This lead is much like the way the season has gone.

Wednesday, September 26, 2001

This lead is much like the way the season has gone.

The Ironton Fighting Tigers remained No. 1 in the Associated Press Division IV football poll released Tuesday.

And just like the way Ironton has rolled up lopsided wins, the poll lead is becoming lopsided, too. Ironton has 17 first place votes and 305 points. Licking Valley is second with four first place votes and 228 points.

Ironton has a 77-point lead, the largest of any poll leader. On the season, Ironton has outscored its opponents on the field 202-to-24.

Youngstown Ursuline, the defending state OHSAA champion, is third. Ursuline’s only loss was to Division I poll leader Warren Harding.

Portsmouth (5-0) is fourth with 208 points, just nine points behind Ursuline. Portsmouth plays at Ironton this Friday.

At stake in the game will be not only a move up in the polls for Portsmouth or a strangle hold on the poll leadership for the Fighting Tigers, but a large amount of computer playoff points.

Canton Catholic is fifth, Chagrin Falls sixth, Germantown Valley View seventh, Louisville Aquinas eighth, Kenton ninth, and Cincinnati Wyoming is 10th. Coshocton, fourth last week, lost and stumbled to No. 11.

Other poll Division leaders are Warren Harding in Div. I, East Liverpool in Div. II, Poland Seminary in Division III, Bedford Chanel in Division IV, Maria Stein Marion Local is top-ranked in Division VI.