Stateline Preps: Football Power Rankings (Week 5) — New No. 1!
Welcome back to Stateline Preps!
For the first time all season, there will be a change at the top of the power rankings.
Hononegah held the spot the first four months but last Friday’s 26-7 whooping at the hands of Harlem has changed the perspective on the Indians.
While one group of Indians steps down, another group — known as the Chiefs — moved to the top of the pecking order.
Big Foot has earned the No. 1 poll ranking as the Chiefs’ defense has been the best in the Stateline all season.
Unlike one college football poll voter who had Houston in the top five last week, the rankings won’t get that crazy.
It’s hard to believe we’re at the midway point of the football season. Now, the talk turns to playoff berths and conference championships for some schools. For other schools, it’s time to start thinking about basketball.
(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. BIG FOOT (5-0): When it comes to talent, it’s clear that the Chiefs are loaded from top to bottom. But the thing that impresses me the most about Big Foot is its commitment to defense. All the offensive accolades are reserved for guys like Mike Walker, Steve Dowden, Nathan Nagel and Alex McGreevy, but it’s the other guys on the defense that makes last year’s WIAA Division 4 runner-up so formidable. The Chiefs held Clinton to minus-50 yards rushing in their 42-7 win last Friday. Unfortunately for the Chiefs, they won’t get tested this week (vs. Beloit Turner), but Week 7’s showdown against Brodhead/Juda looms large. NEXT: Friday vs. Beloit Turner, 7 p.m. Last week’s ranking: No. 2.
2. BRODHEAD/JUDA (5-0): A better Palmyra-Eagle team visited Brodhead last weekend and got a rude reception. The Cardinals crushed P-E to the tune of 42-6. There may not be a better Medium Division running team in Wisconsin than the Cardinals. They proved it again on Friday, rushing for 339 yards on 47 carries. Ethan Douglas looks unstoppable (20 rushes, 152 yards) and the Cardinals’ defense limited P-E to 153 total yards. Dominant performance by a team who seems to be getting better and better each week. NEXT: Friday at Clinton, 7 p.m. Last week’s ranking: No. 3.
3. HONONEGAH (4-1): It was kind of tough to figure out how good Hononegah was this season until last Friday in Machesney Park. It turns out the Indians have a lot of work to do. The Huskies speed and athleticism made it look like a college team playing a bunch of high schoolers. Hononegah was blown right out of the gate and mounted only one “serious” drive against Harlem in the second half. The most telling chant of the night might have been from the Indians’ student section, who were yelling “Pass the ball!” in the second half with the Indians down 26-0. They didn’t pass the ball, instead opting for the run. That pretty much sums up the game. NEXT: Friday vs. Rockford Guilford, 7:15 p.m. Last week’s ranking: No. 1.
4. PARKVIEW (4-1): If there was one thing Parkview proved in its 20-6 triumph over Beloit Turner, it’s that they’re not all about Nick Melton. Halfback Caleb Fakes ran over the Trojans’ defense, racking up 189 yards on 22 carries with a 74-yard TD run. The Vikings’ defense, which had been a question mark going into 2009, was stellar, holding a banged-up Turner squad to 27 rushing yards on 30 carries. NEXT: Friday at Palmyra-Eagle, 7 p.m. Last week’s ranking: No. 4.
5. BELOIT MEMORIAL (1-4): Things are going from bad to worse for the Purple Knights. Three weeks after knocking off Janesville Craig, Beloit has headed south ever since. Last week’s 41-7 loss to Madison West may have been the dagger. Beloit coach Joe Oberneder came into the game already frustrated from last week’s loss to La Follette, and I’m sure he can’t be feeling any better about his team this week. West’s Leighton Settle had nine carries — three of which were TDs — for 126 yards. Not good. NEXT: Friday vs. Madison Memorial, 7:30 p.m. Last week’s ranking: No. 5.
STAR SYSTEM
(I award stars to the top five players in the past week, checking out who had star performances in Week 5).
1. NATHAN NAGEL (BIG FOOT) — Regarded as one of the best all-around tight ends in Wisconsin, Nagel showed his prowess against Clinton. Not only did he catch an 18-yard TD pass from Steve Dowden, he also returned an interception 12 yards for a TD in the third quarter, showing his versatility. He finished with 3 receptions for 53 yards, giving Big Foot another added dimension to its potent offense.
2. CALEB FAKES (PARKVIEW) — Fakes bulldozed Turner’s defense with 189 yards on 22 carries. His 74-yard TD run in the second quarter gave Parkview a 7-6 lead that it wouldn’t relinquish. If Fakes can get into the flow with QB Nick Melton, Parkview will glide into the WIAA playoffs for the first time in seven years.
3. ALEX ALBRECHT (NORTH BOONE) — I know the Vikings lost 20-12 to Burlington Central, but it was good to see Albrecht back on the field after leaving the previous week’s game on a stretcher. Albrecht proved that he might be the best all-around offensive athlete in the Stateline, passing for 174 yards and rushing for 91 more. Unfortunately for North Boone, it looks like they’ll need even more from Albrecht to make the IHSA playoffs.
4. ETHAN DOUGLAS (BRODHEAD/JUDA) — Douglas’ rushing stats were ho-hum (20 carries for 152 yards) for the Brodhead/Juda senior, but his 9-yard TD reception from David Earleywine shows he’s not a two-down back. If he continues to catch passes out of the backfield, that will give opposing defensive coordinators even more to think about — which is scary.
5. BIG FOOT DEFENSE — This spot is usually reserved for individual performances, but when you hold a team to minus-50-yards rushing, you get my vote. Kudos to the Chiefs’ defense, who has yielded a league-low 8 points a game.
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Harlem's Tyler Cox runs past Hononegah's Lucas Limberg.
