Rock Island running back Marcos Cantu (31) runs to the outside with Oak Park Fenwick defender Xavier Vergara (25) in front of him. The Rocks were rolled 32-0 by the Chicago Catholic League team to plunge from second to 10th in this week’s Quad Cities Prep Football Power Poll.
By Steve Tappa, stappa@qconline.com
Moline Dispatch/Rock Island Argus prep football writer
Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2009, 12:30 am
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Continued Chicago Catholic League dominance over Rock Island, mixed with more success for the Bettendorf football dynasty, helped clear things up for the time being in the Quad Cities Prep Football Power Poll.
Less than a week after edging Rocky on points for the top spot, the Bulldogs are a unanimous No. 1 selection in the local rankings presented by WQAD-TV 8, Mediacom Connections 22, WFXN-AM 1230 and The Dispatch and The Rock Island Argus newspapers.
The defending Mississippi Athletic Conference champs earned all 15 first-place votes for a maximum 150 voting points from the panel of local sportswriters and broadcasters.
The vote represents the 21st straight week the ‘Dogs have been tops in the poll, and the first time since the final ballot in 2007 Bettendorf has received unanimous support.
The Bulldogs scored a 28-0 season-opening victory over neighboring rival Pleasant Valley, which was tops among those in the “others receiving votes” category in the preseason poll.
Rock Island, though, was rolled 32-0 by Oak Park Fenwick over the weekend to plunge from 2nd to 10th in this week’s local rankings.
The Western Big 6 Conference favorites had earned eight first-place nods in the preseason poll — more than Bettendorf — but lost out on points, 142-138.
The shutout was the second in as many games for state-ranked Rocks. Fenwick’s league brethren, New Lenox Providence, ended an undefeated Rocky season last fall, 38-0 in Illinois Class 6A’s playoff quarterfinals.
Alleman also fell in the poll, from 5th to 9th, thanks to an overtime setback. Additionally, Moline dropped out of the Top 10 as the four metro Big 6 teams all lost on the same weekend for the first time since 1992.
Joining the Top 10 this week is North Scott, which was second among those receiving votes last week.
Also moving up thanks to those Big 6 losses were Geneseo (3rd to 2nd), Davenport Assumption (4th to 3rd), Mercer County (6th to 4th), Bureau Valley (7th to 5th), Clinton (9th to 6th) and Orion (10th to 7th).
In all, 18 teams received voting consideration again this week with PV and Burlington dropping out and Sherrard and Davenport Central joining the picking party.
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QC Prep Football Power Poll
These rankings are determined on a descending points system, with a first-place vote receiving 10 points, a second-place vote receiving 9 points, and so on. For how the individual media members voted, see www.qconline.com or The Dispatch/Argus sports blog (www.qconline.com/bloggers/sports). Presented by WQAD-TV 8, MC22, WFXN-AM 1230 and The Dispatch and The Rock Island Argus.
Rank. Team (Record) Pts. (1st) Prev.
1. Bettendorf (1-0) 150 (15) 1
-– Comment: With a 19th straight Mississippi Athletic Conference win, the defending league champs improved to a ridiculous 76-6 in the regular-season this decade, and are three victories away from the 100-win milestone overall. Including playoffs, our top ‘Dogs are now 97-13 in the 2000’s, with two Iowa Class 4A crowns and two losses in Iowa state title games. Next: Friday hosts Muscatine (0-1).
2. Geneseo (1-0) 133 3
-– Comment: The metro members of the Western Big 6 Conference are jealous, wishing they could get Chicago Manley on the schedule, too. The Maple Leafs now have won back-to-back openers with the Chicago Public League foe by a combined 91-0. Hopefully, the ankle injury suffered by returning running back Collin Akers is not serious, because tougher tests are coming. Next: Friday at No. 13 Moline (0-1).
3. Davenport Assumption (1-0) 113 4
-– Comment: The Knights arguably logged the most impressive opening night performance, forcing five turnovers in a 38-15 flogging at fellow 2007 playoff-qualifier Burlington. Joe Daniel caught a pair of touchdown passes from Sean Finn, and Ryan Langford scored twice more, including returning a fumble 62-yards to avenge last year’s 22-0 loss to the Grayhounds. Next: Thursday hosts Pleasant Valley (0-1).
4. Mercer County (1-0) 84 6
-– Comment: No Cullen Welter? No problem. Brett Anderson, a holdover from the old Aledo football powerhouse, made sure the Golden Eagles won their first game as a program for new coach Nat Zunkel. The senior quarterback tossed three touchdown passes, and rushed for two more scores, in a 48-8 rout at Hamilton West Hancock. Next: Friday hosts No. 17 Annawan-Wethersfield (1-0).
