Sonoma County Classic win makes Carindal Newman solid No. 1 boys team

The 41st Sonoma County Classic answered some big questions about the hierarchy of boys basketball in the area this season.

With a dominant repeat performance, Cardinal Newman is still clearly the team to beat, especially after dispatching No. 3 Piner by 16 in the championship game.

League play will tell us a lot in the coming weeks, and it would be a surprise if the Cardinals kept their record unblemished all the way through. But for now, Newman is looking like far and away the class of Sonoma County early in the new year.

1. Cardinal Newman (15-0)

Previous ranking: 1

Last week: 3-0, won the Sonoma County Classic. Beat Eureka 61-35, Christopher-Gilroy 48-33 and No. 3 Piner 51-36.

Next up: at Maria Carrillo (3-8), Thursday

2. Montgomery (10-4)

Previous ranking: 4

Last week: 3-1, won consolation champion of Bambauer Memorial at Marin Catholic. Beat Urban-San Francisco 43-41, Heritage-Brentwood 53-38 and Central Catholic-Modesto 53-36; lost to Folsom 60-58.

Next up: vs. Maria Carrillo (3-8), Tuesday

3. Piner (12-2)

Previous ranking: 3

Last week: 2-1, beat Casa Grande 65-49 and No. 5 Ukiah 65-30, lost to No. 1 Cardinal Newman 51-36.

Next up: vs. Analy (11-4), Tuesday

4. Windsor (11-4)

Previous ranking: 2

Last week: 1-0, beat Maria Carrillo 53-44

Next up: vs. Santa Rosa (7-7), Tuesday

5. Ukiah (13-3)

Previous ranking: 5

Last week: 1-2, beat Petaluma 65-57, lost to No. 3 Piner 65-30 and Christopher-Gilroy 47-45.

Next up: vs. St. Vincent (5-4), Tuesday

On the bubble:

Analy (11-4)

Previous ranking: Not ranked

Last week: Didn’t play

Next up: at No. 3 Piner (12-2), Tuesday

Petaluma (7-6)

Previous ranking: Not ranked

Last week: 1-2, lost to No. 5 Ukiah 65-57 and Casa Grande 43-42, beat Eureka 75-54.

Next up: at Sonoma Valley (6-7), Friday

Healdsburg (9-6)

Previous ranking: Not ranked

Last week: 0-1, lost to Justin-Siena 81-45

Next up: at St. Vincent (5-4), Thursday

Cloverdale (9-2)

Previous ranking: Not ranked

Last week: 2-1, beat Pacific Ridge-Carlsbad 51-38 and Crystal Springs Upland 45-42, lost to Head Royce 48-42.

Next up: at Lower Lake (5-5), Tuesday

Montgomery got its mojo back this week after a few rough patches earlier in the month. A 3-1 record against some very tough teams and a two-point loss to tournament champion Folsom are more than enough to bump the Vikings up a few spots.

While they do have four losses, they’ve played arguably the toughest schedule in the county and are rounding into form heading into the heart of league play this week.

Windsor drops two spots through no fault of its own. The Jaguars have shown they are one of the upper-echelon teams in the county this year, but a quiet week paired with strong showings from Montgomery, Piner and Cardinal Newman means they have to slide for now.

Ukiah will hold on to its spot in the top five despite a losing record in the Sonoma County Classic. Analy could have slipped back in but was idle this week, while Healdsburg lost its one game this week and Petaluma had a tough showing in Piner’s tournament.

You can reach Press Democrat Staff Writer Gus Morris at 707-304-9372 or gus.morris@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @JustGusPD.