This was a week of wide margins of victory in the NE8. Only one game–Jay County’s victory over Huntington North by 5–was won by less than 17 points. There will be shakeups in the poll this week. High climbs and steep falls.
1. Columbia City (2-0)
Previous Ranking: #1
Week 2: 42-14 W vs 4A Plymouth
Week 3: at 3A Bellmont
Another week, another great performance by this Eagles squad. Plymouth spent a sizeable amount of time in plus-territory, but Columbia City showed its toughness with shutdown after shutdown. More powerful offenses could catch this team off-guard in the future, but for now, they haven’t given up much. The team to beat thus far in the conference as NE8 play begins this week.
2. Leo (1-1)
Previous Ranking: #3
Week 2: 42-17 W vs 4A Angola
Week 3: at 3A Norwell
One thing was very clear in Friday’s blowout win over Angola: the size and speed difference between Leo and Angola is absurd. Leo looked like a track team and Kaden Hurst was a track star, who stormed for both a 60-yard rushing touchdown and an 86-yard kickoff return. This week, Leo faces a Norwell team that shut them out 27-zip last season. This year, it should be in favor of the Lions, who hold a clear talent advantage over the Knights of Ossian.
3. New Haven (2-0)
Previous Ranking: #4
Week 2: 36-7 W at 2A #9 Bishop Luers
Week 3: vs 4A DeKalb
New Haven is a team touted by the play of Williams and Graham, but Friday was all about the running game. A whopping 278 yards off of 26 carries, averaging 10.7 yards per carry. This was an embarrassment the Bulldogs laid on Bishop Luers. What a way to end conference play for the Dawgs.
4. East Noble (1-1)
Previous Ranking: #5
Week 2: 45-28 L vs 5A #1 Snider
Week 3: vs 4A Huntington North
East Noble played a good game against Snider, despite what the score indicates. The Knights only tacked on one penalty, converted 24 first downs, and controlled time of possession. This is simply a Snider team on another level. East Noble is still a strong team in the NE8, and we’ll get a better glimpse into how they will stack up in the conference in these upcoming weeks. For now, a 17-point loss to Snider is nothing to be ashamed of.
5. Norwell (0-2)
Previous Ranking: #3
Week 2: 34-16 L at 3A #17 Delta
Week 3: vs 4A #17 Leo
This Norwell team has fallen to Earth in 2023. Eagles’ Junior RB Nolan Carpenter ran for 196 yards and three touchdowns, going for 11.5 yards per carry. In total, Delta ran for 357 yards on this Knights’ defense. This team is on pace to struggle mightily against the best offense in the NE8, and they face one of them this week in the Leo Lions.
6. DeKalb (2-0)
Previous Ranking: #6
Week 2: 42-13 W at 3A Garrett
Week 3: at 3A #19 New Haven
DeKalb has outscored their first two opponents by 42 so far this season. It’s hard to gauge where this team is at, as their first two opponents don’t stack up to the competition they’ll face in the NE8. However, we will find out this week in the Barons’ clash against an electric New Haven squad.
7. Huntington North (0-2)
Previous Ranking: #7
Week 2: 14-9 L vs 4A Jay County
Week 3: at 4A East Noble
After losing by three to Eastbrook in week 1, the Vikings have dropped another close game to Jay County. These are both teams that are far from the toughest teams Huntington North has on the schedule. They open NE8 play against East Noble, and they’ll need to be prepared for a slugfest.
8. Bellmont (0-2)
Previous Ranking: #8
Week 2: 48-0 at 1A #10 South Adams
Week 3: vs 4A #8 Columbia City
Another shutout loss for Bellmont. There’s not much to talk about here. On to the next for the Braves, a team just hoping to put some points on the board against the NE8’s finest in the Columbia City Eagles.
