COLUMBUS, Ohio -- As we near the end of the month of January, we’ve seen plenty of great action in Central Ohio. After an exciting week last week, we have brand new Division II rankings.

(team, record, strength of record points)

1. South (14-1, 16) - After suffering their first loss of the season prior to last week, the Bulldogs returned to form with two solid league wins over Marion Franklin and Eastmoor. They have two more favorable City League matchups this week as they will head to West on Tuesday and host Briggs this Friday.

2. Jonathan Alder (12-3, 2) - After two convincing league wins over Urbana and Tecumseh last week, Jonathan Alder claimed the No. 2 spot in this week’s rankings. They have two more tests this week with Benjamin Logan and Springfield Shawnee, and also will take on No. 3 DeSales a week from Tuesday.

3. DeSales (10-5, 9) - DeSales picked up one of their biggest wins yet by taking down Granville last Tuesday, but the momentum halted as they suffered a tough loss on Friday at Bishop Watterson. They play host to two games this week against Licking Heights and No. 8 Bishop Hartley, a game that could tighten up the CCL race quite a bit.

4. Beechcroft (12-3, 1) - The Cougars made yet another jump in the rankings this week after picking up two wins over Whetstone and Linden. Riding a 10-game winning streak into this Tuesday night’s matchup with No.15 (D1) Northland, look for the Cougars to try and remain atop the City League North. They also play host to International on Friday and Belmont on Saturday.

5. Bishop Watterson (8-7, 6) - The Eagles had a much a needed successful week, picking up a huge win over Central Catholic League foe DeSales on Friday and another solid win over Mansfield Madison on Saturday. After winning both of those on the road, Watterson will play host to St. Charles on Friday and Whetstone on Saturday.

6. Granville (10-3, 3) - Despite picking up two wins last week, Granville slipped a spot in this weeks rankings due to taking a loss at DeSales on Tuesday. Look for them to bounce back with league matchups this week against Watkins Memorial and Licking Valley, teams they are very capable of beating.

7. London (14-2, 0) - London remains at No. 7 in this week’s rankings after picking up two wins last week over Indian Lake and Shawnee. They ride a four-game winning streak into matchups with Graham and Bellefontaine this week. Despite having as many wins as any team in Division II, London will absolutely need to beat Jonathan Alder in order to be taken serious by the rest of the area’s teams and coaches.

8. Bishop Hartley (7-7, 7) - The Hawks drop four spots in this week's rankings after suffering two very close losses at the hands of Bishop Ready and Westerville North. As they are being plagued with several injuries, they have a bounce back opportunity today as they host Grove City Christian before heading to No. 3 DeSales on Friday. They also play host to Toledo Woodward on Saturday. The loss to Ready puts the Hawks in a tough spot in the CCL, but a win over DeSales would makes things interesting in the conference.

9. Bexley (10-6, 6) - After picking up a satisfying win over Bloom-Carroll earlier in the week, the Lions suffered two tough league losses at the hands of Whitehall and Grandview to round out the week. They have another league test this week as they travel to No. 3 (D3) Columbus Academy.

10. Highland (10-6, 1) - Highland debuts in the rankings at No.10 this week riding a five-game winning streak. They have two KMAC league matchups this week as they travel to Fredericktown on Tuesday and play host to Cardington Friday. Senior Mack Anglin is the best player in Division II that nobody knows about. The 6-foot-6 Clemson baseball signee recently surpassed 1,000 career points for the Scots.