Coach Brad Leaf’s Foothills Christian squad picked up where it left off, first in the first San Diego Union-Tribune basketball poll, Â which the Knights dominated in 2015-16.
The El Cajon club is 6-1, with only a 90-73 loss to defending national champion Chino Hills after leading the Huskies, 42-38, at halftime.
What’s up with Cathedral? Â Picked as high as fifth in the state in some preseason polls and with 7-foot Brandon McCoy leading the Dons, Cathedral has slumped to 3-5.
Coronado got one vote among teams outside the top 10, but raise one for the Islanders, who are 15-2 and played 17 games since Nov. 28.
Records through Wednesday, Dec. 21:
| Rank | Team | Record | Points | Last Poll |
| 1 | Foothills Christian (10) | 6-1 | 100 | 1 |
| 2 | St. Augustine | 5-1 | 82 | 2 |
| 3 | Torrey Pines | 7-1 | 76 | 5 |
| 4 | La Jolla Country Day | 8-2 | 71 | 4 |
| 5 | Vista | 8-2 | 48 | 8 |
| 6 | Helix | 7-2 | 43 | 7 |
| 7 | Cathedral | 3-5 | 42 | 3 |
| 8 | Poway | 8-2 | 28 | 10 |
| 9 | La Jolla | 8-1 | 17 | NR |
| 10 | La Costa Canyon | 8-2 | 14 | NR |
Others receiving votes, including record: Santa Fe Christian (6-3, 5 points), Mission Hills (4-4, 5) Patrick Henry (9-0, 5), Serra (8-0, 4), Mira Mesa (5-3, 4), Kearny (3-3, 2), Coronado (5-2, 1).
Eleven media representatives vote, including John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune; Steve Brand (San Diego Hall of Champions), Terry Monahan, Jim Lindgren, Union-Tribune correspondents; Bill Dickens, Adam Paul, EastCountySports.com; Rick Willis, KUSI-TV; Rick Smith, partletonsports.com; Bodie DeSilva, sandiegopreps.com; Lisa Lane, San Diego Preps Insider; Aaron Burgin, fulltimehoops.com.
