One hot team went down and a new team jumped back in to the top 10 in this week’s Wooster Daily Record high school football power rankings.
On the outside this week: Loudonville (3-3), Rittman (3-3), Tuslaw (2-4), Waynedale (1-5).
Week 6 Football Power Rankings
10. Northwestern (2-4)
Northwestern dropped its fourth straight defeat last Friday after a rough 34-0 loss at home to probably the best team in Wayne/Holmes County area in Smithville. It’s been a rough stretch of late for the Huskies, but they’ll need to bounce back in these next four games if they want to get into the playoffs.
Next Week: at Hillsdale (5-1)
9. Wooster (2-4)
With a gritty defensive effort, using the clock to their advantage on offense and keeping the chains moving in the running game — especially with running back Kaj Meier’s two rushing touchdowns — Wooster did enough to defeat a New Philadelphia team 17-10 at home that came in 2-0 in Ohio Cardinal Conference play. The Generals are now 2-1 in the OCC and are showing signs of a program that’s gradually improving under second-year head coach Ray Leek.
Next Week: at Dover (4-2)
8. Dalton (2-4)
Dalton’s fight to get back over .500 took another step in the right direction in Week 6 with its 35-0 victory at Rittman. In Week 7 it awaits a key matchup with Norwayne.
Next Week: vs. Norwayne (3-3)
7. Chippewa (4-2)
In a game where it had something to prove, Chippewa was competitive but not victorious in its 21-7 road loss to Norwayne. Chippewa will be favored against 1-5 Waynedale in its next outing before taking on three big tests in Smithville, Hillsdale and Dalton to close out the regular season.
This Week: at Waynedale (1-5)
6. Norwayne (3-3)
Norwayne held off a fiesty and improved Chippewa squad 21-7 at home for its third straight win. Sitting at 3-0 in Wayne County Athletic League play, the Bobcats are well within the league title hunt with a key rivalry game with Dalton in Week 7 soon to take place.
Next Week: at Dalton (2-4)
5. West Holmes (4-2)
In what was a litmus test kind of a game for West Holmes, it fell at home 56-35 to a Dover team that is now the frontrunner to win the OCC and right now are seen as one of the top 15-20 teams in Division III. Offensively, there’s not much to complain about for the Knights as they produced 463 total yards of offense with notable performances from quarterback Brayden Parsons (326 passing yards, 3 TD passes, 1 INT, 70% completion percentage), wideout Coi Beachy (19 receptions, 182 receiving yards, 3 TD catches) and running back Christopher Williams (17 carries, 116 rushing yards, 2 TD runs).
Defensively is where the Knights got themselves in trouble, along with the 56 points they allowed versus Dover. Against the top teams moving forward, West Holmes is going to have to become a little stingier on the defensive side that will compliment its impressive offense.
Next Week: at Lexington (1-5)
4. Orrville (5-1)
Orrville had no problems with winless Canton South in its 41-14 home win in Week 6 and are now in a three-way tie at the top of the Principals Athletic Conference with Northwest and Akron Manchester with a 3-0 league record. The Red Riders meet 6-0 Northwest at home in Week 7 in what will be a must-see matchup.
Next Week: vs. Northwest (6-0)
3. Triway (5-1)
Triway added another forceful win to its record in a 35-7 road victory against Fairless behind a nice offensive balance (242 rushing yards, 230 passing yards) and another striking defensive performance (3 sacks, 2 INTs, just 7 points allowed).
Next Week: at Canton South (0-7)
2. Hillsdale (5-1)
Hillsdale answered after its defeat to Smithville with a comfortable 62-7 home victory over Waynedale, where the game was already out of reach at halftime with a 56-0 lead. It looks like the Falcons might need some help from possible losses by Norwayne and Smithville in the WCAL title race the rest of the way as they look to close out the last four weeks playing good football.
Next Week: vs. Northwestern (2-4)
1. Smithville (6-0)
Smithville didn’t let up after its state-ranked win over Hillsdale in Week 5, and it showed on the field against Northwestern as the Smithies defense came away with their first shutout of the season and contained Northwestern’s quick-pace offense.
Next Week: vs. Rittman (3-3)
jamessimpson@gannett.com
Twitter/X: @JamesSimpsonII
This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: WDR Week 5 HS football power rankings | Wooster jumps back into Top 10
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