YAIAA football power rankings, Sept. 6
Ah yes, the power rankings. It goes without saying that putting these together is an inexact science. After all, how fair is it to compare a Class AA team to a Class AAAA team? And yet who am I to deny you, fair reader, of more fodder for discussion and analysis. (Or criticism of me. That's fine, too.)
To review, think of these less as a straight up measure of who the best team is, and more my interpretation of which teams are currently playing the best. Like I said, inexact science.
In any event, you can check out our first edition of this season's football power rankings after the jump.
T-1. Central York -- For the first time in four seasons, the Panthers came out on the right end of their annual season-opener with West York. Central York showed a solid mix of physicality and speed on both sides of the ball. Of course, few would envy the Panthers test this weekend: Cumberland Valley is on a different level.
T-1. South Western -- A 41-0 scoreline to start the season is nothing to sniff at, regardless of the competition. Still early, but the Mustangs may have found an answer at quarterback in senior Zach Gross, who completed 7 of 10 passes for 148 yards and a touchdown. Like Central, South Western faces a stiff test this Friday: A home matchup with Cedar Cliff.
3. Delone Catholic -- Another season of high expectations in McSherrystown started in promising fashion Friday, with a comfy win against New Oxford. The Squires may have something here with this slightly tweaked, more balanced offense. Delone had more passing yards than rushing yards Friday, thanks to Brett Smith's 7-for-10, 161-yard, two-touchdown night.
4. Dover -- Yes, this was a matchup nightmare for an outsized and outmanned Hanover squad. But 49 points in the first half is still one heck of a statement. The first half of the Eagles schedule looks very manageable. Don't be surprised to see Dover either 6-0 or 5-1 heading into that Week 7 showdown with West York.
5. Bermudian Springs -- Lots of reasons to feel good about this Eagles team, especially after a hard-fought, comeback win against rivals Northern York. New starting quarterback Michael Moore was solid (5-for-12, 152 yards, TD) and the Eagles defense forced three huge turnovers.
6. Red Lion -- Tough to penalize a team too much for a loss to Cumberland Valley, so we'll give the Lions a pass here. Still, that defeat ups the ante a bit for a nervy, Week 2 trip to Manheim Township. The Lions squeaked out a win in this fixture last season, and they need a similar result this time.
7. West York -- This is a relatively unfamiliar position for the Bulldogs. It's hard to know how much of West York's offensive struggles Friday were self-inflicted, and how much were simply the product of a very, very good Central defense. Regardless, a rather daunting home game against Governor Mifflin awaits this Friday. West York will need to be at its best.
8. Dallastown -- The Wildcats used tough defense and some timely offense to scratch out a road win at Warwick. Now where have we seen that combination before? Dallastown is a completely different group this season, but its formula for winning shouldn't look all that different.
9. York Suburban -- Made it out to York Suburban practice today, and you can tell there are plenty of good vibes around Dick May Field after Friday's win against Susquehannock. A home date with Eastern York this Friday will be a better barometer, but the Trojans have lots of team speed and some big bodies up front.
T-10. Northeastern -- The Bobcats took one step toward justifying their preseason optimism with a win against Juniata. For at least one week, quarterback Nick Small is the YAIAA's leading passer -- he threw for 251 yards and three scores.
T-10 Kennard-Dale -- So we have ties both on the top and bottom of the rankings. I promise I won't take the easy way out all year, but the Rams deserve some props after a gutsy, opening night win against York Catholic.
As always, please weigh in with your take using the comments.