Southeastern Pennsylvania Football Rankings: Coatesville moves from 4 to 2 in Top 10

Things went a little haywire in Week 9 in the Southeastern Pennsylvania football Top 10.

No. 2 Downingtown West lost. No. 3 La Salle lost.

No. 9 Central Bucks West lost. No. 10 North Penn lost.

The big movers were Coatesville, which rocketed to the No. 2 spot, as well as Archbishop Wood and Garnet Valley.

Archbishop Wood jumped back in the Top 10 after stunning La Salle in overtime, while Garnet Valley made its debut following its eighth consecutive victory.

With one week left before the start of the postseason, here’s the new Top 10, with last week’s ranking in parentheses:

1. St. Joseph’s Prep (1) 5-2: In four games vs. Philadelphia Catholic League foes after starting the season with three games against national-caliber opponents, the Hawks have scored 44, 44, 42 and 49 points. Friday’s 49-7 win over Father Judge was the Prep’s 32nd victory in a row over Philadelphia-area opponents since the start of the 2016 season. The Prep plays at Archbishop Ryan Saturday before starting its drive to repeat as Class 6 A league, city and state champions.

2. Coatesville (4) 7-1: Remember the Red Raiders? Actually, nobody forgot them, but coach Matt Ortega said the visitors had a “chip on our shoulders” Friday night at Kottmeyer Stadium because host Downingtown West had enjoyed so much of the spotlight this season. The three-time defending Ches-Mont National Division and two-time District 1 Class 6 A champions reminded everybody that the road to those titles still runs through Coatesville. Senior all-purpose Dapree Bryant was dynamic as usual and senior quarterback Ricky Ortega ran for three scores and passed for 325 yards in a 29-21 statement win over the Whippets. Coatesville can clinch the Ches-Mont National with a win Friday vs. Downingtown East.

3. Downingtown West (2) 8-1: Senior quarterback Will Howard rallied the Whippets from a 20-7 halftime deficit with some hard running in the third quarter, scoring twice for a 21-20 lead. But on Senior Night, Downingtown West paid the price for a pair of fourth-down failures deep in Coatesville territory, one late in the first half and one late in the game. Coatesville quarterback Ricky Ortega believes the teams will meet again: “We’ll see them in the District finals.” Downingtown West plays at Avon Grove Friday.

4. Neumann-Goretti (5) 9-0: Marqui Adams threw four touchdown passes as the Saints rolled past West Catholic 42-6 on Saturday night. Deuce Johnson caught a pair of touchdowns while Tysheem Johnson ran for one score and caught a pass for another. Neumann-Goretti can clinch the PCL Blue Division title with a win Friday night vs. Lansdale Catholic.

5. Episcopal Academy (6) 7-0: Another game, another sensational performance by Maurcus McDaniel, the Churchmen’s senior quarterback. McDaniel passed for two scores and ran for two others, adding a two-point conversion run with 22 seconds to play in a dramatic 35-34 win over Springside Chestnut Hill. McDaniel ran for 154 yards and passed for 144 in the fast-paced battle of Inter-Ac unbeatens. Episcopal Academy is home Friday vs. Malvern Prep in a key league battle.

6. Downingtown East (7) 8-1: The Cougars’ ground game was in fine form in a 49-21 win over Bishop Shanahan. Rumbling behind a powerful offensive line, Spencer Uggla ran for 182 yards and three scores on just 12 carries and Stanley Bryant picked up 93 yards on 11 carries. Downingtown East can earn a share of the Ches-Mont League National title – and strengthen its case a legitimate contender for the District 1 Class 6 A title – with a victory over visiting Coatesville on Friday night at Kottmeyer Stadium.

7. Northeast (8) 8-1: The Vikings won their fifth in a row, beating Public League foe John Bartram 36-8. In those five games, Northeast has allowed just 20 points. Northeast plays Samuel Fels Friday in the first round of the District 12 Class 6 playoffs.

8. La Salle (3) 6-2: The Explorers’ defense was solid, allowing nine first downs and just seven points in regulation in a 21-20 overtime loss to Archbishop Wood in a PCL Red Division clash. Special-teams letdowns doomed La Salle, which allowed a kickoff return for a touchdown and saw its chance to tie the game end when its extra-point attempt was blocked. La Salle plays at Roman Catholic Friday night.

9. Garnet Valley (NR) 8-1: The Jaguars ran for 490 yards on 52 carries in an imposing 49-14 victory over Strath Haven. Grey Reynolds ran for 178 yards while Jake Morin and Ryan Gallagher each ran for two touchdowns. The Jaguars have scored 331 points (41.3 average) in their eight-game winning streak.

10. Archbishop Wood (NR) 5-3: Sturdy defense and sterling special teams made the difference in a signature win for the Vikings, a 21-20 overtime triumph over Catholic League Red Division rival La Salle. Bryan Kelly returned a kickoff for a touchdown and Robert Jackson, a 6-foot-6 converted basketball player, secured the win by blocking the Explorers’ extra-point attempt in overtime. Archbishop Wood plays Father Judge Friday night at William Tennett.

Under consideration (listed alphabetically): Abington (8-1), Bonner-Prendergast (7-1), Central Bucks West (8-1), Cheltenham (8-1), Haverford (7-2), Imhotep Charter (5-4), Malvern Prep (3-4), Plymouth-Whitemarsh (7-1), Pope John Paul II (8-1), Springside Chestnut Hill (6-1), Souderton (8-1), West Chester East (7-2).