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Monroe County Region Football rankings: Vote for your No. 1 team

Niles Kruger, The Monroe News
·4 min read

Is Whiteford doomed?

The Bobcats have a lot of talent returning from the football team that won the Division 8 state championship last season.

But they have something working against them.

Whiteford has been voted the No. 1 team in the Monroe County Region by The Monroe News sports staff.

High School Football schedules: Schedules for all 14 Monroe County Region teams

That could be a curse.

A year ago at this time, we put Monroe at No. 1 and Milan second. Both of those teams were ravaged by injuries and missed the state playoffs.

Meanwhile, Flat Rock was on the bottom of the poll at No. 14. The Rams wound up winning the school’s first two playoff games since 1976 and reached the Regional finals.

Whiteford's Ryin Ruddy dives to try and catch a pass from his brother Shea Ruddy in last year's Division 8 state finals. Shea Ruddy has graduated and Ryin will move to quarterback as the Bobcats try to defend their state title.
Whiteford's Ryin Ruddy dives to try and catch a pass from his brother Shea Ruddy in last year's Division 8 state finals. Shea Ruddy has graduated and Ryin will move to quarterback as the Bobcats try to defend their state title.

The bottom line is that these rankings should not be taken too seriously. They simply are a way to get ready for the 2023 season, which begins tonight.

We will revisit our rankings at midseason.

Here are our 2023 rankings from 14 to No. 1 with last season’s record in parenthesis.

14. SUMMERFIELD (5-4): Dylan Szegedi takes over the Bulldogs this year and is installing a new offense. Summerfield does have seven starters back on each side of the ball, but growing pains are inevitable.

13. JEFFERSON (1-8): New Jefferson coach Rob Beaudrie did a nice job of rebuilding Erie Mason a few years ago, but doing something similar in the Huron League figures to be a challenge.

12. IDA (4-6): This ranking feels low for a Blue Streak squad that returns its entire offensive line, but feels more like a statement about the quality of other teams in the Monroe County Region. Ida’s skill positions must prove themselves.

11. ERIE MASON (6-4): The Eagles have the makings of an outstanding offense led by record-setting quarterback Vaughn Brown and his favorite receiver Korbin Herrera. Depth could be an issue with just 21 on the varsity roster.

10. MILAN (3-6): Milan seems due to run into a little good luck this season. The Big Reds had to pull up players from the junior varsity team last year just to have a handful of substitutes on the sideline for the last few games of the season. Getting multi-position starter William Gaskell V back from injury will make a big difference.

9. GIBRALTAR CARLSON (9-2): The Marauders were hit hard by graduation. There is plenty of talent on the roster, but most of it is untested. Look for sophomore Izaiah Wright to blossom into a star.

8. DUNDEE (6-4): The Vikings have a team that will make fans flock to the school’s new football stadium. Nine starters are back on offense from last year’s playoff squad.

7 (tie). NEW BOSTON HURON (6-4): Reports out of Huron training camps say that the players are responding well in the second year under coach Tom Hoover. Rebuilding the defense, which has just three returning starters, will be a priority.

7 (tie). ST. MARY CATHOLIC CENTRAL (6-6): Opportunities abound for young players at SMCC. Lineman JJ Hawkins and running back Evan Marcon are the only returning starters on offense. It all depends on how quickly young players adjust to the speed of varsity football.

5. MONROE (3-6): Like Milan, Monroe is due to run into some good luck. New coach Kyle Reed is a Monroe graduate who is returning the Trojans to their Wing T roots. A return to health by Breylon Richards and Adam Nabozny will make a big impact.

4. AIRPORT (7-3): This is the year Airport fans have been awaiting for a long time. Cooper Nye, Jack Mills, Colin Nowak and Nolan Zajac all are four-year starters. The Jets face a gauntlet in the first four games, playing Gibraltar Carlson, Riverview, Flat Rock and SMCC.

3. FLAT ROCK (8-4): The Rams were the feel-good story of the 2022 season in the Monroe County Region. After going 2-7 the previous season, they reeled off five straight wins from the beginning of October to Nov. 4. Graham Junge, who set a Monroe County Region record for passing yards in a season, is back to lead the offense.

Seniors Nolan Laskey (left) and Cooper Miller square off during a drill in Bedford football practice.
Seniors Nolan Laskey (left) and Cooper Miller square off during a drill in Bedford football practice.

2. BEDFORD (8-3): White other teams saw their 2022 seasons wrecked by injuries; Bedford refused to be deterred. The Mules even ended Saline’s record winning streak in the Southeastern Conference. The SEC will be tough again this season, but John Phillips’ squad looks like a contender.

1. WHITEFORD (14-0): Shea Ruddy was one of the main reasons Whiteford won a state championship last fall. He was lost to graduation, but most of the other key players return. His younger brother Ryin seems ready to take over at quarterback and nine starters are back on defense.

CAST YOUR VOTE

Go to www.monroenews.com to cast your vote for the top football team in the Monroe County Region.

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Monroe County Region Football rankings: Vote for your No. 1 team