Don't discount those might Elkettes just yet.

As I perused the first regular-season prep basketball polls, I was struck by the fact that Pojoaque Valley is ranked fifth in the Class AAA girls poll.
To be blunt, why?
Yes, the Elkettes have played close games in EVERY single game this year.
Yes, they lost to Española Valley in the championship of the Grants Invitational.
But ...
Pojoaque has yet to lose to a AAA team in 22 months. Not since Santa Fe Indian School beat them in the 2AAA semifinals in Feb. of 2008 have the Elkettes tasted defeat at the AAA level.
In fact, the Elkettes have played five AAAA schools so far this season, and they beat a 2AAA foe already in St. Michael's. What this tells me is that Pojoaque might not be as strong as last year's 31-0 gang, but no one at the AAA level has beat it yet.
Not that there aren't teams that can do it.
Lovington, the top-ranked team, is one of them.
So is 2AAA foe West Las Vegas, the No. 2 team in the state right now. The Lady Dons also have the confidence in knowing they took the Elkettes to the wire twice during last year's historic run.
No. 3 SFIS is deep enough in the post and has perhaps the state's best point guard in Jenine Coriz.
But those are all possibilities. It isn't until one of those teams - or any AAA team - beats Pojoaque before I'll consider putting any other team before the Elkettes.
They are the team to beat, until then.
Good luck, AAA.