10/17/2026
OnDaLines Sports Media | Top 4 Rankings Debate
Four undefeated teams. Four impressive résumés.
One big question: Should the Top 4 rankings stay the same?
As the CMS middle school football regular season moves closer to the playoffs, J.M. Alexander, Piedmont, Southwest, and McClintock have all made compelling cases for their positions among the league’s elite.
#1 J.M. Alexander Blue Devils: Five shutouts, including a 30–0 win over #5 Ranson and a 34–0 victory over Ridge Road. The Blue Devils have not allowed a point all season.
#2 Piedmont Pirates: Five shutouts of their own, including wins over #7 Randolph (12–0) and #9 Kennedy (35–0). Piedmont’s defense has been just as dominant.
#3 Southwest Patriots: Four shutouts before a hard-fought 22–18 victory over #8 J.M. Robinson. The Patriots showed resilience in a Southern Conference battle with first place at stake.
#4 McClintock Scots: Dominant wins over Albemarle Road (36–0), MLK (28–0), and Mint Hill (40–0), along with a 22–14 victory over Northridge. The Scots have shown they can win big and survive a close contest.
All four teams remain undefeated at 5–0, but their performances raise an important question about how much dominance, strength of schedule, and close-game experience should influence the rankings.
The question for fans
Should J.M. Alexander remain at #1 because of its perfect defensive record? Does Piedmont deserve to move up after five consecutive shutouts? Should Southwest’s narrow win over J.M. Robinson affect its position? And has McClintock done enough to climb after several dominant performances?
The records are perfect, but the order is up for debate.
👇 Sound off in the comments: Should the Top 4 remain the same, or would you make a change? Tell us your rankings and explain why!
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