WEEK 15 POWER RANKINGS

WHERE YOUR GUESS IS AS GOOD AS OURS

The Wasatch takes on the World in the 4th Annual WFBL All-Star game. In 2008, the "Best" (Underdogs) defeated the "Rest" 5-3-1; in 2007, the World defeated the Wasatch 5-3-1; and in 2006, the Dynamo Dropouts defeated the Fantastic Finishers 6-3.

Three more weeks.

That's all that remains in the 2009 WFBL regular season. And while some teams are all but eliminated from contention (I see you, Bayside, St. George and Rigby!), almost everyone else has a shot at the postseason, with five teams in the running for their respective conference championships and subsequent first-round byes. As for the Power Rankings, the "#1 Musical Chairs" continues this week, as the Gators are back in the top spot. Really, your guess is as good as ours as far as how this will all play out.

Team, Rank, (Previous), Overall, (Last Week)


1 (3) 74-55-6 (6-2-1)
The Gators have but one loss in their last eight match-ups, going 45-22-5 over that span. But despite their recent fortune, there is a black cloud hovering over everything Twin Falls does (which really isn't a surprise, if you've ever been to Twin Falls), due to the recent allegations that Kobe Bryant is a cheap-shot jerk. I'm sure the Commissioner will be following this closely.


2 (5) 75-54-6 (5-4-0)
After losing three of four, the Strats seem to have righted the ship, winning their last two. Yao seems to be healthy again, but heaven help Nephi if he should go down again! No time to rest for Justin Banks, as he has the honor of coaching the Wasatch All-Stars this weekend.


3 (4) 77-54-4 (3-4-2)
With the A-Boms going down mightily, the Igs had a great chance to widen the gap between first and second place. 'Caibo not only lost to a SnowBees team that was playing without their point guard, but they also squandered one of LeBron's best statistical weeks of the season. Having now lost three of four, the schedule after the break only gets tougher: at Park City, Zermatt, at Udorn.


4 (2) 75-57-3 (2-6-1)
The Abominables haven't been this decimated by injuries since the fatefull 0-9 Concludings loss to Bayside in 2007. Paul should be ready to go after the break (possibly even for the All-Star game), but losing Al Jefferson is a serious blow. How will Barnes handle the stunning turn of events? Is it ever safe to count the A-Boms out?


5 (1) 75-57-3 (2-7-0)
I'm sure if you would have told Dave Barton at the beginning of the season that with only three weeks left his Sundancers would be a mere 1.5 games out of first place in the Wasatch Conference, he would have taken it. Two losses in the last three weeks mean the margin for error is much smaller. That Week 18 throwdown against Nephi could very well decide the conference.


6 (7) 63-68-4 (4-3-2)
Apparently there's some team operating out of Salt Lake City? And they have only one loss in the last seven weeks, going 37-22-4 in that time? And they are technically not eliminated from the playoffs, just 11.5 games behind Park City? Really? Where were we when all this happened?


7 (9) 62-73-0 (7-2-0)
Boy you wanna talk about a team that's hard to figure out, let's discuss the New York Kings. After pummeling Park City last week, and thanks to some timely losses from Udorn and Richmond, the Kings are a mere 3.5 games behind Udorn for the final World playoff spot. That Week 18 matchup against Udorn looks real nice! (Side note: the scheduling hobgoblins sure did a great job this year. Week 18 is gonna be intense!)


8 (6) 65-69-1 (4-5-0)
The good news for Udorn is that their first ever playoff appearance is absolutely in their own hands. A winnable game against Rigby precedes the aforementioned visit from New York. Of course, they'll have to get past the Iguanas in the final week of the regular season, but we all know how well the Igs do in that type of situation.


9 (11) 54-77-4 (5-3-1)
Now technically, Bayside has the worst record in the league. But they have been semi-decent the last four weeks, losing only once in that span. The Tigers have yet to put together a win streak, however (they have a couple of ties after wins), and are also not officially eliminated from the playoffs (in fact, they're closer—9.5 games back—than the SnowBees). A trip to Nephi after the break may take care of that, however.


10 (12) 54-73-8 (6-3-0)
Finally a reason to cheer in St. George, as the U-Dogs' win over Richmond puts and end to their four-week winless streak. Now it's time to play spoiler, with games against both the A-Boms and the Gators on the sched. There's always next year, St. George.


11 (8) 56-75-4 (3-5-1)
Rigby's latest loss, a 3-5-1 disaster at the hands of Bayside, just about puts the nail in the coffin. The good news is, despite being a mere game out of last place, the Trojans can still set their sights on top seed in the Consolation Round, being only seven games behind Salt Lake. This is the part of the season the Power Rankings hates.


12 (10) 58-76-1 (3-6-0)

Fun fact: Out of 15 weeks, the Butchers have been victorious only four times. Granted, two of those were 8-1 demolitions. But since those consecutive blowouts, the former postseason Cinderellas have lost seven straight, and now likely have no shot at the playoffs.