Two weeks does not a high school football season make, but debating which team is the best in town does make for a fun topic of conversation.
With that in mind let’s get the ball - and repartee - rolling with our inaugural Louisville.com Jefferson County power rankings.
In our first installment you’ll find the Male Bulldogs as the top dogs. Here’s a quick look at our Top 10 teams in the county heading into Week 3.
1. Male (2-0) - The Bulldogs, who lost to eventual state champion Scott County in the Class 6-A semifinals last year, have outscored their first two foes this season an astounding 92-10. Male, which is led by senior quarterback Davis Mattingly (469 passing yards and 7 TDs) and junior standout wideout Keion Wakefield (7 catches for 212 yards and 4 TDs), looks to make it a 3-0 start Friday night, when it plays at 4-A Fairdale (0-1) in a Battle of the Bulldogs.
2. St. Xavier (2-0) - The Tigers, who lost to Male 23-21 in the second round of last year’s 6-A playoffs, are off to a good start, winning their first two games by a combined score of 45-13. They’re litmus test, however, is Friday night at 5-A power Bowling Green, which owns Kentucky’s longest current win streak (46 games) and three state titles in a row.
3. Trinity (0-2) - Things haven’t started off so well for St. X’s archrival. The Shamrocks, who lost to Male in the third round of last year’s 6-A playoffs, are off to their first 0-2 start in 11 years. You have to consider their level of competition so far, though. Trinity’s two losses have come to formidable out-of-state foes from Tennessee and Indiana. The Shamrocks will try to get off the schnide Friday night, when they host another non-Kentucky opponent, Imhotep Charter School of Pennsylvania.
4. Pleasure Ridge Park (2-0) - The Panthers, the 2012 6-A runners-up, have outscored their first two foes 67-14 led by running back Torrey Moss, who is averaging 116 rushing yards per game. Moss & Co. get a huge test Friday night, though, at reigning 6-A champ Scott County (2-0).
5. Manual (2-0) - The Crimsons got off to a solid start behind senior running back Michael Nero, who has rushed for 288 yards (144 per game) and four touchdowns against Manual’s first two opponents. Unfortunately news broke Friday that Nero suffered a slight torn ACL in last week's victory over Fern Creek and will miss the rest of the season. The Crimsons have a bye this week before hosting PRP next Friday.
6. DeSales (2-0) - The Colts have picked up where they left off last year, when they won the 2-A state title and outscored their opponents by an average of 34 points per game. DeSales, which has outpointed its first two foes 61-6, will be put to the test Friday night, when it hosts 5-A Warren Central (2-0).
7. Christian Academy of Louisville (2-0) - The 2-A Centurions proved size doesn’t matter last week, when they annihilated 6-A Eastern by 35 points. CAL, which has outscored its first two foes 72-13, has a tough test Friday night, when it hosts 4-A North Oldham (2-0).
8. Seneca (1-0) - The Redhawks, coming off a 2-9 season in 2013, had a bye after their win over John Hardin in their season-opener, which began Aug. 22 and ended Aug. 25 due to inclement weather. Seneca hosts Doss (0-2) Friday night.
9. Central (0-2) - The Yellowjackets, a perennial power in 3-A, began their season with back-to-back losses to a pair of 6-A teams. They’ll try to get on track Friday against another 6-A foe, Eastern (1-1).
10. Southern (2-0) - The Trojans, who went 1-10 two years ago, are off to their second straight 2-0 start. They’ll try to go 3-0 for the first time since 2003 when they play at 5-A Bullitt Central (1-0) Friday night.
Photo courtesy of the Louisville Male Bulldogs Football Facebook Page.
