Carthage (Texas) remains No. 1 in the Small Town Top 25 high school football rankings but its lead isn't nearly as comfortable as it was in September.
The unbeaten Bulldogs hold a computer rating of 81.4, just 2.2 points ahead of No. 2
Beechwood (Fort Mitchell, Ky.). Last month, the gap between the two programs was 7.6 points.
Carthage (6-0) is coming off consecutive state championships under head coach Scott Surratt, who has guided the program to 11 titles.
Kentucky pledge Tyler Fryman has helped Beechwood outscore opponents 423-45 this season. The Tigers have scored 62 points or more in their last four games. (PHOTO: Wayne Litmer)
Beechwood (8-0) has been dominant in recent weeks, outscoring its last four opponents 257-7.
Hawthorne (Fla.) moves from No. 4 to No. 3 with a 9-0 record and a 78.6 rating. The Hornets, last season’s Florida Rural state champions, have added four victories since the September rankings.
Indian Valley (Gnadenhutten, Ohio) also climbs one spot, moving to No. 4. The Braves have doubled their win total since September, improving from 4-0 to 8-0 while raising their computer rating from 72.8 to 77.9. They trail Hawthorne by less than a point.
Toombs County (Lyons, Ga.) rounds out the top five at 7-0 with a 76.2 rating. Despite remaining unbeaten, the Bulldogs slip two positions as Hawthorne and Indian Valley move ahead.
To qualify for the Small Town Top 25, a school must have fewer than 1,000 students and be located in a town with fewer than 10,000 residents. Teams are ranked based on the MaxPreps computer ratings.
Small Town Top 25
2. (2)
Beechwood (Fort Mitchell, Ky.), 8-0, 79.2
3. (4)
Hawthorne (Fla.), 9-0, 78.6
4. (5)
Indian Valley (Gnadenhutten, Ohio), 8-0, 77.9
5. (3)
Toombs County (Lyons, Ga.), 7-0, 76.2
6. (9)
Homedale (Idaho), 8-0, 74.9
7. (6)
Heard County (Franklin, Ga.), 7-0, 71.6
8. (7)
Brock (Texas), 6-1, 71.5
9. (15)
Gilmer (Texas), 5-2, 71.39
10. (20)
Liberty Center (Ohio), 9-0, 71.34
11. (8)
Louisville (Miss.), 6-2, 71.31
12. (NR)
South Putnam (Greencastle, Ind.), 9-0, 70.8
13. (NR)
Royal (Royal City, Wash.), 7-0, 70.6
14. (11)
Elgin (Okla.), 7-0, 70.2
15. (10)
Gunter (Texas), 6-1, 70.1
16. (NR)
Madison County (Madison, Fla.), 4-4, 69.3
17. (NR)
Andale (Kan.), 7-0, 69.2
18. (NR)
Byron (Ill.), 9-0, 69.0
19. (NR)
Round Valley (Eagar, Ariz.), 8-0, 68.62
20. (NR)
Marion Local (Maria Stein, Ohio), 9-0, 68.61
21. (NR)
Archbold (Ohio), 9-0, 68.2
22. (17)
Tuttle (Okla.), 6-1, 68.09
23. (NR)
Perry (Ohio), 9-0, 68.0
24. (NR)
Ithaca (Mich.), 8-0, 67.9
25. (NR)
Willcox (Ariz.), 9-0, 67.8
