1. FBCCF:
Let’s start with the facts. Yes, I’m from Florida. Yes, I’ve always thought Abby Carbonell gives her team a chance to win anything. But if you go with my latest article which gives dap to those who can survive a tournament as well as those who dominate, some will say that Old Paths should have retained their top ranking. Well, we will talk the merits of Old Paths when we get to them, but as I said last time–FBCCF almost snagged the #1 spot last time. In October, at pretty good tournaments, they had 25 straight quizzes and 25 straight high wins. If you include the Kickoff in May and the Carbonell sister’s championship at the Independence Day Spectacular, they have won something like 50 quizzes against 35 different ministries over Corinthians already with nary a middle win. Don’t even get me started about how they have returned the FQA to a one ministry show unseen since the days of Israel Bandela.
2. Old Paths:
Old Paths has done nothing to disappoint me. They won a tournament–something they have struggled to do in the past. But their struggles in the morning and the inability of the tournament to offer them a complete chance to win make them #2. As I said last time, I have a feeling that (at least on my ballot) they will rotate with FBCCF throughout the year, based on who has the most recent impressive win. They are both planning to be at Athens and that is a showdown I hope to see!!
3. Pleasant View (KY):
Tex Poston sent me an email that I needed to put this ministry #2 or #1. While I can’t buy that yet, I do think it is possible. This is a great team that I think could make some serious movement. When their second best quizzer is in Middle School, they may be in the same position as FBCCF last year–they could be #1 if they only put their best team together.
4. Faith (MI):
When a team can move from #11+ to #4 on a singular ballot, you know they have impressed. Let me say that a #1 seed at their own tournament is impressive. We do discount it somewhat for it being on their home carpet and many teams come from different time zones. However, I certainly think they could have been higher if they had had a legitimate tournament instead of a three quiz dash to a championship. When 7 Rounds (35 quizzes) take you from 15 to 7. It shouldn’t take 1 Round (2 Quizzes) to eliminate a similar ratio of teams to reduce it to 3. Maybe it is appropriate that Faith’s system hurts themselves in the rankings, but the next time we see this team may be in February or March. A travesty with such a good team.
5. Woodside:
A #3 Finish at the Michigan tournament is worthy of top 5 maintenance, but I still think this is the most vulnerable of the top 5 teams, hence their drop to #5! The teams above them are impressive, but I still don’t think any of the teams below them are worthy of a top ten vote.
6. Athens:
Athens has an undefeated PQA team and are certainly the cream of the PQA according to this author. Additionally, any team coached by Jack Bamford, whom I labeled one of the top 5 coaches of all time, should have a chance to make a big impact. They were a notch below FBCCF at the Atlanta event, but then again, according to this poll, so is everyone. Senior Anthony Licata and Junior Kyler Dennis have both been stellar this year. Their coach is certainly better than a few of the teams on top of them, giving them a shot to contend. They are two years removed from an AACS championship, but there is enough championship pedigree left to keep them close to the top. Close enough that maybe Mr. Bamford can duplicate his efforts of 1993.
7. Capitol City:
I received email saying they will not be at Athens New Year’s Classic this year after my last poll. Not sure if it is true, but how can you go against a team that has the best contending program in the country. I don’t think any other program puts together a contender like this one. They don’t pull out the big one, but #7 is appropriate for this program. Site unseen, I bet this team is worthy of a top 10 ranking. Site unseen, I further bet this team will not win a major championship. I hope that Capitol City can one day pull through, but I think they will rely on Felicia too much for that to happen this year.
8. Pleasant View (SC):
Has any ministry ever produced as much enthusiasm for Bible Quiz as this one? Fellow BibleQuizzer.net writer Jeremiah Townsend may give me reasons to vote them higher, but with no undefeated PQA teams and no big tournament appearances, I fear that they are a team that could lose early in a big event. They will then get several high wins, only to be outdone by a two other worthy teams. Never fear, they have the highest participation percentage of any ministry ever!! They will be good for years to come.
9. Faith (SC):
This is a great program, but they have no undefeated team in the PQA. They are the best 2-team quizzing team around, but at the big tournaments where three team quizzing takes over, I’ve got to think they are more appropriately towards the bottom of the top 10. And if they can’t even keep one team undefeated in PQA through 6 quizzes, I think they may be just a little lower than they were last year. Nonetheless, this team is always a threat because of their incredible depth. Still a great team, but the Tiffany Parrot loss will prove to be huge.
10. Wood County:
In flip-flop fashion, Wood County leap frogs the team I had at #9 last month. A message post by David Marriott (which another David Marriott said wasn’t him and then possibly a third David Marriott said it was) made me reconsider. As much as I felt like the rotating name team from New York was better, they did not do better in the tournament. That also led me to my next article idea in the “Do the Best Teams Win” series. The team on the outside looking in for me is Temple (NC) as they are undefeated in PQA and got third in Atlanta. Nonetheless, Wood County was just barely more impressive. As you will see in the aforementioned coming article, I think survival is very important at the 10th place level and Wood County has a team that can do that.
Others I thought of:
Rosedale (VA), Heritage Mission (NY), Valley (CA), Spring City (VA), Tri-Cities (MO), Open Door (FL), Wisconsin, The Master’s Academy (FL), Ohio. Isn’t Bible Quiz great?!