Jonathan Alder quarterback Tabor Headings leaps to avoid a Thornville Sheridan tackler. The Pioneers have climbed to No. 12 in Region 11 of Division III in the weekly computer ratings. Listen to the Journal-Tribune high school football podcast Thursday on Spotify.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Tim Miller)
—
A victory over Bellefontaine last Friday has lifted Jonathan Alder’s football team into state playoff contention.
The Pioneers (4-4) were ranked 18th last week in Region 11 of Division III.
That left Alder, which has been nearly an annual playoff team for the past two decades, two slots away from a possible post-season berth.
Alder clubbed a Chieftain squad that took a 5-2 record into last week’s game by a convincing 42-7 margin.
That triumph propelled the Pioneers up six spots on the regional ladder.
Under the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s new playoff system, the top 16 teams in each region at the conclusion of the regular season next week will advance to the post-season.
The state playoffs will begin the weekend of Oct. 29-30.
Despite losing to Jonathan Alder, Bellefontaine is ranked 11th in the same region.
The Chieftains were seventh prior to their loss to JA.
Region 11 – 1. Granville (7-0) 22.5532, 2. Jackson (6-2) 15.75, 3. Mount Orab Western Brown (6-2) 14.9794, 4. Cols. Bishop Hartley (6-2) 14.7566, 5. Thornville Sheridan (7-1) 14.5, 6. Dresden Tri-Valley (6-1) 14.2807, 7. London (6-2) 13.5293, 8. Washington C.H. Miami Trace (6-2) 12.6488, 9. Cols. Eastmoor Acad. (4-3) 11.8924, 10. Cols. St. Francis DeSales (4-4) 11.4994, 11. Bellefontaine (5-3) 10.675, 12. Plain City Jonathan Alder (4-4) 9.8, 13. Cols. Beechcroft (5-3) 9.4136, 14. Zanesville (4-3) 9.3319, 15. Delaware Buckeye Valley (5-3) 9.1888, 16. Cols. South (5-3) 8.5718, 17. Cols. Bishop Watterson (4-4) 8.4607, 18. Chillicothe (4-3) 8.3173, 19. Cols. Hamilton Township (4-2) 7.6026, 20. Marietta (3-5) 3.769.
The unbeaten Marysville Monarchs (7-0) continue their stranglehold at the top of Region 2 in Division I.
MHS has been No. 1 each week of the computer ratings.
Marysville continues to have the most computer points of any team in any division throughout the state.
The Monarchs have faced what appeared to be two stiff challenges earlier this season in Hilliard Darby and Dublin Jerome.
Marysville withstood Darby’s veer offense that rushed for 242 yards to win 21-14 in overtime.
The Monarchs punished Dublin Jerome, 34-0, a week later.
The local squad will face another challenge on Friday when it hosts 7-1 Olentangy Berlin on Senior Night.
Berlin is the top-ranked team in Region 7 of Division II.
Region 2 – 1. Marysville (7-0) 26.7841, 2. Springfield (7-0) 26.3718, 3. Centerville (6-2) 16.258, 4. Huber Hts. Wayne (6-2) 16.0658, 5. Tol. Whitmer (6-2) 15.5013, 6. Findlay (5-3) 14.7375, 7. Dublin Jerome (5-3) 14.6875, 8. Kettering Fairmont (5-3) 13.4747, 9. Perrysburg (5-3) 13.411, 10. Powell Olentangy Liberty (4-4) 12.798, 11. Springboro (4-3) 8.3695, 12. Miamisburg (5-3) 7.2771, 13. Dublin Coffman (3-5) 6.9375, 14. Tol. Start (3-5) 5.9401, 15. Clayton Northmont (2-5) 5.2342, 16. Delaware Hayes (2-6) 4.5497, 17. Beavercreek (0-8) 0, 17. Middletown (0-7) 0.
The Wildcats of North Union have remained on a steady pace for much of the season.
NU will take a 7-1 record into Friday evening’s home contest against Indian Lake.
There will be plenty of computer points up for grabs when the combatants kick off in a couple of days.
North Union is ranked seventh in Division V’s Region 18.
The Lakers (6-2) are two spots ahead of the Wildcats in the same region.
Both teams, though, are assured of a post-season berth.
Region 18 – 1. Tontogany Otsego (7-0) 18.8036, 2. Elyria Cath. (6-2) 16.0128, 3. Bloomdale Elmwood (6-1) 15.3235, 4. Ottawa-Glandorf (5-3) 13.5625, 5. Lewistown Indian Lake (6-2) 12.3375, 6. Pemberville Eastwood (7-1) 12.2287, 7. Richwood North Union (7-1) 12.2143, 8. Findlay Liberty-Benton (6-1) 12.0633, 9. Kansas Lakota (6-2) 8.1351, 10. Lima Bath (5-3) 7.975, 11. Genoa Area (4-4) 7.6186, 12. Doylestown Chippewa (4-3) 7.1867, 13. Bucyrus Wynford (4-4) 5.2883, 14. Apple Creek Waynedale (4-4) 4.7429, 15. Oak Harbor (4-4) 4.0026, 16. Marion Pleasant (1-7) 3.6288, 17. Brooklyn (3-5) 3.5815, 18. West Salem Northwestern (2-6) 3.5729, 19. Bellefontaine Benjamin Logan (3-5) 3.2532, 20. Millbury Lake (2-6) 2.2234.
A 42-14 loss a week ago to top-ranked Mechanicsburg didn’t hurt the Fairbanks Panthers all that much as far as the computer ratings.
FHS (5-3) slipped one notch from sixth to seventh in this week’s Division VI, Region 24 rankings.
The Panthers have another stout opponent on the horizon on Friday when they will travel to West Jefferson.
The Roughriders (8-0) are currently ranked second in Region 23 of Division VI.
A 51-7 loss to West Jefferson last week has continued the Triad Cardinals (2-6) on a downward trend.
Triad was ranked 16th – still within a playoff berth – last week in Region 24.
The Cardinals have slipped two spots to No. 18.
Triad will host Northeastern on Friday.
The Springfield-area school is ninth in Region 24 with a 5-3 record.
Region 24 – 1. Mechanicsburg (8-0) 13.6705, 2. Harrod Allen East (6-2) 12.75, 3. Coldwater (7-1) 9.3176, 4. Arcanum (6-2) 9.1121, 5. Bainbridge Paint Valley (5-3) 7.3816, 6. Cin. Gamble Montessori (5-2) 6.3382, 7. Milford Center Fairbanks (5-3) 6.1339, 8. Anna (3-5) 6.0125, 9. Springfield Northeastern (5-3) 5.7653, 10. Cin. Country Day (5-2) 4.8252, 11. Delphos Jefferson (3-5) 3.8883, 12. Cin. Deer Park (2-6) 3.7708, 13. Chillicothe Huntington (2-5) 3.388, 14. Fort Recovery (3-5) 3.325, 15. Jamestown Greeneview (4-4) 3.2626, 16. New Paris National Trail (3-5) 2.425, 17. St. Bernard-Elmwood Place (1-5) 1.6107, 18. North Lewisburg Triad (2-6) 1.5821, 19. Frankfort Adena (2-6) 1.488, 20. Casstown Miami East (2-6) 1.4625.