The NE8 just witnessed a massive shift, as New Haven pulled off an upset overtime win over Leo to take the driver’s seat alongside Columbia City in the NE8 title chase. This race just got real interesting.
1. Columbia City (4-0)
Previous Ranking: #1
Week 4: 55-27 W at 4A Huntington North
Week 5: vs 4A DeKalb
Columbia City just keeps now inning, but as you’ll see further down the NE8 is changing below them. It’s only a matter of time until the Eagles have to face off against the new contenders in the conference. They better get ready, because a gauntlet is ahead of them if they’re looking to repeat as NE8 champs.
2. New Haven (4-0)
Previous Ranking: #3
Week 4: 42-41 W (OT) at 4A #13 Leo
Week 5: vs 3A Norwell
A stunning upset victory on the road at Leo. What a way to kick the door down in the NE8 race. A back-and-forth game all night long that saw Donovan Williams step up and lead the Bulldogs’ offense punch-for-punch with the Lions. New Haven is built differently this season. You can see it every time they hit the field.
3. Leo (2-2)
Previous Ranking: #2
Week 4: 42-41 L (OT) vs 4A #12 New Haven
Week 5: at 4A #16 East Noble
Talk about heartbreak. A back and forth game the whole way, with 247 passing yards by Kyle Decker, and a fantastic defensive performance by Landin Hoepnner with an interception and a fumble, just to lose on a missed PAT in overtime. Leo deserved better than to lose in that fashion. They will certainly be looking to let some steam off against East Noble this Friday.
4. East Noble (3-1)
Previous Ranking: #4
Week 4: 38-13 W at 4A DeKalb
Week 5: vs 4A #13 Leo
The running game led the way for East Noble, with 314 yards on the ground, 128 of which belonged to senior Tyson Reinbold. The big question is what will they be able to accomplish against a more athletic Leo team coming off heartbreak against New Haven? Hard to prepare for a team like that.
5. DeKalb (2-2)
Previous Ranking: #5
Week 4: 38-15 L vs 4A #16 East Noble
Week 5: at 4A #7 Columbia City
DeKalb was unable to score in the second or the third quarter against an East Noble team that was just too fast and too big up front. Columbia City will bring an even tougher challenge to the Barons on Friday night.
6. Norwell (1-3)
Previous Ranking: #6
Week 4: 42-0 W vs 3A Bellmont
Week 5: at 4A #12 New Haven
Although it was against Bellmont—who hasn’t scored a single point this season—this was a much-needed game for Norwell to let some steam off and show some energy. Maybe the Knights can use this to propel themselves the rest of the way.
7. Huntington North (0-4)
Previous Ranking: #7
Week 4: 55-27 L vs 4A #7 Columbia City
Week 5: at 3A Bellmont
Huntington North’s offense got going against Columbia City, exposing some major flaws in the Eagles’ defense. However, the Vikings’ defense had too many problems of their own for Huntington North to pull off the upset. They should be able to bounce back against Bellmont this week, especially defensively.
8. Bellmont (0-4)
Previous Ranking: #8
Week 4: 42-0 L at 3A Norwell
Week 5: vs 4A Huntington North
Still, zero points this year for the Bellmont offense. Huntington North comes into Decatur Friday night, maybe a spark can be lit with a home game against a fellow winless team?
