Sports
MVL Power Rankings Week 7
By: Nathan Takitch
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In Week 6, a critical game shook the standings in the MVL. Check out who the winners, losers and movers were as these nine teams head into the last month of the regular season.
1. Tri-Valley Scotties (6-0, 4-0 MVL) [No Change]
Tri-Valley’s Week 6 matchup against the Morgan Raiders was no trouble for the Scotties. Strock, Jones, Krouskoupf and company handled their latest challengers, winning by a final score of 62-7. Tri-Valley dominated in all facets of the game yet again, outgaining the Raiders in total offensive yardage, 457 to 185. The Scotties’ running back Austin Jones added to his video-game-like numbers with 72 yards and two touchdowns on just eight carries. Jones is averaging 8.8 yards per carry and 2.5 touchdowns per game. Alongside quarterback Nathan Strock, who has yet to throw an interception despite over 1000 yards passing and 11 touchdowns, it is uncertain if this offense is possible to contain. New Lexington is next up for Tri-Valley in Week 7 as the Scotties look to continue their pursuit of perfection.
2. Maysville Panthers (5-1, 4-1 MVL) [+1]
Maysville jumps up to the #2 spot in the power rankings this week. The Panthers only loss of the season was to the Tri-Valley Scotties in their second game of the year. Since the 40-point defeat, Maysville has ripped off four consecutive wins by an average victory margin of nearly 20 points per game. In Week 6, an impressive win against the visiting Crooksville Ceramics has shown that the Panthers are true contenders in the league. The early-season loss to Tri-Valley means that Maysville does not control its own destiny. However, the Panthers are certainly capable of running the table the rest of the way through the regular season. In Week 7, Maysville travels to take on the 1-5 Coshocton Redskins in a non-league contest that should be an easy win for the Panthers.
3. Philo Electrics (5-1, 4-1 MVL) [+1]
The Philo Electrics were in the sixth position in the power rankings just three weeks ago after what seemed like a devastating loss against New Lexington, but Philo has proven that it is a resilient and talented football squad. The Electrics continued their climb back into the thick of the MVL title race with a solid win against West Muskingum in Week 6. Philo has won three games in a row by an average margin of a preposterous 40 points per game. In the process of demolishing anything and everything in their way, the Electrics have shown that they have their best play going for the stretch run. Philo’s Week 7 showdown against a Sheridan team that has lost two games in a row will have major implications for these two teams that are trending in opposite directions.
4. John Glenn Little Muskies (4-2, 3-2 MVL) [+1]
Just when it seemed like John Glenn’s hopes for a league championship (and perhaps more realistically a playoff spot) had evaporated, the Little Muskies exploded for their biggest win of the season. Matched against perennial powerhouse Sheridan, not many gave John Glenn a chance to compete with the Generals. However, a defensive performance for the ages resulted in a decisive 28-0 victory; catapulting John Glenn’s morale while crippling Sheridan’s. This week, the Little Muskies will visit the Morgan Raiders. John Glenn will look to use this game as a tune-up opportunity before hosting Tri-Valley the following week.
5. Sheridan Generals (4-2, 3-1 MVL) [-3]
The last time that the Sheridan Generals had lost two consecutive games was October 2007; George W. Bush was the President, gasoline was $2.75 per gallon, and Bob Barker was still hosting The Price is Right. After a non-league loss in Week 5, Sheridan looked to rebound in Week 6 against the visiting John Glenn Little Muskies. However, the Generals were stuffed all night long by John Glenn’s defense, punting 10 times and accumulating only 81 yards of offense. After the tough defeat, the road doesn’t get any easier for Sheridan. The Generals will play the top three teams in the league in the next three weeks. The only silver lining is that Sheridan still only has one league loss and controls its own destiny for the league title. This week’s matchup against the rising Philo Electrics will serve as a barometer to see how much talent this team actually possesses compared to the top teams in the league.
6. New Lexington Panthers (4-2, 2-2 MVL) [No Change]
New Lexington battled a non-league foe in Week 6, facing off against the Meadowbrook Colts. The Panthers looked very good in the contest, knocking off their opponents by a final score of 69-0. New Lexington has been the quintessential Jekyll and Hyde team of the MVL this season. The Panthers lost by 21 points against John Glenn, but had an even point differential in their two games against Maysville and Philo. Overall, it appears as though the Panthers have steadily improved as the year has progressed. This week will be the ultimate test for New Lexington, though, as they visit the unbeaten Tri-Valley Scotties. An upset victory would shake the standings of the league and give the Panthers hope for the playoffs.
7. Crooksville Ceramics (2-4, 0-4 MVL) [No Change]
Crooksville has proven to be a really unique team in the MVL. They are not quite capable of putting together a really stiff challenge for the teams above them in the standings. Yet, the Ceramics are not easy targets who get beat big every week like the teams below them. After playing Sheridan, Tri-Valley, and Maysville in consecutive weeks, Crooksville’s schedule finally relaxes. The Ceramics will be looking for their first league win of the year when they host winless West Muskingum in Week 7.
8. Morgan Raiders (1-5, 0-4 MVL) [No Change]
Morgan has not had the season they had hoped for when training camp began. Now, after four consecutive league losses by an average margin of nearly 37 points per game, the Raiders are left looking for answers. In Week 7, Morgan will face a John Glenn squad that is high on the emotion from their big win against Sheridan. However, the contest may set up as a trap game for the Little Muskies, who are the visitors against a team that desperately wants a league victory.
9. West Muskingum Tornadoes (0-6, 0-5 MVL) [No Change]
For the second week in a row, West Muskingum broke double-digits on the scoreboard. But unfortunately for the Tornadoes, their defense surrendered an amount that proved insurmountable as they fell to the Philo Electrics, 74-12. Next week, West Muskingum will try to stop the bleeding when they travel to Crooksville to take on the Ceramics; one of only two other MVL teams without a league win.