The Daily Times

To add a bit of transparency, here is how I cast the votes for The Daily Times in this week’s Associated Press Poll. I don’t say there isn’t room for argument but that’s what the poll is for, to let the different views balance each other out.

Class 6A

1. Maryville - hands down, no question, until someone proves me wrong, the Rebels are better now than Week 1 when they beat Alcoa, even if Farragut rolled up points, it’s hard to give up 41 and win

2. D-B - no matter what the postseason history says D-B is playing good ball in this regular season

3. Whitehaven - Unless something changes they’re the best team out of the West. Rematch?

4. Siegel - It’s hard to tell if District 7 is as tough as it once was but give the undefeated their due

5. Science Hill - Undefeated but still to play D-B

6. Brentwood - Another undefeated

7. Bearden - Bulldogs’ OT win looked even bigger after what Farragut did and even on an off night, Bulldogs beat Heritage.

8. Mt Juliet - One loss and still rolling

9. Sevier County - I like The Bears, and they look much sharper now than in the sole loss, to D-B.

10. Dickson County - Even an undefeated from a weak district has beaten everyone they should.

Class 5A

Panthers get my number one after beating the other 5As in District 4 and only loss coming to a ranked 6A Bearden team. The folks down in the LC have to be feeling good even with two tough 6A games to play at Farragut and at Maryville. The Farragut game will determine a lot about LC’s ranking if not really impact the postseason, and win or lose at Maryville, LC would still be No. 1. Beech is unbeaten but not nearly as tested as LC.

Knox West takes on Bearden but is still a top five team in my mind while Daniel Boone continues to win games with its only two losses coming to ranked Science Hill and D-B. South-Doyle went from 9 to 7 in my rankings after the shutout at Seymour.

1. Lenoir City, 2. Jackson North Side, 3. Beech, 4. Powell, 5. KnoxWest, 6. Daniel Boone, 7. South Doyle, 8.Henry County, 9. Columbia, 10. Hardin County.

Class 4A

It’s not conventional wisdom but Fulton’s only loss is a very good and ranked 5A West team. Even if the Falcons lose to Alcoa Friday, I’d have trouble believing there’s a better 4A at the moment, but that’s why, unlike the NCAA’s top tier, we have playoffs.

1. Fulton, 2. Covington, 3. Giles County, 4.DeKalb County, 5. Greeneville, 6. East Hamilton, 7. Livingston Academy, 8. Lexington 9. Mitchell, 10. Dyersburg

Class 3A

Count me among those who have Alcoa ranked number one over CAK. Not because Alcoa is one of “our” teams but because CAK’s lack of defense and we’ll just outscore you mentality goes against the championship grain. Even Steve Spurrier had to wait until he had a defense to go with Fun N Gun to win a title. It’s another 12 days until the speculation ends for the first answer between Alcoa and CAK but count on a postseason rematch, unless CAK throws an untimely interception rather than TD that derails the rematch.

1. Alcoa, 2. CAK, 3. Cheatham County, 4.CPA, 5. Milan, 6. Sullivan North, 7. Elizabethton, 8. South Gibson, 9. Fairview, 10. Polk County

Class 2A

I may be Grace’s only first-place vote again this week but I never punished them for losing to CAK in the first place. Though Grace won that game in 2011, you have to admit CAK is going to win that one most years, and the fact Grace would schedule it earns kudos. I haven’t heard of any of the other top 10 calling up CAK or Alcoa or Milan for a game. Grace is playoff eligible and we’ll see if they prove my heart’s in the right place or if I’m just foolhardy.

1. Grace Christian, 2. Dresden, 3. Boyd Buchanan, 4. Friendship Christian, 5. Oneida, 6. Adamsville, 7. Hampton, 8. Westwood, 9. Cascade, 10. Houston County

Class 1A

Just as I didn’t punish Grace, I also didn’t knock down Greenback after the ’Kees hit No. 1. They lost to Grace by one score and if I think Grace is No. 1 in 2A, losing to them by 7 wasn’t a reason to knock Greenback out of the No. 1 spot. Maybe some other voters will take a second look this week as the ones who dropped Greenback two weeks ago have to drop South Pittsburgh for its 35-21 loss to Boyd Buchanon, which is just as silly. The Pirates are still at No. 3 in my voting, same place they’ve been for three weeks now. Same logic applies to Coalfield losing to a ranked Oneida squad.

1. Greenback, 2. Moore County, 3. South Pittsburg, 4. Gordonsville, 5. Coalfield, 6. Huntingdon, 7. Copper Basin, 8. West Carroll, 9. Clarksville Academy, 10. Union City.

Marcus Fitzsimmons is sports editor at The Daily Times, who enjoys reading comments posted to this column at http://thedailytimes.com