Chillicothe jumps into second place in Week 10 high school football power rankings

CHILLICOTHE − The high school football regular season is drawing to a close.

Just one week remains in the regular season before playoff games begin, and Week Nine provided plenty of insight as to which teams from around the area will be making a postseason run. Zane Trace remains as dominant as ever. Huntington earned its first playoff berth in program history. Chillicothe got its groove back after another solid win over a Frontier Athletic Conference opponent.

There's plenty of performances to evaluate as the final games of the regular season draw nearer. Here are all 10 local teams ranked ahead of their Week 10 matchups:

Zane Trace Pioneers (9-0, 6-0 Scioto Valley Conference)

The Pioneers clinched at least a share of the SVC title and kept their perfect record in tact after a win over Paint Valley last week. It got all its scoring done in just two quarters, including a 28-point second quarter that all but secured the win.

Sure, Zane Trace allowed Paint Valley to score a touchdown in every quarter, but its defense held on long enough to maintain the lead. Plus, another excellent night from the rushing corps kept the offense moving. It didn't win by a wide margin, but Zane Trace still fended off a Paint Valley team that had the potential for an upset.

Chillicothe Cavaliers (7-2, 3-1 Frontier Athletic Conference)

The Cavaliers got another solid conference win under their belt. They maintained the lead over Hillsboro for the entire game and kept it at arm's length all night. Quinlin Netter scored three touchdowns on just 80 yards rushing, and Shawn Smith had his own respectable night after putting up 66 yards and a touchdown.

Chillicothe has been able to put up some impressive wins over its conference opponents this season. While it wasn't able to overcome Washington two weeks ago, it's performance against Hillsboro shows growth. Chillicothe's final regular season game against Jackson is looming, and the win over Hillsboro might have served as a decent warm-up.

Unioto Shermans (8-1, 5-1 SVC)

The Shermans put their entire offense out on the field last week against Southeastern, and they outperformed themselves. Newton Hoops had his best night for passing all year, Maddox Fox surpassed 100 receiving yards on two catches and the rushing duo of Corbin Demint and Matt Griffin have never performed better.

Unioto has blown out its last two opponents, and isn't showing any signs of slowing down ahead of the postseason. The offense has never looked better, and the defense is keeping opponents locked down.

Paint Valley Bearcats (5-4, 4-2 SVC)

Braylon Robertson has been a vital component of Paint Valley's offense in the latter half of the season. He's been vital when put in tandem with either Dom Chambers and Cavan Cooper, and his 183 rushing yards and two touchdowns against Zane Trace prove so.

Paint Valley has come to rely on Robertson and Cooper's rushing abilities, and it's allowed it to remain competitive against teams like Unioto and Zane Trace in the second half of the season. Though it hasn't been able to get a leg up in the standings, it hasn't fallen much either.

Waverly Tigers (4-5, 2-2 Southern Ohio Conference)

The Tigers are back to even-footing in the SOC, and their offense is looking more and more like it did toward the beginning of the season. They've largely relied on Mason Kelly's arm and Jase Hurd's legs to carry them downfield, and it worked out for them last week against Minford.

It might be too late to shoot for a winning overall record, but Waverly has a solid chance of at least breaking even. Oak Hill hasn't won a single conference game thus far and has been held to just 30 points over its last four games.

Huntington Huntsmen (5-4, 3-3 SVC)

The Huntsmen are perhaps in the best shape they've been in all year. They've won three of their last four games, and one of those wins was a stomp-out win over Adena last week. The rushing game they've been known for showed up in droves against the Warriors, and the Huntsmen pushed downfield with ease.

Plus, the win garnered Huntington its first-ever playoff berth in program history. It's taken one season under coach Ed Yates for Huntington to find its stride, and it still has room to grow before the postseason comes knocking.

Piketon Redstreaks (5-4, 3-3 SVC)

The Redstreaks have their high-scoring offense back, but they were almost upset at home when Westfall paid a visit last week. They were able to halt a potential scoring drive late in the fourth quarter and secure the win, but their offense had to work hard all night to keep up with the Mustangs.

It's a good thing Piketon's offense has been as good as it has been as of late. It has scored more in its last four games than it did in its first six games combined. Piketon broke the four-game skid that haunted the middle of its season, and now it seems to have found a groove.

Westfall Mustangs (2-7, 1-5 SVC)

The game against Piketon showed that Westfall does not play like a team that has won just two games all season. It didn't just rely on Bryce Wickline's excellent arm, but it was able to power through Piketon's defensive line thanks to some solid runs by Joey Wright. Sure, Westfall failed to convert on its penultimate drive of the game and lost by four points, but it still pulled out an impressive performance.

There's more to Westfall than meets the eye. It has a lot of potential stored up in a young roster, and that will turn to talent as the roster matures. Westfall has already shown signs of growth. Last week was perhaps the greatest sign of things to come.

Adena Warriors (3-6, 2-4 SVC)

The Warriors got clobbered by the Huntsmen last week to suffer their second consecutive loss. Andrew Vickers managed to connect with Joe Putnam for a five-yard touchdown pass, but that was all its offense mustered all game.

Adena's been able to pick up a win here and there, but its only two conference wins this year came against Westfall and Southeastern. It's been outscored 183-46 in its four conference losses this season. With a game against Zane Trace on the horizon, Adena might have another hard pill to swallow before the season ends.

Southeastern Panthers (1-8, 0-6 SVC)

The Panthers prevented themselves from being shutout by the Shermans, but only barely. A touchdown run by quarterback Joey Pfiefer kept the Panthers moving a bit on offense.

Still, it's little recompense. Southeastern has allowed conference opponents to score more than 40 points in four separate games this season. They've been beaten up all season, and a final game against Paint Valley won't offer much relief. Week 10 is here, and all Southeastern can hope for is to put up a good fight.

This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Chillicothe takes second place in Week 10 football power rankings