#1: Bishop Luers
Record: 4-0
Last Week: #1
Week 5: at North Side
I mean, what more can we really say about this team? They beat Concordia 49-14 on Friday, to raise their average points-per-game to 44.8, best in the SAC. Carson Clark has now thrown for 1,104 yards, 12 touchdowns, just 2 interceptions, and owns a 65% completion rate. At receiver, Brody Glenn has gotten no shortage of action, as he’s brought in 26 passes for 504 yards and 5 touchdowns this season. But in their latest victory, it was Sir Hale who did the damage. The senior tailback rushed for 145 yards and 2 touchdowns, with a 9.1 yard average on the ground. And on top of all of that, the Knights defense only surrendered 14 points. This team has all three phases working right now.
#2: Homestead
Record: 3-1
Last Week: #3
Week 5: vs Snider
In a spot where the Spartans knew they would be tested, Homestead bounced back from their emotional loss to Luers to defeat the Dwenger Saints in convincing fashion. The 37-21 win makes it 3 straight wins for Sparty over the Saints. Not only that, but since its inaugural season in 2019, Homestead is the only team to win at Shields Field, doing so twice now. The Dwenger offense could get nothing going as the Spartans were living in the Saints’ backfield all game. Offensively, Nate Anderson was a major part of the scoring on Friday, with 6 receptions for 114 yards and 2 touchdowns, as well as a 90 yard kickoff return for a touchdown. QB Peyton Slaven was also great in what was his best game thus far, with 245 yards passing and 3 total touchdowns. Remember, it was this game that got QB Evan Ormsby going last year. Could this be the start of something special for Slaven as well?
#3: Carroll
Record: 3-1
Last Week: #4
Week 5: at Bishop Dwenger
The Chargers have begun to hit their stride with another blowout win. RB Luke Carmody had a terrific game with 162 yards and 2 touchdowns, with an average of 13.5 yards per carry. He and the Carroll offense were explosive, overwhelming Northrop with 54 points. But it was the Carroll defense that looked impressive once again. The Chargers have allowed 87 points this year, good for second-best in the SAC, and have forced 10 turnovers. They’ve looked really good on both sides of the ball, but they’re going to need to play great if they want to beat Dwenger, something they haven’t done since 2017.
#4: Bishop Dwenger
Record: 3-1
Last Week: #2
Week 5: vs Carroll
This wasn’t the result anyone expected. After looking dominant over their first three games, Dwenger had no answer for Homestead on either side of the football. The offense just couldn’t seem to muster anything over the first three quarters and a couple of late scores only made the loss look a little better on paper. This wasn’t the Dwenger we’re accustomed to seeing. This was just the first time in the Jason Garrett era that the Saints had lost by double-digits. Looking ahead, it will be interesting to see which Dwenger team will show up next week against Carroll. The Chargers moved ahead of Dwenger in this week’s rankings because they have a marquee win over Snider that the Saints currently lack. But they have an opportunity to take that spot right back if they can play like they did over their first three games and collect a big win of their own.
#5: Snider
Record: 2-1
Last Week: #5
Week 5: at Homestead
Snider was unable to play South Side due to quarantine issues for the Archers. Though they attempted to schedule a game against another opponent, nothing materialized and the Panthers were left without a date on Friday night. Despite all this, Snider will stay at #5 in our power rankings with their next game at Homestead being a massive one between 1-loss teams. Tyrese Brown will need to be at his best for the Panthers to get the win on the road. He’s rushed for over 100 yards in all 3 games this year, but going up against the Spartan defense will be a challenge not only for him, but for this Snider offensive line. The team that wins in the trenches will likely be the team that wins this game.
#6: North Side
Record: 1-3
Last Week: #6
Week 5: vs Bishop Luers
Overcoming an injury to quarterback Brashawn Bassett, the Legends outlasted Wayne to secure a 21-14 win. North Side running back Jontae Lambert was sensational, managing 166 yards and 3 touchdowns in the game. This win was the Legends first of the season, having opened their year with a really tough three game stretch. Their next two won’t be any easier, and they’ll need to show a lot of fight to stay in the game against the Knights this week. But don’t be surprised to see North Side hang around with Luers for a while.
#7: Concordia
Record: 1-3
Last Week: #7
Week 5: at Northrop
After playing Homestead, Snider, and now Bishop Luers, the Cadets are struggling to keep their footing. The offense just hasn’t been there and the defense is allowing an average of 43.3 points a game. As a result, they’ve been outscored by more than 30 points in each of their 3 losses. While their 1-3 record doesn’t look great, they have some manageable games left that will give them a chance to finish the season strong.
#8: South Side
Record: 1-2
Last Week: #8
Week 5: at Wayne
Due to too many players being in quarantine, South Side was unable to play their game against Snider on Friday. They’ll remain at #8 with a record of 1-2, with their next game coming against Wayne. The Archers have won 4 games in the last 3 years, with 2 of them coming against the Generals. They’ll go for 3 straight on Friday.
#9: Northrop
Record: 1-3
Last Week: #9
Week 5: vs Concordia
The Bruins got off to a good start, picking off Jeff Becker on the first play of the game, but they couldn’t do much after that. The offense was stagnant, albeit against a defense that has proven to be elite, and while the defense forced the Chargers into some mistakes, there was only so much they could do. Making the most of their opportunities next week against Concordia is a must for them, with Luers, Snider, North Side, and Dwenger on tap to round out their schedule. It’s a tough road ahead for the Bruins.
#10: Wayne
Record: 0-4
Last Week: #10
Week 5: vs South Side
Sometimes no matter how hard you try, you can’t seem to get the result you want. The Generals have played better than most of the teams on this list. They’ve come within one possession of beating both Northrop and North Side. Even their 43-27 loss to Dwenger and 47-26 loss to Luers don’t look that bad in retrospect. RB Lamarion Nelson has been a beast too, rushing for 571 yards, 5 touchdowns, and averaging 6.1 yards per carry this year. You have to think that at some point these numbers will yield a few wins, but right now luck just hasn’t been on their side.
