Nye's Week 6 high school football power rankings

I must've blinked because we're already halfway through the regular season in high school football season. I always tell people it's the quickest 10 weeks of the whole year. Some teams had big wins last week and some just took care of business against inferior opponents, but regardless at the halfway point there is plenty of more intrigue for the last five weeks. The N10 race is heating up with Carey squarely back in the picture, H-L continued its stranglehold of the SBC River and the SBC Lake just gets underway this week.Here were the Week 5 rankings: 1. Hopewell-Loudon 2. Mohawk 3. Seneca East 4. Bellevue 5. Carey 6. Lakota 7. Buckeye Central 8. Columbian 9. Calvert 10. Clyde 11. Upper Sandusky 12. FostoriaThere won't be much movement at the top, but as we get into the guts of the power rankings, there will be some changes this week.Here we go:1. H-L (5-0, 2-0 SBC River): I really thought Gibsonburg would be the team to challenge the Chieftains the most left on their schedule. It was 6-0 at halftime, but the Chieftains pulled away and blanked the Golden Bears 25-0. That defense and the hogmollies up front are no joke for H-L. The skill guys are pretty good too. This week I look for the Chieftains to continue to roll as they travel to Kansas.2. Mohawk (4-1, 1-1 N10): After a tough 24-21 loss to Colonel Crawford a week prior, Mohawk bounced back in a big way with a blowout of Bucyrus. Coach Eric Daniel's squad still looks the part of challenging for the N10 title again this season as the next three games are very winnable for the Warriors before N10 showdowns in Week 9 and 10 to finish up.3. Carey (2-3, 2-0 N10): Well, well, well … look who is up in the rankings again. It seems like this is a yearly thing now where Carey – who plays a nasty non-league schedule – struggles in the first few games of the season before finding its footing and then challenging for another N10 title. It was a hard-fought win at SE last week, so after two winnable games, a showdown with Colonel Crawford at home is looming in Week 8.4. Bellevue (3-2): I'm still not real sure where to put Bellevue even halfway through the season. Mostly because in its two losses, the games haven't been close, but they were losses to two really good teams – Shelby and Perkins – but at the same time, the combined record of the teams the Redmen have beaten is 2-13. So … yeah.5. Seneca East (3-2, 1-1 N10): I feel like after a close loss to Carey last week, the Tigers are in the biggest stretch of the season the next two weeks. Both games are on the road at Upper Sandusky (2-3) and then Colonel Crawford (5-0). Right now, the Tigers are sitting No. 11 in Region 22 for playoff seeding, so these are an important two weeks coming up.6. Columbian (2-3): I don't know who needed a win more – TC or Calvert – but after the first half Friday I wasn't sure the Tornadoes would get the job done vs. Huron. But TC turned things around and played with the intensity and urgency it needs to for the remainder of the season to challenge for the SBC Lake and to make the playoffs. The next two games are on the road, but really it's certainly all in front of the Tornadoes to win the next four and head into a Week 10 matchup at home vs. Perkins. But as coach Judd Lutz always says: "The next game is the biggest game of the season because it's the next one."7. Calvert (2-3, 1-1 SBC River): It was a big win last week for Calvert as it might have saved its season from going off the rails. But it doesn't get any easier for the Senecas as a tough Gibsonburg team looking to bounce back heads to Calvert this week. Can Calvert keep the momentum going?8. Buckeye Central (3-2, 1-1 N10): The next three weeks for BC are crucial. It will be the difference between the playoffs or not with a trip to Mohawk, Carey at home and then a trip to rival SE in Week 8. 9. Clyde (1-4): The Fliers finally recorded a win this season in a 55-48 shootout at Port Clinton last Friday. Now comes a pivotal two-week stretch vs. Perkins and Edison that could decide Clyde's playoff fate.10. Lakota (3-2, 0-2 SBC River): After a 3-0 start to the season, it's been a rough two weeks for the Raiders, being outscored 76-13. I do that score differential heading in the wrong direction again this week as they host H-L.11. Upper Sandusky (2-3, 1-1 N10): The Rams have a big opportunity this week to get their season on track with SE coming to Upper Sandusky. The Rams have shown the ability to play tough defense, but the offense needs to keep it going this week against a very good Tigers defense.12. Fostoria (0-5, 0-2 NBC): Fostoria is entering a three-week stretch where a win is on the table for the Redmen. The last three opponents were a combined 14-1, so the next three being 5-10 bodes well for the Redmen.