The Cavaliers' two losses came against Miami Trace and Jackson, both ranked above them. An 8-2 season still deserves considerable respect, but the direct results give those opponents the advantage.

The Pointers finish with nine wins and only the Symmes Valley loss. Their victory over Beaver Eastern helped establish the season early, and the complete record keeps South Point just outside the Top 10.

The Wildcats' losses came against Fort Frye and Nelsonville-York. That context matters: two losses against teams in the Top 8 should not automatically place Waterford below every one-loss team.

The Falcons closed with a significant win, not just another victory over a lower-ranked opponent. Beating Hamilton Township strengthens an 8-2 resume and puts Fairfield Union at No. 14.

The Pirates settled this comparison on the field and secured the SOC II championship. The road win puts Wheelersburg ahead of Portsmouth West despite the difference in overall records.

Eight wins still make this a strong season for the Senators. The closing loss gives Wheelersburg the direct advantage, but West stays immediately behind the Pirates rather than taking an excessive fall.

The closing loss costs ground, but wins over Jackson and Athens still matter. The Shermans are one of the reasons this cannot simply be a list sorted by record or the latest result.

The Huntsmen finish 7-3 with a head-to-head win over Zane Trace on their resume. That gives Huntington a fair argument for a higher position, even though the complete season keeps the Pioneers ahead in this edition.

Wins over Bloom-Carroll and McClain help explain Circleville's place inside the Top 20. Seven victories and those direct results give the Tigers a solid case in this crowded part of the poll.

The wins over Unioto and Valley make Waverly more dangerous than a quick glance at 6-4 might suggest. The Tigers stay ahead of Valley, while losses to Portsmouth West and Wheelersburg keep those teams above them.

Seven wins keep the Indians close to the Top 20. Waverly's 42-25 head-to-head victory is the reason the Tigers retain the spot immediately ahead of Valley despite having one fewer win.

Eight wins and the 42-20 victory over Beaver Eastern give the Eagles a strong position just outside the Top 20. The direct win keeps the two Eastern programs in this order.

Scott Tomlison's Eagles finish with seven wins. Their losses came against South Point, Symmes Valley and Eastern Meigs, all ranked above them. That is useful context for the 7-3 record.

The Marauders finish with seven wins and own a head-to-head victory over Eastern Meigs. That gives Meigs a reasonable argument to be higher; the full season leaves this group close together.

The Warriors get the edge over Piketon after winning their meeting 19-16. Both finish 6-4, making that direct result a sensible separator between neighboring teams.

The overtime win over Unioto remains one of Piketon's strongest results. The loss to Adena puts the Redstreaks immediately behind the Warriors, but the complete season keeps them in the upper half.

This is one of the poll's most debatable placements. The 49-13 win over Fairland is the main reason the Braves sit above a team with more victories. The 3-7 record prevents a larger climb.

Seven wins give the Dragons a legitimate case to be higher. The decisive loss to Logan Elm is difficult to overlook, however, so Fairland stays immediately behind the Braves in this power poll.

Six wins put the Vikings in the top half of the field. Their 36-28 victory over Alexander is one of the direct results supporting this placement.

The Rebels finish with a winning record and round out the Top 30. The losses to Eastern Meigs and Beaver Eastern help keep those programs ahead of South Gallia.

The Ceramics finish at .500. Their 42-20 win over Alexander remains a useful head-to-head result and helps place them ahead of the Spartans in this section.

The final record is 3-7, but the 41-6 win over McClain gives Washington a clear direct result to point to. That keeps the Blue Lions immediately above the Tigers.

The Tigers finish 5-5 after opening 4-0. The stronger part of the schedule changed the evaluation, and the loss to Washington keeps the Blue Lions ahead despite McClain's better overall record.

The Tornadoes finish at .500 with convincing wins over Belpre and Trimble. Those results help separate Southern from teams farther down the list.

