RI high school football media poll: Welcome back, Middletown, while Portsmouth slips
What a difference a week makes.
The Middletown High School football team fell out of the statewide Top 20 on the heels of its 6-0 loss to Tolman in windy Pawtucket on Sept. 23. Seven days later, the Islanders got back on track in a big way with a 23-13 triumph over visiting Coventry.
Media members who vote in the poll took notice and put Matt Kestler's team back into the rankings at No. 18 — the same spot Middletown held before its only loss of the year.
Voters weren't as kind to Portsmouth, which dropped a 20-14 decision to South Kingstown last week. That put the Patriots at 1-1 in the league and 1-3 overall as they fell from No. 7 to No. 10.
Week 5 preview: Why Portsmouth 'can't compete' in the league right now and other things to watch in Week 5
Bishop Hendricken, which collected all 10 first-place votes, remained atop the poll, followed by La Salle, North Kingstown and Central. Cumberland at No. 5 and Woonsocket at No. 6 also retained their positions from a week ago.
Here's how media members voter after Week 4 games (first-place votes in parentheses):
Rank Team Points Last Week
1. Hendricken (10) 200 1
2. La Salle 184 2
3. North Kingstown 183 3
4. Central 171 4
5. Cumberland 162 5
6. Woonsocket 139 6
t-7. South Kingstown 130 10
t-7. St. Raphael 130 8
9. Barrington 113 11
10. Portsmouth 87 7
t-11. Cranston West 75 NR
t-11. West Warwick 75 14
13. East Providence 73 9
14. Moses Brown 70 12
15. Westerly 66 13
16. Lincoln 65 16
17. Chariho 56 18
18. Middletown 22 NR
19. Mount Pleasant 19 15
20. Ponaganset 16 NR
Also receiving votes: East Greenwich 12, Davies 10, Smithfield 8, Tolman 6, Narragansett 4, Central Falls 3, Coventry 3, Rogers 2, Classical 1.
Dropped from poll: Shea (17), Narragansett (20).
How The Daily News voted
1. Bishop Hendricken, 2. La Salle, 3. North Kingstown, 4. Central, 5. Cumberland, 6. South Kingstown, 7. Woonsocket, 8. St. Raphael, 9. Barrington, 10. Portsmouth, 11. Lincoln, 12. Moses Brown, 13. Cranston West, 14. East Providence, 15. West Warwick, 16. Chariho, 17. Middletown, 18. Westerly, 19. Mount Pleasant, 20. Rogers.
More: Week 4 takeaways: What we learned after Rogers, Middletown football got back on track
Last week in this space I asked if Middletown's loss to Tolman was nothing more than a fluke or a sign of things to come. I predicted the former, and the Islanders made me look smart. As a result, I elevated Middletown to No. 17.
Another test awaits in No. 16 Chariho. With a victory, expect the blue and white to take another leap in the poll.
Injuries are wreaking havoc on Portsmouth, and execution in games is a problem. I had the Patriots at No. 10, and that's exactly where they ended up. A homecoming victory over Shea might help coach Dustin Almeida's team climb in the poll, but really, Portsmouth should only be concerned with positioning itself for a playoff berth.
While Rogers only got two votes from statewide voters, one of them came from me. I'm warning you: Don't sleep on the Vikings. Coach John Horsman's team is putting it together, evidenced by last week's total dismantling of Mount Hope.
And keep in mind that Rogers had No. 14 Moses Brown on the ropes in Providence before losing by a field goal.
This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: RI high school football: In Week 4 media poll, Middletown ranked again
