1. Snider
Week 1: 20-18 win over North Side
Previous Ranking: #1
Week 2: @ Carroll
The Panthers were able to take care of business in Week 1 as they narrowly beat North Side 20-18 without scoring in the 2nd half. Like normal it was the elite run game being able to control the clock for the Panthers and ice the game as they ran off 5 and half minutes on their final possession. The run game also accounted for all three of the Panther touchdowns with Langston Leavell getting across the pylon twice and De’Alcapon Veazy also getting into the endzone. The Panthers’ defense also deserves a ton of credit led by Lukas Rohrbacher’s 14 tackles as they were able to hold a very explosive offense to only 18 points. Heading into Week 2 it will not get any easier for the Panthers as they face off against the Carroll Chargers.
2. Carroll
Week 1: 42-3 over Luers
Previous Ranking: #2
Week 2: vs Snider
The Chargers were dominant on both sides of the ball Week 1. Sophomore quarterback Jimmy Sullivan showed out in his first varsity start as he threw for 234 yards and 3 touchdowns. Transfer tight end Jayden Hill also proved to be a nice addition as he found himself in the endzone early for the Chargers. What could possibly be the top defense in the SAC this season showed what they are capable of as they completely shut down the Knights’ offense. Bishop Luers scored the first three points of the game but then the Chargers finished it off with 42 straight unanswered. The Chargers are riding high as they head into Week 2 in a game that could have huge implications in the SAC title race when they face off against Snider.
3. Bishop Dwenger
Week 1: 35-13 win over Wayne
Previous Ranking: #5
Week 2: @ North Side
The Saints had a great week one showing, handling Wayne. Senior defensive back and wide receiver CJ Davis stood out as he had an interception and an 88-yard TD in the first quarter. He finished the game with 5 receptions 191 yards and 2 touchdowns. Overall the Dwenger offense was firing all night long as Sam Campbell had three passing touchdowns and Teddy Steele ran his way into the endzone. Defensively the Saints had some issues trying to contain the run game but that was to be expected as they faced off against Lamarion Nelson. Next week the Saints are going to travel to North Side which pits star athletes CJ Davis and Brauntae Johnson against each other making for a fun game to watch.
4. Homestead
Week 1: 50-14 win over Northrop
Previous Ranking: #4
Week 2: @ Concordia
Week 1 was all about the run game for the Spartans as they rushed for 346 yards and 4 touchdowns, 2 of which came from junior Brett Fuchs who also got a total of 168 yards for the Spartans. Defensively the Spartans were also making plays as they tallied up 4 interceptions including a pick-6 from sophomore Sam Steward. But it wasn’t all perfect Week 1 as the Spartans had three turnovers on offense with 2 interceptions thrown along with a fumble in the red zone. Something to watch this year with the Spartans is the growing connection between quarterback Peyton Slaven and wideouts Mason Auxier and Grant Leeper. Auxier is a speedy wide receiver that will be a deep threat all year for the Spartans as he showed on a 75-yard touchdown connection with Slaven. As for Leeper, his 6’7 frame makes him a perfect redzone target for the Spartans. Overall the Spartans played a great game with some mental miss cues that will need to be cleaned up as SAC play amplifies but that is to be expected as the Spartans only return 5 true starters from last year.
5. North Side
Week 1: 20-18 loss against Snider
Previous Ranking: #3
Week 2: vs Bishop Dwenger
Taking a week one loss does not take you out of the race for the SAC title as shown by the 2020 Homestead Spartans and 2021 Carroll Chargers who both lost week one and later went on to win at least a share of the SAC title but it definitely makes it a lot harder. There were a lot of positives for the Legends Week 1 such as quarterback Bohde Dickerson who threw two touchdowns on the night with one to Jaylen Ellis and one to Bruantae Johnson. And running back Jontae Lambert showed a quick burst en route to 125 yards rushing on 22 carries with a TD One area the Legends will look to improve on is special teams as they did not convert on any of their three PATs. The next two weeks are going to be crucial for the Legends as they try to remain in the race for the SAC title and will take on the challenges of Bishop Dwenger and Carroll.
6. Wayne
Week 1: 35-13 loss against Dwenger
Previous Ranking: #6
Week 2: vs Luers
Last year’s All-SAC 1st team running back Lamarion Nelson had an elite first game of the year with 204 yards and one touchdown. Even with the monster performance from Nelson, it wasn’t enough to knock off the Saints. Moving forward the Generals are going to look to continue feeding Nelson in the run game as he has proven production. The next two games for Wayne will be at home against Bishop Luers and Northrop which will be two chances for the Generals to gather some momentum as they will enter the heat of the SAC season.
7. Bishop Luers
Week 1: 42-3 loss against Carroll
Previous Ranking: #7
Week 2: @ Wayne
It’s not easy to start off the season against such an elite defense like Carroll and that’s what the Knights had to do Week 1. Nick Thompson made some nice plays for the Knights with 3 receptions for 42 yards. Luers also got two interceptions against Carroll with one from Isaac Zay and another from Tj Smith. Next week Bishop Luers is going to be looking for some improvement as they face off against the Wayne Generals.
8. Concordia
Week 1: 32-18 win over South Side
Previous Ranking: #9
Week 2: vs Homestead
The connection between quarterback Eli Mattox and Ajani Washington is going to be fun to watch all year long. In week 1 they connected 3 times for 114 yards and 3 touchdowns. The run game was also working well for the Cadets as Tim Okeowo rushed for 117 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. Defensively Concordia played pretty well only allowing 18 points while forcing 4 turnovers and getting 5 sacks. Heading into week 2 the Cadets will face a tough challenge in the Homestead Spartans.
9. Northrop
Week 1: 50-14 loss against Homestead
Previous Ranking: #8
Week 2: vs South Side
The Bruins struggled in Quentin Bowen’s first game at the helm as Homestead was able to take control of the game early. Late in the first half, the Bruins started to gather up some momentum as Josh Taylor got an interception that was followed up by a touchdown throw by Keone Bates to Jayden Schmenk. Julante Hinton also found the endzone on a rushing touchdown for the Bruins. As the Bruins move forward they will face off against the Archers next week at home which will be a great opportunity for Coach Bowen to get his first win as a head coach.
10. South Side
Week 1: 32-18 loss against Concordia
Previous Ranking: #10
Week 2: @ Northrop
Although the Archers weren’t able to get the Week 1 win there were some bright spots as quarterback Larrenz Tabron had a nice game with 165 yards and two touchdown passes. On defense, they were able to force three turnovers. One area the Arches are going to need some improvement in is converting on 3rd downs as they only converted on 2 out of 11.
