Sports
Week 3 Power Rankings: MVL
By: Nathan Wiseman
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The first quarter of the season is over and the race to the top of the MVL is a tight one. The defending league champion Tri-Valley Scotties sits atop of the conference for now but don’t blink just yet. After missing the playoffs in 2013, the Sheridan Generals enter Week 4 unscathed and sit at the second spot in the rankings. Meanwhile, Maysville, John Glenn, New Lexington, and Philo are knocking at the title door as well. Most of the teams are entering the meat of their schedule with league play, which means the next few weeks can get very interesting in the MVL.
1) Tri-Valley Scotties (3-0, 2-0 MVL)
The Scotties haven’t missed a beat in 2014. The preseason favorites have won 28-straight MVL games and have outscored their opponents 187-13 this season. Bubby Scott, Logan Bash, and Brock Fargus headline the stat sheet each week but this squad has depth in every position and a toughness that is hard to match.
2) Sheridan Generals (3-0, 1-0)
The Generals have outscored their opponents 128-13 through three weeks of play and are yet to give up a point in the first, second, or fourth quarters. The Generals have outgained their opponents 996-253 in total yards and average 7.2 yards per play so far this season.
3) Maysville Panthers (3-0, 3-0)
There was no doubt this offense would be able to put up points this year. If the defense can stay consistent, Maysville will be in contention for the league title later in the year.
4) John Glenn Little Muskies (2-1, 1-0)
The Little Muskies bounced back from a 56-21 thrashing at the hands of Cambridge in Week 2 to squeek out a 14-10 win over West Muskingum in Week 3. John Glenn ranks fifth in the conference in the categories of points per game (23) and points against (24.6) but the team's Week 2 loss could be considered a statistical outlier when it's all said and done.
5) New Lexington Panthers (1-2, 1-1)
The Panthers continue to lean on the dynamic duo of quarterback Collin Russell and running back Tommy Russell. Due to a lack of depth and experience, their season rests on the ability of these two to make plays. Up to this point, dropped passes, turnovers, and inconsistencies have plagued the Panthers.
6) Philo Electrics (1-2, 1-1)
The Philo Electrics are sitting at 1-2 after a 35-14 loss to the Maysville Panthers this past week, but they are likely to move up in the standings with a matchup against Ridgewood this week.
7) Crooksville Ceramics (1-2, 0-2)
The Crooksville Ceramics are 1-2 under new head coach Chad Mickey. Crooksville shut out Bishop Rosecrans 36-0 in the first home game of the season, but they have yet to earn a win in their conference. Crooksville has also allowed a combined 98 points in both losses to Tri-Valley and Maysville.
8) West Muskingum Tornadoes (0-3, 0-3)
West Muskingum is still looking for their first victory since 2011, but came very close in Week 3, falling to John Glenn by a score of 14-10.
9) Morgan Raiders (0-3, 0-2)
The Raiders only victory of the 2013 season came in Week 10 when they sneaked out a win over West Muskingum. Morgan was outscored 115-0 in their first two games of the season before netting 14 points in last week’s loss to New Lexington. The Raiders are simply outmatched in size and numbers compared to the top tier schools in the league.
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