While we are 25 days out from the first day of practice and 6 weeks from the first games, FNV has decided to list its “Way too Early Power Rankings”. These are strictly the opinions of one of us here at FNV. Chewing the Fat so to speak.
We are very fortunate to cover 16 schools that have very solid football programs and excellent coaches while covering every 11-man football division the MHSAA offers.
The Power Rankings (Top 10) aren’t suggesting that one team would beat another in a potential match-up, they are simply implying that these teams are where they are at based on previous season record, talent returning, coach, schedule, history, offensive and defensive philosophies and division.
This will be one of our regular features each week. Our preseason power rankings will come out after practices start and the teams scrimmage. Be sure to tune in each week during the season to see where your team lies and to see if they rose or fell or perhaps even cracked the Top 10 for the first time.
Now that we are a seven weeks into the season. We are back to our…
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I agree. The Bucs are and have been too tough to beat for some time now. I am sure that will be the case again this year. Too many good athletes , weight program and Coaching Staff for me to think any other HL team can beat them. They are my early H L Champs pick again this year.
FNV crew; Thank you all for your promotion of high school football. I don't always agree with y'all but thats what makes our country great right !?1?
Here would be my power rankings if you put me on the staff.
1. Riverview: The Bucs are still the biggest, badest bully on the yard. Riverview usually starts off hot, has 1 mid year dud, and then bows out in the playoffs shortly. They dominate in between. I do have kin on the team and it sounds like another year of reloading for the Bucs.
2. Whiteford: See above except the Bobcats don't have a post season let down. They just get better and better. They are a small school dynasty. The move to D7 could be very interesting.
3. Ida: Ida returns 95% of their starting lineup from last year. The Steaks were physical and had the hot hand when the season ended last year finishing 5-5. My prediction for them this season is to finish 11-1, losing in regionals, and beating Whiteford in a nailbiter in week 2.
4. Carlson: It was hard to put the Marauders at #4 because they have the best player south of Detroit city limits. Wright is the real deal and will no doubt lead Carlson to another DRL title.
5. SMCC: Falcons return a bunch of 3 year starters at the skilled positions and don''t return much at all on their lines from a team who went 6-5 last year. One thing about CC is they always seem to be at there best as the regular season comes to a close. Are we finally going to see Whiteford - SMCC ?1?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
6. Flat Rock: Best QB in the region but a question mark on the rest of their team. Coach Reaume is a great coach and Graham Junge is that good. My question is, can they stop anyone?
7. Huron: I have some work friends whose kids attend New Boston Huron. They always say that they pretty much have an all star team every week. Who will be the QB this year for the Chiefs ?
8. Dundee: The Vikings return some talent after barely missing out on the plaoffs last year. Maybe they can get more wrestlers out?
9. Grosse Ile: This is my big wildcard team. They upset SMCC last year then lost to a bad Jefferson team, I don't get it ! I have heard they will be road warriors this year as they are in the process of installing turf. I have heard they have a good group of current sophomores working their way through Coach Bodner;s system.
10. Jefferson: Since I live in Monroe, I hear about other stud athletes in the area. Luke Beaudry is a name I hear often. Strength, speed, and I'm told by the people in the beaches hes already started receiving recruiting interest from D2 and D3.
Honorable Mention:
Bedford Kicking Mules
Monroe Trojans
Summerfield Bulldogs
Airport Jets
Flat rock casually has the best D line in this list and best DBs and you’re worried about stopping someone?
Just who's in that Flat Rock secondary that would make you think that? I've got a hard time thinking a team in this league can top Riverview's Thompson, Adams, and Stuck who are all returning from last year, Adams being D3 all state. That could be the best position group on the team. The one spot up for grabs is a 4 player position battle with speed galore.
The move to D7 for Whiteford is more than just interesting.
D8 allowed Whiteford to pretty much skate the first few weeks of the playoffs.
Those days are done in D7. Will be a fight out of the gate.
I hope this match up happens! D8 becomes wide open and D7 becomes that much harder. If they were playing on Friday night, I would have to side with Whiteford. They have shown to be more successful lately, and with SMCC making changes, it would likely be a close game.
