Ashland County Football Week 4 Power Rankings: Did close Ashland win affect top-two spots?
With Week 4 wrapped up, let's take a look at the Ashland Times-Gazette Football Power Rankings through four weeks.
More: Ashland County Football Week 3 Power Rankings: Did Black River's first win boost its spot?
9. Loudonville (0-4)
Loudonville had another rough outing on Friday, falling to East Knox 34-0. The Redbirds are still seeking their first win.
This week: vs. Centerburg
8. Crestview (0-4)
In their Firelands Conference opener, Crestview fell 31-16 to a Monroeville team (4-0) that's quickly becoming one of the top teams in Division VII. The Cougars continue to struggle on the defensive end (have given up 30 points or more in all four losses) but they have the potential to get on the right track within league play. They will have to move quickly though.
This week: at New London
7. South Central (1-3)
South Central cashed in its first victory over New London at home 33-12, as the Trojans compiled 348 yards of offense.
This week: at Monroeville
6. Northwestern (1-3)
The Huskies didn't have any answers for the strong force that is Norwayne (3-1) in a road 56-0 loss. But a winnable game presents itself for the Huskies this week against 1-3 Chippewa.
This week: vs. Chippewa
5. Mapleton (1-3)
Mapleton is another Ashland-area team that was shut out last week, 34-0 at St. Paul. The Mounties were able to run it well (118 rushing yards) but weren't able to muster up any points. The Mounties only have seven total points the last two weeks; the offense must improve if they want to stay competitive in their conference.
This week: vs. Western Reserve
4. New London (2-2)
South Central were a little too much for New London on Friday, giving the Wildcats their second loss. Playing as an independent school this year, the Wildcats will have a slew of Firelands Conference opponents coming up on their schedule.
This week: vs. Crestview
3. Black River (2-2)
Black River pulled out a 13-7 squeaker in overtime at Wellington for a second straight win. After giving up 36.0 points per game in their first two games (both losses), the Pirates have surrendered just 7 total points in their two wins. There's a good chance they take three in a row this week against 0-4 Firelands.
This week: vs. Firelands
2. Ashland (4-0)
Ashland stayed undefeated last week at home, as the highly productive offensive Arrows (43.0 PPG in first three games) were cooled off by defensive-minded New Philadelphia but won 17-14 in their Ohio Cardinal Conference opener. Defensively, the Arrows came up with timely third- and fourth-down stops (Ashland held New Philly to 0-for-4 on fourth down) throughout that showed even if they're not humming on offense, the defense can more than carry the load.
Ashland wide receiver/running back Michael Franz scored both touchdowns (one catch, one run), and defensive anchors Tyler Sauder (10 tackles, 1 sack, 3 tackles for loss) and Gunner Lacey (6 tackles, 1 sack, 3 tackles for loss) were huge. As a team, the Arrows recorded six sacks.
This week: vs. Maple Heights
1. Hillsdale (4-0)
Another week, another convincing Hillsdale victory.
Because of how overwhelming Hillsdale has been in its first four games (averaging 43.7 points per game and margin of victory is 37.0), it stays just above Ashland in the No. 1 spot. On Friday at Chippewa, the Falcons rolled 63-0, as the offense collected eight rushing touchdowns, four from running back Owen Sloan, who registered 98 rushing yards.
Coming up Friday is likely to be the biggest test of the regular season, as Wayne County Athletic Conference foe, defending league champion and last year's Division VII state runner-up Dalton (3-1) will make its way to Jeromesville. The Bulldogs handed the Falcons a 50-7 defeat last year and that could be motivation. While Dalton might not be quite the juggernaut it was last year, it's still viewed as one of the top teams in Division VI. If Hillsdale can come out victorious, that could send rumbles throughout Northeast Ohio.
This week: vs. Dalton
jsimpson@gannnett.com
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This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Ashland Football Power Rankings: Ashland get by tough test in Week 4
