It’s cold. It’s Week 9. And it’s time – for teams to take control of their destinies. League titles and playoff trips are on the line as the temperature drops and urgency rises.
Heading into this week five of the six No. 1s in the FAB 5 remained the same – although two lost.
If you’re headed out Friday, here are the hotspots featuring two MVP Fab 5 teams:
Centerville at Wayne
Trotwood-Madison at Springboro
Tippecanoe at Tecumseh
Delphos St. John’s at St. Henry
Other big games that include one Fab 5 team and a few others looking to crack the rankings are:
Valley View at Eaton
Monroe at Waynesville
Bellefontaine at Springfield Shawnee
Dunbar at Thurgood Marshall
Versailles at Anna
Here’s how the Fab 5 Rankings look heading into Week 9.
Division I
1. Centerville (7-1): The Elks are rolling. Wayne and Fairmont to close out the season is not easy. But neither is playing Centerville. Finish 9-1 and Elks could host first round playoff game.
2. Springboro (7-1): Panthers need to win last two games to have shot at playoffs. Trotwood-Madison and Fairborn loom.
3. Lebanon (6-2): The Warriors are in perfect position to win their second GWOC South title and first outright championship ever. Only Xenia and Miamisburg, who are a combined 3-13, stand in the way.
4. Wayne (5-3): Warriors have two capable QBs. They’ll probably need them both in annual rivalry game with Centerville.
5. Fairmont (4-4): Why not? Firebirds have won three of last four, including games over Beavercreek and Springfield.
Division II
1. Trotwood-Madison (5-3): Rams head coach Maurive Douglass returns this week after a four-game suspension. Trotwood was 3-1 in his absence with former NFL and Ohio State standout Jeff Graham filling in. Rams are 12 points shy of being undefeated.
2. West Carrollton (7-1): Pirates move one step closer to the playoffs with win over Meadowdale.
3. Tecumseh (7-1): Arrows finally met their match in Springfield Shawnee. Doesn’t get any easier with Tippecanoe (7-1) and Bellefontaine (7-1) the next two weeks.
4. Wilmington (6-2): Hurricane notched first win over Kings since at least 1998. Wilmington, winners of three straight, is coming on strong.
5. Carroll (4-4): Patriots got nice win at McNicholas. Badin (6-2) and Fenwick (5-3) await.
Division III
1. Graham (6-2): Falcons need some computer points and have Indian Lake (4-4) and Urbana (4-4) left. Right now they’re 10th in Region 10. Game against Lakers this Friday is for CBC Mad River title. Both teams are 3-0 in the conference.
2. Tippecanoe (7-1): Red Devils are in driver’s seat of CBC Kenton Division right now. Win over Tecumseh Friday nets them at least a share of the championship.
3. Bellefontaine (7-1): Chieftains rebounded from loss to Tipp to shut out Kenton Ridge 33-0.
4. Monroe (7-1): Hornets have won six straight. Big road test at Waynesville (6-2) on Friday.
5. Chaminade Julienne (7-1): Eagles have won four straight thanks to 25-3 victory over Purcell Marian. After Roger Bacon (1-7) this Friday, CJ should be 8-1.
Division IV
1. Alter (8-0): Knights recorded their second shutout of the season with 27-0 win over Roger Bacon. Now 1-7 Purcell Marian comes to town.
2. Clinton-Massie (8-0): Falcons are flying high after second straight shutout. Massie has allowed just 46 points all year. WOW.
3. Thurgood Marshall (5-3): Too bad Cougars had to forfeit their first three games, they would be an interesting playoff team – just not sure there’s enough points left out there for them to make it. Marshall is averaging 60 points per game the last five weeks.
4. Valley View (6-2): Spartans have won two straight, including an impressive 22-8 win over Carlisle. Tough road game with playoff and SWBL Southwestern Division titles looms Friday at Eaton.
5. Carlisle (6-2): Indians have lost two of last three, but should knock out next two opponents – Preble Shawnee (3-5) and Dixie (4-4).
Division V
1. Coldwater (7-1): Cavs took Delphos St. John’s to the limit before losing in closing seconds. They are still the class of D-V in the Miami Valley – and maybe the state.
2. Anna (7-1): Since losing to Coldwater, Rockets have outscored their next three opponents – St. Henry, Minster and New Bremen – 117-7.
3. St. Henry (6-2): Redskins snapped two-game losing skid with 49-16 win over Fort Recovery. Now they get St. John’s at home.
4. West Liberty-Salem (8-0): The Tigers won but dropped from 3 to 4 because they only scored 9 points against Greeneview. I can’t see St. Henry – the team that jumped them – EVER doing that.
5. Miami East (7-1): Vikings won their seventh straight and should make it eight against National Trail (1-7). Then things get interesting with Week 10 date against Ansonia (8-0).
Division VI
1. Delphos St. John’s (8-0): After beating Coldwater, the Blue Jays have truly established themselves as the team to beat in D-VI. Can’t have a letdown this week though with road trip to St. Henry.
2. Ansonia (8-0): According to Joe Eitel, the Tigers have already clinched a playoff berth. With wins the next two weeks they can add the CCC championship.
3. Fort Loramie (7-1): Redskins bounced back from their first loss with a 63-7 win over Dayton Christian.
4. Southeastern (6-2): Trojans have back-to-back wins after stubbing their toes in Weeks 5-6. Southeastern needs to close with two more wins to challenge for a playoff spot.
5. Lehman Catholic (5-3): The Cavaliers have won two straight. Two more wins and we’re looking at a playoff team.