The Spartans' early winning start remains part of the picture, but the full season ends at 4-6. Losses to Crooksville and Vinton County give those teams a clear advantage in this group.

The Panthers opened 3-0 before finishing 4-6. The early wins still count, but the full ten-game schedule gives a more measured picture than the undefeated start did.

The Golden Eagles reached 4-2 before a difficult finish. Southern's 42-0 head-to-head win is a clear reason to keep the Tornadoes ahead in this final order.

The Hornets, Portsmouth and Gallia Academy produced a circle of head-to-head results. Coal Grove beat Portsmouth, Portsmouth beat Gallia, and Gallia beat Coal Grove. The whole season has to decide their order.

The final game was a difficult one against our No. 1 team. Portsmouth's shutout win over Gallia Academy still helps its case in the closely grouped lower OVC section.

The Blue Devils' win over Coal Grove shows why this OVC group is difficult to arrange. The loss to Portsmouth points the other direction, so no order can satisfy every direct result.

The Tigers closed with wins over Point Pleasant and Warren. That is a meaningful finish rather than a single upset, and the road win puts Marietta immediately ahead of the Warriors.

Warren finishes with one more victory than Marietta, but the 16-point home loss gives the Tigers the direct advantage. The Warriors remain close behind rather than dropping an entire tier.

Five wins keep the Titans around the middle of the standings, but a power poll also weighs the opponents. Losses to South Gallia, Beaver Eastern and Symmes Valley help explain this position.

The win over Logan Elm is a real positive in the Aces' season and gives them an argument for a higher spot. The full 3-7 record keeps that one result from deciding everything.

The Redmen were within one point of Gallia Academy and eight of Portsmouth. Those competitive losses provide context, but finishing 2-8 still limits how far they can climb.

The Falcons finish with three victories. Their six-point loss at Meigs showed they could compete with a higher-ranked opponent, but the full season leaves them in this group.

The Panthers finish 2-8, including a five-point loss to Gallia Academy. Close games matter when evaluating competitiveness, but they cannot replace the wins needed for a larger move.

Three wins and the 28-20 victory over Wellston give the Raiders a direct result supporting their place ahead of the Golden Rockets.

The 32-15 win over Belpre is a useful result on the Tomcats' resume. The final 3-7 record and the rest of the schedule keep that win from producing a much higher position.

The Greyhounds finish one game below .500. Their place here reflects a power-ranking judgment of the complete schedule, not simply a comparison of win totals.

The Warren win remains the Chieftains' best direct argument for a higher position. The complete 1-9 season keeps Logan lower, illustrating the limits of using one head-to-head game as an absolute rule.

Wins over Oak Hill and Trimble give the Golden Rockets positives to point to. The complete 2-8 record, including the loss to River Valley, shapes their final placement.

The Falcons finish with two wins, including the 20-10 victory over Fairfield Christian Academy. Those breakthroughs count even after a difficult opening stretch.

The Tartans finish with two victories. Their placement stays above Green and the winless teams, while the losses to Manchester and the stronger SOC I programs limit a larger move.

The 55-36 win over Southeastern is a notable result in the Mustangs' season. The full 2-8 record keeps that victory from carrying the entire ranking.

The Mohawks finish with one victory. That leaves them above the winless group in this edition, but the full season keeps them near the bottom of the field.

The opening victory over Federal Hocking remains Green's direct separator from the Lancers. The Bobcats finish 1-9 after a difficult remainder of the season.

Scoring 47 against Warren and 55 against Washington showed offensive potential, but neither game became a win. The final 0-10 record keeps Hillsboro in the bottom group.

A difficult SVC season ends without a win. The Bearcats stay at No. 59 after a year in which defensive struggles repeatedly made it difficult to stay in games.

The Oaks finish 0-10 after a difficult SOC II schedule. The winless season keeps Oak Hill near the bottom of this final poll.

The Lancers close the regular season at No. 61 after finishing without a victory.