Musings and mutterings and the occasional bit of schmarts as Ornauer and the rest of the Pacific heads into the spring break home stretch:

-- Not just one, but TWO no-hitters tossed last weekend. Are you kidding me? Senior Eddy Davis of Nile C. Kinnick tossed a five-inning gem in an 18-1 rout at Yokota; Seoul American senior Jina Kim accorded Osan American the same treatment in an 8-0 triumph. Davis struck out nine batters; Kim fanned 10. Both victories on the road.

The big Class A vs. Class AA showdown in the Kanto is done, some international schools are out on spring break, with DODDS-Pacific schools to follow next week. Not much change in the pecking order.

Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere we go:

Boys
1, Christian Academy In Japan (0-0) -- Still has yet to take the field.
2, Yongsan International-Seoul (10-0-1) -- Guardian Express keeps chugging along.
3, Kubasaki, Okinawa (3-3-2) -- Dragons drew first blood with shootout win over Kadena.
4, Kadena, Okinawa (6-5-1) -- Rebounded with two Sunday wins over club teams.
5, Seoul Foreign (6-0-2) -- Idle last week.
6, Nile C. Kinnick, Japan (8-1-1) -- Red Devil of a campaign so far; David Bailey emerging as a playmaker.

-- Never before had Matthew C. Perry's girls soccer team scored a victory over Nile C. Kinnick, until Thursday night, when the Samurai outlasted the Red Devils 3-1 at Berkey By The Bay.

Karla Stroud notched two goals, giving her 22 on the season, and Danielle Dobson another, her 20th of the campaign.

From losses by double-digit goal totals prior to coach Chris Anderson's arrival earlier this decade, the Samurai have gradually progressed -- Far East Class A Tournament finalist two seasons ago, first winning record in school history last year, now 11-4 this season with wins over two Class AA schools.

A little late, three weeks into the season, but that's necessary, it says here, for teams, players and things to settle in their proper orbit and routines.

The ratings are not entirely based on win-loss records, but also strength of schedule, ability and value of returning players and newcomers, strength of opponents, quite a few things. You might note that a team or two might have no wins at all, and one that hasn't taken the field yet.

Keep in mind, we had a 4-10 Kubasaki boys team rated No. 3 in the pre-Far East Top Ten last May. That was widely debated, even criticized. But the Dragons went on to win all eight matches and the Class AA Tournament title.

That said, here's the first Top Ten of the 2009 season:

Musings and mutterings as we count down to the track meet so big, it's known by one name: Petty:

-- When word spread like wildfire about Lotty Smith high-jumping 6 feet, 2 inches in just the second Okinawa Activities Council track and field meet of the season, most simply said, "Wow." With good reason. The kid's a sophomore and came within three inches of the Pacific record set three years ago by Marquis Newton. And he might be at Kadena until he graduates.

That she led the Seoul American volleyball team in digs and was second in spike kills, that as point guard she helmed her basketball team to a 31-2 record and second-place Far East Class AA Tournament finish, that she's amassed a 22-4-5 goalkeeping record in soccer in just her sophomore year is astonishing enough.

It's Liz Gleaves ability to leap on command that people remember most when seeing her play. Read her story in this week's Home Team page.

Imagine the person you consider your best friend, with whom you share everything, even keep a toothbrush at each other's houses for sleepovers ... is the ace pitcher for your school's arch-rival?

That's the story of Mary Schweers of Kadena and Carrie Thompson-Davis of Kubasaki. Read their story in this week's Home Team page.

We're continuing the first part of the process of constructing our own Pacific high school athlete "Mount Rushmores" of the past 25 years.

Early nominations are still open until March 31. We'll start whittling the fields down in early April, with the goal of assembling "Mount Rushmores" throughout the Pacific by the start of Advanced Placement exams in May.

So get out the jackhammers, pikes and sledgehammers! C'mon, SportsBlog Nation, who do you think best suits your school's virtual 'Mount Rushmore'?

Select who you think are the best four athletes at your high school over the past quarter century. Some guidelines follow:

Musings and mutterings just hours before Selection Sunday breeds its usual No. 1-seed snubs, NCAA Tournament snubs and wall-to-wall college hoops for three more weeks:

-- Sometimes, all it takes is getting into a playing rhythm for a boys soccer team to get its sea legs underneath 'em. Such was the case for Zama American and E.J. King this weekend. After going 0-2-1 March 6-7 at Matthew C. Perry, the Trojans ran off three straight wins, including 4-1 and 2-1 home triumphs over Robert D. Edgren. The Cobras, 0-1-1 against Nile C. Kinnick in Week 1, reeled off two victories over Matthew C. Perry by an 11-3 margin.