Ranking Monroe County Region football teams at mid-way point of season

Nothing has changed at the top.

The Monroe News published rankings of the 14 Monroe County Region football teams before the season began in late August.

Back then, we had St. Mary Catholic Central and Gibraltar Carlson tied for No. 1. The same two teams share the top spot after five games.

That makes sense because both are undefeated.

High School Football: SMCC, Jefferson, Carlson stay undefeated, Dundee picks up first win

The biggest shakeup in the rankings comes from Jefferson, which has been the talk of Region football with its 5-0 start. The Bears have risen from the No. 11 rank in the preseason to third.

Ida holds down the fourth spot, followed by Flat Rock, Whiteford and Bedford.

Monroe and New Boston Huron are tied for eighth and Summerfield, Airport and Milan share the next spot.

Dundee is 13th and Erie Mason 14th.

Here’s a quick look at each of the teams.

1.SMCC (5-0, preseason No. 1): The Falcons have not been seriously tested in its first five games. The closest score was a 16-point verdict over Flat Rock. The physical pounding that coach Adam Kipf’s team inflicts on opponents is evidenced by 138-33 dominance of the second half. That discrepancy would have been even greater, but Airport posted 21 points in the third quarter last week. Chalk that up to homecoming distractions.

2.Gibraltar Carlson (5-0 preseason No. 1): The gem in Carlson’s perfect start is a 42-21 thrashing of defending Division 5 state champion Pontiac Notre Dame on the road in Week 3. The Marauders had to survive a close battle with rival Trenton the following week, but otherwise have been able to empty the bench in the second half of their other Downriver League contests.

3.Jefferson (5-0, preseason No. 11): What an amazing turnaround for the Bears, who finished 1-8 last season. A win over New Boston Huron this week would match Jefferson’s best start since 2006. You have to go back to 1993 to find a time when the team won its first seven games. That year the Bears were unbeaten in the regular season and didn’t lose until the second round of the playoffs. A showdown with SMCC is looming this season in Week 8.

4. Ida (4-1, preseason No. 3): The Blue Streaks have scored 48 or more points in four of their first five games, including 50-plus in each of the past three. Ida’s only loss came in an 8-3 slugfest against undefeated Hudson in the second game of the season. Coach Jeff Potter’s squad faces an interesting battle with 4-1 Clinton in Week 8. The only loss for Clinton was against SMCC.

5. Flat Rock (3-2, preseason No. 5): The only losses for the Rams have come against unbeaten Huron League foes SMCC and Jefferson. It’s looking like they might get another chance against Jefferson in the playoffs. Coach Buck Reaume’s team faces an interesting battle with Riverview this week and will close the regular season against undefeated Macomb Lutheran North.

6. Whiteford (4-1, preseason No. 3): The Bobcats took a 43-14 beating from Harbor Beach in Week 2, but otherwise have been dominant. The combined scores for their other four games is 237-6. A win over Edon this week would all put Whiteford in firm control of the Toledo Area Athletic Conference race.

7. Bedford (3-2, preseason No. 6): The offense seems to be getting a little better each week for the Mules. They will need all the points they can muster with a brutal close to the schedule. Bedford still has to play a trio of state-ranked foes beginning with Dexter this week. The final two games are against undefeated Saline and Detroit Cass Tech.

8. Monroe (1-4, preseason No. 7): The good news for is that the top contenders in the Southeastern Conference Red are in the rearview mirror. The bad news is that the offense has sputtered with 7 of fewer points in four of their five games.

8. New Boston Huron (2-3, preseason No. 9): Finishing over .500 is going to be a major challenge for Huron. It plays unbeaten Jefferson this week, then faces 3-2 Flat Rock and 4-1 Adrian in the last two games.

10. Summerfield (3-2, preseason No. 10): The annual rivalry game against Whiteford in Week 8 still looms on the schedule, but a strong finish is very possible. The Bulldogs have a good chance to win the other three games.

10. Milan (1-4, preseason No. 12): The season got off to a promising start with a 43-0 romp over Redford Westfield, but the Big Reds are mired in a four-game losing streak. The next two weeks will be tough as they host SMCC and Flat Rock.

10. Airport (0-5, preseason No. 8): The Jets are winless, but all five of their opponents currently have winning records including undefeated Jefferson and SMCC. They finish against four teams with a combined record of 5-15.

13. Dundee (1-4, preseason No. 13): Last week’s win over Hillsdale was badly needed considering that the Vikings play the two best teams in the Lenawee County Athletic Association – Hudson and Ida – the next two weeks. They finish against a pair of 1-4 opponents.

14. Erie Mason (0-5, preseason No. 14): Mason coach Steve Bowers is a good guy in a tough spot. A problem with low numbers has been compounded by freakish injury problems in each of the past two seasons.

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Ranking the Monroe County Region football teams through Week 5