WHICH teams look strong and which schools’ basketball programs might look strong combined (Shutterstock).

With league play still a few weeks away, it’s tough to size up the local high school basketball teams. Do a lot of wins mean a strong team, or just a weak schedule? How good are the teams in “your” league?

Based just on team records, the top boys’ teams in the area encompassing Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Stanton and Westminster appear to be Orangewood (8-3), Garden Grove (7-4), Pacifica (6-3) and Edison (6-4).

Among the girls’ teams, the leaders are Orangewood (9-4), Pacifica (7-4), Los Amigos (7-4), Loara (5-1) and Magnolia (7-6).

But, what if by some Christmas miracle, the high schools offered a coed team. Once combined – based on records so far – which squads would look like the strongest?

How about Orangewood (17-7), followed by Pacifica (13-7), Edison (12-9) and Santiago (10-9)? It will likely never happen, but be fun to see.

Spartans looking good, say pollsters

Here are this week’s CIF-SS polls for various winter sports as concerns local teams, with Orangewood Academy the only local team ranked both in boys’ and girls’ basketball.

Boys’ basketball

• Division 4AA: Orangewood Academy is ninth, and La Quinta is 10th.

Girls’ basketball

• Division 2AA: Orangewood Academy is first.
• Division 5A: Loara is eighth, Magnolia is ninth and Los Amigos is tied for 11th.

Boys’ soccer

• Division 1: Edison is second.
• Division 2: Santiago is seventh.
• Division 3: Orange is ninth.

Girls’ soccer

• Division 7: Loara is first.

Girls’ water polo

• Divisions 1 & 2: Huntington Beach is tied for 20th.
• Division 4: Edison is third.
• Division 6: Loara is fifth, Marina is 10th.
• Division 7: La Quinta is third, Rancho Alamitos is sixth.

The Orange County Tribune’s High Five rankings for our coverage area will begin the first week in January.

Prep Sport Spotlight is typically posted on alternate Tuesdays, but will skip on the dates of Dec. 24 and Jan. 31 (Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve).  See you in 2020.