, the Lady Pats gained the No. 4 ranking.

In other classes local notoriety goes to the following:

4A BOYS – Salmen earned the No. 3 spot. Reigning champion Peabody is No. 1 and Bossier No. 2.

3A BOYS – Holy Cross played impressively against strong competition early in the season, enough for the voters to give the Tigers the No. 7 ranking. Holy Cross debuts in its new $30-million facility on Friday against Jesuit. Abbeville (8-10) was awarded the No. 1 team in 3A before it was revealed that the school seven games for using an ineligible player.

2A BOYS – Another school that has not shied away from competition has been Newman. The Greenies, favored to add the 10-2A title trophy to their collection, is ranked No. 9.

4A GIRLS – No. 2 Helen Cox has posted an impressive 17-3 record and seven straight wins since losing to 5A Chapelle on Dec. 13. The Lady Cougars have won nine games against opponents with winning records and their only losses to highly ranked Chapelle, John Ehret and St. Pius X of Dallas. Bastrop is the top vote-getter at No. 1.

McDonogh 35’s girls share the No. 6 position with Jennings. Part of a district that includes 14-5 Karr and 13-5 Warren Easton, the Lady Roneagles did played well early before losing two of their last three games.

3A GIRLS – One of the teams that defeated McDonogh 35 is St. James, which is ranks No. 6. St. James opens District 8-3A play tonight at home against co-favored Plaquemine.

2A GIRLS – Three area schools sweep ther top positions in this class. John Curtis whose only losses are to Helen Cox and Mandeville, have won 13 straight and enough votes to edge St. Thomas Aquinas for the No. 1 spot in 2A. Also edging its way into the top three is Donaldsonville, favored to win then 7-2A crown. Its only setback was to St. James.

1A GIRLS – Impressive has been the Lady Saints from St. Martin’s, who are placed at No. 6 following a string of eight victories since losing to 5A Barbe in Moss Bluff. St. Martin’s, which  defeated Country Day and Lutheran in early District 9-1A games, has a 15-4 record.

LHSAA BOYS STATE BASKETBALL POLLS

CLASS 5A
1) St. Augustine 17-3    12    144
2) Scotlandville    17-3        128
3) John Ehret    16-3        115
4) Brother Martin    14-7        96
5) Denham Springs    16-3        86
6) Comeaux    13-4        69
7) Hammond    10-5        65
8) Rummel    15-5        51
9) H.L. Bourgeois    14-4        49
10) Airline     10-5        40
Others receiving votes: Ouachita 27, East Ascension 21, Zachary 20, Barbe 12, Natchitoches Central 11, Westgate 5, Southwood 2, Ponchatoula 1, Terrebonne 1.

CLASS 4A 1) Peabody    17-3    10    139
2) Bossier 15-1        115
3) Salmen    16-3    1    110
4) Glen Oaks    12-2    1    92
5) Northside    13-2        86
6) Morgan City    18-1        79    
7) Washington-Marion    16-3        63
8) Neville    15-2        47
9) St. Martinville    13-3    43
10) Huntington    13-2        40
Others receiving votes: Alexandria 38, Vandebilt Catholic 28, McDonogh 35 20, Istrouma 19, Minden 16,Ruston 7, Ellender 6.

CLASS 3A 1) Abbeville 8-10    5    132*
2) Madison    19-1    4    131
3) Caldwell    20-1    3    123
4) Carroll    12-5        107
5) Richwood    13-7        92
6) Parkview Baptist    14-2        67
7) Holy Cross    12-6        66
8) Green Oaks    11-4        65
9) Port Allen    9-4        51
10) Franklin    9-8        26
Others receiving votes: Patterson 24, Crowley 17, Avoyelles 8, Rayville 7, Vidalia 7, Iowa 5, North Vermilion 3, Rayne 3, Redemptorist 2.

* Abbeville forfeited 7 games for using ineligible player.

CLASS 2A
1) Riverside 17-5    11    142
2) Pickering    17-2    1    122
3) St. Thomas Aquinas    17-4       119
4) Donaldsonville 16-3        99
5) Rosepine 14-2        84
6) Episcopal-BR    14-4    80
7) Sterlington    19-2    74
8) Evangel    11-3        62
9) Newman    13-3        57
10) Ville Platte    13-4        35
Others receiving votes: Red River 32, Doyle 10, Springfield 7, John Curtis 6, Mangham 4, Many 2, Lakeview 1.

CLASS 1A 1) North Central    16-2    8    137
2) East Iberville    14-2    4    132
3) Delhi    10-3        110
4) Grambling    12-3        109
5) Elton    10-3        84
6) Christian Life    9-8        75
7) White Castle    11-8        62
8) Basile    13-3        54
9) Central Catholic-MC    6-4        44
10) Montgomery    9-3        43
Others receiving votes: Plain Dealing 39, Varnado 17, Southern Lab 12, Country Day 11, Hamilton Christian 4, Ecole Classique 2, Vermilion Catholic 1.

