The Kirtland football team opens as the top team in Division VI, per the first state poll conducted by the Associated Press.

Coach Tiger LaVerde's team (3-0) garnered seven of the eight first-place votes and 79 total voting points, easily outdistancing second-place Bluffton (59 voting points) and the rest of the field.

Coldwater (2-1) checks in at No. 4 in the Division VI ranks and pulled the other first-place vote in that division - the lone first-place vote not afforded to the Hornets.

Kirtland is one of 11 area teams who appear in this week's AP poll. The others, by division, are:

- Mentor (3-0) is fourth in Division I with 54 voting points. The Cardinals trail St. Edward St. Xavier and Olentangy Orange in the Division I voting.

- Hawken (3-0) is third in Division III with 40 voting points, trailing only Columbus Watterson, Wapakoneta and Medina Buckeye. Also appearing in the Division III ranks are Geneva (3-0) in 15th place and VASJ (2-1) in 20th place.

- NDCL (3-0) is ninth in Division IV with 25 voting points. Shelby (3-0) leads that division, with other area entries being Perry (2-1) in 12th and Lake Catholic (2-1) in 19th.

- Joining Kirtland in the Division VI voting is Wickliffe. The Blue Devils (3-0) are 21st in this week's voting.

- In Division VII, Fairport (3-0) is ranked ninth. That Division is led by Marion Local (3-0), which pulled all eight first-place votes.