MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montoursville is ranked No. 2 in the Sun-Gazette power rankings and are 6-2 after eight weeks of competition.

1. Jersey Shore (6-2): Prior to 2014, Jersey Shore had not put together a winning season during the 2000s. Since then, it has piled up 12 straight winning campaigns. Its 115-32-1 is easily the tops among Sun-Gazette area teams during that span and includes seven district championships, also best.

2. Montoursville (6-2): A week late on this one but senior Christian Banks became just the 29th area player during the 2000s to reach 3,000 career rushing yards. He is one of five Montoursville players to do so, joining Keith Batkowski, Rocco Pulizzi, Cody Haupt and Luke Trick.

3. Warrior Run (7-1): Warrior Run can achieve its best nine-game mark this century if it wins tonight. The 2005 Defenders started 7-1 before losing in Week 9 against Hughesville. Two more victories and Warrior Run would secure its most wins in a season, period, during the 2000s.

4. Montgomery (7-1): Five Red Raiders have more than 200 yards rushing this season and four have gone over 100 yards. Multiple players have topped 100 yards in consecutive weeks and five have games with more than 90 yards. That’s about as a balanced a rushing attack as this reporter has seen in his 27 seasons here.

5. Loyalsock (5-3): Jalil Coates not only again revealed his talent last week but also his endurance and grit, carrying the ball 47 times for 205 yards. No other Lancer has carried that many times this century and only two area players have done so more times. Cody Haupt carried 51 times for 256 yards and two touchdowns in a 17-6 win at Jersey Shore in 2009 and South’s Gideon Green carried 50 times for 239 yards and four touchdowns in a 56-28 victory against Loyalsock eight years later.

6. South Williamsport (5-3): Although South is loaded with exciting underclassmen, let’s not forget the team’s few seniors. Eli Harvey and Cadden Smith did a super job up front a week ago, helping three different running backs top 60 yards. The future is bright but those two have helped South stay focused on making the most of this season, too.

7. Muncy (5-3): After moving from linebacker to safety last season, Dominic Guardini validated the switch with an excellent postseason, including intercepting two passes in a one-point state playoff win at Lackawanna Trail. Now, he has become one of the area’s top safeties and made 11 solo tackles against South.

8. Williamsport (4-4): I’d have to look it up to validate but am almost certain in saying that no other area team has had as brutal a four-game stretch in terms of schedule strength as Williamsport over the last four weeks. Tonight, the Millionaires face their third straight undefeated team and their last four opponents are a combined 30-2. That could help come playoff time as it did a year ago.

9. Milton (3-5): Both Milton and Cowanesque Valley have won all their games via shutout this season, totaling seven. They also have let just one team top 100 yards in those contests.

10. Wellsboro (4-4): Wellsboro has effectively turned defense into offense in its last two wins. Kody Enck and Griffin Morral have returned three interceptions for touchdowns in those games.

11. Cowanesque Valley (4-4): There were some years where Cowanesque Valley did not score 123 points in a season. Now, the Indians have done so over the last two weeks. This coaching staff has done a tremendous job with fewer than 20 players dressed each week and the players have proven as versatile as they are talented.

12. Lewisburg (2-6): Lewisburg and Montoursville collide again at Christy Mathewson Stadium which takes me back to one of my favorite high school games. These two produced a playoff classic in 2012, each overcoming double-digit deficits before Montoursville won in the final seconds, 37-33.

13. North Penn-Mansfield (4-4): Kicker Brody Grinnell is having quite a season and is tied for second among area kickers with four field goals. Grinnell also has drilled all four on grass fields, including a 35-yarder last Friday at Troy.

14. Hughesville (2-6): Carson Stackhouse has been pretty electric with the football in his hands–and that’s not even talking about offense. Stackhouse returned a kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown a week ago at Warrior Run and also has two interception return scores this season.

15. Central Mountain (0-8): The Wildcats have put together their two best offensive yardage performances the past two weeks. It’s an encouraging sign and more exciting for the program is that several of the players helping make it happen return next year.

16. Canton (1-7): Had injuries not hit Canton so hard, it probably would have had a much different look the past few weeks. Not saying they win those games, but at full strength I certainly think they are pretty competitive.

17. Bucktail (1-7): Some weeks it has been freshman Corbin Pentz having big games, others sophomore Teagan Stone and last week it was freshman Levi Stevenson. The point here being that Bucktail has some terrific pieces to build around the next few years.