SBLive's Michigan high school football Power 25 for week 8

1. Belleville (7-0)

Last week’s ranking: 1

Next game: Oct. 14 vs. Livonia Franklin

Ranking rationale: Belleville remains at the top. It finally plays a decent opponent this week against Franklin. I wouldn’t anticipate it to have many issues, but you never know with how this year has gone.

2. Warren De La Salle Collegiate (6-1)

Last week’s ranking: 2

Next game: Oct. 14 at River Rouge

Ranking rationale: De La Salle went out of state and dominated Dayton Ponitz last week, and now it comes back to Michigan to take on River Rouge in what should be a fun game.

3. Grand Rapids Catholic Central (6-1)

Last week’s ranking: 3

Next game: Oct. 14 at Wayland

Ranking rationale: Catholic Central has another tough road game against a Wayland team that’s better than its record would indicate.

4. Detroit Martin Luther King (5-1)

Last week’s ranking: 4

Next game: TBD

Ranking rationale: King stays put as it awaits its next opponent.

5. West Bloomfield (6-1)

Last week’s ranking: 5

Next game: Oct. 14 at Southfield Arts and Technology

Ranking rationale: West Bloomfield may be in the top-5 for now, but this week it takes on a Southfield A&T team that has surprised a lot of people and won the OAA White division. Winning that game will be no easy task.

6. Rockford (7-0)

Last week’s ranking: 8

Next game: Oct. 14 vs. Jenison

Ranking rationale: Rockford has its homecoming game against Jenison this week before it goes on the road for a showdown with Caledonia. Man, what a game that will be.

7. Rochester Adams (6-1)

Last week’s ranking: 9

Next game: Oct. 14 vs. Harper Woods

Ranking rationale: Adams continues to climb these rankings.

8. Caledonia (7-0)

Last week’s ranking: 10

Next game: Oct. 14 vs. West Ottawa

Ranking rationale: Caledonia may be unbeaten, but it shouldn’t look past its opponent this week ahead of its regular season finale against No. 6 Rockford.

9. Macomb Dakota (7-0)

Last week’s ranking: 12

Next game: Oct. 14 at Utica Ford

Ranking rationale: I have Dakota jumping South Christian because of the dominance it's showed all year in the gauntlet that is the Macomb Area Conference, no disrespect to the OK Gold.

10. Grand Rapids South Christian (7-0)

Last week’s ranking: 11

Next game: Oct. 14 at Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills

Ranking rationale: South Christian entered the Power 25 just a few weeks ago. Now it finds itself in the top 10. Quite the rise for the Sailors.

11. Hudson (7-0)

Last week’s ranking: 14

Next game: Oct. 14 at Dundee

Ranking rationale: Hudson jumps three spots this week. It is currently riding a 21-game winning streak, and that deserves some recognition.

12. Saline (6-1)

Last week’s ranking: 7

Next game: Oct. 14 at Dexter

Ranking rationale: Saline couldn’t do anything on offense last week against Bedford. Now it has to go on the road to take on an unbeaten Dexter team. Man, what a game that would have been had both teams been undefeated. It’ll probably still be good, though.

13. Warren Michigan Collegiate (6-1)

Last week’s ranking: 13

Next game: Oct. 14 at Harper Woods Chandler Park

Ranking rationale: Michigan Collegiate stays put this week. It plays a Chandler Park team this week that doesn’t have much to play for since it’s banned from postseason play.

14. Whitehall (7-0)

Last week’s ranking: 15

Next game: Oct. 14 at Fremont

Ranking rationale: I was finally able to move Whitehall up, even if it was just one spot. It really deserves to be in the top 10, but it needs more teams in front of it to lose.

15. Marine City (6-1)

Last week’s ranking: 16

Next game: Oct. 14 at Center Line

Ranking rationale: Marine City jumps up a spot as well after falling three spots last week.

16. Dexter (7-0)

Last week’s ranking: 17

Next game: Oct. 14 vs. No. 12 Saline

Ranking rationale: Like I mentioned earlier with Saline, this matchup would have been much better if Saline didn’t forget how to play offense last week. But it should still be a good game nonetheless.

17. Chelsea (5-2)

Last week’s ranking: 6

Next game: Oct. 14 at Edwardsburg

Ranking rationale: Steep drop for Chelsea after it suffered its second loss of the season. It doesn’t get any easier, as it has to travel to take on a good Edwardsburg squad.

18. Lapeer (7-0)

Last week’s ranking: 19

Next game: Oct. 14 vs. Clarkston

Ranking rationale: Lapeer is still undefeated heading into its final two matchups with Clarkston and Davison. It has the added benefit of having both games at home.

19. River Rouge

Last week’s ranking: 18

Next game: Oct. 14 vs. No. 2 Warren De La Salle Collegiate

Ranking rationale: River Rouge has a chance to remove any uncertainty about it with an upset of De La Salle.

20. Davison (6-1)

Last week’s ranking: 20

Next game: Oct. 14 vs. Grand Blanc

Ranking rationale: Davison stays put ahead of its matchup with Grand Blanc.

21. Tecumseh (7-0)

Last week’s ranking: unranked

Next game: Oct. 14 at Livonia Clarenceville

Ranking rationale: The team that upended Chelsea makes its Power 25 debut this week. Tecumseh has had little trouble all season long, and I wouldn’t expect that to change this week.

22. Muskegon Mona Shores (6-1)

Last week’s ranking: 24

Next game: Oct. 14 at Muskegon Reeths-puffer

Ranking rationale: Mona Shores has dominated its opponents for the most part this season. It takes on a solid Reeths-Puffer team that’s hungry for an upset this week.

23. Clarkston (5-2)

Last week’s ranking: 21

Next game: Oct. 14 at No. 18 Lapeer

Ranking rationale: I dropped Clarkston for the same reason as Unity Christian below it, although if it beats Lapeer this week, it could easily climb back up.

24. Hudsonville Unity Christian (5-2)

Last week’s ranking: 22

Next game: Oct. 14 vs. Spring Lake

Ranking rationale: Despite it winning five straight games, I had to drop Unity Christian a couple of spots to give some more deserving teams some more recognition. It takes on lowly Spring Lake this week, so six in a row could be in its grasp.

25. Muskegon (5-2)

Last week’s ranking: 23

Next game: TBD

Ranking rationale: Muskegon stays in the top 25 by the skin of its teeth. Its next opponent was going to be Holland, but they had to cancel the rest of their season because they didn’t have enough players.