TOP OF THE CROP

Football

(1) Avon Lake 4-0 (2) Avon 2-2 (3) Columbia 4-0 (4) Keystone 2-1 (5) Olmsted Falls 3-1 (8) Elyria Catholic 3-1 (9) Firelands 2-2 (10) North Olmsted 3-1 (5) Rocky River 2-2 (7) Elyria 3-1

Watch list: North Ridgeville 3-1, Wellington 2-2, Bay 2-1, Brookside 2-1

Crop Comments: The dust has settled after the Week 4 clash between Avon and Avon Lake and the top two spots in the Crop remain the same. Despite the loss, Avon sticks at No. 2because of how close that game really was. The Eagles had a nightmare first half with four turnovers and a blocked punt, but they fought back and almost pulled off the huge comeback. … Avon Lake proved itself as the top dog in the Southwestern Conference with their win over Avon. The Shoremen dominated the game after a slow first quarter, forcing turnovers and turning them into touchdowns. Backup quarterback Jake DePaul was impressive through the air, throwing more touchdowns (two) than incompletions (one) in the win. Starter Jeremy Dzik has a chance to return in Week 5against BereaMidpark, but even when he does there should be room for some packages featuring DePaul taking the snaps. … Columbia held serve with a dominating win over Black River. The Raiders received a strong performance from their quarterback Andrew Champagne in the victory. In any normal week, Columbia would have jumped from No. 3 to No. 2 with Avon’s loss, but given the circumstances, the Raiders will stay at No. 3for the time being — but if they keep winning, there’s a solid chance they’ll be in the top two sooner rather than later. … Crop spots four and five stay the same after Week

4. Keystone bounced back from a disappointing loss to LaBrae with a beatdown of Oberlin. The ‘Cats got special games from their ‘Big 3’ and seem to be back on track. Olmsted Falls narrowly escaped Midview in their SWC opener. The Middies have been a thorn in the side of the Bulldogs for the past few seasons, including two years ago when Midview stunned Falls on a last-second touchdown. … The big changes start at No. 6, where Elyria Catholic jumps two spots. The Panthers have been playing outstanding football since their Week 1loss to Elyria and now rank ahead of their rivals. … Both Firelands and North Olmsted jump two spots as well. The Falcons evened their record with a close win over Watch List resident Wellington, while North Olmsted continued its strong start to the season with a come-from-behind win over Buckeye in their first GLC game. … Dropping in the Crop this week are Rocky River and Elyria. The Pirates lost to their neighbors from Lakewood and have now lost two in a row after a strong start to the year. The Pioneers lost their first official SWC game to Berea-Midpark in a onescore game. It’s been said before, but if Elyria can find a way to get their offense playing consistently they could be a really dangerous team in their new conference. The Pioneers have a stout defense that held one of northeast Ohio’s best offenses over the past few years to under 20-points, that’s impressive. … Looking at the Watch List, North Ridgeville is still on the outside looking in. The Rangers are 3-1 and have won three straight under first-year head coach Bryan Morgan. Wellington fell to Firelands but still has played solid ball through four weeks. Bay did not play in Week 4 as its game was canceled hours before it was to be played. Lastly, Brookside returned to the win column after a loss to Chagrin Falls in Week

3.

Note: records as of Sept. 11