YAIAA football power rankings, 10/5
We're officially halfway through the regular season, which means the start of YAIAA Division I and Division II play is finally upon us. Meanwhile, Littlestown and Dallastown continue to flip-flop at the top of our power rankings. The Bolts appear to have survived the tougher stretch of their schedule, while the Wildcats are just now gearing up for their division slate. Now, the rankings... 1. Littlestown (2) -- After seeing the Bolts with my own eyes, I'd say this team is deserving of the lofty praise it's earned this season. Littlestown (5-0) piled up more than 400 yards of offense and forced four turnovers in a 41-6 thrashing of York Catholic last Friday. We identify the Bolts with their offense, but this team is more versatile than that. 2. Dallastown (1) -- The Wildcats started a tad slow against Northeastern, but eventually kicked into gear during a 40-13 win. More important for Dallastown (5-0), it finally received a complete outing from its offense, which had been spotty during the first four weeks. Now, a home game against defending Division I champs South Western looms. 3. Red Lion (3) --Another lopsided win for the Lions, who have won their last three games by a combined 158-23. Needless to say, the competition will get better in the coming weeks, but the Lions have shown themselves early in the season to be a capable of putting up lots of points. 4. West York (5) -- In the scope of West York's season, the Bulldogs' victory at the Corral last Friday was nothing short of huge. Getting out of these first five weeks 3-2 is nothing to be ashamed of. And with its quad-A gauntlet out of the way, West York can focus on defending its Division II crown. 5. Delone Catholic (6) -- The Squires (4-1) cruised against Biglerville Friday, and it seems clear that Week 3 loss to Littlestown is completely behind them. Delone's regular season will be defined by its next two games. The Squires visits Bermudian Springs, then host York Catholic. 6. Spring Grove (7) -- A thumping of Kennard-Dale will no doubt leave the Rockets (3-2) feeling good heading into the Division I schedule. Joshua Slate has been a two-way threat for Spring Grove, recording 100 rushing yards and an interception in each of the last two games. 7. South Western (4) -- Looking for the culprit for the Mustangs' (3-2) home loss to West York last week? Start with South Western's seven turnovers, which was as many as it had committed in the first four weeks of the season combined. Those miscues will need to be eliminated Friday when South Western visits Dallastown. 8. Central York (9) -- Don't look now, but the Panthers (3-2) have won three straight and not allowed a point in any of those games. Granted, the competition hasn't been stellar. But at the very least, Central should be feeling some good vibes heading into Friday's Division I opener at Spring Grove. 9. York Catholic (8) -- The Irish lost much more than a game on Friday, with seniors Nick Full and Gary Laucks both going down with separated shoulders. That could deal a huge blow to Catholic's Class A district title hopes. For now, the Irish must prepare for Biglerville on Friday. 10. Bermudian Springs (10) -- The Eagles may be the most unassuming 4-1 team around. But Berm continues to hum along, most recently shutting out York Suburban on Friday. The Eagles look like the last team capable of challenging Littlestown during the regular season. Honorable mention: William Penn, Dover