CLASSES B-C
Team    rec.    1st pts
1) Pleasant Hill    18-1    8    135
2) Zwolle    25-3    4    135
3) Castor    23-2        102
4) Atlanta    19-2        99
5) Athens    20-5        85
6) Fairview    21-5        73
7) Hornbeck    19-4        68
8) Rapides    16-8        63
9) Midland    15-6        46
10) Florien    17-8        32
Others receiving votes: Jehovah-Jireh 25, Gibsland-Coleman 19, Family Christian 18, Epps 12,Monterey 7, Northside Christian 7, Simsboro 5, Bell City 4, Houma Christian 3, Centerville 2.

LSWA GIRLS BASKETBALL POLLS

CLASS 5A
Team rec. 1st pts
1, Chapelle 16-1 4 121
2, Denham Springs 20-0 5 118
3, Southwood 12-1 1 109
4, Ehret 19-2  86
5, Byrd 19-3  78
6, St. Thomas More 12-1 1 69
7, Mandeville 14-3  68
8, Dutchtown 14-4  43
9, Lafayette 16-3  34
10, Zachary 14-4  33
Others receiving votes: West Monroe 29, Airline 24, Ponchatoula 23,
Northshore 17, Natchitochess Central 9, Scotlandville 1.

CLASS 4A
Team rec. 1st pts
1, Bastrop 16-0 8 111
2, Helen Cox 17-3  101
3, Ruston 18-3 2 96
4, Vandebilt Catholic 14-4  94
5, St. Michael 15-6 1 92
6, Jennings 17-4  72
McDonogh 35 15-4  72
8, Ellender 11-2  55
9, Beau Chene 13-5  29
10, Leesville 9-4  25
Warren Easton 14-5  25
Others receiving votes: St. Louis Catholic 24, Karr 18, Sam Houston 14,
Broadmoor 7, Tioga 7, Ursuline 7, Peabody 6, Bossier 3.

CLASS 3A
Team rec. 1st pts
1, Avoyelles 16-0 10 120
2, Baker 13-5  90
3, Notre Dame 19-2 1 81
4, Rayville 15-3  79
5, Amite 11-3  77
6, St. James 12-8  63
7, Albany 10-5  47
Kaplan 15-4  47
9, Madison 10-7  42
E.D. White 9-4  42
Others receiving votes: Loyola Prep 36, Franklin 35, Marksville 31,
Abbeville 14, Caldwell 10, Northwest 8, Westlake 7, Plaquemine 6, Crowley 5,
Buckeye 4, McMain 4, De La Salle 3, North Vermilion 2, Ben Franklin 2, St.
Mary's-New Orleans 1.

CLASS 2A
Team rec. 1st pts
1, Curtis 16-2 2 111
2, St. Thomas Aquinas 19-2 4 107
Donaldsonville 17-1  107
4, South Beauregard 20-1 3 102
5, University 17-3 1 78
6, Pickering 17-3  75
7, Sterlington 20-1 1 69
8, Winnfield 13-3  50
9, Iota 18-5  40
10, Ville Platte 16-3 34
Others receiving votes: Doyle 29, Many 23, Thomas Jefferson 7, Ferriday 6,
East Beauregard 5, Episcopal 3, Pope John Paul II 2, Fisher 1.

CLASS 1A
Team rec. 1st pts
1, Arcadia 14-5 9 124
2, Plain Dealing 12-4  111
3, West St. John 15-2 2 109
4, Cedar Creek 15-3  103
5, Tensas 12-3  70
6, St. Martin's 15-4  68
7, Ouachita Christian 9-6  47
8, Merryville 10-10  37
9, White Castle 8-4  31
10, Ridgewood 10-5  30
Others receiving votes: Oak Grove 29, Central Catholic 24, Southern Lab 20,
Block 19, Hanson Memorial 16, Oberlin 9, Varnado 8.

CLASSES B-C
Team rec. 1st pts
1, Fairview 28-2 10 131
2, Hornbeck 24-4  114
3, Starks 21-6  94
4, Plainview 16-7  82
5, Calvin 21-2  77
6, Saline 22-0  72
7, Monterey 15-1 1 53
8, Lacassine 19-7  48
9, Hathaway 15-5  44
10, Pelican 17-5  34
Others receiving votes: Hosanna Christian 25, Florien 19, Grand Lake 18,
Kilbourne 13, Zwolle 10, Pitkin 7, Summerfield 5, Reeves 4, Choudrant 3,
Elizabeth 1.