Federal League Power Rankings
1. Lake (11-1, 6-1 League)
2. Jackson (7-3, 5-1 League)
3. Perry (6-6, 5-2 League)
4. McKinley (5-7, 3-4 League)
5. Hoover (7-5, 2-4 League)
6. GlenOak (4-7, 1-6 League)
7. Boardman (3-8, 1-5 League)
League Trends
Jackson had the week off in Federal League action, and Lake took the opportunity to pass them in the power rankings with a strong win over Boardman. The Blue Streaks were the only league team to post a double-digit win this week, with Perry knocking off McKinley by 3, and Hoover outlasting GlenOak 81-74 in double over-time.
Lake has been the most dominating team in the league so far, outscoring Federal League teams by 55 points so far head-to-head. At the opposite end of the standings, Boardman has been outscored by 78 points in league games.
Looking Ahead
With a win over McKinley last weekend, Perry has thrown itself into the Federal League title picture. With game remaining against both Lake and Jackson, coupled with games against the league’s bottom three teams, they seem to be slated for a 9-3 record at worst by the end of the season.
Lake, the current frontrunner for the title, must travel to both Perry and Jackson for games, and also hosts the Bulldogs next month. They’ve had a strong start to their season, but unfortunately for the Blue Streaks, the meat of their Federal League schedule lays ahead.
The only other real contender in league play is Jackson, who also must play McKinley, Perry and Lake. The only plus side for the Polar Bears is that all three of those games are at home, where they have lost just one game this season (a 57-55 defeat against Zanesville).
McKinley destroys archrival Massillon in non-league matchup
The real rivalry, the battle for the Victory Bell, happens each October on the football field. But don’t tell McKinley’s basketball team that.
The Bulldogs played one of their best games of the season in Massillon last Saturday night, running wild for a 65-37 thrashing of the rival Tigers.
The game appeared to be close for about the first six minutes of play—the teams traded baskets early, and neither team was pulling away. Then the Bulldogs found their rhythm.
The Bulldogs have been at their best this season when playing physical, harassing defense. This game was no exception. Late in the first quarter, and throughout the rest of the game, they got in the faces of the Massillon players, forcing turnovers and scoring transition points.
Unlike most games when the Bulldogs have had big leads, they didn’t slow down the tempo. They poured it on against their rivals, going in for dunks and even throwing up a couple of (unsuccessful) alley-oop attempts.
However lopsided the game, it wasn’t entirely unexpected. McKinley has lost just one of its last 10 matchups with Massillon, and holds the series edge 127-46.
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