WOODSTOCK: Week 8 Power Rankings

By Kyle Sandy | Woodstock League Coordinator

One week remains in the regular season, but there is plenty of seeding to be sorted out. There’s no guarantee that our top three will look the same heading into the playoffs, and after a chippy week of intense competition, expect everyone to lay it on the line in Week 8.

1. TEAM 4 | 6-1

With first place on the line, Team 4 was able to defeat Team 3 61-57 in a hotly contested battle. Harrison Stewart was spectacular again, finishing with 32 points (5-8 3PT, 9-13 FT), 5 rebounds, 1 assist and 3 steals. Stewart has heated up his MVP campaign and has proven to be one of the toughest covers in the league. Without Kamarhie Artie, Sam Bresnick returned to action after a week off and stepped up with 10 points. The 6-foot-4 post brings a nice dynamic to Team 4, providing an inside scoring threat with his back to the basket. Team 4 can secure the number one seed heading into the playoffs if they can close out Team 1 in the regular season finale at 9 P.M.

2. TEAM 2 | 5-2

Team 2 was able to extinguish a late Team 6 rally to score an 81-72 victory behind Michael Corkrum’s 27 points, 15 rebounds and 4 assists. The athletic forward attacked the basket and finished when he got to the rim. All five starters scored in double figures with Patrick Fischer going 3-4 from the 3-point line to finish with 15 points, while Jarrett Hinton tallied 15 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Justin Patterson had his second cold shooting week in a row, scoring just 11 points. Game MVP Bobby Brent had a near career performance, bouncing back from last week’s nightmarish 0-16 shooting night, going for 12 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists. Team 2 still has work to do as they close out the regular season against a much-improved Team 5.

3. TEAM 3 | 5-2

A three-point halftime lead wasn’t enough for Team 3 as they fell 61-57 in a wire-to-wire thriller against Team 4. Reggie Thompson returned from injury and showed some rust as the iron was unkind in his 6-21 shooting night. Thompson scored 19 points but with less than 15 seconds to play, a steal off a pass intended for Thompson sealed Team 3’s fate. They were out-rebounded 37-20 and saw Thompson and PJ Stone combine to shoot 2-17 from deep. Conrad Baillargeon nailed four 3s in the loss. Team 3 should right the ship against Team 6 and will hope for some help to improve their seeding.

4. TEAM 5 | 2-5

Taylor Birchett (30 PPR) and Matt Norton (22 PPR) were outstanding for a suddenly surging Team 5. In a 75-57 win over Team 1, Birchett posted 27 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal and 1 block while Norton added 24 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks. Frank Morales, Joseph Bartlett and Davis Heitzman each scored 8 points apiece to balance the offense while Heitzman added 13 rebounds to his ledger. Team 5 is getting hot at the right time and is a dangerous lower seed.

5. TEAM 1 | 3-4

Walking double-double TJ Russell posted 15 points, 15 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks while Brannon Hooks dumped in 20 points, but team chemistry was a major issue in their loss to Team 5. Bickering between teammates and a failure to communicate on defense led to many disappointing possessions. There needs to be a leader that emerges while the rest of the team must fall in line to get on the same page.

6. TEAM 6 | 0-7

It turned into the Dewey Barfield show as the animated swingman got hot from deep, nailing three 3s to draw Team 6 within striking distance of their first win of the season, but it wasn’t enough to upset Team 2. Their spirited effort was a positive sign, but it is likely too little, too late for Team 6 to crack the win column.

Predictions

7 p.m. – Team 3 (5-2) vs. Team 6 (0-7) | Team 3 by 26

8 p.m. – Team 2 (5-2) vs. Team 5 (2-5) | Team 2 by 7

9 p.m. – Team 4 (6-1) vs. Team 1 (3-4) | Team 4 by 16