CODY LEIST

PDT Sports Writer

Last season, it took an historic win for Valley to be recognized as a Top 10 team in the state.

The Indians’ 39-27 win at Wheelersburg was the first in more than a generation and it was one of the final hurdles towards the program’s first-ever 10-0 regular season finish as well as their first SOC II championship.

One year later, the two schools face off yet again with a chance to claim at least a share of the SOC II, playoff positioning and statewide recognition in the polls. Before they take the field Friday night in Lucasville, both are among three area teams recognized in the latest Associated Press poll released Monday evening.

Valley (8-0, 3-0) remains in 12th place in the latest Division V poll after last week’s 49-12 win at Northwest. The Indians are now on an 18-game regular season winning streak and are one of 52 schools in all six divisions that have yet to lose this year.

The Pirates (7-1, 3-0) will look to make it back-to-back weeks where they knock a team from the ranks of the unbeaten. Last Friday, they defeated previously undefeated Minford (7-1, 2-1) 35-7.

For that win, Wheelersburg moved up one spot from 17th to 16th place. The Falcons went from 13th to not receiving enough votes.

Also in Division V, Oak Hill (6-1, 3-0) doubled up Symmes Valley (6-2, 2-1) 28-14 and gained an inside track on the SOC I crown. The Oaks went from being unranked to 17th while the Vikings went from 14th to not receiving enough votes in Division VI.

Ironton (5-3), which had been a Top 10 mainstay in the Division IV polls, dropped off completely after the Fighting Tigers were humbled at home 62-6 by Division IV No. 1 Columbus Bishop Hartley (8-0). Ironton was 11th in last week’s poll and will play its regular season finale Friday night at Oak Hill.

For yet another week, all of the No. 1 ranked teams in the six divisions remained unchanged. Entering this weekend’s competition, Divisions I and V each have 11 unbeaten teams left. Division V, Region 20 has the most with five schools.

There are three regions out of 24 that no longer have unbeaten teams. Division III has the fewest with four schools.

In the latest JoeEitel.com computer projections, Division IV, Region 15 members Northwest, Portsmouth and Waverly have been mathematically eliminated from postseason contention. In that same region, the Fighting Tigers are the only area team to have clinched a playoff berth despite the loss to the Hawks.

Cody Leist can be reached at 740-353-3101, ext. 242, or cleist@heartlandpublications.com.

COLUMBUS — How a state panel of sports writers and broadcasters rates Ohio high school football teams in the sixth weekly Associated Press poll of 2012, by OHSAA divisions, with won-lost record and total points (first-place votes in parentheses):

DIVISION I

1. Cle. St. Ignatius (21) 8-0 238

2. Lakewood St. Edward (2) 8-0 206

3. Cin. Colerain (1) 8-0 199

4. Dublin Coffman (1) 8-0 153

5. Tol. Whitmer 8-0 136

6. Willoughby S. 8-0 96

7. Pickerington N. 8-0 89

8. W. Chester Lakota W. 8-0 63

9. Mentor 7-1 44

10. Austintown-Fitch 7-1 34

Others receiving 12 or more points: 11. Hilliard Darby 24, 12. Springboro 20, 13. Can. GlenOak 19, 14. Massillon Washington 15, 15. N. Royalton 14.

DIVISION II

1. Tol. Cent. Cath. (21) 8-0 246

2. Cin. Turpin 8-0 204

3. Tiffin Columbian (1) 8-0 180

4. Dresden Tri-Valley (2) 8-0 156

5. Aurora (1) 7-1 115

6. Zanesville 7-1 102

7. Pataskala Licking Hts. 8-0 83

8. Mansfield Sr. 7-1 61

9. Cin. NW 8-0 44

10. Trotwood-Madison 6-2 34

Others receiving 12 or more points: 11. Avon 29, 12. New Philadelphia 21, 13. Chardon 18, 14. Cin. Mt. Healthy 16, 15. Tipp City Tippecanoe 12.

DIVISION III

1. Alliance Marlington (16) 8-0 223

2. Kettering Alter (5) 7-0-1 213

3. Napoleon 7-0-1 158

4. Chagrin Falls (1) 7-1 153

5. Day. Thurgood Marshall (2) 7-1 150

6. Bryan 8-0 110

7. Akr. SVSM (1) 7-1 102

8. Millersburg W. Holmes 7-1 84

9. Bellevue 7-1 73

10. Niles McKinley 7-1 32

Others receiving 12 or more points: 11. Urbana 15.

DIVISION IV

1. Cols. Hartley (15) 8-0 228

2. Ottawa-Glandorf 8-0 188

3. Creston Norwayne (5) 8-0 186

4. Clarksville Clinton-Massie (2) 8-0 177

5. Brookfield (2) 8-0 137

6. Genoa Area 8-0 127

7. St. Clairsville (1) 8-0 118

8. Richwood N. Union 8-0 77

9. Cols. Ready 7-1 41

10. Williamsport Westfall 7-1 35

Others receiving 12 or more points: 11. W. Salem NW 12.

DIVISION V

1. Coldwater (17) 8-0 239

2. Kirtland (7) 8-0 214

3. Lima Cent. Cath. (1) 8-0 191

4. Columbiana Crestview 8-0 140

5. Sugarcreek Garaway 8-0 133

6. Northwood 8-0 101

7. Covington 8-0 90

8. Louisville Aquinas 7-1 48

9. Cuyahoga Hts. 7-1 37

10. Youngs. Ursuline 5-3 29

Others receiving 12 or more points: 11. Bucyrus Wynford 25, 12. Lucasville Valley 23, 13. Cin. Summit Country Day 19, 13. Archbold 19, 15. Day. Christian 15, 16. Wheelersburg 14, 17. Oak Hill 13.

DIVISION VI

1. Mogadore (20) 8-0 239

2. McComb (2) 8-0 203

3. Ada 8-0 183

4. Leipsic 8-0 159

5. Malvern 7-1 110

6. Shadyside 8-0 103

7. Newark Cath. (1) 7-1 99

8. Maria Stein Marion Local (1) 6-2 71

9. Zanesville Rosecrans 7-1 66

10. Fremont St. Joseph 7-1 48

Others receiving 12 or more points: 11. Warren JFK 17, 12. Danville (1) 15.