RI high school football media poll: Middletown out; voters still confident in Portsmouth

Scott Barrett, Newport Daily News
·3 min read

It certainly wasn't the best of times for Aquidneck Island high school football teams, all of which lost games during Week 3.

Perhaps the setback with the most impact was Middletown's 6-0 loss to Tolman in a game played at windy Max Read Field in Pawtucket.

Not only did the Islanders drop a winnable game — they came up less than a yard short of tying the score in the waning seconds — they slipped out of the statewide Top 20 rankings as voted on by members of the media, including The Daily News.

Middletown had moved into the rankings the previous week after a 2-0 start, and now standing at 2-1, it is only receiving a single vote.

What's on tap?: Rogers, Middletown and Portsmouth all lost last week. Can they turn the tide in Week 4?

Voters remained confident in Portsmouth, which fell 34-12 to state power Bishop Hendricken. The Patriots remained at No. 7 despite their second loss of the season — both against teams in the state championship division.

Here's the statewide Top 20 after Week 3 games (first-place votes in parentheses):

Rank Team Points Last week

1. Hendricken (10) 200 1

2. La Salle 185 2

3. North Kingstown 181 4

4. Central 172 3

5. Cumberland 161 5

6. Woonsocket 134 9

7. Portsmouth 133 7

8. St. Raphael 131 8

9. East Providence 124 6

10. South Kingstown 104 11

11. Barrington 97 13

12. Moses Brown 69 12

13. Westerly 58 10

14. West Warwick 56 17

15. Mount Pleasant 55 t-18

16. Lincoln 46 20

17. Shea 39 14

18. Chariho 35 NR

19. Coventry 28 15

20. Narragansett 15 NR

Also receiving votes: Cranston West 14, Burrillville 11, Classical 11, Tolman 10, Davies 7, Ponaganset 7, Central Falls 6, Smithfield 4, Pilgrim 3, Juanita Sanchez 1, Middletown 1.

Dropped from poll: Cranston West (16), Middletown (t-18).

How The Daily News voted

1. Bishop Hendricken, 2. La Salle, 3. North Kingstown, 4. Central, 5. Cumberland, 6. Woonsocket, 7. South Kingstown, 8. Portsmouth, 9. East Providence, 10. St. Raphael, 11. Mount Pleasant, 12. Barrington, 13. Moses Brown, 14. Lincoln, 15. Shea, 16. West Warwick, 17. Chariho, 18. Coventry, 19. Tolman, 20. Middletown.

Looking back: Injuries, frustration and one victory: How Week 3 went for Newport County football teams

After their hot start, I was riding the Middletown train pretty hard, so when the result came in after the Tolman game, I was a bit surprised. Was it a bad night in Pawtucket, or a sign of things to come?

I think the former, so I kept the Islanders in my own Top 20 — but just barely. With a win over No. 19 Coventry on Friday night, voters might push Middletown back into the rankings come next week.

We're also about to find out a lot about Portsmouth, who is dealing with several injuries and down to its third-string quarterback. The Patriots likely will need a road win over No. 10 South Kingstown to remain among the state's elite.

This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: RI high school football media poll Week 3: Middletown out of Top 20