Gameday Power Poll - Week 7
Chad McMichael of Potomac Falls tiptoes the sideline to enter into the endzone and help lead his team to their sixth win of the year. So far, the Panthers have cruised on by their competition, putting them at #7 in the Power Poll as of now...
Photo By: Gameday Magazine
The Oakton defense stood tall last Friday against Centreville during their big 47-14 win. The Cougars look poised to take a shot at #4 Westfield in two weeks, a game which would likely decide the Concorde District champion...
Photo By: Dave Bernhardt
Just like the Madden or Sports Illustrated curse, our #10 team in the Power Poll takes yet another dive. The latest #10 ranked victim were the Fauquier Falcons who lost last week to Osbourn 26-24. That opened up the door for a team that is very familiar to the Power Poll in the Sherando Warriors, who uncorked a big 44-20 win over Skyline.
We also reversed the roles over who the current top contender is in the Dulles District. Potomac Falls continues to surge ahead in the Poll, moving to #7, bumping Broad Run back to #8. Whether those current rankings hold until now remains to be seen, as the two Loudoun County schools will not meet until next week.
Also, don't look now, but several big-time programs are knocking on the door, specifically West Springfield and Hylton. West Springfield appears to be every bit the team we thought they were in the beginning of the season where it appears Hylton is slowly regaining their championship form.
How everything plays out from here should start to get even more interesting as playoffs are now just three weeks away. For now, here's how they stand...
1. STONE BRIDGE (7-0)
Previous: 1
Last Week: 38-0 win over Langley
This Week: at Madison
Stone Bridge cruised on by to another win, this time winning over Langley by a score of 38-0. 31 of their points were scored in the first half where running back Daniel Allen accounted for four touchdowns. Up next for the Bulldogs are the Madison Warhawks, a game which has traditionally pitted the top two Liberty District foes against each other. That won't be the case this year, as the Warhawks enter this matchup with a district loss to Woodson, but still expect a fight from Madison this week, as they've been the recipients of several tough losses over the years to the Bulldogs.
2. WOODBRIGDE (6-0)
Previous: 2
Last Week: 50-21 win over Potomac
This Week: at Forest Park
Last Friday, the Vikings proved just exactly why they are a top contender for a Division 6 state title. When up against a tough Potomac squad, a team Woodbridge hasn't had much luck against in the past, they blew out the visiting Panthers behind De'Antwan "Rocket" Williams's 300-plus rushing yards and five touchdowns. The Vikings are up against Forest Park this week, but appear to have the toughest portion of their schedule already taken care of.
3. BATTLEFIELD (6-0)
Previous: 3
Last Week: 40-21 win over Liberty
This Week: at Osbourn
Battlefield survived quite a scare from Liberty last week, when both teams were tied midway through the fourth quarter. In the end, it was the Bobcats who prevailed, but they won't be able to rest at all this week when they travel out to play Osbourn, a team that is rising fast. If Battlefield can get by Osbourn this Friday, look for them to likely finish out the year undefeated, just like their eastern Prince William County counterparts, the Woodbridge Vikings.
4. WESTFIELD (7-0)
Previous: 4
Last Week: 32-7 win over Fairfax
This Week: at Herndon
It sure took Westfield awhile to kick things into gear against Fairfax last week, but when they did, the result was a 32-7 victory. Everything right now is looking great for Westfield as their hero in last week's contest was Danny Fenyak, who is doing his best to prove that Westfield can do a lot more than hand the ball off to Jordan Anderson. The Bulldogs face a solid Herndon squad this week, but will then face #5 Oakton, a game which should decide the Concorde District title and #1 seed in the playoffs.
5. OAKTON (7-0)
Previous: 5
Last Week: 47-14 win over Centreville
This Week: vs. Robinson
As each week goes by, Oakton continues to impress. Their latest 47-14 win over Centreville is enough evidence to prove that this team has fully arrived and is primed for another state title run. The Cougars must survive Robinson this week, and if they can manage a win, they would set up a monumental clash between Oakton and #4 Westfield, which would likely decide the Concorde District title and #1 seed in the playoffs.
6. EDISON (7-0)
Previous: 6
Last Week: 57-6 win over Stuart
This Week: at Falls Church
As a case involving the use of an ineligible player has become the main storyline involving Edison, head coach Vaughn Lewis regrouped his bunch and put together their most impressive win of the year when they dispatched of a much-improved Stuart squad by a score of 57-6. As of now, Edison is undefeated, but the big question surrounding this team for all of next week is whether five of those wins will stand or be counted as losses.
7. POTOMAC FALLS (6-0)
Previous: 8
Last Week: 28-20 win over Park View
This Week: vs. Freedom (South Riding)
Moving up one spot are the Potomac Falls Panthers. Each week they continue to impress, and after they have dispatched of every single district opponent with relative ease, we've felt the need to move this team up. In fact, they may have established themselves as the top contender for the Dulles District title, which says just how much this team has excelled during the year. The Panthers face Freedom this week, but have a colossal match-up against #8 Broad Run in just a matter of weeks.
8. BROAD RUN (6-0)
Previous: 7
Last Week: 27-6 win over Dominion
This Week: at Loudoun County
The Broad Run Spartans move down one spot behind district rival Potomac Falls, mainly in part to the Panther's play, but also due to the Spartans's last two performances. After a convincing win over Briar Woods three weeks ago, the Spartans have struggled to get wins over Heritage and Dominion. Coupled with the play of Potomac Falls, the Spartans move down while their Sterling adversaries move up.
9. HANDLEY (5-1)
Previous: 9
Last Week: 23-6 win over Central
This Week: vs. Millbrook
Handley picked up a solid win over Central last week to move their record to 5-1, but are more importantly undefeated in district play. The Judges will face a tough test when Millbrook comes into town, a team which could threaten their spot in the Power Poll with a loss.
10. SHERANDO (5-1)
Previous: NR
Last Week: 44-20 win over Skyline
This Week: vs. James Wood
The Power Poll welcomes back a familiar face to the Power Poll in the Sherando Warriors. The Warriors notched a big-time win when they defeated Skyline in convincing fashion by a score of 44-20. All signs would appear Sherando is back on track following their Week 5 loss to #9 Handley, but we'll learn a lot more when the James Wood Colonels come marching into Stephens City this Friday. Yet Sherando should maybe be on alert, as the 10th ranked team in our Power Poll has now lost five times this year.
HONORABLE MENTION:
11. West Springfield (5-2): The Spartans picked up another solid win last Friday, this time beating South County, but in the victory, the defense surrendered 42 points. We're still a little hesitant to give this team its spot back in the Power Poll when evaluating West Springfield's defense.
12. Chantilly (5-2): The Chargers picked up a solid win against Robinson last week, but a big match-up against #6 Edison stands as the biggest obstacle for this team in the weeks ahead.
13. Hylton (4-2): Hylton notched a dominating 44-0 win over Gar-Field last week, as this program is slowly making its way towards district contender status.
14. Potomac (4-2): The Panthers were trounced by #2 Woodbridge 50-21, but their record still remains an impressive 4-2, and this team still looks poised to make a run to the playoffs.
15. James Wood (5-1): The Colonels stand at 5-1 as of right now, but face their toughest test of the year when they travel out to face #10 Sherando.
