The 2025-26 boys basketball season is approaching the final week of action, with the last day of competition set for Friday, Feb. 13.
Not much has changed in the Eastern Athletic League and Northern Athletic League since the first edition of the Record Searchlight’s power rankings. Enterprise and U-Prep still have control over their respective leagues, while the rest fight for playoff positioning.
Take a look at where each Redding-area boys basketball team stands through the first week of February action.
1. Enterprise Hornets (20-2, 6-1 EAL)
The Enterprise Hornets have taken sole control over the Eastern Athletic League standings after wins over Red Bluff on Jan. 30 and Pleasant Valley on Feb. 3. Enterprise’s win over PV was especially important as the Vikings (11-12, 5-2 EAL) are one of just two teams to defeat the Hornets this year. It’s the Vikings’ second loss to a league opponent, opening the door for Enterprise to claim the EAL title this year.
Enterprise will close out the season with three tough EAL rivals in Shasta, Foothill, and Chico, but with the way this squad is playing, it’s tough to imagine them losing a grip on that first-place spot.
Last five games: 5-0
2. University Prep Panthers (20-4, 7-0 NAL)
The Panthers are in the midst of a 13-game winning streak and playing like an unstoppable force. Junior Trey Pringle and senior Aiden Hall are leading the offense, with both players averaging just over 15 points per game.
The scoring has remained elite, as the Panthers have beaten their last three opponents by an average of 27 points. A win against Lassen on Feb. 6 would officially clinch a Northern Athletic League title for the Panthers.
Last five games: 5-0
3. Redding Christian Lions (19-3, 5-0 Five Star)
The Lions bounced back from their third loss of the season to Pleasant Valley on Jan. 24 to dominate three-straight league games against Los Molinos (twice) and Chester. Redding Christian held those two league rivals to under 45 points in all three wins while also scoring over 55 points.
The two wins over Los Molinos in particular exponentially increase Redding Christian’s chances of taking home its third consecutive Five Star League title. The Lions have a perfect 5-0 record against league opponents, while Los Molinos is in second with a 4-2 league record.
Last five games: 4-1
4. Foothill Cougars (11-12, 4-3 EAL)
The Cougars lost three straight games to Enterprise, Pleasant Valley and Chico before snapping that skid with a huge comeback win over Shasta on Feb. 3. Those three losses – all against EAL competition – made it very unlikely Foothill takes home an EAL title.
But the Cougars don’t need to win the EAL to have success in the playoffs. The Cougars won the section title last year despite Pleasant Valley winning the league title. Foothill has a talented two-way core in seniors Matt Poulsen, Caiden Cochran and Wyatt Forward who always tend to rise to the occasion.
Last five games: 2-3
5. Shasta Wolves (11-12, 1-6 EAL)
Aside from their win over Red Bluff on Jan. 22, the Wolves have struggled against Eastern Athletic League competition. Most recently, Shasta gave up its 12th loss of the season to Foothill on Feb. 3 despite having a double-digit lead at halftime.
Shasta did show promise with important wins over Orland and West Valley earlier this week, and the offense has become a lot stronger since the start of the season. However, when it comes to the postseason, the Wolves will have to take another step forward if they want to make a deep run.
Last five games: 2-3
6. West Valley Eagles (11-14, 4-3 NAL)
The Eagles currently sit in a three-way tie with Lassen and Yreka for second place in the Northern Athletic League, but West Valley earned wins against both teams in the past couple of weeks.
Tyce Bauer is leading the offensive charge with 15 points per game and the senior had a 23-point performance when the Eagles took down Lassen on Jan. 30. The outcome of West Valley’s matchup against Yreka on Feb. 6 should paint a clearer picture of how the NAL standings will shape up by the end of the season.
Last five games: 2-3
7. Red Bluff Spartans (7-18, 0-7 EAL)
The Spartans picked up a blowout 80-54 win over Anderson on Jan. 28 before dropping two straight league games to Enterprise and Chico. Red Bluff sits in last place with a winless 0-7 record against EAL competition.
Senior Bryce Owens leads the squad as a dominant forward, but outside of Owens, the Spartans have struggled to find contributors in big games. Red Bluff will close out the season with a gauntlet of Foothill, Pleasant Valley and Shasta.
Last five games: 1-4
8. Anderson Cubs (8-15, 1-6 NAL)
The Cubs have had an up-and-down season so far. Anderson will beat a league opponent, as they did to West Valley on Jan. 21, but will then lose four straight games — three to NAL rivals. That win against West Valley was also Anderson’s only win against an NAL team this season.
The Cubs have the offensive firepower to keep up with some top teams, but the defense struggles to slow down dynamic scorers. Anderson will close out the season against Central Valley, West Valley, and Yreka as they look to break out of a last-place tie with Central Valley.
Last five games: 1-4
9. Central Valley Falcons (12-13, 1-6 NAL)
The Falcons had a strong stretch of games in the pre-league season, highlighted by a four-game winning streak from Dec. 30 to Jan. 3, but they’ve struggled against NAL opponents.
Central Valley’s last win came against Anderson on Jan. 16, and they’ve since lost four straight to NAL teams. The Falcons sit in last place in the NAL alongside Anderson with 1-6 NAL records. The two squads will face off on Feb. 6.
Last five games: 1-4
Eastern Athletic League Standings
Northern Athletic League Standings
Brett Abrams is a sports reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. He covers high school and local sports in the Redding area. Reach out to Brett with any sports tips or news on X (formerly Twitter) @brabrams_ or by email at Brett.Abrams@Redding.com. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Redding-area boys basketball power rankings: Who’s leading the leagues?
Reporting by Brett Abrams, Redding Record Searchlight / Redding Record Searchlight
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