The VST power rankings for girls basketball arrives just in time for the holidays. While there are plenty of familiar teams on the first edition of the list, a surprising team from the Valley League lands in the top five after an impressive start to the early season. Here is the first edition of the power rankings heading into Christmas week:

1- Birmingham Patriots (7-5)

The Patriots have emerged as the leading team in the Valley in the early season and have a loaded roster with some impressive wins on their resume already this season. Time will tell if they are as good as some of the teams on the other side of the city, but the early results lead me to believe they will only get better if they stay healthy.

2- Verdugo Hills Dons (7-2)

The Dons have long established themselves as one of the best programs in the City Section and this year will be no different. The Castanos sisters lead the way on this squad and can hold their own against anybody in the city.

3- Granada Hills Highlanders (7-5)

The Highlanders have a been up and down to start the season but that has a lot to do with their tough early schedule. The Highlanders are talented and deep offensively, even though they lack a true interior presence. Expect a lot of wins going forward from this team.

4- Arleta Mustangs (7-2)

The Mustangs are a scrappy bunch and look like the biggest threat to Verdugo in the East Valley. This team gets after you defensively and lean on Justine Mejia’s ability to score form the perimeter to win games. With only one senior on their roster, this team is set up to do damage this year and beyond.

5- Sherman Oaks Knights (7-0)

Most of the focus goes to the teams in the bigger leagues, but the Knights have emerged as a team to pay attention to early in the season. While their competition would not be considered the toughest, they have more than handled business, knocking off their opponents by an average margin of 32.5 ppg in their unblemished start.

6- El Camino Real Royals (6-8)

The Royals are a the equivalent of a bulldog hiding out in a doghouse. The record leaves a little to be desired, but that is largely due to their strength of schedule and their short depth on the squad. Despite all of that, this squad is chock full of experience and features two of the better playmakers in the valley in Amirah Smith and Laylah Bowens. Don’t sleep on this team. There could be some upsets coming from this group.

7- Kennedy Cougars (6-3)

The Cougars are a tough bunch that find a way to hang in every ballgame they play. The Cougars are the favorites to take the Valley Mission in my book, but they will have some stiff tests in league coming up soon.

8- San Fernando Tigers (6-3)

While they Cougars are my favorite to win the Valley Mission, I am not overlooking the potentital of this Tigers team. The wings have a lot of scoring responsibilty on this squad, but when the shots are falling, they can hang with the best teams on this list.

9- Chatsworth Chancellors (4-5)

Speaking of talented wings, Chatsworth has a couple of my favorite to watch in all the City Section in Vickie Menjivar and Zak’irah Bruce. The Chancellors can be inconsistent at times, but the talent is there to beat anybody in the city.

10- Chavez Eagles (7-4)

The Eagles have gotten off to a good start this season and land at the final spot on the list. The Eagles are an outside contender to make noise in the East Valley, but they’ll have to find ways to score consistenly agsint top competition in the city.