Rankings can still be deceiving at this point

Although the official computer points have been announced for the first time of the season by the Ohio High School Athletic Association, it is still too early to put too much stock in these ratings.

Last year, this column pointed out that Versailles was the top team in region 20 with a 4-0 record. The Tigers won just two of their last six games to finish 12th in their region and out of the postseason.

On the other end of the spectrum, the same article noted that Minster was tied for last place in region 24 with a 0-4 record. The Wildcats went on to win their next five games to claim the eighth and final place in region 24 to qualify for the playoffs.

Here is a listing of how all the area Midwest Athletic Conference and Western Buckeye League teams stand in the computer rankings after the fourth week. We will start to track the points of non-area playoff contenders starting next week.

Team - Ranking (Computer Points)
Region 8:
Wapakoneta - 5th (8.00)
Celina - 24th (0.00)

Celina's 0-4 start to the season has the Bulldogs out of any playoff consideration while Wapakoneta dropped two places in the region rankings because of the lack of second-level points earned after beating the Green and White. With eight teams still undefeated in the region, Wapakoneta road to the postseason won't be easy with difficult WBL contests still ahead.

Region 10:
Elida - 1st (6.70)
St. Marys - 15th (3.40)
Lima Shawnee - 16th (3.30)
Defiance - 17th (3.13)

Elida (3-1) took over the top position in this region. The Bulldogs have been helped by the fact that the only remaining undefeated team in the region, Bryan, has defeated teams with a combined record of just 4-12.

St. Marys' (2-2) win over Lima Bath (2-2), coupled with losses by Lima Shawnee (2-2) and Defiance (2-2), have landed the Roughriders as the second-highest ranked WBL team in the region. The region has only seven teams with three or more wins and 12 teams with a 2-2 mark.

Region 14:
Kenton - 3rd (7.58)
Ottawa-Glandorf - 5th (6.85)
Lima Bath - 14th (3.30)
Van Wert - 27th (0.00)

Two of the five undefeated teams in the region, Kenton and Ottawa-Glandorf, face off on Friday in the WBL game of the week. The winner will be almost a lock for the playoffs while the loser will need to quickly regain their winning ways to stay in the top eight.

Region 20:
Versailles - 4th (6.45)
Coldwater - 8th (4.78)
Anna - 18th (2.58)
Parkway - 23rd (1.68)

Local teams had very little movement in this region last week. The winner between the Coldwater and Versailles matchup on Friday will almost be assured of claiming one playoff spot for the MAC. The game is critical for both teams as it may offer more potential computer points than any other game remaining on their schedules. This region has six undefeated teams and another six teams with just one loss. Anna (2-2) could vault up the rankings with a win over Marion Local (3-1) while Parkway (1-3) can get back into the playoff conversation with a victory over Fort Recovery (3-1).

Region 22:
Delphos St. John's - 10th (3.34)

Delphos St. John's may be just 2-2 on the season but wins over Minster (2-2) and Anna (2-2) have the Blue Jays just out of the top eight in this region.

Region 24:
Marion Local - 5th (3.97)
Fort Recovery - 10th (3.38)
Minster - 11th (3.15)
St. Henry - 17th (1.35)
New Bremen - 21st (0.00)

This is one of the first regions that has started to clear up as it consists of two extremes. Currently, 17 teams have one win or less in the region, and of those, St. Henry (1-3) is probably the only team with any realistic playoff hopes.

On the other extreme, several teams appear to be virtual playoff locks because of their quick starts to the season and weak schedules remaining. Lockland and Cincinnati Country Day are unbeaten while Springfield Catholic Central, Ada and Fort Loramie (who might win the rest of its games) are 3-1. Expect at least one more playoff spot to be secured by either Tri-County North, Ansonia or Bradford.

That leaves two playoff spots for five MAC teams to fight over. Marion Local (3-1) has the inside track thanks to wins over Minster and Our Lady Mount Carmel. New Bremen (0-4) is likely out of the playoff chase because of losses to two of these regional MAC rivals (Marion Local and Fort Recovery). The other playoff spot is likely to be filled by one of the following teams Fort Recovery, Minster or St. Henry. All three of those teams have yet to play each other but will in the second half of the season.