COLUMBUS, Ohio -- For the first time all season, we have a new No. 1. With Pickerington North losing to unranked Dublin Jerome at home last Tuesday, the Panthers drop to No. 3 and Upper Arlington takes the top spot in the area.

The Golden Bears are coming off strong after sweeping Dublin Coffman and winning its third-straight OCC-Central title. Upper Arlington is ranked at No. 3 in the state according to the AP and have been outstanding this season. Needing buzzer beating threes to take down Coffman each time this year, Upper Arlington could meet back up with the Rocks in a district final, which could be a classic.

At No. 2 is Hilliard Bradley. The Jags wrapped up another perfect season in the OCC-Cardinal and have done so with suffocating defense. Sweeping Hilliard Darby this week, Bradley also went on the road and took down Zanesville in an environment that is not easy to win in. Bradley has the area's best defense and with the return of Braden Norris, become an even more dangerous offensive team. 

Pickerington North falls to No. 3, the lowest it has been ranked after going 10+ weeks at No. 1. The Panthers suffered a shocking loss to Dublin Jerome, who moves up to No. 15 this week, in which it only scored 42 points and could not overcome a Celtics team that made just one field goal in the entire fourth quarter. North quickly responded by dumping previously No. 13 Grove City on the road by 22 points. The Panthers are still the most talented team in the area and the best bet to win the region, but mental lapses like last Tuesday will not bode well for them if something like that is to reoccur. 

The sleeping giant in the OCC-Ohio, Pickerington Central moves to No. 4. The Tigers have won six-straight games and took down Gahanna on the road by 19 points. Pickerington Central appears to be gelling as a team and playing with great confidence, which could mean yet another district title for the program.

Westerville North falls to No. 5 after losing on the road at Olentangy Orange on Friday. The Warriors did not shoot the ball well at all in the loss, which was only its second in league play. The top seed in its bracket, Westerville North has a larger target on its back after the loss to Orange, who moves from No. 12 to No. 11.

Other news and notes

• Dublin Scioto moves up to No. 14. The Irish had a great week, winning at Olentangy Orange and taking down Dublin Jerome. Scioto has two great road wins on its resume, as the Irish also won at Westerville Central. Scioto could be a potential sleeper in the district tournament capable of reaching the semifinals.
• Dublin Jerome enters the top 15 for the first time since the preseason. Winning at No. 1 Pickerington North on Tuesday, the Celtics made the necessary shots and played tough defense to take down a team nobody expected them to beat. Jerome now prepares for Dublin Coffman, who it likely will meet in the sectional finals in two weeks. 
• No. 8 Westerville Central and No. 13 Olentangy were the only teams to move up outside of anyone previously mentioned. The Warhawks took down Westerville South for the first time in the last four seasons, winning on the Wildcats' home floor. At No. 8 Westerville Central will need to continue to remain consistent and play at the level it is capable of in the district tournament. Olentangy took down a short-handed Olentangy Liberty team on the road on Friday to wrap up OCC-Buckeye play. When junior guard Sean Marks is on, this Olentangy team can play with anyone, evidenced by its win over Upper Arlington, as the Braves are the only team to beat the top-ranked Golden Bears.