LANCASTER – Hammering out the weekly L-L League football rankings while drying out from Hurricane Sandy ...
Some big changes this week.
That'll happen when an undefeated team goes down and a couple of other teams remain red-hot – with the District 3 playoffs approaching toot sweet.
Check out last week's rankings.
And here are my rankings through Week 9 ...
1. WILSON BULLDOGS (6-0, 8-1)
LAST WEEK: Held off Penn Manor 14-7.
THIS WEEK: Friday @ Warwick, 7 p.m.
NUGGETS: Section 1 winning streak at 35 in a row dating back to Week 9 in 2007, and Bulldogs have clinched at least a tie for their fifth undefeated section championship run in a row. Amazing. … Wilson has allowed a league-low 65 points, and league's top-ranked D held Penn Manor to a season-low 7 points and forced the Comets into five turnovers. … Second time Wilson won by a 14-7 count this season; beat Lancaster Catholic by the same score in Week 7. … DB Jimmy Brooks had two interceptions against Penn Manor, giving him 7 picks this season. … LB Dominic Moyer: Team-best 58 solo tackles and 6 sacks. … Keep an eye on the QB spot; Matt Timochenko – not Kevin Weller – got the start vs. Penn Manor. That's three different kids who have started behind center this season for the Bulldogs. … Bad: 75 penalties against are most in the league. Good: Wilson is a plus-13 in turnover ratio with 27 takeaways, tied for second-most in the league. … No. 2 in the latest District 3 AAAA rankings behind reigning district and PIAA champ Central Dauphin (8-1).
2. GARDEN SPOT SPARTANS (5-0, 9-0)
LAST WEEK: Clipped Columbia 44-14.
THIS WEEK: Friday @ Pequea Valley, 7 p.m.
NUGGETS: Spartans are most opportunistic team in the L-L League with 31 takeaways and a spiffy plus-20 turnover ratio; both are league bests. … Going for second undefeated regular-season run in program history. … Clinched at least a tie for the Section 3 crown; wraps it up solo with a win at Pequea Valley. … No. 5 in latest District 3 AAA rankings. … 323 points scored are fourth-most in the league and 92 points allowed are third-least in the league. … RB Adam Haas: 187 workmanlike carries for 1,030 yards, 5.5 per tote and 16 TD runs. … DT Khalil Fox: Team-best 6 ½ sacks and two fumble recoveries. … DB Matt Martin: 6 picks.
3. COCALICO EAGLES (6-0, 8-1)
LAST WEEK: Thumped Elizabethtown 42-14.
THIS WEEK: Friday @ Ephrata, 7 p.m.
NUGGETS: Clinched at least a tie for the Section 2 championship and will win it outright with a victory Friday at Ephrata in a nice little backyard scrap at War Memorial. Solo or shared, it will be Cocalico's first Section 2 title since joining the section in 2004. … No. 6 in latest District 3 AAA rankings. … 352 points scored are third-most in the league. … Should have two backs both go over 1,000 yards this season on Friday: FB Nick Reitenbach (938 yards, 8.1 per carry, 11 TD) and RB Spencer Moser (935 yards, 11.1 per carry, 11 TD) should both hit that mark vs. Ephrata, which has some good vibes coming off a 35-0 win over Solanco.
4. MANHEIM CENTRAL BARONS (5-1, 7-2)
LAST WEEK: Throttled Conestoga Valley 49-7.
THIS WEEK: Friday vs. Solanco, 7 p.m.
NUGGETS: Three-game winning tear for the Barons, who have punished all-comers since the Week 6 loss to Cocalico. … No. 13 in latest District 3 AAA rankings – but moving up fast and furious. … 375 points scored are second-most in the league. … 178 first downs are second-most in the league. … Needs a win over Solanco plus an Ephrata win over Cocalico to tie the Eagles for the Section 2 title.
5. PENN MANOR COMETS (5-1, 8-1)
LAST WEEK: Fell to Wilson 14-7.
THIS WEEK: Friday vs. Cedar Crest, 7 p.m.
NUGGETS: Suffered first loss this season, dropping a grind-it-out, defense-first game to Wilson in Week 9. Comets came into the game with four turnovers, then gave it away five times, including three picks, vs. Bulldogs. … 199 first downs lead the league. … 75 points allowed are second-least in the league. … In the last three weeks, slipped from No. 1 to No. 3 to No. 4 in the District 3 AAAA rankings. … Played Wilson late in the regular season for first place in Section 1 in three of the last six years.
6. LANCASTER CATHOLIC CRUSADERS (4-2, 6-3)
LAST WEEK: Whitewashed Cedar Crest 49-0.
THIS WEEK: Friday @ McCaskey, 7 p.m.
