It was a struggle for Ashland County schools in Week 2, with Ashland-area teams going 3-6 on the week. Let's see how it affects the Week 2 Power Rankings, if at all.
9. South Central (0-2)
South Central fell hard to Northmor 49-0 at home on Friday. The Trojans have had a rough go of it through their first two outings, as South Central have been outscored 81-7. Their schedule won't get any easier this week, as they travel to 2-0 Rittman.
This week: at Rittman
8. Loudonville (0-2)
After taking Mapleton down to the wire in a eight-point loss in Week 1, the Redbirds couldn't keep up with Worthington Christian in their 42-7 road loss. A firm test against 2-0 Hillsdale looms for the Redbirds.
This week: vs. Hillsdale
7. Black River (0-2)
Black River ran it close with Northwestern in Week 2, and were right there in the fourth quarter, but came up short 28-21 on the road. The Pirates will start Lorain County League play at home against Brooklyn this week, where they finished in third place last year.
T his week : vs. Brooklyn
6. Crestview (0-2)
Crestview's Week 2 matchup against last year's Division VI state champions Kirtland didn't go so well at home (42-6 defeat) but maybe that was the point. The Cougars knew Thursday's game would be a difficult challenge to overcome, however the takeaways for a team that should contend for the Firelands Conference title could be huge. Head coach Steve Haverdill said after the loss that his team won't see a team on their schedule as good as Kirtland the rest of the year, and he's right.
Team's can grow from losses. The Cougars can as well.
This week: at Keystone
More: Crestview gets overpowered at point of attack by Division VI powerhouse Kirtland
More: Game against small-school state powerhouse Kirtland a perfect teaching tool for Crestview
5. New London (1-1)
After winning their first varsity game since 2020 in Week 1 at home, New London dropped their Week 2 game versus Bishop Rosecrans 41-14 on the road. The Wildcats get a Vanlue team in Week 3 that Millersport beat 52-12, which is the same Millersport team that New London beat by 14 points in Week 1. We'll see how that holds up.
This week: at Vanlue
4. Northwestern (1-1)
Northwestern jumps four spots from Week 1, as the Huskies won a close home encounter over Black River 28-21. Offensively, the Huskies looked way better than they did in their first game and they will need to carry that through as they play a good Columbia team in Week 3.
This week: vs. Columbia
3. Mapleton (1-1)
More: 'I love rough and tough football': Despite Week 2 loss, Mapleton forging hardened identity
Even in a loss, Mapleton showed their toughness and grit.
Against Wellington, the Mounties front seven on defense won a number of battles, as did the Dukes. On offense, the offensive line showed their physicality, especially on third-down situations where they clawed their way for short-yardage runs to keep drives going. The Mounties rushed for 243 yards in the game, and the O-line contributed mightly to that.
The key point is, Mapleton are slowly building a team identity they can lean on as the season progresses.
This week: at Northmor
2. Ashland (2-0)
I know it's early in the season, but already through the first two weeks, Ashland and Hillsdale are starting to separate themselves as the two best Ashland-area team in 2024. They both look the part.
Offensively, Ashland are firing on all cylinders. The Arrows compiled 483 total yards of offense, dropped 53 points on Marion Harding (53-29 win) and are averaging 47.0 points per contest through two games. Junior quarterback Nathan Bernhard (15 of 23, 381 passing yards, 5 TD passes, 0 INTs, 1 rushing TD) was on fire, while four other Arrows players scored offensive touchdowns (Michael Franz, Grayson Baith, Dakota Kruty), including Killian O'Brien, who made a difference on both sides of the ball. O'Brien caught three balls for a team-high 161 receiving yards and three TD receptions, and made an interception at defensive back.
Again, I know it's early, but something tells me Ashland and the next team will be likely going at it all season for the No. 1 spot.
This week: vs. Linsly
1. Hillsdale (2-0)
After a sterling performance in Week 1, Hillsdale didn't miss a beat in Week 2. The Falcons grabbed a 26-8 road win past Lucas, and got a little get back versus the Cubs, who beat them 28-14 in last year's first round of the playoffs.
Hillsdale thrived on the big offensive play against Black River, and they kept it going against the Cubs. Quarterback Kael Lewis − fresh off his standout debut start last week − completed 9 of 13 passes for 238 yards and three TD passes, while wide receiver Hayden McFadden had four catches, 122 receiving yards and two TDs, one of them a 50-yard touchdown run off a shovel pass and the other a 38-yard TD grab. Throw running back Owen Sloan in there, as the junior had 135 rushing yards, and a 80-yard touchdown run to boot.
Along with the big plays, the Falcons' offense were plenty balanced on the night (189 rushing yards, 183 passing yards) and that should serve them well as the season goes on.
The Falcons hold on to the top spot for this week.
This week: at Loudonville
More: Lucas slips to 1-1 with 26-8 home loss to explosive Hillsdale
jsimpson@gannnett.com
Twitter/X:@JamesSimpsonII
James Simpson II is a sports reporter with the Ashland Times-Gazette, and was recently at the Mansfield News Journal. He is a self-published author and has gotten the opportunity to interview sports figures like Bernard Hopkins, Norm Nixon, Vince Dooley, Jimmie Johnson, etc., for stories at different publications. He also produced a pretty cool feature on late NBA great Wilt Chamberlain.
This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Ashland County Football Week 2 Power Rankings: Ashland teams struggle this week, go 3-6
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