MY D6 Rankings

[RamblinMan]

Honestly I look at how these Westpac teams played against other. North Star only 40-7 over a saltsburg team that gained 11 total yards against PM? Blacklick hung with PL for win but lignonier destroyed PL. United's closest game has been the one against the WestPac... if you are impressed by beating 3 winless teams then be my guess... thats like ligonier being impressed by winning against A schools.

I don't see anyone really "hanging their hats" on these wins and straight up declaring the WestPac better. For me, the evidence is inconclusive. The 3-1 record up till this point really doesn't tell us alot. Yes, we beat your bottom feeders but none of the three WestPac teams that beat them are tearing of their own league either.

Rockwood is bad...real bad. Against Windber, the score could have been 60-0 had they not taken the foot off the gas. First time in my life I really wanted to see the game called. Blacklick is the 4th or 5th best team in the WestPac and haven't beaten anyone yet. In my mind, they are a touch overrated. I think Windber is 35 points better and the score would have indicated that if they didn't hand the ball over to Blacklick 5 times and given 150-200 yards in penalties. But yes...that is part of the game as they say. As for North Star, they too haven't been playing well in the WestPac. One loss and no real blowouts against WestPac bottom feeders Conemaugh Valley and Ferndale.

So really, what teams have the Heritage really played? An argument could be made that North Star is one of the WestPac elites this year but can't say anyone has seen that yet. Blacklick will finish with 3 or 4 losses and that's without playing the leagues best in Berlin. As for Rockwood, they may not even win a game in the WestPac but at most I give them 2 wins.

Like I said, too early to tell. You're hanging your hat on Penns Manor as being an Heritage power but they lost to Northern Cambria, a team I watched scrimmage Windber. I thought and still do think Windber was the better team. My point is this, we can only speculate as to which conference is better but for someone to say definitively that one is better than the other might just be a homer.

Now with all that said, I'll take Ligonier Valley by 13 over Windber.

[konjo78]

I will say I am slightly disappointed at the way the scheduled this first year. They really could start some intense rivalries in the future. I remember my sophmore year at PM when we lost to Portage in the playoffs we really grew a hate for portage and their fans. That still could be there with a guy like Carson Rhea coaching with PM, he was a captain of that team. That easily could of been a game every year that is just play physical and mean. Berlin and LV would be the other one that should of been made. They should either keep these same games year after year or each year set up games by records of the previous year. So top faces top and bottom faces bottom.

Also the Penns Manor loss was one that would not happen again today. They admittedly were cocky after last year and had their head in playoffs before their first game. Stupid mistake that they seemed to have learned from. Be interesting if they handle the rest of their schedule, big game being LV vs PM at PM, Which will be covered by d6sportsonline

[RamblinMan]

I will say I am slightly disappointed at the way the scheduled this first year. They really could start some intense rivalries in the future. I remember my sophmore year at PM when we lost to Portage in the playoffs we really grew a hate for portage and their fans. That still could be there with a guy like Carson Rhea coaching with PM, he was a captain of that team. That easily could of been a game every year that is just play physical and mean. Berlin and LV would be the other one that should of been made. They should either keep these same games year after year or each year set up games by records of the previous year. So top faces top and bottom faces bottom.

Also the Penns Manor loss was one that would not happen again today. They admittedly were cocky after last year and had their head in playoffs before their first game. Stupid mistake that they seemed to have learned from. Be interesting if they handle the rest of their schedule, big game being LV vs PM at PM, Which will be covered by d6sportsonline

I think that would be something we can all agree on. It would help the schools out as well considering the increase in attendance for games people want to go out and see instead of just staying home. One I'd really like to see would be Berlin vs. LV although Windber vs. LV ain't a bad alternative. North Star and Penns Manor would be sweet as well.

[RamblinMan]

I will say I am slightly disappointed at the way the scheduled this first year. They really could start some intense rivalries in the future. I remember my sophmore year at PM when we lost to Portage in the playoffs we really grew a hate for portage and their fans. That still could be there with a guy like Carson Rhea coaching with PM, he was a captain of that team. That easily could of been a game every year that is just play physical and mean. Berlin and LV would be the other one that should of been made. They should either keep these same games year after year or each year set up games by records of the previous year. So top faces top and bottom faces bottom.

