Record Searchlight football power rankings: Week 9

The Shasta Wolves beat the Foothill Cougars 50-21 on Friday, Nov. 1, 2019, to win the new SUHSD football trophy.

Shasta County football rankings are based on record, strength of schedule and results from last week's performances.

One more week of the regular season and West Valley proved once again why it belongs on top. The Eagles made history by completing their first undefeated regular season in program history after beating Lassen on Friday night. Junior running back Joshua Aguilar scored two touchdowns including the game winner for West Valley, which has guaranteed itself the top seed in the CIF Northern Section Division III playoffs.

Here's a look at who the top five teams in Shasta County are heading into Week 10.

1. West Valley (10-0, 5-0 NAL) beat Lassen 13-7

West Valley coach Greg Grandell has said it repeatedly throughout the season:

"My goal at the end of each week is to build better people. Football is simply a way I teach boys how to become better men."

Throughout the past two seasons, West Valley has managed to overcome adversity. West Valley wore No. 8 to honor teammate Tyson Wacker who died in a car accident last year and his little brother Ashtin became a noted contributor in 2019.

Aguilar had last season's championship ring was stolen from his car three weeks ago. Since the incident, Aguilar has scored five touchdowns in two games and helped lift his team to its third straight Northern Athletic League title.

West Valley has a bye in Week 10 and has the opportunity to scout potential competition this upcoming weekend before the playoffs start.  

2. Shasta (5-4, 4-1 EAL) beat Foothill 50-21

Shasta coach J.C. Hunsaker may have staked his name as coach of the year after Friday's win over Foothill. What was shaping up to be a close game against Foothill turned into a rout on both offense and defense. Foothill's top wide receiver Tyler Carey was being harassed by the Wolves secondary all night. Shasta’s run game was complimented with a screen pass on third down that resulted in a 60-yard touchdown from Johari Woods. Shasta's defensive line, which was once a weakness, has now turned into the team's tone setter. The Wolves won the River Bowl on Oct. 25 and became the first title-holders of the Shasta Union High School District Championship trophy after beating both rivals Foothill and Enterprise.

3. U-Prep (8-1, 4-0 M-VAL) beat Trinity 45-14

U-Prep mashed its way through another inferior opponent in Trinity but will get its chance to prove its legitimacy next week against East Nicolaus for the Mid-Valley Athletic League title. U-Prep will need to win convincingly to obtain either a No. 3 or 4 seed. The team's lone loss was against Live Oak, which currently is ranked No. 4 in the CIF Northern Section Division III rankings.

4. Foothill (5-4, 2-2 NAL) loss to Shasta 50-21

Foothill came into its game shorthanded without starting defensive lineman and offensive lineman Cody Sisco. Without Sisco, the Cougars allowed running backs James Weaver and Johari Woods to combine for 299 yards of total offense and six touchdowns. Meanwhile, Cougars receiver and top weapon Tyler Carey was kept quiet after an early touchdown. The key for Foothill is for its defensive line to get healthy in time for the playoffs. Coach Joey Brown has his hands full this week as his team prepares for Chico in the final game of the regular season.

5. Enterprise (0-9, 0-4 EAL) lost to Paradise 48-26

Surprise! It looks weird, but Enterprise even as a winless team has managed to crack the Record Searchlight's top five list. Here the reason why: strength of schedule. Enterprise in its first game was tied with West Valley until stumbling in the fourth quarter. The Hornets also scored 28 points against Chico earlier in the year. The final spot would belong to Anderson, but the Cubs fell to Corning on Friday. The two schools share a common opponent in Lassen. Enterprise managed to score three touchdowns and lost by 16 points while Anderson lost by 35 to the Grizzlies. Strength of schedule and competitive endurance, even in losses, matter.

More:Shasta claims first district championship trophy in win over Foothill

More:West Valley football hasn't lost a game in over a year. They say he's the reason

Ethan Hanson started working for the Redding Record Searchlight after four years with the Los Angeles Daily News as a freelancer. His coverage includes working the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament in South Bend, Indiana, and writing about the St. Louis Rams' move to Los Angeles with the Ventura County Star. He began his career as a play-by-play broadcaster for LA Pierce College from 2011-2017. Follow him on Twitter at @EthanAHanson_RS.