The Unbeaten Get Fewer

Three weeks into the AHSDL's inaugural season, the margin for error is shrinking fast. Week 3 claimed two more 2-0 teams, handed a pair of struggling franchises their first wins, and left just four franchises standing without a loss. Here's how it all played out, how the Power Rankings have reshuffled, and what's on deck for Week 4.

Week 3 Recap: West Conference

The West Conference delivered the marquee result of the entire week, and it came at the very top of the Power Rankings.

The North Union Wildcats knocked off the MacArthur Highlanders, 179.06–148.66, handing MacArthur its first loss of the season and denying the No. 1 team in the league a third straight win. North Union improves to 3-0 and stakes its claim as one of just four remaining unbeaten franchises in the AHSDL.

Elsewhere, the Moreno Valley Vikings stayed unbeaten as well, cruising past the Xenia Buccaneers, 173.66–122.44, to move to 3-0 in the West. The Grovetown Patriots won the West's closest game of the week, edging the Jasper Place Rebels, 107.70–107.28, a margin of just 0.42 points. The Napoleon Wildcats improved to 2-1 with a 164.90–139.82 win over the Silver Creek Dragons, the Fostoria Redmen defeated the Mount Pleasant Oilers, 146.42–135.10, and the Ennis Lions handled the Floyd Central Highlanders, 155.58–129.80.

Week 3 Recap: East Conference

The East Conference's headline matchup lived up to its billing, while a pair of long-winless franchises finally broke through.

In the game the league had been waiting for, the Cresskill Cougars defeated the Massillon Tigers, 160.24–146.78, handing Massillon its first loss of the season and keeping Cresskill perfect at 3-0 alongside the East's other remaining unbeaten team, the Jamesville-Dewitt Red Rams, who improved to 3-0 with a 195.56–166.08 win over the Shadyside Casket Makers.

The Red Rams and Casket Maker matchup proved to be the highest scoring game of the season thus far and was also this week’s Heartbreaking Game of the Week. The Casket Makers would have defeated 20 other teams this week; however, they ran into the Rams and their “week-toping” score.

Two of the week's tightest finishes also came out of the East. The Brownsville Falcons edged the Peoples Academy Wolves, 101.74–101.20, a margin of just 0.54 points, and it was a milestone win as much as a nail-biter — Brownsville's first victory of the season after an 0-2 start, and it leaves the Wolves as the East's last remaining winless team. The Whittier Wildcats also won by the slimmest of margins, defeating the Crisfield Crabbers, 140.82–139.80, a difference of just 1.02 points.

The other milestone win of the week belonged to the Ernestown Eagles, who picked up their first victory of the season with a 138.28–135.92 win over the Salamanca Warriors. It's a meaningful result for a franchise whose season opened with both starting quarterbacks going down in Week 1 — three weeks and a rough start later, Ernestown finally has a win in the standings. Rounding out the East, the Rome Black Knights defeated the D'arcy McGee Gee Gees, 134.62–127.56.

Four franchises remain unbeaten after three weeks: the Cresskill Cougars and Jamesville-Dewitt Red Rams in the East, and the North Union Wildcats and Moreno Valley Vikings in the West.

Power Rankings: Top 10

Three weeks of results are starting to separate the league's true contenders, though the composite nature of the Power Rankings means a single loss doesn't erase a strong season to that point.

1. Jamesville-Dewitt Red Rams (3-0) — 0.938. A dominant win over Shadyside and a perfect record through three weeks put the Red Rams atop the league for the first time this season.
2. Cresskill Cougars (3-0) — 0.924. The Cougars' win over Massillon was the statement result of the week, and it keeps them undefeated and firmly in the league's top tier.
3. MacArthur Highlanders (2-1) — 0.910. MacArthur's first loss of the season barely dents its ranking — three weeks of strong scoring and all-play numbers are enough to hold it at No. 3 even after Week 3's setback.
4. North Union Wildcats (3-0) — 0.854. The architects of the week's marquee upset climb into the top five and remain one of just four undefeated teams left in the league.
5. Massillon Tigers (2-1) — 0.840. Like MacArthur, Massillon's first loss of the season doesn't drop it out of the top five, a reminder that these rankings weigh the whole season rather than just the most recent result.
6. Moreno Valley Vikings (3-0) — 0.778. A comfortable win over Xenia keeps Moreno Valley perfect and pushes it into the top six.
7. Whittier Wildcats (2-1) — 0.729. A third straight game decided by a slim margin, this time a win, keeps Whittier steady in the middle of the top 10.
8. Rome Black Knights (2-1) — 0.681. Back-to-back wins following the Week 1 heartbreak loss have Rome trending in the right direction.
9. Napoleon Wildcats (2-1) — 0.674. Two straight wins after an 0-1 start have Napoleon climbing into the top 10 for the first time this season.
10. Crisfield Crabbers (1-2) — 0.660. Despite consecutive losses, the Crabbers' Week 1 form is still carrying enough weight to keep them in the top 10, though that cushion is thinning.

Week 4 Preview

Week 4 marks the AHSDL's second Divisional Week of the season, and three matchups stand out on a slate built almost entirely around the top of the Power Rankings.

The headline game is a Liberty Division matchup as the No. 1 Jamesville-Dewitt Red Rams, still unbeaten at 3-0, host the No. 8 Rome Black Knights, winners of two straight since their own Week 1 heartbreak loss. Jamesville-Dewitt will look to protect both its perfect record and its new hold on the top ranking, while Rome will look to be the team that hands the Red Rams their first loss of the season.

In the West, a pair of Wildcat franchises collide in an Ohio Valley Division showdown as the No. 4 North Union Wildcats, still unbeaten at 3-0, face the No. 9 Napoleon Wildcats, winners of two straight since their own 0-1 start. It's the first meeting of the season between the league's two Wildcat teams, and a chance for Napoleon to make its biggest statement yet.

Also on the slate, a Great Atlantic Division match as the No.5 Massillon Tigers look to bounce back from their first loss of the season when they face the No. 10 Crisfield Crabbers, who will be looking to snap a two-game skid of their own and hang on to their spot in the league's top 10.