Also the Penns Manor loss was one that would not happen again today. They admittedly were cocky after last year and had their head in playoffs before their first game. Stupid mistake that they seemed to have learned from. Be interesting if they handle the rest of their schedule, big game being LV vs PM at PM, Which will be covered by d6sportsonline

I think that would be something we can all agree on. It would help the schools out as well considering the increase in attendance for games people want to go out and see instead of just staying home. One I'd really like to see would be Berlin vs. LV although Windber vs. LV ain't a bad alternative even though many picked Windber to win 6 games this year. North Star and Penns Manor would be sweet as well.

[12HankQB]

I will say I am slightly disappointed at the way the scheduled this first year. They really could start some intense rivalries in the future. I remember my sophmore year at PM when we lost to Portage in the playoffs we really grew a hate for portage and their fans. That still could be there with a guy like Carson Rhea coaching with PM, he was a captain of that team. That easily could of been a game every year that is just play physical and mean. Berlin and LV would be the other one that should of been made. They should either keep these same games year after year or each year set up games by records of the previous year. So top faces top and bottom faces bottom.

Also the Penns Manor loss was one that would not happen again today. They admittedly were cocky after last year and had their head in playoffs before their first game. Stupid mistake that they seemed to have learned from. Be interesting if they handle the rest of their schedule, big game being LV vs PM at PM, Which will be covered by d6sportsonline

I know Berlin has always wanted to play Laurel Valley in the regular season to see the match up since the two always started the year off scrimmaging each other. With the merger, could've been really interesting. Ligonier Valley is much larger, but that doesn't always make the difference.

[Blue Blood]

I do think konjo78 makes a good point about the Heritage teams that have been the opponents in the 3 WestPAC wins so far, although I'm not going to go as far as saying the WestPAC won't win any others in the remaining 5 matchups (my picks are BOLDED):

Ligonier Valley @ Windber (both are at the top of their respective conferences, so should be the best indicator yet as to how the 2 conferences compare this year)

Northern Cambria @ Berlin (Berlin is 4-0 vs. WestPAC foes and NC is 3-1 vs. Heritage teams, including a week 1 win over PM, so this one should be another better indicator than the first 4 weeks)

Conemaugh Twp @ Homer Center (CT is 2-2 with upcoming games with BV and Windber, so they will likely be 2-4, possibly 3-3 when they play the Wildcats, while HC will be 5-1, or perhaps even undefeated)

Marion Center @ Shade (these teams will be 3-4 or 2-5, both with the same record or one with 3 wins and the other with 2, therefore, it should be a good comparison of strength of conferences)

Blairsville @ Portage (I predict that both will be 5-3, another that should be a good indicator of comparitive strength)

Wouldn't it have been interesting if the 2 conferences could have gotten together whenever D6 announced that single A teams would need a 10th game, and matched up No. 1 from the Heritage with No. 1 from the WestPAC, and Nos. 2, etc. The only problem being that there are 9 Heritage schools and 11 WestPAC ones, so...that is why we are faced with the out-of-conference games throughout the season this year in the first place. Does anyone agree with me that combining these 2 conferences and creating 2 10 team divisions would make some sense? It could have even allowed for matching up Divisional No. 1's through No. 10's, for week 10, with no need for anyone to go hunting for a game! Just a thought.

[Blue Blood]

On the question (not ignorant at all) regarding Portage only playing 8 WestPAC foes, it all goes back to the fact that there are an odd number of teams in the conference, but the fact is, they are not the only one playing only 8. Blacklick Valley and Conemaugh Valley are both also only playing 8 WestPAC foes. Interestingly, in all 3 cases, both of their non-conference games are versus Heritage schools (I did not include the week 10 ones in my earlier post - wasn't actually aware of the BV and CV ones at that point).

The 3 week 10 WestPAC vs. Heritage matchups are:

Portage @ Homer Center

BV @ Saltsburg

CV @ Purchase Line

That will actually make the total of the intra-conference games 12, and I could see it ending up 6-6. That would settle things, wouldn't it? ;)

[konjo78]

I really like this system Blue Blood. Its very similar to my conference champion post. Its also just like what they did in Washington State my senior year. The two south eastern conferences, Big 9 and Greater Spokane league, would match up 1v1 2v2 and so on on week 10 before playoffs started.