TOP OF THE CROP
Football
1: (1) Chardon 10-0
2: (2) Kirtland 9-0
3: (3) Benedictine 6-2
4: (4) Mentor 5-5
5: (5) VASJ 6-1
6: (6) Kenston 9-1
7: (7) Perry 8-2
8: (9) Riverside 6-4
9: (8): South 7-3
10: (10) West Geauga 7-3
Watch list: Gilmour 7-2, Brush 5-4, Cardinal 7-3, Berkshire 6-4
Crop comments: Again, there’s little movement. Chardon remains No. 1 here and is the top seed in Division III, Region 9. The defending D-III state champ has been a wrecking ball this year. … Kirtland stays at No. 2 and has a nation’s best 50-game winning streak going into this weekend’s Division V, Region 17 opener. … Benedictine stays at No. 3 despite a loss to Nordonia. The Bengals have lost two in a row, but are the top seed in Division II, Region 5. Their resume keeps them ahead of No. 4 Mentor and the rest. … The Cardinals have a tough first-round playoff matchup at St. Ignatius, but the Cardinals remain at No. 4 by a good margin. … VASJ didn’t play in Week 10. The Vikings are a high seed in the Division IV, Region 13 playoffs, but the three-game suspension of Coach Jeff Rotsky looms. How with VASJ handle that come playoff time? … Kenston stays at No. 6. The Bombers are the third seed in Division III, Region — a loaded region to be sure. Getting QB Nikko Georgiou back this week will be huge. … Perry stays at No. 7 after a dominating win over rival West Geauga. The Pirates host a Division IV, Region 17 game and will be a tough foe to deal with that stellar defense. … Riverside checks in at No. 8. The Beavers are 6-4 and are hosting a Division II, Region 5 playoff game. … At No. 9 is South. The Rebels lost to Riverside last week, causing the teams to flip-flop in the Crop. South, too, is hosting a Division II, Region 5 playoff game. … West Geauga stays at 10 despite the loss to Perry. Their performance and resume this year trumps that of those on the watch list.
