5-0 NAZARETH STAYS ATOP HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL RANKINGS
The team that started the year atop The Morning Call’s smallschool football poll (Notre DameGP) has dropped out of the rankings.
A pair of two-loss teams played well enough in defeat to earn spots in this week’s bigschool poll.
Here’s how our voters see things after Week 5.
Small School Top 3 rankings
The top 3A, 2A and A teams in The Morning Call coverage area No. 1 — Tamaqua
Record: 5-0.
Last week: No. 1.
Poll points: 12 (four first-place votes).
The Blue Raiders aced their stiffest test of the season with a
49-14 victory over Blue Mountain, getting three first-quarter touchdowns and five sacks from its stingy defense. Another test looms against Pottsville this week.
No. 2 — Jim Thorpe
Record: 5-0.
Last week: No. 2.
Poll points: 8.
The Olympians got another big night from C.J. Selby in a 41-0 rout of Midd-West. Selby went over the 100-yard mark the fifth straight week, running for a season-high 250 yards and pair of touchdowns on 23 carries.
No. 3 — Salisbury
Record: 3-2.
Last week: Not ranked.
Poll points: 4.
The Falcons have already won more games this season than they did all of last year and have a favorable schedule in the second half of the season. Speedy junior Chad Parton continues to be a big-play threat. He had nine catches for 144 yards and two TDs in win over Notre Dame.
Watch list
Northern Lehigh (3-2), Notre Dame-Green Pond (3-2).
Big School Top 5 rankings
The top 6A, 5A and 4A teams in The Morning Call coverage area
No. 1 — Nazareth
Record: 5-0.
Last week: No. 1.
Poll points: 19 (three first-place votes).
Doubt Nazareth’s defense no longer; the Blue Eagles have surrendered an EPC South-low 77 points through five weeks.
No. 2 — Easton
Record: 5-0.
Last week: No. 2.
Poll points: 16 (one first-place vote).
The Red Rovers have scored 212 points, the most in the EPC South.
No. 3 — Freedom
Record: 4-1.
Last week: No. 3.
Poll points: 11.
The Patriots play their second game against an EPC North team Friday when they host Pocono Mountain West.
No. 4 — Bethlehem Catholic Record: 3-2.
Last week: No. 4.
Poll points: 6.
Brandon Lysick posted seven tackles (four solo), a sack and two tackles for loss in Friday’s loss to Nazareth.
No. 5 — Emmaus
Record: 3-2.
Last week: Not ranked.
Poll points: 4.
The Green Hornets play three of their next four games at home. Watch list
East Stroudsburg South (5-0), Northampton (4-1), Northwestern Lehigh (4-1), Parkland (3-2), Saucon Valley (4-1), Southern Lehigh (5-0). Southern Lehigh, led by Hunter Hughes who has 35 tackles, has surrendered only 11.6 points per game during its perfect start and averaged 331.2 yards on the ground.
Points awarded on a 5-4-3-2-1 scale (big school) and 3-2-1 scale (small school). Voting done by Keith Groller, Stephen Miller, Tom Housenick and Michael Blouse.