DII Rankings -- Week 1

[WesVLT]

Here's how things look one game into the season:

 

1) Ensworth

Duh. The three-time defending champ is the undisputed top team in the league after beating nationally ranked Trinity on the road to start the season. D'Andre Ferby is a tenacious replacement for backfield stalwart Corn Elder. The Tigers' power offense will be very difficult to stop. 

 

2) Brentwood Academy

The Eagles were impressive in their 36-7 win over MUS at Vanderbilt Stadium. First-year starter Tyler Swafford threw for 241 yards and four touchdowns, three of them to speedy receiver C.J. Sanders. The BA defense shut out a complex MUS offense until midway through the fourth quarter, when the Owls scored against Eagle backups.

 

3) Montgomery Bell Academy

MBA got an important win against Christian Brothers to start the season. QB Cole Euverard spurred the Big Red offense with 173 total yards -- 92 of them on the ground -- and the MBA D held the Brothers to 176 yards of offense. 

 

4) Baylor

The Red Raiders rolled past Howard, scoring 39 points in the first 11 minutes. The Hustlin' Tigers put up such weak competition that it's hard to know how good Baylor really is, but we'll know a lot more after Friday's tilt with Webb.

 

5) McCallie

The Blue Tornado won a track meet Thursday against Cleveland, allowing 426 pass yards but posting 55 points in a 20-point win. Ralph Potter's team has a talented stable of running backs, but the Tornado opened things up last week, posting 303 passing yards in the victory. 

 

6) Memphis University School

MUS is still looking for its identity after losing DII's leading passer, Jordan Rodgers, to graduation. The Owls managed only 33 passing yards against BA and played four different quarterbacks in the four-touchdown loss. MUS has one of the best coaching staffs in the state, and it would be a shock to see the Owls languish for very long.

 

7) Christian Brothers

The Purple Wave was at low tide Friday against MBA. Its passing and rushing attacks were each held below 100 yards. Friday's showdown with Germantown is a good chance to rebound.

 

8) Briarcrest

A one-point loss against ECS got the Saints' season off to a frustrating start. A missed extra point was the difference in a 33-32 setback. Revenge was sweet for the Eagles -- a failed two-point conversion gave Briarcrest the win when these teams met last year.

 

9) Father Ryan

The Irish gave up 312 yards to one player -- Justin Martin, who ran for 175 and earned 137 receiving yards -- as Overton edged them 28-21 to kick off the 2013 campaign. Watch out for the Ryan passing game, though. Cameron Towns threw for nearly 200 yards and three scores.

 

10) Pope John Paul

For the second season in a row, JPII started the season with a win over Stratford. The Knights needed a late interception to hold off the Spartans, who went 3-7 a year ago. Jacob Polman returns as JPII's quarterback. The Knights can prove their worth against Lincoln County, a traditional powerhouse that hasn't put together a winning season since 2008. A victory against the Falcons would give JPII its first 2-0 start since 2005.

 

11) St. Benedict

The Eagles are suffering the ill effects of losing star running back Jordan Wilkins to graduation. They lost 28-21 to Kingsbury, a team that is 6-16 in its last two seasons. A visit to ECS may not provide much relief -- St. Benedict is 0-13 all-time against the DII-A program.

Edited August 28, 2013 by WesVLT

[lovemesomehsfb]

Pretty close,  I think McCallie is much better than Baylor.    McCallie's speed is impressive.  I can't see Baylor staying close to McCallie the next few years.   The question will be how will the speed of McCallie hold up against the size of the teams like MBA, Ensworth and BA?