Advertisement

Stark County-Area High School Football Top 5 Power Poll after one week of the 2023 season

Josh Weir, Canton Repository
·6 min read

The top two spots for both the big-school and small-school divisions hold steady in the Stark County-area high football power poll after one week of play.

Things aren't quite as stable after that. The Nos. 3-5 teams all lost in the small-school division, while No. 3 Lake stumbled in the big-school division with a home loss to Alliance.

Here's how the top five teams in both divisions stack up in this snapshot of the Greater Canton/Massillon football scene entering Week 2 of the 2023 OHSAA football season.

Power poll entering season: Stark County-area high school football Top 5 power poll for 2023 preseason

Big schools (Divisions I and II)

Massillon quarterback DaOne Owens runs for a gain in the second quarter against Valdosta Georgia at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium Friday, August 18, 2023.
Massillon quarterback DaOne Owens runs for a gain in the second quarter against Valdosta Georgia at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium Friday, August 18, 2023.

1, Massillon Tigers (1-0)

There was a lot to like for the Tigers as they beat Valdosta (Ga.) in a matchup of historic programs. Copley transfer DaOne Owens ran wild in his debut at QB, totaling 241 yards with touchdown runs of 69 and 65 yards. Massillon's defense settled in and limited Valdosta to three points over its final 10 possessions, with Vito McConnell coming up with an interception and linebackers Dorian Pringle and Cody Fair combining for 16 tackles. The Tigers look strong once again as they welcome GlenOak (1-0) to Paul Brown Tiger Stadium this week.

2, Canton McKinley Bulldogs (1-0)

The Pups dominated the second half at Warren Harding last week and rolled to an impressive win — a welcome sight after tough starts the previous two seasons. Their playmakers produced in a big way, with Nino Hill running for two TDs, Keaton Rode throwing for two TDs and Dante McClellan impacting both sides of the ball. Keith Quincy caught a TD pass and snagged an interception for a McKinley defense that limited Harding to seven first downs. The Bulldogs also totaled six sacks, led by K'Vuone McNeal's three. The challenge jumps up a notch this week with Avon (1-0) and running back Jakorion Caffey — a University of Cincinnati recruit — coming to Benson Stadium.

3, North Canton Hoover Vikings (1-0)

Entering the season, the questions about Hoover mainly revolved around an offensive line with five new starters. Opening week was a good first answer, with that O-line helping produce two 100-yard rushers and three touchdowns on the ground in a win against Buchtel. Northwest transfer Kyler Miraglia rushed for 126 yards on 26 carries, while QB Carson Dyrlund totaled 108 yards and two TDs on 22 carries as Hoover jumped up a spot from preseason No. 4. It gets tougher this week for the Vikings. Hudson (1-0), a 2022 Division II regional finalist, visits North Canton.

Green wide receiver Antonio Martin, left, stiff arms Marquis Sims as he runs after a first-half catch, Friday, Aug. 19, 2022.
Green wide receiver Antonio Martin, left, stiff arms Marquis Sims as he runs after a first-half catch, Friday, Aug. 19, 2022.

4, Green Bulldogs (1-0)

A young, banged-up Green squad limped to the finish last year, losing six of its final seven. A year older and stronger (as well as healthier), the Bulldogs picked up a quality win to start 2023 by beating Dover at Memorial Stadium. The Green defense limited Dover to six points while first-year starting quarterback Samino Manson threw TD passes to Antonio Martin and Zach Baglia as the Bulldogs moved up from preseason No. 5. An interesting road trip to defending Division V state champion South Range (1-0), winner of 31 straight regular season games and 17 straight games overall, awaits Green this week.

Lake's Nathan Baker runs as Alliance's Brady White, left, and Logan McCreedy, center, try to make the tackle, Friday, Aug. 18, 2023.
Lake's Nathan Baker runs as Alliance's Brady White, left, and Logan McCreedy, center, try to make the tackle, Friday, Aug. 18, 2023.

