LOUISVILLE, Ky. — For the fifth straight year and the second straight start of the season, undefeated Buford are the No. 1 team for the season NFCA Poll of the top 25 summer/fall high school coaches.
The (8-0) Wolves, who beat Mountain View 4-3 last Thursday, return to action later today against Central Gwinnett. Buford won the Georgia High School Association’s 11th championship — and first by current standings — 32-1 last season.
Gretna (7-0), the last team to hold the top spot before Buford, goes into this weekend’s NFCA Kaiti Williams Memorial Leadoff Classic title defense as the No. 2 team. The Dragons moved up two places this week after triumphing over Missouri long-time favorites Blue Springs South and crosstown rival Gretna East.
The reshuffle of the Top 5 continued, with Oklahoma’s Caddo (13-0) moving from fifth to third and Colorado schools Columbine (8-0) and Holy Family (7-0) from second and third to third respectively fourth place fell behind fifth. New signings Seward (7-0) and Horizon (7-0) round out the unbeaten top seven teams who are 57-0 combined so far this season.
The other freshman in this week’s poll is Colorado’s Riverside Ridge (5-1), who suffered a 2-0 loss to undefeated No. 11 Eaton on Tuesday.
Elsewhere, No. 8 East Paulding (12-1) moved up eight places this week after four wins, while two losses saw Owasso (19-2-1) drop from sixth to 16th.
State rankings submitted by the 2023 NFCA High School Steering Committee used to create the NFCA Summer/Fall High School Top 25 Coaches survey. Teams are selected based on performance, roster quality, schedule strength, and active NFCA membership. Five states — Colorado, Georgia, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Missouri — are playing a fall fastpitch schedule, while Iowa recently wrapped up its summer season.
NFCA Summer/Fall High School Top 25 Coaches Poll – Week 2
1. Buford (Ga.)
Record: 8-0 | PR: 1
2. Gretna (Neb.)
Record: 7-0 | PR: 4
3. Caddo (Okla.)
Record: 13-0 | PR: 5
4. Columbine (Col.)
Record: 8-0 | PR: 2
5. Holy Family (Col.)
Record: 7-0 | PR: 3
6. Seward (Neb.)
Record: 7-0 | PR: NO
7. Horizon (Colo.)
Record: 7-0 | PR: NO
8. East Paulding (Ga.)
Record: 12-1 | PR: 16
9. Turner (Okla.)
Record: 17-1 | PR: 11
10. Erie (Col.)
Record: 6-1 | PR: 9
11. Eaton (Colorado)
Record: 6-0 | PR: 10
12. Lincoln Southwest (Neb.)
Record: 5-0 | PR: 17
13. Riverside Ridge (Colorado)
Record: 5-1 | PR: NO
14. Houston County (Ga.)
Record: 10-2 | PR: 14
15. Pope (Ga.)
Record: 11-2 | PR: 18
16. Owasso (Okla.)
Record: 19-2-1 | PR: 6
17. Lincoln East (Neb.)
Record: 7-2 | PR: 13
18. Broken Arrow (Okla.)
Record: 12-2 | PR: 12
19. Millard West (Neb.)
Record: 4-2 | PR: 15
20. Moore (Okla.)
Record: 14-2 | PR: 20
21. Lone Grove (Okla.)
Record: 15-5 | PR: 19
22. North Linn (Iowa)
Record: 39-6 | PR: 21
23rd Ankeny Centennial (Iowa
Record: 36-5 | PR: 22
24. Regina Catholic (Iowa)
Record: 30-8 | | PR: 23
25. Williamsburg (Iowa)
Record: 36-9 | PR: 24
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