Football: Here’s a question, is Maranatha really a No. 2 quality team in the Mid-Valley Division? Respectfully, no. At least not yet, anyway. CIF-SS polls say otherwise.

The CIF-Southern Section top-10 polls can be puzzling at times, and that was evident in the polls released Tuesday.

There seems to be little emphasis on strength of schedule and more emphasis simply on wins and losses.

That was the case particularly in the Mid-Valley Division, where Maranatha High School (1-0) jumped three spots, from No. 5 to No. 2, behind Monrovia, which opens the season at home Thursday against a Glendora team that gave Charter Oak – the No. 9 team in the tough Inland Division – all it could handle before losing 17-6.

Maranatha coach Pete Karavedas, in his first season at the helm, took the new ranking in stride.

“Those things are all mostly about your record,” he said. “Monrovia at one point last year was No. 8 because they played a tough schedule, but everyone knew they’d be there at the end. We’ll put (the poll news) on our team Facebook page, but you and I know it’s nice to have but it doesn’t necessarily mean much.”

Or at least not yet.

The final polls decide the final seedings in the playoffs, so they could impact postseason scenarios.

The Minutemen, who defeated Big Bear 41-12, jumped ahead of Covina, San Dimas and Whittier Christian, each of which lost its season opener last week.

Nevermind the fact that Covina – ranked No. 2 in the preseason poll – lost in overtime to defending Southeast Division champion West Covina (26-20). Covina is now No. 5.

“If I was them, I would still have Covina at No. 2, I’m not going to lie,” Karavedas said. “I don’t think you should penalize a team like Covina for losing in overtime to the defending Southeast Division champion.”

San Dimas – ranked No. 3 in preseason – lost to Bonita, the No. 2 team in the Southeast Division, and the Saints are now No. 6. Whittier Christian dropped three spots to No. 7 after losing to Orange County power Esperanza, 49-34.

“The top four seeds, as we know, play the four at-large teams,” Karavedas said, “but right now, at this point of the year, you take it in stride.

“If Monrovia loses to Glendora by one and we beat La Salle, we’ll be No. 1 and Monrovia will be No. 2, which is crazy because Monrovia is playing a team that played Charter Oak last week and lost by 11.”

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