SOUTH WHITLEY – For the first time ever, Whitko can say it’s the top dog in the state.

Granted, it’s just the second full week of the girls basketball season, but for the first time in the program’s history, Whitko’s girls basketball team is No. 1 in the latest ICGSA poll for Class 2-A.

The Lady Wildcats, led by head coach Brandon Bradley and Xavier University recruit Aly Reiff, are 4-0 after defeating Columbia City 59-55 Friday night and Churubusco 59-25 Saturday in a pair of Whitley County rivalry games. Whitko also started undefeated in its first four games a season ago in working toward a program-best 19 wins.

Whitko will host Peru Tuesday before visiting Huntington North Friday night, a program Whitko has lost to the past two meetings and is only 1-3 against in the past 15 years. Whitko then hosts upstart Warsaw the day after Thanksgiving.

Elsewhere among locals in the rankings, Three Rivers Conference mates Tippecanoe Valley are 2-0 and sitting at No. 4 in the Class 3-A poll, one spot behind 2-0 South Bend St. Joe. Penn (3-0) is No. 6 in the Class 4-A poll, and in the Class 1-A poll, Argos (3-0) is No. 2 and North Miami (2-0) is No. 10.

The top teams in each poll are Homestead (1-0), North Harrison (4-0), Whitko (4-0) and Michigan City Marquette (1-0).