All three Murrieta public high school boys basketball teams made the elite list again this week when the Press-Enterprise published its "Week 2 Top 12 Boys Basketball" pre-season rankings Monday.
Murrieta Valley rose to sixth in the polls after a steady performance and second place finish in the Nighthawk Classic Tournament. The Nighthawks were 3-1, dropping the final title game to Rancho Verde. Coach Steve Tarabilda’s lineup is loaded with juniors and he sees improvement in the team weekly. The Nighthawks are 6-2.
Vista Murrieta was ranked ninth in the poll. The Broncos lost to Anaheim Esperanza, 59-52, last week. Vista will be playing in the Mt. Miguel Invitational in San Diego this week. The Broncos are currently 3-2.
Coach Andy Rucker’s lineup will look a little different this week now that his roster is bolstered with players joining the team from the football program.
Coach Russell Ham’s Murrieta Mesa Rams stayed at the No. 11 spot this week. They are 4-2 on the year.
The Rams split their two games last week as they defeated Rancho Buena Vista 59-42 and dropped a tough loss to Tesoro 78-73.
Mesa will be competing in the North County Classic tournament at Fallbrook this week. The Rams have a senior-laden roster packed with talent and are expected to be tough to beat this year.
Come out and watch some of the great high school basketball in Murrieta. Support the Nighthawks, Rams and Broncos as the season moves steadily toward league play.
