Stateline Preps: Football Power Rankings (Week 1)
Well, with the first week of prep football officially completed following Beloit Turner’s loss on Saturday, it’s time for the First Annual Stateline Preps Power Rankings.
It’s a simple ranking system based on wins and losses and other intricate details ranking the top five teams in the Stateline.
Beloit Memorial's Keith Ingram.
(Disclaimer: This is my opinion only, so if you don’t agree with it, feel free to send me a comment on the bottom of the page. Otherwise, it’s not a life-and-death situation.”
1. HONONEGAH (1-0) — There were some dominant performances on Friday, but none more eye-catching than the Indians’ 40-0 romp over Belvidere North. While some regarded North as a potential sleeper in the NIC-10, Hononegah may have put that notion to sleep in a hurry. The Indians had nine different players carry the ball, while quarterback Chase Robinson was outstanding, leading the Indians in rushing (20 carries for 105 yards) and passing (6-for-13, 72 yards). NEXT: at Belvidere, Friday.
2. BIG FOOT (1-0) — Harvard is considered a potential favorite in the Big Northern East conference. It didn’t seem like Big Foot cared about that, rolling to a 48-7 win. Even with the departure of all-everything Travis Frederick, the Chiefs still looked dominant. Mike Walker rushed for 140 yards on 16 carries to go with two touchdowns and Steve Dowden threw for 83 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Big Foot also was opportunistic on defense, pouncing on four Harvard fumbles. NEXT: at Delavan-Darien, Friday.
3. BRODHEAD/JUDA (1-0) — Brodhead/Juda made no secret of what its strength is: running the football. The Cardinals pounded Mayville 40-13, rushing for 428 yards on 41 attempts. Ethan Douglas accounted for 191 of those yards (on 14 carries) as Brayden Fritsch added 101 more on the ground. NEXT: vs. Cuba City, Friday.
4. BELOIT TURNER (0-1) — I’m giving Turner a little bit of a break here due to the rash of injuries the Trojans suffered in Saturday’s 26-16 loss to Lake County Lutheran. Turner lost running back Nolan Byrom and quarterback Jordan Conway with injuries. No word on the severity of the injuries. Even with the losses, Turner hung around and made a game of it as A.J. Bernstein filled in nicely with 81 yards on 20 carries. NEXT: vs. New Glarus/Monticello, Friday.
5. BELOIT MEMORIAL (0-1) — Starting a young offensive line filled with injuries and academic ineligibility probably wasn’t ideal for Beloit Memorial in Friday’s 33-6 loss to Janesville Parker. But the Purple Knights did show some good signs. Jeff Hollenbach was decent at quarterback (when given time to throw) and still has skilled threats in Rob Douglass and K.J. Evans at receiver. The Knights had a couple of chances to score in the red zone, but broken plays resulted in sacks, which resulted in no points. Easy math, even for me. NEXT: vs. Janesville Craig, Friday.
STAR SYSTEM
(I award stars to the top five players in the past week, checking out who had star performances in Week 1).
1. NICK MELTON (PARKVIEW) — The senior quarterback had a hand in three of his team’s touchdowns, helping Parkview to an easy 49-13 romp over Boscobel. Melton had 110 rushing yards on seven carries and completed 10-of-16 passes for 132 yards. If that wasn’t enough, he also returned a punt 88 yards for a touchdown.
2. ALEX ALBRECHT (NORTH BOONE) — The junior quarterback had 520 all-purpose yards in the Vikings’ 28-12 win over Clinton. He finished with 220 yards passing, 126 yards rushing, 83 return yards and another 91 on an interception. And his team won. Enough said.
3. ETHAN DOUGLAS (BRODHEAD/JUDA) — Douglas recorded 206 yards from scrimmage, including 191 on the ground. If the Cardinals are to unseat Big Foot for the Rock Valley South crown, Douglas has to be as big as he was on Friday night.
4. CHASE ROBINSON (HONONEGAH) — All year long the Indians heard how the NIC-10 was a two-team race between Boylan and Harlem. But if Robinson continues to improve, the Indians might be knocking on the door.
5. MIKE WALKER (BIG FOOT) — Walker made it look easy in helping the Chiefs thump Harvard (140 yards on 16 carries, 2 TDs). He’s one of many explosive backs in the RV South.
