BENSALEM, Pa. – Seems like the holiday season is a time for Santa Claus and the Grinch for the Blue Star Media Elite 25 high school girls’ basketball rankings.

On one hand, Good Ol’ St. Nick is delivering presents and good cheer, meaning teams rise and enter the Elite 25 rankings. Then there’s Mr. Grinch (remember “stink, stank, stunk!”) and his taking and vanquishing the team from the Elite 25. What we’re saying is the national tournament schedule can bear gifts or be barren. In the last two weeks, 10 teams have tumbled out of the rankings, including the four this week.

The Elite 25 rankings are subjective, based on strength of schedule and head-to-head meetings. That’s about the only thing that can gauge teams from California to New York to Florida. The others are just a gut feeling, perhaps they stick but often they need to win out in a state with strict travel rules or a coach that fails to challenge his/her team.

Enough tubthumping.

Joining the rankings is this glorious quartet: No. 16 Westlake (Atlanta);No. 17 Archbishop Molloy (Fresh Meadows, N.Y.); No. 18Long Island Lutheran (Brookhaven, N.Y.); and No. 22 Leavenworth (Kan.).

Westlake is Georgia’s top-ranked Class AAAAAA squad. Molloy is the New York State’s No. 1 in Class AA, fueled by a win over No. 19 Long Island Lutheran. Speaking of LuHi, they won the Naples (Fla.) Holiday Shootout National Division—very impressive! Leavenworth won a border war battle at previously ranked Rock Bridge (Columbia, Mo.).

In a nutshell, these team earned entry. Now they must win and maintain. Easier said than done.

After scanning schedules, we are a month away from postseasons in Florida and Indiana. The Dr. Martin Luther King Weekend (Jan. 16-19) is the final chance—save a few key events—for the national scene to explode. We’ll preview a couple of must-see events next week.

The next Elite 25 will appear Jan. 14, 2015. Hope to see you at a game soon; please support your local high school teams. – Christopher Lawlor

Blue Star Media Elite 25 High School Girls’ Basketball rankings, January 7, 2015

1. Neumann-Goretti, Philadelphia (8-0)

Previous: 1.

Low down: Idle. The Saints have their hands full in the Philadelphia Catholic League with powers Cardinal O’Hara (Springfield) on Jan. 13 and Archbishop Wood (Warminster) on Jan 16.

2. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (12-1)

Previous: 2.

Low down: Blasted La Jolla (Calif.) Country Day by 22. Connecticut-bound wing Katie Lou Samuelson is on target for the McDonald’s All-American Game and player of the year honors.

3. Potter’s House Christian, Jacksonville, Fla. (20-1)

Previous: 9.

Low down: Won the Title IX Invitational Classic bracket championship in Washington, D.C. The Lions are creeping up the rankings with No. 1 in their crosshairs.

4. Blackman, Murfreesboro, Tenn. (12-2)

Previous: 11.

Low down: The Blaze’s next five games are in the district before a date with Rogers (Toledo, Ohio) on Jan. 24 in Louisville, Ky.

5. St. Mary’s, Stockton, Calif. (10-1)

Previous: 10.

Low down: The Rams, who have six quality wins against national caliber competition, won the West Coast Jamboree, going 3-0. Coach Tom Gonsalves’ crew should cruise to the Tri-Cities League title starting next week.

6. Bedford North Lawrence, Ind. (15-0)

Previous: 4.

Low down: The Stars won their own holiday tournament, waxing Jasper, 48-22, in the final. Next up is Evansville Central on Saturday night.

7. Marian, Bloomfield Hills, Mich. (5-0)

Previous: 12.

Low down: The Mustangs won’t be challenged for a while as evidenced by a 74-48 throttling of East Chicago (Ind.).

8. Whitney Young, Chicago (11-1)

Previous: 13.

Low down: The Dolphins won their bracket at the Title IX Invitational Classic in Washington, D.C.

9. Chaminade, West Hills, Calif. (10-2)

Previous: 6.

Low down: Went 2-1 at the West Coast Jamboree.

10. Eastside, Paterson, N.J. (4-0)

Previous: 14.

Low down: Idle. The Lady Ghosts host powerhouse Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, NY.) on Saturday. Otherwise, winning the Passaic County Coaches’ Association Tournament and Big North Liberty Division titles are a given.

11. Myers Park, Charlotte, N.C. (10-1)

Previous: 16.

Low down: Idle. The Mustangs resume playing after a long layoff, starting with Porter Ridge (Indian Trail) on Tuesday and Independence (Charlotte) on Friday. The challenge is New Hope Christian Academy (Thomasville, N.C.) on Jan. 17.

12. Fremd, Palatine, Ill. (13-2)

Previous: 17.

Low down: Idle. After a two-week layoff, the Vikings are back in action with four games, including two at this weekend’s Chicagoland Invitational Showcase.