NUGGETS: Despite three losses, sitting on the 4-line in the latest District 3 AAA rankings. Without looking too far ahead – and knowing things could change pending Week 10 results – that would mean a first-round match-up with Manheim Central and a potential semifinal match-up with No. 1 Bishop McDevitt. Stay tuned. … 65 penalties against are third-most in the league. … RB Roman Clay has a shot at becoming the third L-L League back to hit 2,000 rushing yards in a 10-game regular season. He's sitting on 1,769 yards (on 190 carries, 9.3 per tote and 22 TD), so he'll need 231 yards against McCaskey to hit that milestone number. Don't count him out; Clay has rushed for 200 or more yards four times this season: 442 vs. Dallastown; 249 vs. Governor Mifflin; 244 vs. Manheim Township; and 313 yards last week vs. Cedar Crest. … Lebanon Catholic's Tommy Long and, more recently, Warwick's Deron Thompson are the only L-L League back to hit 2,000 rushing yards in the regular season. Clay will take a stab at it vs. McCaskey.
7. DONEGAL INDIANS (4-1, 8-1)
LAST WEEK: Knocked off Northern Lebanon 54-6.
THIS WEEK: Friday vs. Annville-Cleona, 7 p.m.
NUGGETS: Indians continue to light up scoreboards; 54 points vs. Northern Lebanon was the fifth time Donegal scored 42 or more points in a game this season, including 68 points in a win over Palmyra and 60 points in a victory over Columbia. … No. 10 in latest District 3 AAA rankings, so Indians need a win and some help to jump into top eight and nab a first-round home game. Would be odd to see a 9-1 team have a first-round roadie. … 395 points scored are most in the league. … 140 first downs are most by a Section 3 team. … 27 takeaways are tied for second-most in the league and plus-19 turnover ratio is second-best in the league behind Garden Spot. … One 1,000-yard back in tow (Kris Trimby: 1,119 yards, 9.3 per carry, 16 TD) and a second on the brink: Dylan Maxwell (952 yards, 9.5 per carry, 12 TD). Maxwell also has a team-best 25 catches, as QB Matt Foltz has completed a solid 64 percent of his passes for 1,057 yards and 12 TD. … LB Mike Houseal: Team-best 67 tackles and a fumble recovery. … Trimby also has a team-high 4 picks from his LB spot.
8. MANHEIM TOWNSHIP BLUE STREAKS (3-3, 5-4)
LAST WEEK: Toppled McCaskey 50-27.
THIS WEEK: Friday vs. Hempfield, 7 p.m.
NUGGETS: Snapped a 2-game losing skid with a rip-roaring win over McCaskey, snapping the Red Tornado's 2-game winning streak in the process. … No. 10 in latest District 3 AAAA rankings, so potentially could get to top eight and a home game with a win and some help. … 146 first downs are third-most in the league. … 565 penalty yards against (on 62 flags) are most in the league. … WR Tyler Karpinski closing in on a few milestones: He has 59 catches for 957 yards, so he'll need 43 yards for a 1,000-yard regular season. Only McCaskey's Diante Cherry did that last year. Karpinski also needs 253 receiving yards for 2,000 in his career. And he's approaching two program marks currently held by George Eager: Karpinski needs 22 catches to snap Eager's program mark of 136 career receptions. And he needs 246 yards to break Eager's program mark of 1,202 receiving yards in a single season. … LB Evan Buckwalter: 67 tackles, 2 QB hurries, 3 interceptions.
9. ELCO RAIDERS (4-2, 6-3)
LAST WEEK: Held off Annville-Cleona 21-13.
THIS WEEK: Friday @ North Schuylkill, 7 p.m.
NUGGETS: Bubble team for District 3 AAA playoffs, sitting at No. 18, behind another L-L League team, Lampeter-Strasburg, which is No. 17. So Raiders, like Pioneers, need wins and help Friday to make the postseason. … Adam Shoemaker/Cameron Strause combo has been dyn-o-mite.
10. LAMPETER-STRASBURG PIONEERS (4-2, 5-4)
LAST WEEK: Crushed Lebanon 54-7.
THIS WEEK: Friday @ Conestoga Valley, 7 p.m. In the East/West Lampeter Bowl.
NUGGETS: Directly on the bubble at No. 17 in the latest District 3 AAA rankings, so L-S needs a win and help to get in; Pioneers made the finals last fall, falling to Bishop McDevitt in the title game. … 20 giveaways are tied for second-most in the league. … Two-year run as Section 2 champ is over – but what a first three years up in Section 2 for this bunch (17-3 heading into this week). Unforgettable.
JEFF REINHART: jreinhart@pnco.com
ON TWITTER: @JeffReinhartPN