5, Lake Blue Streaks (0-1)

GlenOak and Perry made cases for this fifth spot with quality Week 1 performances. But the Blue Streaks, not needing to be over-penalized for losing a game to a quality opponent such as Alliance, slide here from the preseason No. 3 spot. The sloppy Blue Streaks left a lot of points on the table with missed field goals and turnovers last week. On the bright side, Lake's defense looked as rugged as advertised in its debut. The Blue Streaks will look to right the ship as they travel to Boardman (0-1) this week.

Perry vs. Canton Central Catholic: Ryder on the storm: Hartshorn's running keys Perry football win vs. Central Catholic

Small schools (Divisions III, IV, V, VI and VII)

Canton South's Poochie Snyder fires a pass during a high school football game against Sandy Valley at Brechbuhler Stadium on Friday, September 2, 2022.
Canton South's Poochie Snyder fires a pass during a high school football game against Sandy Valley at Brechbuhler Stadium on Friday, September 2, 2022.

1, Canton South Wildcats (1-0)

Poochie Snyder and crew got things started off on the right foot in a good matchup of D4 programs, winning a shootout vs. St. Clairsville. All Snyder did was throw for 195 yards and three touchdowns and run for 180 yards and two more scores (while throwing in a 2-point conversion as well). The Wildcats will get another test this week with Division III Dover (0-1) coming to Brechbuhler Stadium.

Alliance quarterback Brendan Zurbrugg, left, and head coach Tim Goodman, right, on the sideline at Lake, Friday, Aug. 18, 2023.
Alliance quarterback Brendan Zurbrugg, left, and head coach Tim Goodman, right, on the sideline at Lake, Friday, Aug. 18, 2023.

2, Alliance Aviators (1-0)

The Aviators should be brimming with confidence after gaining a hard-fought win at Division II Lake. The Alliance defense kept the Aviators in the game long enough for Brendan Zurbrugg to make a couple of big plays and steal a victory on the road. It was Alliance's best win in a long time, and now the question will be, "Can the Aviators build on it?" Niles McKinley (1-0) comes to Kehres Stadium this week.

Sandy Valley's Lukas Gilland breaks the grasp of Fairless' Cameron Carl on his way to score a touchdown during the second quarter, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023.
Sandy Valley's Lukas Gilland breaks the grasp of Fairless' Cameron Carl on his way to score a touchdown during the second quarter, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023.

3, Sandy Valley Cardinals (1-0)

The Division V Cardinals picked up a Week 1 road win against Fairless in dramatic fashion, with Lukas Gilland's interception in the end zone sealing it in the final seconds, to jump from unranked to No. 3. Gilland's fingerprints were all over the game, including another pass breakup in the end zone earlier in the fourth quarter and two touchdown receptions from Nick Petro on offense. Sandy Valley will see if it can keep the momentum going when it welcomes Manchester (0-1) to Magnolia this week.

4, Malvern Hornets (1-0)

The Hornets got off to a nice start by winning at Berlin Center Western Reserve on Friday. Standout junior quarterback Jared Witherow ran for three touchdowns and passed for another for Malvern, which is coming off an 8-3 season last year. The Hornets welcome in fellow Division VII school Conotton Valley (1-0) this week.

Marlington's Beau Himmelheber carries the ball in the open field against Warrensville Heights, Friday, Aug. 18, 2023.
Marlington's Beau Himmelheber carries the ball in the open field against Warrensville Heights, Friday, Aug. 18, 2023.

5, Marlington Dukes (1-0)

We could've gone a lot of directions here, with Fairless and Central Catholic both good candidates despite Week 1 losses. For now, the Dukes deserve it after a goal-line stand to win against Warrensville Heights in head coach Joe Cardinals' debut. Beau Himmelheber returned a fumble 75 yards for what proved to be the winning touchdown and QB Bryson McCord threw for four scores. Marlington can surpass its win total from all of last season by beating the team it replaces in the No. 5 spot this week, Northwest.

Reach Josh at josh.weir@cantonrep.com

On X: @jweirREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Greater Canton high school football power poll after one week of 2023