13. Princess Anne, Virginia Beach, Va. (11-0)

Previous: 20.

Low down: The Cavaliers won the Boo Williams Classic Gold Division title.

14. Paul VI, Fairfax, Va. (12-1)

Previous: 21.

Low down: The Panthers won three games to capture the Junior Florida Orange Bowl Classic in Florida.

15. Karr, New Orleans (13-0)

Previous: 22.

Low down: Idle.

16. Westlake, Atlanta (12-0)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low down: Georgia’s top-ranked Class AAAAAA team is soaring after a big-time win over Stephenson (Stone Mountain), 85-76. The Lions have also won a pre-Christmas tournament in the Bahamas.

17. Archbishop Molloy, Briarwood, N.Y. (7-0)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low down: The Stanners debut following a solid month of December. The signature win was against nationally ranked Long Island Lutheran (Brookville) and the most recent is a 46-39 decision over Penn Charter (Philadelphia) at the New York/Philly Challenge. This weekend it’s a trip to Paterson, N.J., where they play Montclair (N.J.) at the New Year’s Resolution Tournament.

18. Long Island Lutheran, Brookhaven, N.Y. (6-2)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low down: The New Yorkers are back in the Elite 25 rankings after winning three games to annex Naples (Fla.) Holiday Shootout National Division.

19. Miami (Fla.) Country Day (16-1)

Previous: 18.

Low down: Lost in the final of the Naples (Fla.) Holiday Shootout National Division.

20. Elizabethtown, Ky. (12-2)

Previous: 15.

Low down: Went 2-1 at the Naples (Fla.) Holiday Shootout, losing by 1 to then-No. 18 Miami (Fla.) Country Day. The Panthers face unbeaten Homestead (Fort Wayne, Ind.) on Saturday in the Kentucky-Indiana Challenge Cup.

21. Poly, Long Beach, Calif. (9-2)

Previous: 5.

Low down: Ouch, a rare 20-point loss to then-No. 18 Miami Country Day was offset by a win over then-No. 9 Rock Bridge (Columbia, Mo.) in the Naples (Fla.) Holiday Shootout. The Jackrabbits should have no issues running the table in the Moore League.

22. Leavenworth, Kan. (5-0)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low down: Knocked off then-No. 9 Rock Bridge (Columbia, Mo.), 46-39. The Pioneers play Shawnee Mission Northwest and Lawrence this week.

23. Desert Vista, Phoenix (10-3)

Previous: 23.

Low down: Idle. The Thunder has three local games this week.

24. Vista Ridge, Cedar Park, Texas (18-2)

Previous: 8.

Low down: Two losses at the Duncanville Tournament have the Rangers on the brink of national extinction.

25. McEachern, Powder Springs, Ga. (10-2)

Previous: 3.

Low down: The Indians hang in the Elite 25 rankings by a thread. Post Caliya Robinson’s knee injury cost them a shot at the Class AAAAAA title and her chance at the McDonald’s All-American Game.

Dropped: No. 7 Rock Bridge, Columbia, Mo.; No. 19 Bishop McNamara, Forestville, Md.; No. 24 Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif.; and No. 25 Natchez, Miss.

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Manasquan, N.J. (7-0)

2. Braintree, Mass. (5-0)

3. Stonewall Jackson, Manassas, Va. (12-0)

4. Cumberland Valley, Mechanicsburg, Pa. (8-1)

5. Eleanor Roosevelt, Greenbelt, Md. (5-1)

Geography: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia.

Midlands

1. Lawrence North, Indianapolis (14-0)

2. Mount Notre Dame, Cincinnati (10-0)

3. Eastview, Apple Valley, Minn. (8-0)

4. Benet Academy, Lisle, Ill. (18-0)

5. Waukee, Iowa (7-0)

Geography: Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

South

1. Northside, Fort Smith, Ark. (14-0)

2. Ridgeway, Memphis (13-0)

3. St. Francis, Alpharetta, Ga. (10-1)

4. Warren Easton, New Orleans (13-0)

5. St. Pius X Catholic, Atlanta (12-1)

Geography: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.

Far West

1. Gonzaga Prep, Spokane, Wash. (9-0)

2. St. Ignatius, San Francisco (10-1)

3. Konawaena, Kealakekua, Hawaii (18-1)

4. Lynwood, Bothell, Wash. (9-0)

5. Centennial, Las Vegas (17-1)

Geography: Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

 About: The Blue Star Media Elite 25 High School Girls’ Basketball Rankings are released weekly from November until the conclusion of the high school season. Criteria considered are the quality of the team and its players, strength of schedule, tradition, and quality of the team’s league, conference, region or district. The rankings are compiled by Blue Star Media’s Christopher Lawlor, who consults with a national network of coaches, talent evaluators and prep sports writers. The final rankings will be released April 4. Follow him on Twitter: @clawlor.