After debuting last week, the Ferndale girls' basketball team is starting to inch its way up the Class 3A ranks in the latest edition of the Associated Press Washington Basketball Prep Poll. The poll is conducted by a statewide panel of sports writers and editors and was released Wednesday, Jan. 23.

The Golden Eagles (15-2), who have won six straight games since dropping a pair in a holiday tournament, moved up two spots to No. 8 in the latest poll.

The only other Whatcom County team to crack the top 10 was Lynden Christian (13-3), which dropped two spots to No. 7 in the 1A poll, probably in response to a Jan. 14 loss to Ferndale.

Nooksack Valley (11-5) and Blaine (11-5) received three and two votes, respectively, but did not make the top 10 in the 1A poll, while Sehome (10-6) received one vote in the 2A poll.

Elsewhere in the Northwest Conference, Burlington-Edison (15-2) moved up one spot to No. 5 in the 2A poll.

Mt. Rainier (4A), Prairie (3A), Mark Morris (2A), Freeman (1A), Reardan (2B) and Colton (1B) all retained the top spots in their respective polls.

On the boys' side, Lynden maintained its grip on the No. 1 ranking in Class 2A, as the Lions (15-1) are on a nine-game win streak. Lynden received nine of 13 first-place votes in the poll to out-point unbeaten Renton 126-121.

Lynden Christian (12-4) remained at No. 3 in the 1A poll, though the Lyncs, who have won three straight since an overtime loss to Lynden on Jan. 11, received one of 10 first-place votes. Top-ranked Seattle Academy got seven, while No. 2 Zillah got two.

Anacortes (12-4) was the only other Northwest Conference team to be ranked or receive a vote, as the Seahawks moved into a 10th-place tie with Wapato in the 2A poll.

Lummi (12-3) received 12 votes but was two spots out of making the top five in 1B.

Bothell (4A), Lincoln (3A) and St. George's (2B) remained atop their respective rankings, while Cusick replaced LaCrosse-Washtucna as No. 1 in the 1B ranks.

BOYS' BASKETBALL

ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON PREP POLL

How a state panel of sports writers rates Washington high school basketball teams in the weekly Associated Press poll of 2013, by WIAA Class, with won-lost record and total points (first-place votes in parentheses):

Class 4A

School Record Points Last Week

1. Bothell (7) 16-2 101 1

2. Garfield (2) 16-1 96 3

3. Central Valley (1) 15-1 86 2

4. Jackson 18-0 75 4

5. Curtis (1) 18-1 71 5

6. Gonzaga Prep 14-2 51 10

7. Federal Way 15-3 46 6

8. Richland 15-4 25 7

9. Eastmont 13-2 15 8

10. Union 10-6 12 9

Others receiving votes: Issaquah 9. Eastlake 7. Arlington 3. Newport (Bellevue) 3. Todd Beamer 3. Tahoma 1. Emerald Ridge 1.

Class 3A

School Record Points Last Week

1. Lincoln (10) 13-1 109 1

2. Rainier Beach (1) 15-3 100 2

3. Mercer Island 17-1 87 4

4. Kamiakin 16-2 70 5

5. Foss 11-3 57 6

6. Seattle Prep 14-4 48 3

7. Franklin 17-1 41 7

8. Mountlake Terrace 15-3 35 8

9. Seattle Lakeside 12-4 29 9

10. Glacier Peak 15-4 16 10

Others receiving votes: Shorewood 6. University 6. Columbia River 1.

Class 2A

School Record Points Last Week

1. Lynden (9) 15-1 126 1

2. Renton (4) 16-0 121 2

3. Pullman 17-1 101 3

4. Clover Park 13-5 79 6

5. Yakima West Valley 13-1 75 5

6. White River 14-4 56 4

7. Ellensburg 11-3 40 8

8. Mark Morris 11-5 39 7

9. Sequim 12-3 26 10

10. Wapato 11-3 12 9

(tie) Anacortes 11-3 12 NR

Others receiving votes: Spokane West Valley 7. Washougal 6. River Ridge 6. Centralia 3. Clarkston 3. W. F. West 3.

Class 1A

School Record Points Last Week

1. Seattle Academy (7) 16-0 96 1

2. Zillah (2) 15-1 90 2

3. Lynden Christian (1) 12-4 81 3

4. Toledo 16-1 65 4

5. Kalama 16-2 61 5

6. Bothell Cedar Park Chr. 14-0 52 6

7. Okanogan 16-1 37 7

8. Chewelah (Jenkins) 12-2 17 NR

9. Chelan 14-3 16 T9

10. University Prep 14-3 13 8

Others receiving votes: King's 8. Cashmere 7. Tenino 6. Eatonville 1.

