#1: Homestead
Record: 7-0
Last Week: #1
Week 8: vs Wayne
Even after another big win for the Spartans, not much has changed. QB Luke Goode (1,912 yds, 20 TD, 1 INT) still leads the SAC in yards and touchdowns among quarterbacks. WR’s Griffin Little (360 yds, 25 rec, 5 TD) and Jake Archbold (361 yds, 22 TD, 8 TD) are now joined by WR Jared Kistler (475 yds, 20 rec, 3 TD) who has taken this receiving corps to the next level with his play recently. However, the loss of RB Braeden Hardwick (957 yds, 6.8 yds/car, 15 TD) will make things a little different. Sure, it may not affect anything in these last two games of the season. It might not even matter in sectionals because of how much depth this team has. But if they make it far enough to where they’re playing teams like Avon and Jefferson without Hardwick or any other sustained running game, it could be much tougher for Homestead to win.
#2: Bishop Dwenger
Record: 6-1
Last Week: #2
Week 8: at Snider
The Saints had an emphatic win over Bishop Luers on senior day. They held the Luers offense to 0 points and hung 47 on their bitter rival. It was a huge confidence builder for when they face Snider this week. They know that their defense is very capable of handcuffing great teams on offense because of when they held Homestead to 17 points and Carroll to 3 in prior games. And when the offense is hot, they’re really hot such as on Friday. We’ll see if this continues this week against the Panthers.
#3: Snider
Record: 6-1
Last Week: #3
Week 8: vs Dwenger
Two great teams are ahead of Snider in our rankings this week, but the Panthers could make a statement with a win this Friday. This season hasn’t been like others where Snider has dominated the conference. They had to beat Carroll with a blocked extra point and they lost to Homestead by double-digits. However, a good win over a quality opponent is exactly what Snider needs. QB Jon Barnes Jr played well last week, with 195 yds and 3 TD, and makes this offense scary to face when he’s playing at his highest level. We’ll see if the Panthers boost their resumé.
#4: Carroll
Record: 4-3
Last Week: #4
Week 8: at Concordia
Carroll lost against the SAC’s top three teams this year, but they should still be proud of how competitive they were in each. They were close to winning against both Snider and Dwenger, and were trailing Homestead by only two heading into halftime on Friday. With such a young team and especially with a young quarterback, the Chargers should be excited about their talent for these next few years. But talking about this year, the team still leads the SAC in INT’s and sacks on defense. Plus, WR Layton Mitchell (569 yds, 36 rec, 8 TD) has been a leader and a playmaker for Carroll in 2019.
#5: Northrop
Record: 4-3
Last Week: #5
Week 8: at North Side
The Bruins were unable to upset Snider, but they still lead the bottom six of the SAC. Much of it is due to the rushing ability of the Bruins with both Damarius Cowen (490 yds, 6.1 yds/car, 4 TD) and Jeremiah Green (480 yds, 4.4 yds/car, 7 TD) have very solid performances. Northrop will try to win on Friday to guarantee that they finish the season above .500.
#6: Concordia
Record: 3-4
Last Week: #6
Week 8: vs Carroll
The Cadets have one of the conference’s best offenses. They have weapons like RB Amir Drew (736 yds, 5.7 yds/car, 10 TD) and WR Jalen Vanderbosch (429 yds, 28 rec, 4 TD) that have produced a lot on that side of the ball. Also, QB Brandon Davis has been effective with 1,318 yds and 12 TD, but his 11 INT’s are a bit of a problem. The defense has been the main liability this year, giving up 16+ points to teams such as Wayne and Luers. Concordia has one last chance to knock off a higher-ranked team than them this week against another high-powered offense in Carroll.
#7: North Side
Record: 3-4
Last Week: #7
Week 8: vs Northrop
Things looked bleak at one point in the second half of North Side’s game with South Side. They were down by 9, heading into the fourth quarter, before they stormed back for a 1-point win. It was a closer in than the Legends would have liked, but they have won 3 of their last 4. They’ll try to extend that to 4 of their last 5 this week at home vs the Bruins.
#8: South Side
Record: 1-6
Last Week: #9
Week 8: at Luers
South Side moves up one spot even with a loss. They did have the lead late, but gave it away and suffered a crushing defeat. Still Coach Norfleet has to be happy with the progress his team is making from last year. They have been competitive in games against better teams, such as Concordia, Northrop, and even Carroll. They will need to start working on closing games out though.
#9: Bishop Luers
Record: 1-6
Last Week: #8
Week 8: vs South Side
The Knights move down after getting shredded by Dwenger’s offense. Nothing was working on offense either. It will be interesting to see how seriously Luers takes South Side this week in what should be a winnable game for them.
#10: Wayne
Record: 0-7
Last Week: #10
Week 8: at Homestead
Wayne was a great story last year as they overachieved and nearly ended Dwenger’s state championship run. Now things are different and they’ll need a miracle to even score against Homestead or Carroll.
