NORTHERN SECTION POLL: Sutter slips; Wheatland, Biggs join in

A couple of big schools fell over the weekend and a few more are beginning to gain some recognition — namely Wheatland, Pierce and Biggs.

While four of the five divisions have at least 10 of the 11 first-place votes and three divisions have a unanimous top seed in the latest Northern Section Prep Football Media Poll, several new schools are making some noise.

Paradise (Division I), Portola (D-IV) and Butte Valley (D-VI) received all the No. 1 votes and held their spots atop the divisions from last week as voted on by members of the Appeal-Democrat, Redding Record Searchlight, Chico Enterprise-Record, MaxPreps, KNRO-1670 Fox Sports Radio and KHSL-TV.

Paradise was the newest team to become the overwhelming favorite in D-I after the Bobcats held on for a last-minute win over Sac-Joaquin Section's Sonora on Friday, and Enterprise and Foothill both lost. Chico (39) moved from fourth to second, jumping the Hornets and Cougars, who are tied for third with 28 points. Shasta (15) blanked North Coast Section Eureka 35-0 at home to pick up four total voting points, but remains fifth.

Idle Sutter lost its top spot in D-II after West Valley beat Enterprise 24-21 on Friday. The Eagles picked up six first-place votes and it was enough for the Eagles to edge Sutter by one point, knocking the Huskies out of the division lead for the first time this season. Wheatland (21), which has not been ranked yet this year, moved into the third spot after Orland and Lassen fell out for losing last week. Yreka (9) picked up its third win of the year and gained one spot while Central Valley's win over previously No. 3 Orland vaulted the Falcons (8) into the fifth spot, narrowly ahead of Corning, Lassen and Live Oak.

Willows was alone at the top last week in D-III, but a loss to Winters moved the Honkers down to third, losing all first-place votes. Most of them went to Pierce (54), which is 3-0 and hopped second-ranked Durham, which lost last week. The Trojans picked up a first-place vote, but is second with 38 points. Modoc (19) is fourth and Trinity (9) moves into the fifth spot after picking up its first win of the year at home against Hoopa Valley.

Portola didn't play last week and held on to all first-place votes to stay at the top of D-IV. But the same can't be said about the rest of the rankings since Maxwell, previously ranked second, lost to Colusa to drop the Panthers to fifth. Chester (40) and Burney (28) each moved up a slot and Biggs makes its first appearance in the rankings this year at fourth after a 52-0 win over Williams.

Butte Valley is strong atop D-VI (8-man), taking away Dunsmuir's lone first-place vote from last week to collect all 11. The Tigers (43) still gained four points and are in second while Redding Christian's road win at Westwood kept the Lions (33) undefeated at 3-0 and in third. Tulelake (19) and Mercy (12) both went from being unranked to fourth and fifth, respectively.