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Trotwood (3-0), coming off a D-III state runner-up season in 2016, drew eight first-place votes and led No. 2 Toledo Central Catholic by a substantial 58 points. Marion Local, the defending D-VI state champion, had 14 first-place votes and secured that top ranking following a 13-7 win at Coldwater last Friday. Only top-ranked Steubenville in D-IV had more No. 1 votes (15).
Minster had nine first-place votes. That sets up a top-ranked Midwest Athletic Conference showdown when Marion Local hosts Minster on Friday in Maria Stein.
Sidney (3-0) is the fourth Greater Western Ohio Conference team to crack the top 10. The Yellowjackets are No. 10 in D-II.
Half of the MAC’s 10 teams ranked among the top 10. Anna (3-0) had a pair of first-place votes and was No. 3 in D-V. St. Henry (3-0) was runner-up to Marion Local in D-VI. Coldwater (1-2) sank to No. 10 in D-VI following its second consecutive regular-season loss last week, the first time that has happened to the Cavaliers since the mid-1990s. However, besides losing to Marion Local, the Cavs also lost 24-14 at unbeaten Clinton-Massie in Week 2. Massie is No. 6 in D-IV.
The Southwestern Buckeye League was represented among the top 10 by unbeaten Franklin, No. 8 in D-III, and Valley View, No. 3 in D-IV. Franklin is at Valley View in Week 5.
Other top-ranked teams were Cincinnati St. Xavier (D-I), three-time defending D-II state champ Cincinnati LaSalle, and Pemberville Eastwood (D-V).
At least three area teams did not receive any votes because they were incorrectly listed in their previous divisions from last season. Miamisburg (3-0) was reclassified as a D-I program this past spring after being D-II last season. Belmont (3-0) also moved up to D-II and Alter (2-1) bumped up to D-III.
Previously football classifications were revised every two years by the Ohio High School Athletic Association, coinciding with new Education Management Information System numbers. Since the debut of the OHSAA’s competitive balance initiative this fall, football divisions will be recalculated annually in the spring.
The state polls will be released every Monday through the remainder of the regular season. Teams are voted on by media throughout the state who subscribe to the Associated Press.
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