Whitmer, Rogers, Genoa, Patrick Henry atop new Blade poll

9/15/2009
BY STEVE JUNGA
BLADE SPORTS WRITER

The first Blade high school football poll is out for the 2009 season, and City League foes Whitmer and Rogers hold down the top spots in divisions I and II, respectively, while defending Suburban Lakes League and Northwest Ohio Athletic League champions Genoa and Patrick Henry head up the other divisions.

The I and II leaders meet in a key CL battle Friday at Whitmer.

With a newly defined area to better reflect Blade readership, the poll now features a division III-IV ranking and V-VI ranking.

Whitmer (3-0) gets the nod over Greater Buckeye Conference favorite Fremont Ross (2-1) in D-I based on its 29-25 win over the Little Giants in a Sept. 4 battle.

Rogers (3-0) edges out St. Francis de Sales (3-0) for the No. 1 spot in D-II this week on the strength of its season-opening triumphs over the two favored teams in the Northern Lakes League this season — 32-28 over Anthony Wayne, and 30-14 over defending D-II state champion Southview. St. Francis also knocked off the Cougars in week one, 27-8.

Maumee, No. 3 in D-II, also boasts a 3-0 mark, but the Panthers' non-league schedule has been less challenging than the teams ahead of them.

Genoa (3-0), which reached the D-IV state semifinals last season, has been the most dominant team on the scoreboard through three weeks, topping its opposition 173-7.

The Comets, still in D-IV, get the nod over D-III Napoleon (3-0) in the first combined III-IV poll, with Genoa's chief SLL rival, Eastwood (3-0), not far behind.

Patrick Henry (3-0), a D-V team, has won or shared the last seven NWOAL titles. The Patriots are showing no signs of slowing down so far this season, having topped their first three foes 140-20. They take the No. 1 spot in the combined V-VI poll in the first week ahead of defending D-V state runner-up Liberty-Benton (2-1).

STATE POLL: In yesterday's first Ohio Associated Press poll, Whitmer was ranked 12th in Division I.

Rogers is rated No. 2 in D-II, while St. Francis is 10th. Genoa is No. 6 in D-III. Patrick Henry is fifth in D-V.