Published: Tuesday, Oct. 06, 2009 / Updated: Tuesday, Oct. 06, 2009 09:10 AM

Byrnes keeps top ranking ahead of Rock Hill

It's about time voters from around the state began giving Rock Hill football teams the credit they deserve.

Unfortunately, when and if that will happen is unknown at this time.

The Rock Hill Bearcats remained the state's No. 2 team in this week's McClatchy Prep Writers Poll, which is very good, but maybe not where they should be.

The Bearcats are 6-0 and have wins against Clover and Northwestern. They are one spot behind No. 1 Byrnes, which went to Florida on Friday and lost to St. Thomas Aquinas, 42-34.

Rock Hill played one of its poorest games of the season but had enough in the tank to get past York, 30-21.

If Rock Hill coach Joe Mont-gomery were asked, it's a good bet he'd say the Bearcats are fine right where they are, because no team wants to wear that No. 1 target on its back. Chester has been ranked No. 1 all season in the Class AAA poll, but traveled Winnsboro on Friday and lost for the first time, 28-24 to rival Fairfield Central.

The Cyclones lost quarterback Tony McNeal in the first quarter, but Chester coach Maurice Flowers didn't use that as an excuse and said backup Tevin Worthy played well enough for their team to win. The Cyclones (5-1) fell to No. 5 in this week's poll, but the big thing is they may have lost home-field advantage in the playoffs.

Rock Hill didn't budge in the poll, holding down the familiar spot where it has been most of this season. But this is the week the Bearcats had a shot at moving up. And it could be that voters felt that because St. Thomas Aquinas was No. 1 and Byrnes No. 2 nationally in most polls, the margin was not great enough to drop Byrnes.

Both stayed there in this week's National Prep Football Poll. Rock Hill is not in the top 25, but is No. 8 in one of seven regions covering the country, the East Coast.

It's not the first time a Rock Hill team was bypassed for the top spot in the McClatchy poll. Last year, Dorman beat Byrnes and moved from third to No. 1, with South Pointe standing pat at No. 2. Byrnes beat Dorman in the playoffs and went on to win the Class AAAA Division I state championship with a 14-1 record.

South Pointe won the Class AAAA Division II state champ-ionship with its second 21-point victory of the season over Northwestern (13-2) and finished 15-0. When the final poll came out, Byrnes leaped over South Pointe, which had handed one of the state's powerhouses its only two losses.

Clover held steady at No. 5 in this week's class AAAA poll. South Pointe moved back in at No. 10 after its third straight win over Northwestern, 30-7.

South Carolina high school writers who vote in the poll are: Steve Wiseman (The State), Barry Byers (The Herald), Justin Jarrett (Hilton Head Island-Packet/Beaufort Gazette), Shane Bowen (Myrtle Beach Sun News), Kevin Melton (Spartanburg Herald-Journal), Bob Castello (Greenville News), Phil Bowman (Charleston Post and Courier) and Cam Huffman (Aiken Standard).

This week's polls

CLASS AAAA

1. Byrnes (5-1) 77

2. Rock Hill (6-0) 69

3. Dorman (6-0) 68

4. Berkeley (6-0) 53

5. Clover (5-1) 40

6. Boiling Springs (6-0) 36

7. Irmo (5-1) 26

8. North Augusta (6-0) 25

9. Summerville (5-1) 22

10. South Pointe (4-2) 15

Others receiving votes: Beaufort 3, Mauldin 3, Gaffney 2, Blythe-wood 1

CLASS AAA

1. Marlboro County (6-0) 79

2. Myrtle Beach (5-1) 69

3. Daniel (6-0) 68

4. Airport (6-0) 53

5. Chester (5-1) 42

6. Chapin (6-0) 41

7. Lake City (5-1) 33

8. Belton-Honea Path (5-1) 18

9. North Charleston (5-1) 17

10. Wilson (4-1) 7

Others receiving votes: Lugoff-Elgin 4, Clinton 4, Fairfield Central 2, Greenville 2.

CLASS AA

1. Woodruff (6-0) 79

2. Timberland (6-0) 73

3. Abbeville (5-1) 60

4. Dillon (4-2) 48

5. Pendleton (5-1) 33

6. Columbia (5-1) 32

7. Manning (4-2) 31

8. Central Pageland (4-2) 28

9. Strom Thurmond (4-2) 22

10. Silver Bluff (4-2) 13

Others receiving votes: Batesburg-Leesville 12, Waccamaw 5, Cheraw 2, Chesnee 1

CLASS A

1. Chesterfield (6-0) 78

2. Bamberg-Ehrhardt (6-0) 71

3. Williston-Elko (6-0) 63

4. Calhoun County (5-1) 49

5. McBee (7-0) 41

6. Allendale-Fairfax (5-1) 38

7. Blackville-Hilda (5-1) 33

8. Carvers Bay (6-1) 30

9. Lamar (5-1) 17

10. Hemingway (5-1) 12

Others receiving votes: Christ Church 3, Cross 2, Johnsonville 2, Military Magnet 1.