Crawford County Football Power Poll: Top-five all jumbled up

Three teams won, three teams lost — one of the games was a head-to-head clash — in Week 1 for a .500 start to the football season in Crawford County.

Naturally, that means we're seeing a ton of movement already with five teams in new spots and only one remaining where it was in the preseason poll.

Let's see where everyone landed in this week's Crawford County Football Power Poll.

1. Colonel Crawford (1-0)

A statement win on the road for the Eagles, throttling Riverdale 54-22 in clinical fashion while accumulating 399 yards of offense on just 19 plays — that's a 21-yards-per-play average — and scored eight times. Five different players logged multiple carries, eight in total rushed at least once for 279 yards and QB Kam Lohr only needed three completions to score twice.

This is a team playing with a lot of heart this season and hungry to retake the Northern 10 title from Carey after finishing second a year ago. Defense is there, offense is rolling and special teams was a difference-maker, setting up great field position. Lakota comes to town for the Eagles' home opener this weekend.

2. Bucyrus (1-0)

It was a bit of a slow start for Bucyrus but the team quickly took a close game and turned it into a 48-20 drubbing of Mississinawa Valley for the second consecutive season. Malachi Bayless was slinging the ball like it was practice, totaling 341 yards and five touchdowns through the air along with rushing for another score.

It was a great confidence-building win for Bucyrus, but some real tests await and those start this week with a trip to Danville. The Blue Devils are coming off a 33-17 win over Worthington Christian, and heading out on the road we'll see if the Bucyrus offense can stay hot.

3. Buckeye Central (1-0)

The Bucks wanted to let the county know they won't be a bottom-feeder this season, scoring in a multitude of ways en route to a 45-point win over county foe Crestline. Derex Dean tossed four touchdowns, Manny Mullins and Tyler Sanderson each scored on special teams and Max Aichholz put the defense on the board with a pick-six.

After the game you could tell there was a different atmosphere in New Washington. This is a team that has taken its lumps over the years and now boasts a hungry defense, a confident quarterback and skill players galore on offense to make plays. Add in the relentless engine every player has and a thirst for success and the Bucks could surprise some people this season. A trip to Fremont St. Joseph's on Saturday could be win No. 2 for Buckeye Central.

T-4. Wynford (0-1)

It was a tough way for the Cyle Skidmore era to begin, seeing a 12-6 halftime lead turn into an 18-12 defeat as Otsego topped Wynford for the fourth time in three seasons. But considering the Knights outscored the Royals by 100 over the previous three matchups, this result isn't one to hang their heads after.

Wynford's defense kept the team in the game against Otsego, and there's no reason to believe it won't be a driving force for the rest of the season. And anytime you have a great defense, offensive opportunities present themselves and games are eventually won. It may not happen right away, but the opening performance was enough to satisfy optimists. The Royals travel to Marion Pleasant Friday night eager to even their record.

T-4. Galion (0-1)

The Tigers were humbled a bit in their opener by Division VII McComb, but by no means was it a bad loss — the Panthers are one of the best programs in the state every season. Galion mustered just 230 yards of offense and 28 points while allowing 539 yards and 54 points to McComb.

But the potential of this team is still there, and this group of Tigers will bounce back from an opening loss and get back on track to compete for a league title over the final six weeks of the regular season. The defense took its knocks and likely won't face an offense quite as potent as McComb's until the postseason, and they'll grow from that game. A trip to D-VI state champion Carey is ahead in Week 2, which should be another great test that Galion hopes to ace.

6. Crestline (0-1)

It was a tough start to the season for the Bulldogs, taking a trip to New Washington and leaving on the wrong side of a 53-8 final. Crestline totaled 159 yards of offense, including 152 on the ground and 80 of that on one single play.

Glimpses of what is possible with the triple-option offense were shown, but this team is going to struggle against most of its opposition throughout the season solely because of the numbers differential. Any injury will be devastating to an already thin roster and, though there's potential to compete in a handful of games this season, it's going to take an extra special effort for a win to materialize. But these players are resilient and they will battle up until triple zeroes on the clock no matter what the scoreboard reads. A home game against North Baltimore awaits this week.

This article originally appeared on Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: Colonel Crawford rushes to top the Crawford County Football Power Poll