As uninteresting as it is to have no shakeups in the rankings this week, that means that the rankings from the past week were accurate and no upsets occurred. That’s not always the most exciting as upsets can be fun and interesting, but with seven of 10 regular season games played teams are locking in ahead of playoff runs.

Pleasant Valley has been the clear favorite so far in the Eastern Athletic League, but Foothill, Chico and Red Bluff could be thrown in a hat and any team could win on any given day. However if an injury were to occur to a key player on any team, that could change the outlook on any season.

This week features some exciting matchups, with the No. 2 and No. 3 teams Chico and Foothill facing off at Chico High. Hamilton (8-0) hosts the No. 2 seed in the Mid-Valley League, Maxwell (6-2). Both teams enter with a 4-0 record in MVL play and could be playing for the MVL title with two games remaining.

Red Bluff’s coach Jacob Daricek resigned this week so it will be interesting to see how the Spartans’ season finishes and if they can continue their momentum into playoffs.

Next week, Winters (7-1) will look to give Pierce (8-0) its first loss of the season in the Cubs’ toughest test yet.

As always, rankings will change each week depending on results, performances and strength of schedule.

NSCIF Top 5 football rankings

1. Pleasant Valley (5-3)

Last week’s game: Beat Foothill 38-28

Last week’s rank: No. 1

Next game: 7 p.m. Friday at Enterprise

The Vikings have had two difficult games back to back with Chico and Foothill, but their running game led by Titus Andrus has been unstoppable and something to fear for anyone they face. PV is 2-2 on its home turf and 3-1 on the road, and 3-0 in EAL play thus far. PV’s overall record could have been 7-1 if not for a close loss to Cardinal Newman, and a loss to Inderkum where turnovers and penalties costed the Vikings late.

PV ends its regular season with Enterprise and Shasta, two teams that have a combined record of 5-11 overall and 1-5 in EAL play. The Vikings have struggled with injuries all season, so staying healthy ahead of a playoff run will be key.

2. Foothill (4-4)

Last week game: Lost 38-28 to Pleasant Valley

Last week rank: No. 2

Next game: 7 p.m. Friday at Chico

After an overtime win against Red Bluff that saw a key interception returned for a touchdown be the key play, the Cougars fell to PV in the Week 8 matchup. Foothill trailed 27-21 late in the third quarter, but PV sealed the victory in the fourth quarter. The Cougars have a slight edge in the rankings ahead of Chico, as their offense was able to score against the PV defense, but neither Chico nor Foothill was able to stop the run-heavy offense of the Vikings.

Similar to last season, the top four teams in the EAL are making the Northern Section playoffs exciting and something to watch in just under a month.

3. Chico (7-1)

Last week game: Beat Shasta 40-10

Last week rank: No. 3

Next game: 7 p.m. Friday vs. Foothill

After a loss in the Almond Bowl, Chico had a big win against Shasta in front of the Panthers’ home crowd Friday night. This week the Panthers have another challenging test against Foothill, which features a big offensive line the Panthers must contend with. Chico’s defense has been sharp and limited many of its opponents, and if the Panthers can pull off the victory they will undoubtedly be moved up in the rankings.

A win against Foothill be no easy test, as the Cougars faced a very difficult non-league schedule to prepare them for EAL play and so their overall record of 4-4 should not be overlooked.

4. Red Bluff (6-2)

Last week game: Beat Enterprise 35-12

Last week rank: No. 4

Next game: 7 p.m. Friday at Shasta

The biggest news from the Red Bluff football team this week is that head coach Jacob Daricek resigned from his position following last week’s game. He was replaced by interim coach Dan Ackley. Ackley has been with the program for 23 years and will look to lead the Spartans in a playoff run with two games left in the regular season.

The Spartans got a much needed win last week after losses to Pleasant Valley and Foothill, with the loss to the Cougars coming in overtime. The Spartans travel to Shasta this week to face the Wolves, before facing Chico in the regular season finale in a game with Northern Section playoff seeding on the line.

5. Lassen (6-2)

Last week game: Beat West Valley 42-21

Last week rank: No. 5

Next game: 7:30 p.m. Friday at Yreka

Many thought West Valley may be a test for Lassen last week, but the Grizzlies cruised to a victory. This week the Grizzlies schedule gets no easier when they travel to Yreka, a team that beat West Valley and enters 7-1 and contending for the Northern Athletic League title.

The Grizzlies’ run-heavy offense is lead by Dowan Stephens’ 1,129 yards and 21 TDs, Dathen Moore’s 672 yards and five TDs, and three other rushers with over 120 yards. The Grizzlies played a difficult non-league schedule, but remain at No. 5 after a loss in Week 2 to Red Bluff.

On the bubble — Gridley (8-0), Pierce (8-0)

Gridley has not had the most difficult strength of schedule this season, but one win that stands out that puts them on the bubble was on Sept. 12 against Winters. Winters has dominated its opponents all season, but the Bulldogs pulled off a one point victory and now remain undefeated with two games remaining. The Bulldogs are coming off back to back shutouts against Oroville and Live Oak after a difficult game against Orland, but face two strong teams in Las Plumas and Corning to end their regular season.

Pierce joins Gridley, Hamilton and Redding Christian as the four undefeated teams in the Northern Section. The Cubs had their toughest test since Week 3 last week against Paradise in a 31-20 win. The Cubs end their regular season with back to back home games, beginning with Durham and ending with their toughest test all season in Winters (7-1).