5. Bureau Valley (1-0) 67 7
-– Comment: Riverdale managed just 108 yards of total offense against the Storm troopers. Fullback Michael Weidner also marched off 167 rushing yards in a clinically thorough, 22-0 win for the defending Big Rivers Conference champs. Next: Friday hosts River Valley (0-1).
6. Clinton (1-0) 66 9
-– Comment: Monster first quarter of 2009 action for major-college recruit David Johnson, scoring five touchdowns on 11 touches in a 57-6 rout of traditional doormat Davenport North. The running back’s first two scores came on 48 yards worth of pass receptions. Johnson also added 63 yards and 3 TDs on 9 rushing attempts. Next: Friday hosts Davenport West (0-1).
7. Orion (1-0) 48 10
-– Comment: Offensive firepower overcame all of the off-season adversity for the Chargers, who lost head coach Jason VanHoute to a sex scandal on the opening day of fall workouts. New QB James Matson debuted with 134 passing yards and 3 aerial TDs, plus rushed for a score in a 46-0 blitz at Rock Falls. Next: Saturday at Arcola (0-1).
8. North Scott (1-0) 45 12
– Comment: Critics point out the 39-0 season-opening win was against lowly Davenport West. But then again, the Lancers last pitched a shutout in 2006, when North Scott won its first outright MAC title. West suffered four turnovers and managed just 112 yards total offense for its 10th consecutive loss and fourth shutout in the last six outings. Next: Friday hosts Davenport North (0-1).
9. Alleman (0-1) 36 5
-– Comment: Overtime gamble unrewarded at LaSalle-Peru, the Pioneers have lost six straight season openers now. Fear not, though. Alleman is otherwise 41-9 in that time, with four playoff appearances and a near-miss in last year’s 5-4 campaign. It’s also a good bet the well-coached Pioneers won’t have four turnovers in Week 2. Next: Friday at Byron (0-1).
10. Rock Island (0-1) 31 2
-– Comment: The 32-0 whitewashing by Oak Park Fenwick marked the first time Rocky’s been shutout in the regular-season since a muddy 3-0 loss in the 2004 finale at Crystal Lake South. The loss also was the fourth straight to a Chicago Catholic League foe for the Big 6 favorites, who have been outclassed 160-20 in that stretch. Next: Friday hosts Crete-Monee (1-0).
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ALSO RECEIVING VOTES
11. Galesburg (1-0) 19 13
– Next: Friday hosts Peoria Richwoods (1-0).
12. Morrison (1-0) 9 14
– Next: Friday hosts Sterling Newman (1-0).
13. Moline (0-1) 8 8
-– Next: Friday hosts No. 2 Geneseo (1-0).
14. Stark County (1-0) 6 16t
– Next: Friday at Galva (0-1).
15. Central DeWitt (1-0) 4 16t
– Next: Friday at Western Dubuque Epworth (1-0).
16. Sherrard (1-0) 3 –
– Next: Friday hosts Oregon (0-1).
17. Annawan-Wethersfield (1-0) 2 18
– Next: Friday at No. 4 Mercer County (1-0).
18. Davenport Central 1 –
– Next: Friday hosts Burlington (0-1).
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INDIVIDUAL VOTES
Marc Nesseler, mnesseler@qconline.com
Dispatch/Argus sports editor/Geneseo beat writer
1. Bettendorf (1-0)
2. Geneseo (1-0)
3. Mercer County (1-0)
4. Bureau Valley (1-0)
5. Orion (1-0)
6. Clinton (1-0)
7. Davenport Assumption (1-0)
8. Sherrard (1-0)
9. Rock Island (0-1)
10. Alleman (0-1)
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Matt Randazzo, Matt.Randazzo@WQAD.com
WQAD-TV 8 sports anchor
1. Bettendorf (1-0)
2. Davenport Assumption (1-0)
3. Geneseo (1-0)
4. Clinton (1-0)
5. Alleman (0-1)
6. Mercer County (1-0)
7. Galesburg (1-0)
8. North Scott (1-0)
9. Bureau Valley (1-0)
10. Rock Island (0-1)
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Steve Tappa, stappa@qconline.com
Dispatch/Argus Big 6/Moline beat writer
1. Bettendorf (1-0)
2. Geneseo (1-0)
3. Davenport Assumption (1-0)
4. Mercer County (1-0)
5. Bureau Valley (1-0)
6. Clinton (1-0)
7. Rock Island (0-1)
8. Alleman (0-1)
9. Orion (1-0)
10. Stark County (1-0)
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Dan Burich, DRBurich@aol.com
MC22 broadcast analyst
1. Bettendorf (1-0)