All depends on the map.
You would have to think Clinton, SMCC, Hudson and Whiteford will make the playoffs.
Hudson could get pulled west or SMCC north with Detroit schools.
All depends on who makes it around the state.
But if that is the district, that's a doozy.
Nice work
Yes Just like FR having the easiest route to a semifinal since Huron in 2014.
It’s time for FR to win the HL. They had by far the most talented team in the league in 17 and lost to 2-7 GI which cost them the league. 2018 was they should have won the league as well and finished 2018 4-5.
They again in my opinion have the most talent in the league but CC Huron and Riverview have better coaching staffs.. they will be why they finish 6-3 and not win the HL
They will probably make another playoff run because D5 around here in atrocious.
I think I'd go back and watch some film of the Riverview/SMCC game and compare the backs to gain some perspective of the backs. Outside of Carlson, if you should be talking about any team's backs, it should be Riverview. Those guys ran like that last year because nobody could catch them. That was the second highest scoring offense in school history and they all return along with most of the rest of the team. The players who received the highest awards on the team all return.
You also have to keep in mind, these rankings have a lot to do with the division you are in.
The teams you mentioned are D3 and D7. Quite a disparity. You have to compare yourself to your division foes.
I can't speak for Chris, but I'm sure there was no intended slight thrown at the Pirates
You called your rankings power rankings so I was just wondering how you put a team ahead of a team that lost to that team by four scores when the majority of that team that won returns. If they were taking a step back, the year for that was last year when most of the starting team was juniors and sophomores. I don't remember SMCC having anybody they couldn't track when it came to speed.
SMCC really isn't equal to a public school D7. They have a much higher participation rate in football and in a good year the only team stopping them from reaching the final is Lumen Christi who's even more extreme in that high participation rate. Most D7's across this state are lucky if they field only a varsity with 25 players. The numbers at SMCC participating in football are closer to a D4 school. Riverview's boys participation rate, roughly 16 percent, SMCC, roughly 34 percent. That's Riverview with 70 players JV and Varsity, SMCC 55 between the two which may be more, but I didn't know for sure. Just pointing out. What matters at a school is who wants to play football. SMCC is not some baby seal that can easily be clubbed ever year because of the D7 status.
SMCC has been bounced out of the playoffs by public schools many times, including the last 2 years.
SMCC level of participation is not that of a D4 team. You may remember in 2019, Varsity had 23 players. 19 suited.
They happened to be good players but participation was low. In recent times, 30 is a very good number for the Falcons.
Clinton had over 30 last year.
To answer your question, which I already answered in a previous post, View is D3, SMCC 7. Chris, who did the ranking, I assume,
is saying SMCC will outperform Riverview in their respective divisions. Or maybe he was just trying to get the Pirate folk all drummed up..
It says in the write up, these rankings dont mean who would beat who... because division and school size matters.
A perfect example of this is 2019. SMCC won Division 7 but did not win it's own league. Falcons lost to Milan(D4), who didnt make it out of their Region.
Division matters.
My whole point is that you should compare yourself, if you are a Riverview of the world, to the division you are in.
It only makes sense to do so. And in D3, I would probably have them top 10.... and if this is the most talented team Mac has ever had.. likely top 5.
Ok, so it's relative to the projected performance in the division. Rankings make sense, Carlson has the easier region over Riverview, but I'd probably put SMCC first because they're probability is the best imo. A five win SMCC team lost by just a TD to a 10 win D7 team, so if it happens to be an 8 win SMCC team, it could go all the way. As for the most talented team, maybe if we're talking just the backs. That's a big statement considering some of the recent teams.
Right.. to a point.
These rankings arent saying Whiteford would beat Bedford.
Cant wait to see Riverview take on Detroit Renaissance.
I need an 80 burger to top the 70 put up last year.
It depends if they have a kicker or not. Last year they couldn't use the guy until the second game so they could only go for two. They got him from the soccer team and he was a good tackler. Saved them on a number of kick off's making the tackle.