By Ed Letsinger
MaxPreps.com
The top spot in Ohio’s Division II rankings will be on the line on Friday night when Associated Press No. 1 Anderson hosts No. 2 St. Francis de Sales of Columbus in a huge showdown between unbeaten powerhouses.
Not only is the top ranking at stake, but the game is shaping up as a potential preview of things to come later this season in the playoffs.
The Redskins are the defending state champion while the Stallions lost in the regional finals in 2007 after posting an unbeaten regular season.
Anderson (3-0) has dismantled its first three opponents by a 129-29 margin. Senior running back Kyle Slater has rushed for 346 yards and five touchdowns while quarterback Daniel Rod has added 292 yards and two touchdowns through the air.
St. Francis de Sales (3-0) has been less dominant in outscoring its opposition 82-37 and narrowly slipped past New Albany 23-20 last week. Senior defensive end Davon Custis is a major Division I recruit on defense while quarterback Thomas Gentile leads the offense.
St. Xavier Back in Spotlight
The schedule does not get any easier for Cincinnati St. Xavier this week.
Don Bosco Prep (N.J.) visits St. Xavier on Saturday in a 2 p.m. matinee game that has national rankings implications. The Ironmen are No. 2 in this week’s MaxPreps National Rankings poll while the Bombers are ranked No. 55.
The Bombers (2-1) lost to Colerain – No. 24 nationally by MaxPreps – in their season opener but have since rebounded with big wins over Alabama Class 6A titan Prattville and Indianapolis Cathedral, ranked No. 7 in Indiana.
The St. Xavier offense continues to struggle and is averaging just 13.3 points a game, but the defense has been stellar, yielding just 145 yards and 8.6 points a game.
The Ironmen (0-0) are unbeaten the past two seasons and enter the game riding a 24-game winning streak. They return six starters on offense led by senior quarterback Brett Knief who passed for 1,590 yards and ran for 622 yards with 23 touchdowns last season. Last season the defense gave up just nine points a game and five starters return.
Surprise Starts For Three FAVC Schools
Unbeaten Division II stalwarts Anderson and Winton Woods are grabbing the lion’s share of attention in the 18-team Fort Ancient Valley Conference, but three other schools are making headlines of their own with unexpected hot starts.
Milford, Amelia and Norwood are all unbeaten through week three. Their combined 9-0 record is generating a buzz because the trio won a combined total of 11 games last season.
The Eagles (3-0) of the Buckeye Division have already matched their entire win total from a year ago. Divisional play has not yet started for Milford, who was picked to finish fifth out of six teams by FAVC coaches.
The Eagles are led by a defense that is giving up just 211 yards and 11 points a game. Senior defensive end Sam Strater has recorded six sacks while defensive back Shawn Taylor has two interceptions. Milford is scoring 29 points a game behind the solid play of quarterback Ethan Daiker, who has passed for 247 yards and one touchdown while adding 186 yards rushing and four touchdowns.
Amelia (3-0), picked to finish fifth out of the six-team Cardinal Division, is one win shy of their 2007 total. The Barons have also been buoyed by a stout defense that has given up just 30 points led by Ben Kasten and Michael Niolet. The running back tandem of Cameron Cooley (234 yards) and Donovan Schwabach (213 yards) has combined for 447 yards.
Norwood (3-0), picked to finish last in the Scarlet Division, is one win shy of its 2007 win total by playing solid on both sides of the ball. The Indians are currently ranked No. 8 among smaller-division schools in the local coaches’ poll. Junior running back Jeremy Scott has rushed for 394 yards and seven touchdowns. Defensive lineman Doug Ward leads the defense with two sacks.
New Season, Same Scenario
The Ohio High School Volleyball Coaches Association released its first state rankings this week and to no surprise three of the top five teams in Division I are from the Cincinnati Girls Greater Catholic League. Mount Notre Dame is No. 1 followed by Ursuline Academy at No. 3 and defending state champion Mother of Mercy fourth.
The top-ranked Cougars (8-0) have been especially impressive in winning their first eight matches, taking 21 out of 22 games.
The GGCL has been dominant since the Ohio High School Athletic Association officially began their state volleyball tournament in 1975. Overall, the league has won 30 state titles led by St. Ursula (9), Seton (6) and Mount Notre Dame (5). Since the turn of the century, a GGCL school has won at least one title every year in either Division I or II.
Based on the strong start in 2008, the tradition of league dominance looks like it will continue.
