Gameday Power Poll: Week 4
STERLING, VA - Out of all the teams featured in last week's Gameday Power Poll, only Chantilly walked off with a loss, but it was the teams below the Chargers that all flip-flopped. As a result, we have one newcomer and a few significant drops by several teams. As stated in the release of last week's Power Poll, quality wins are now as important as ever if teams wish to climb the rankings. So take a look into this week's Power Poll rankings after Week Four's host of match-ups to see where your favorite team ranks.
1. WESTFIELD 4-0
Previous: 1
Next Up: at #6 Robinson
Westfield proved they deserved our #1 ranking as they put to sleep a very talented Chantilly squad by the score of 28-13. Yet they can't celebrate for too long as a match-up with #6 Robinson looms large for this team. As of now however, the Bulldogs are the clear frontrunner for a region title and the outright dominant team in the Northern Virginia area.
2. SHERANDO 4-0
Previous: 3
Next up: vs. Handley
Sherando is on absolute fire at this point. All the talent head coach Bill Hall puts out on the field for Sherando is near impossible to stop, and if folks want to see an offensive clinic, take a ride out to Stephens City. The Warriors' match-up with Handley this week is no walk in the park however and could be a great test for Sherando.
3. CHANTILLY 3-1
Previous: 2
Next up: at Herndon
Chantilly falls one spot after losing to #1 Westfield. Yet don't sell the Chargers short as this is still a highly talented team that just happened to fall to one of the state's premier teams. Expect them to bounce back strong against a rebuilding Herndon team.
4. STONE BRIDGE 3-1
Previous: 5
Next up: at McLean
The Bulldogs move up one spot after their resounding 49-7 win over Loudoun Valley. After putting 42 points up on the Vikings in just the first half, head coach Mickey Thompson had this team looking like the dominant Stone Bridge team of last year. That alone should serve as a scary thought for the rest of the region.
5. WEST SPRINGFIELD 3-1
Previous: 6
Next up: vs. Annandale
Week 4 wasn't much of a test for the Spartans as they easily dismissed the Hayfield Hawks 47-7. Next week however will be a different story as the Annandale Atoms come into town. The Atoms are coming off an unexpected loss to T.C. Williams, so you can expect Annandale be fired up and give West Springfield quite a fight.
6. ROBINSON 3-1
Previous: 8
Next up: vs. Westfield
Coming off a 41-14 victory over Anacostia (DC), Robinson moves up two spots in the poll. A win this week however won't be nearly as easy when they take on Westfield. If the Rams are able to pull off the upset, fans will need to take Robinson as a serious contender once again.
7. PARK VIEW 3-0
Previous: 4
Next up: at Loudoun County
Dropping the most in our Power Poll are the Park View Patriots. They had what seemed like two impressive victories over Division 6 opponents, but in retrospect they now appear to be wins over rebuilding programs. We are by no means counting Park View out of the picture, but we are waiting to see what they can do in the weeks to come.
8. FAUQUIER 3-0
Previous: NR
Next up: vs. Culpeper County
Those in the Northwest Region and Cedar Run district need to watch out for Fauquier. Yes, we said it: watch out for Fauquier. This team is significantly better than what we've seen in the past and trust us, they will make plenty of noise in the Cedar Run before it's all said and done.
9. MADISON 4-0
Previous: 7
Next up: at Jefferson
A lot like Park View, Madison drops because their quality wins don't seem as strong as we initially thought. At Gameday, our jury is still out on the Warhawks at this point and we're waiting to see how they do against Stone Bridge.
10. STONEWALL JACKSON 3-0
Previous: 10
Next up: vs. Battlefield
Staying put in the ten spot are the Raiders of Stonewall Jackson. This team will move up significantly when running back Ryan Williams is finally at full strength, but until that time, we are content at keeping them right where they are now.
ALSO RECEIVING VOTES:
POTOMAC 4-0: It is becoming extremely hard for us to exclude the Panthers right now. In two weeks, they will enter the heart of their Cardinal District schedule and if they escape that gauntlet unscathed, then this could quite possibly be a top five team. Yes, a top five team.
WEST POTOMAC 4-0: Despite West Potomac being undefeated, they don't have a quality win to their credit. West Springfield is on tap next week after they face Hayfield this week and that will be a great test to see just where this team is.
EDISON 3-1: The Edison offense is back in full force after they put up over 40 points in back-to-back weeks. Problem for Edison is that they now start getting into National District play and that means they play less than average competition. Not until November will this team be tested again when #3 Chantilly comes into town.
BROAD RUN 3-0: A huge game with Briar Woods looms large this week for the Spartans. How well they perform in this contest will say plenty about this team.
GAR-FIELD 3-1: Gar-Field is a team that is tough to get a read on right now because of the departure of quarterback Chris Lovitt. Yet replacement Aaron Jackson looks like a very capable replacement mainly because of his feet. We're not completely counting out the Indians at this point.