Class 2B

School Record Points Last Week

1. St. George's (7) 17-1 88 1

2. Morton-White Pass (2) 12-1 83 2

3. LaConner 17-1 71 4

4. Colfax 14-4 59 6

5. Colbert Northwest Chr. 13-5 46 5

(tie) Lind-Ritzville Sprague 14-3 46 3

7. Willapa Valley 14-4 26 10

8. Onalaska 12-3 17 8

9. Wahkiakum 11-4 16 9

10. Raymond 14-4 15 7

Others receiving votes: Walla Walla VA Academy 13. Adna 7. Riverside Christian 6. Spangle Liberty 2.

Class 1B

School Record Points Last Week

1. Cusick (3) 15-2 73 2

2. Sunnyside Christian 13-2 66 4

3. Neah Bay (1) 10-1 63 5

4. LaCrosse-Washtucna (3) 13-3 46 1

5. Garfield-Palouse (1) 13-3 16 NR

Others receiving votes: Christian Faith 13. Lummi 12. Cedar Park Christian (Mountlake Terrace) 7. Odessa-Harrington 6. Almira/Coulee-Hartline 6. Pomeroy 6. Wellpinit 6.

GIRLS' BASKETBALL

ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON PREP POLL

How a state panel of sports writers rates Washington high school basketball teams in the weekly Associated Press poll of 2013, by WIAA Class, with won-lost record and total points (first-place votes in parentheses):

Class 4A

School Record Points Last Week

1. Mt. Rainier (8) 17-0 95 1

2. Mead (2) 15-1 91 2

3. Gonzaga Prep 15-1 77 3

4. Lynnwood 15-1 75 4

5. Woodinville 15-2 56 6

6. Puyallup 16-1 48 7

7. Arlington 15-2 36 5

8. Walla Walla 15-2 31 10

9. Inglemoor 12-2 27 9

10. Todd Beamer 14-3 5 NR

Others receiving votes: Federal Way 4. Skyline 3. Kentwood 2.

Class 3A

School Record Points Last Week

1. Prairie (8) 17-2 98 1

2. Wilson, Woodrow (2) 11-1 85 2

3. Cleveland 13-2 83 3

4. Bellevue 16-1 66 4

5. Seattle Prep 13-3 61 6

6. Holy Names 14-2 40 5

7. Stanwood 13-2 38 7

8. Ferndale 15-2 30 10

9. Kamiakin 14-2 26 9

10. Shorewood 13-3 5 NR

(tie) Mt. Spokane 10-5 5 NR

Others receiving votes: Hanford 3. Mercer Island 3. Lakeside (Seattle) 2. Shadle Park 2. Glacier Peak 2. Juanita 1.

Class 2A

School Record Points Last Week

1. Mark Morris (12) 14-2 120 1

2. W. F. West 14-3 104 2

3. Wapato 13-1 90 4

4. Archbishop Murphy 14-2 79 5

5. Burlington-Edison 14-2 74 6

6. Ellensburg 12-2 55 3

7. White River 15-3 54 7

8. Cedarcrest 16-2 43 8

9. Renton 14-2 23 9

10. Spokane East Valley 12-4 5 10

(tie) Pullman 11-5 5 NR

Others receiving votes: Grandview 4. River Ridge 3. Sehome 1.

Class 1A

School Record Points Last Week

1. Freeman (8) 18-0 98 1

2. Brewster (2) 17-0 89 2

3. Cascade Christian 17-0 81 3

4. Castle Rock 17-0 71 4

5. Woodland 14-1 45 T6

6. Okanogan 14-3 44 8

7. Lynden Christian 13-3 38 5

8. Granger 13-3 33 9

9. Chelan 12-4 18 T6

10. University Prep 14-2 8 NR

Others receiving votes: Leavenworth Cascade 5. Elma 4. La Salle 4. Nooksack Valley 3. Eatonville 3. Cashmere 3. Blaine 2. LaCenter 1. Connell 1. Rochester 1.

Class 2B

School Record Points Last Week

1. Reardan (8) 18-1 80 1

2. Pe Ell 14-1 67 3

3. Colfax 15-3 66 2

4. Raymond 16-1 51 5

5. Northwest Christian (Colbert) 13-4 50 4

6. Darrington 16-2 32 8

7. DeSales 13-2 30 7

8. Napavine 13-3 24 6

9. Riverside Christian 7-5 16 9

10. Onalaska 13-2 12 10

Others receiving votes: Morton-White Pass 5. LaConner 4. Bear Creek School 2. Dayton 1.

Class 1B

School Record Points Last Week

1. Colton (5) 14-1 67 1

2. Sunnyside Christian (1) 15-0 62 3

3. Neah Bay (1) 10-1 49 4

4. Almira Coulee-Hartline 12-5 43 5

5. Cusick 16-1 28 2

Others receiving votes: Mt. Rainier Lutheran 12. Pateros 7. Republic 6. Moses Lake Christian Academy 6.