USA Today/NFCA High School Top 25 Poll 

Keller High School finished the 2005 season on top of the national poll, and it begins the 2006 season in that same No. 1 spot in the first USA Today/NFCA High School Top 25 Softball Poll, the association announced Wednesday. 

Moe Fritz’s squad claimed the 2005 NFCA High School National Championship trophy after winning the Texas Class 5A state title, and continued its winning ways this season with a 10-0 start. 

Cactus High School in Glendale, Ariz., moved into the No. 2 position with a solid squad returning from last year’s team that went 28-3-1 and finished No. 7 in the national poll. Central Cabarrus, the Class 4A champion in North Carolina, begins the 2006 campaign in the same No. 3 spot where it finished in 2005. 

Garland out of Texas stands fourth with an 11-1 mark, while El Dorado out of Placentia, Calif., comes in at No. 5. Palm Beach Gardens, off to an 8-0 start in Florida, lands in the No. 6 position, while Canyon del Oro, the defending 5A champions in Arizona, rank seventh. 

Oakdale out of California, 2004 national champion Ft. Bend Elkins (Texas) and Florida power Escambia round out the top 10. 

In addition to Canyon del Oro, fellow Tucson, Ariz., standout Sabino lands in the poll, coming in at No. 11 with a 6-3 mark. Freedom out of Oakley, Calif., heads into its first action on the campaign at No. 12. 

Defending Louisiana Class 5A champion St. Amant starts the campaign 13th with a 12-2 mark, while Tampa Chamberlain lands at No. 14 behind a 7-0 record. Brenham (Texas) moves into the rankings at No. 15 with a solid nucleus back from last year’s team that captured the Class 4A state title in Texas. 

Valencia of California comes in at No. 16, and Olathe-East out of Kansas follows at No. 17. Bartow (Fla.), Regina (Mich.) and Woodinville (Wash.) round out the top 20. 

Oak Park and River Forest from Illinois debut in the poll at No. 21, while Sunrise Mountain out of Bradshaw, Ariz., ranks in the 22nd spot. El Toro (Calif.) comes in at No. 23, while last year’s No. 25 team Southridge (Ore.) moved up a spot this season to 24th. Martinsville (Ind.) joins the poll in the No. 25 position.