H.S. FOOTBALL FAIRMONT RISES IN STATE COMPUTER RATINGS
One-loss Firebirds vault ahead of perfect Springfield.
Fairmont (5-1) ascended to No. 2 and bumped Springfield (6-0) to No. 3 in the Ohio High School Athletic Association football computer ratings released Tuesday.
Retaining No. 1 ratings were Chaminade Julienne (D-III, Region 12), Coldwater (D-VI, Region 24) and Fort Loramie (D-VII, Region 28).
Fairmont figured to climb in the playoff-qualifying format following a 25-24 defeat of previously unbeaten Miamisburg last Friday. The Firebirds have a .2167 of a point lead over the Wildcats. Defending D-I state champ Pickerington Central (6-0) remains No. 1.
Other Greater Western Ohio Conference members that figured into the Region 3 field were Northmont (No. 5), Miamisburg (No. 7) and Wayne (No. 9.). Troy (5-1), another GWOC team, improved one spot to No. 5 in D-II, Region 8.
CJ (6-0) and Trotwood-Madison (4-2) remained 1-2 in D-III, Region 12. Moving up one spot to No. 3 was Butler (4-2). Greater Catholic League Co-Ed North members Alter (No. 5) and Fenwick (No. 7) retained their positions.
Clinton-Massie (5-1) improved two spots to No. 3 in D-IV, Region 16 following a defeat of previously unbeaten Batavia. Miami East (No. 5) and Brookville (No. 9) remain in D-V, Region 18 contention, as do Madison (No. 3) and Greeneview (No. 4) in D-V, Region 20.
Mechanicsburg (6-0) bumped Lima Central Catholic out of No. 2 in D-VI, Region 24 and trailed only top-rated Coldwater (6-0). Marion Local, the two-time defending D-VI state champ, was No. 4, followed by Troy Christian (No. 5) and Bethel (No. 7).
Fort Loramie (5-1) and Minster (5-1) remained 1-2 in D-VII, Region 28. Also in that top 10 were Ansonia (No. 4), New Bremen (No. 6) and Lehman Catholic (No. 7).
The top eight in each region at the end of the regular season qualify for the playoffs.
■ Springfield climbed to No. 8 in this week’s Associated Press state football polls and Fairmont is No. 10. Springfield, the area’s top-ranked D-I team, is at Northmont (5-1) on Friday.
Four area teams were among the D-III top 10. CJ retained its No. 2 ranking. Also among the top 10 were Bellbrook (No. 3), Alter (No. 8) and Trotwood-Madison (No. 9).
Clinton-Massie received one first-place vote and was No. 5 in D-IV. Madison was No. 3 in D-V, Coldwater and Marion Local 1-2 in D-VI and Minster No. 3 in D-VII.
Weekly poll voting is limited to statewide media who subscribe to the Associated Press.
■ Butler’s Austin Greaser and Tyler Goecke of Carroll each shot 6-under 66 for co-medalist and Centerville was a 1-under 287 to top honors in D-I sectional golf at Yankee Trace in Centerville on Monday. Centerville teammates A.J. and Eric Cherubini and Nick Clark shot 1-under 71 and the Elks defeated runner-up Butler by 27 shots.
Also advancing to next week’s district at Beavercreek Golf Club were Springboro and Lebanon and individuals Shane Ochs (Carroll), Cameron Cumberland (Fairmont) and Alec Avdakov (Northmont). The boys D-I sectional at Reid Park in Springfield was scheduled for Tuesday.
The boys D-II (Glenview) and D-III (Beavercreek) districts are today and Thursday. Most area D-I girls will play in the sectional at Yankee Trace today. The girls D-II district was Monday at Yankee Trace.
■ Online voting to determine the boys and girls soccer seeds is Thursday through Saturday and coaches meetings will be held Sunday to announce brackets. The boys tourney begins on Monday, Oct. 15 and the girls tourney on Tuesday, Oct. 16.
Defending D-I state boys champ Beavercreek is No. 5 in this week’s Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association state polls. Alter (D-II) and Dayton Christian (D-III) are No. 2. Troy Christian (D-III) is No. 5.
The Beavercreek girls (D-I) are ranked No. 3 in the OSSCA state poll, Alter (D-II), No. 3 and Anna (D-III) No. 3.
According to OSSCA state stats, Milton-Union senior Kristen Dickison is tied for fourth in goals with 29. Last week she became the Bulldogs’ all-time career leader with 83 by scoring all five goals in a 5-0 defeat of Dayton Christian.
■ Oakwood and Alter remain in the top 10 of this week’s Ohio Tennis Coaches Association girls state polls. Oakwood is No. 3 in the D-II poll and Alter No. 2 in D-II.
Most area teams will participate in the D-I (Centerville) D-II (Troy) sectionals this week. Opening-round play was scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday and finals on Saturday morning. The top four singles and doubles placers advance to next week’s district at the Lindner Tennis Center in Mason.
■ Girls volleyball online seed voting is this week and like soccer, coaches’ meetings to reveal brackets are scheduled for Sunday. Most area teams will play in sectionals at Butler and Centerville (D-), Tecumseh and Lebanon (D-II), Brookville (D-III) and Troy and Covington (D-IV).
■ There are two area Week 7 football games Thursday: Ponitz (0-6) at Cincinnati Gamble Montessori (2-4) and Tri-Village (3-3) at Twin Valley South (3-3). Contact this reporter at 937225-2381 or email Marc. Pendleton@coxinc.com. Twitter: @MarcPendleton