The week 10 power rankings bring us one step closer to the end of the regular season. With only two games remaining on the regular season schedule, league titles and playoff positions are beginning to materialize. This means that the power rankings may be prone to some swings. So, let’s take a look at the week 10 rankings:
14 Delhi Hawks 0-8 Overall, 0-5 Southern league: The Hawks have lost eight in a row after dropping their last game to Waterford by a score of 14-6. The Hawks kept things close and stayed competitive; however, their offense continued to struggle last week against a mediocre defense. The Hawks are averaging only five points a game (if we round up).
13 Buhach Colony Thunder 0-8 Overall, 0-3 CCC league: Buhach Colony competed for most of the night against Golden Valley, last week. However, the Thunder dropped their third straight league game, losing to the Cougars on homecoming night by a score of 26-16. The Thunder have two more chances to get a win. This week against Los Banos may be hard to do, but the final week against El Capitan gives Buhach Colony a decent chance.
12 Gustine Reds 1-7 Overall, 1-4 Southern league (-1): The Reds lose a position in the standings and fall into 12th place after getting shut out by the Le Grand Bulldogs 35-0. Since defeating Modesto Christian, the Reds have lost back-to-back games by 17 and 35 points, respectively.
11 El Capitan Gauchos 1-7 Overall, 0-3 CCC league (-1): The Gauchos fall out of the top ten for the first time since the rankings began after getting shutout on homecoming night 34-0 by Atwater. Before that game, we haven’t seen a team take a knee to run out the clock down by 34. If that’s how games are ending for the Gauchos, it’s time to fall in the rankings.
10 Livingston Wolves 1-7 Overall, 1-4 WAC league (+2): Congratulations to the Livingston Wolves who crack the top ten after getting their first win under new head coach Brian Alvarez. The Wolves are playing better of late, scoring at least 28 points in back-to-back games. However, this week they take on first place Central Valley; let’s see if they can keep up their momentum.
9 Le Grand Bulldogs 4-4 Overall, 3-2 Southern league (-1): The Bulldogs defeated Gustine 35-0, but they dropped in the standings due to their quality of wins. Although they have four wins, the teams they’ve beaten have a combined record of 4-28, which amounts to a combined winning percentage of 12.5%. The Bulldogs are 0-4 against teams with a record of .500 or better.
8 Pacheco Panthers 3-5 Overall, 2-3 WAC league (+1): The Panthers leap into 8th place after snapping a three-game losing streak and defeating Ceres High 36-24. The Panthers have surpassed their win total from last season with their third victory of the season. The opponents they have beaten have a combined record of 9-15, which translates to a winning percentage of 37.5%.
7 Stone Ridge Christian Knights 5-3 Overall, 3-2 Southern league (-1): The Knights had a chance to make a move up the Southern standings if they could’ve beaten Mariposa County. Unfortunately, the Knights lost 19-7 and have fallen behind Denair and Mariposa County in the Southern league. Stone Ridge only has one win against an opponent without a losing record, a 35-14 victory against Le Grand. Until they can defeat greater competition, they probably won’t advance much beyond their current spot.
6 Dos Palos Broncos 5-4 Overall, 1-2 West Sierra league (-1): The Broncos continue their slide down the rankings into 6th place after dropping their second straight game to Firebaugh by a score of 22-18. Over the last two weeks, the Broncos have been outscored 72-30. They have also lost three of their last four games. It looks like the second half of the season has not been as kind to them as the first half.
5 Los Banos Tigers 4-4 Overall, 1-2 CCC league (-1): The Tigers fall a spot in the rankings after losing to Merced High by a score of 49-12. Los Banos was expected to compete against Merced, but the game was mostly a blowout. The Tigers have now lost two games in the CCC. They may have an outside chance at the playoffs, but in order for that to happen, they’ll need to finish the season strong. This week, they visit Buhach Colony.
4 Golden Valley Cougars 4-4 Overall, 2-1 CCC league (+3): The Cougars move back inside the top five after a multiple touchdown victory over Buhach Colony. The Cougars have won three of their last four games, which has allowed them to challenge for 2nd place in the CCC. However, this week against Atwater should be a nice test in determining just how good these Cougars really are.
3 Atwater Falcons 3-5 Overall, 3-0 CCC league: The Atwater Falcons maintain their 3rd place ranking after a decisive win over the El Capitan Gauchos. The Falcons have won three in a row in the CCC behind a sweltering defense that has allowed 19 points over their last three games. The Falcons have a big test ahead of them. If they can defeat Golden Valley, they will play for first place in the CCC the following week. They will probably need to win out if they want a shot at the playoffs.
2 Merced Bears 6-2 Overall, 3-0 CCC league: The Bears are back in midseason form, storming their way through the CCC with another dominant win over Los Banos, last week, 41-12. That score was a closer game than the other two opponents Merced has faced, indicating how far ahead Merced is over the rest of the CCC. With two games left against El Capitan and Atwater, it looks as if Merced is on the verge of another CCC title.
1 Hilmar Yellowjackets 9-0 Overall, 5-0 Trans Valley League: The Yellowjackets go into their bye week undefeated after storming through Ripon Christian 24-0. Hilmar seems to be getting better as the season progresses, maintaining their undefeated streak and dominating their last two league opponents by a combined score of 59-6. The Yellowjackets head into the bye week in week 10 before finishing the season hosting Hughson. If Hilmar can complete their season undefeated, they should have no problem taking the number one seed in their playoff bracket.
