YAIAA football power rankings, Week 6: Two unbeatens remain
Check out the Week 4 rankings here.
A reminder of the process behind the Top 10: Don’t think of these as a straight-on measure of which team is better in a head-to-head sense -- obviously, if that were the case, the top five would be loaded with Class AAA and AAAA teams most of the time. Instead, think of them as a gauge primarily of which team is playing the best, with record, quality of opponent(s), classification, etc., also factored in.
These are for fun, so treat them as such. That said, please do chime in with your own thoughts in the comments. Opposing opinions are always welcome.
T-1. West York (1) -- Let's give credit where it's due: The Bulldogs loaded up their non-league schedule with five YAIAA Division I teams, and emerged with a 5-0 record heading into the start of Division II play this week. The latest victory, a 38-21 triumph at William Penn, was once again keyed by defense (five forced turnovers, 213 total yards allowed). Still, I feel like this team's best football may still be ahead of it. That's a scary thought for West York's D-II brethren.
T-1. Bermudian Springs (2) -- There's not much left to say about the Eagles dominance so far, except that every week it seems they find a new way to impress. On Friday, Bermudian (5-0) allowed 64 total yards of offense in a rout of York Suburban. In five games, the Eagles have outscored opponents a combined 173-22 (!!!). Still, Berm's toughest games may still be in front of it, with a testy home matchup with red-hot Delone Catholic on tap for Friday and games against Littlestown and Biglerville still to come.
3. Central York (4) -- No idea who the favorite is right now in the Div. I race, but the Panthers (3-2) have inserted themselves into the thick of the discussion with three straight wins. The most encouraging sign from that stretch may be the development of Central's defense, which has allowed 20 total points in that stretch. Big test on Friday with a visit to Spring Grove, led by former Panthers defensive coordinator Russ Stoner.
4. Delone Catholic (6) -- After a 1-2 start, the Squires (3-2) have put together back-to-back take-notice performances. They followed up Week 4's blowout of York Suburban with a 43-28 win over previously unbeaten Biglerville. That means Delone is playing its best football heading into this week's showdown with Bermudian.
5. Spring Grove (T-10) -- Don't look now, but the Rockets (3-2) are playing some really solid football heading into their Division I opener. It's why we took our GameTimePA show to Papertown this week. Some serious sleeper potential here. Although no one will consider Spring Grove a dark horse anymore if it knocks off Central York on Friday.
6. York Catholic (8) --
Huge win for the Irish (3-2) last week, erasing a 21-point fourth-quarter deficit against Littlestown. Remember, York Catholic also played Bermudian tougher than any team so far this season during a 14-7 loss. This is a good football team.
7. Biglerville (3) -- Hate to drop the Canners (4-1) this far, but such is life in the uber-volatile Div. III race. Biglerville came back to earth with that loss to the Squires, committing a costly turnover early and allowing a season-high 375 yards. Interested to see how Alex Ramos' group bounces back in a big game this week at York Catholic.
8. Dallastown (9) -- Wildcats (2-3) haven't totally figured it out yet -- they were shaky at times during a 21-7 win over New Oxford. But they have won two in a row heading into a tough-to-call Division I opener with South Western.
9. South Western (T-10) -- The Mustangs get to 3-2 courtesy of an easy win over Susquehannock. This is still a hard team to read -- South Western allowed 132 total points in losses to two excellent programs, and its three wins came against teams who are a combined 2-13 this season.
T-10. Littlestown (5) -- Tough one last week for the Bolts (3-2) who failed to put away York Catholic and paid the price. Instead of having four wins and being in the thick of the D-III race, Littlestown now knows it's going to need some help.
T-10. Northeastern (7) -- Two straight losses for the Bobcats (3-2), who never got going on offense against Spring Grove. Look for them to try to reestablish that run game at New Oxford this week.
In the mix: Dover (2-3), York Suburban (3-2)