2. Geneseo (1-0)
3. Davenport Assumption (1-0)
4. Clinton (1-0)
5. Alleman (0-1)
6. Orion (1-0)
7. Bureau Valley (1-0)
8. North Scott (1-0)
9. Central DeWitt (1-0)
10. Mercer County (1-0)
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Pete Ivanic, pwivanic@mchsi.com
MC22 broadcast play-by-play
1. Bettendorf (1-0)
2. Geneseo (1-0)
3. North Scott (1-0)
4. Orion (1-0)
5. Davenport Assumption (1-0)
6. Bureau Valley (1-0)
7. Mercer County (1-0)
8. Clinton (1-0)
9. Central DeWitt (1-0)
10. Davenport Central (1-0)
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Bill Horrell, BillHorrell@clearchannel.com
WFXN-AM 1230 play-by-play
1. Bettendorf (1-0)
2. Geneseo (1-0)
3. Davenport Assumption (1-0)
4. Mercer County (1-0)
5. Clinton (1-0)
6. North Scott (1-0)
7. Galesburg (1-0)
8. Alleman (0-1)
9. Moline (0-1)
10. Rock Island (0-1)
____________
Daniel Makarewicz, Danmak@qconline.com
Dispatch/Argus UT & Alleman beat writer
1. Bettendorf (1-0)
2. Geneseo (1-0)
3. Davenport Assumption (1-0)
4. Mercer County (1-0)
5. Bureau Valley (1-0)
6. Clinton (1-0)
7. Orion (1-0)
8. North Scott (1-0)
9. Morrison (1-0)
10. Alleman (0-1)
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Matt Veto, mveto@qconline.com
Dispatch/Argus Rock Island beat writer
1. Bettendorf (1-0)
2. Davenport Assumption (1-0)
3. Geneseo (1-0)
4. Bureau Valley (1-0)
5. Mercer County (1-0)
6. Rock Island (0-1)
7. Alleman (0-1)
8. Orion (1-0)
9. Clinton (1-0)
10. Galesburg (1-0)
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Dan Tomlin, TomlinDanielD@sau.edu
Dispatch/Argus special contributor
1. Bettendorf (1-0)
2. Geneseo (1-0)
3. Davenport Assumption (1-0)
4. Mercer County (1-0)
5. North Scott (1-0)
6. Bureau Valley (1-0)
7. Alleman (0-1)
8. Rock Island (0-1)
9. Moline (0-1)
10. Orion (1-0)
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Tom Johnston, tjohnston@qconline.com
Dispatch/Argus college beat writer
1. Bettendorf (1-0)
2. Geneseo (1-0)
3. Mercer County (1-0)
4. Davenport Assumption (1-0)
5. Orion (1-0)
6. Bureau Valley (1-0)
7. Rock Island (0-1)
8. Morrison (1-0)
9. North Scott (1-0)
10. Clinton (1-0)
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Terry Duckett, tduckett@qconline.com
Dispatch/Argus area beat writer
1. Bettendorf (1-0)
2. Geneseo (1-0)
3. Mercer County (1-0)
4. Bureau Valley (1-0)
5. Davenport Assumption (1-0)
6. Orion (1-0)
7. Stark County (1-0)
8. Rock Island (0-1)
9. Morrison (1-0)
10. North Scott (1-0)
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Jeff Wendland, jwendland@qconline.com
Dispatch/Argus lead sports layout
1. Bettendorf (1-0)
2. Geneseo (1-0)
3. Davenport Assumption (1-0)
4. North Scott (1-0)
5. Mercer County (1-0)
6. Clinton (1-0)
7. Bureau Valley (1-0)
8. Orion (1-0)
9. Annawan-Wethersfield (1-0)
10. Morrison (1-0)
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Ryan Sergeant, rsergeant@qconline.com
Dispatch/Argus prep reporter
1. Bettendorf (1-0)
2. Geneseo (1-0)
3. Davenport Assumption (1-0)
4. Mercer County (1-0)
5. Clinton (1-0)
6. Orion (1-0)
7. Bureau Valley (1-0)
8. North Scott (1-0)
9. Galesburg (1-0)
10. Morrison (1-0)
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Chris Steele, SteeleChristopherK@sau.edu
Dispatch/Argus prep reporter
1. Bettendorf (1-0)
2. Geneseo (1-0)
3. Davenport Assumption (1-0)
4. Clinton (1-0)
5. Rock Island (0-1)
6. Bureau Valley (1-0)
7. Moline (0-1)
8. Alleman (0-1)
9. Galesburg (1-0)
10. Stark County (1-0)
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Steve Campbell, CampbellStevenE@sau.edu
WQAD-TV 8 sports associate
1. Bettendorf (1-0)
2. Geneseo (1-0)
3. Davenport Assumption (1-0)
4. Clinton (1-0)
5. Galesburg (1-0)
6. Alleman (0-1)
7. North Scott (1-0)
8. Mercer Couinty (1-0)
9. Rock Island (0-1)
10. Orion (1-0)
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CONVINCE US
Instead of decrying who”s in the poll, tell us who should be in our rankings. Negative comments about teams and players won”t be tolerated, and will be deleted.
