The Week 4 Power 40 has a familiar team at No. 1 and a different conversation behind it.
Middletown remains first. Newburgh moves to second. Washingtonville is third, Lourdes fourth and Cornwall fifth. This is the September 29 board, with results through Week 3. The rankings reflect results, opponent quality and current form across Section IX.
Middletown keeps the top spot
The Bears are 4-0 after beating Port Jervis 28-7 to reclaim the Erie Bell. They have wins over Cornwall and Minisink Valley, too. Middletown has earned its position through its opening month, and Friday’s trip to Pine Bush is the next test of whether it can keep it.
Newburgh’s 31-0 win changes the top five
Newburgh moves from No. 3 to No. 2 after shutting out Cornwall. The Goldbacks are 3-1, and a decisive result against a team that entered above them has to carry weight.
Cornwall falls from No. 2 to No. 5 at 1-3. That does not erase the Dragons’ ability or their competitive game against Middletown. It means those positives have to be weighed alongside the losses. Cornwall gets a chance to respond at Minisink Valley this week.
Washingtonville and Lourdes earn their movement
Washingtonville rises to No. 3 after beating Pine Bush 42-28. Lourdes moves to No. 4 after a 31-20 win over Kingston. Both are 3-1, and both sit ahead of Cornwall on the current board.
The Wizards’ next trip is to 4-0 Goshen. Lourdes visits Warwick. Those games will give us more evidence about the distance between the top of Class A and the programs chasing it.
Valley Central belongs ahead of Beacon
Valley Central jumps from No. 10 to No. 7 after beating FDR 34-7. Beacon remains No. 13 after a 12-6 win over Marlboro that moved the Bulldogs to 4-0.
An unbeaten record matters, but it does not make every unbeaten team equal in a section-wide power ranking. The full schedule and the level of opposition matter, too. Beacon is still No. 2 in Class B, behind Port Jervis. The Bulldogs have earned attention; the next step is earning movement above the teams in front of them.
Minisink and Goshen remain ahead of Beacon
Minisink Valley holds No. 8 after beating Monroe-Woodbury 21-6. Goshen stays No. 9 after a 12-6 win over Warwick kept the Gladiators unbeaten.
Minisink’s response against a Class AA opponent carries weight. Goshen keeps winning, but its 12-point performances against Kingston and Warwick leave room for questions about how the offense will fare against the top teams. Washingtonville gives Goshen an immediate opportunity to answer.
Kingston stays above Pine Bush
Kingston is No. 10, Pine Bush No. 11. Lourdes beat both, but Kingston kept its loss to 31-20 while Pine Bush lost 53-12. That comparison supports Kingston’s position. It is one piece of the evaluation, alongside the rest of each team’s results.
Monroe-Woodbury cannot live on last year’s reputation
The Crusaders fall five places to No. 12 at 0-4. Last week’s 21-6 loss to Minisink followed the loss to Cornwall. The current season has to count.
Monroe now visits a Newburgh team coming off a 31-0 win. A response has to happen on the field. The program’s name alone cannot hold its ranking in place.
Burke makes the biggest jump
Burke Catholic climbs seven spots, from No. 21 to No. 14, after beating previously unbeaten Highland 52-6. The Eagles are 4-0 and now lead Class D.
Beacon remains one spot above Burke in the overall Power 40. Burke’s jump recognizes a major result without treating one game as the entire season.
The middle of the board still has work to do
Wallkill rises to No. 15 after shutting out Monticello 33-0. Warwick is No. 16, Marlboro No. 17, Dover No. 18 and Chester No. 19. FDR holds No. 20, followed by Highland, Saugerties and O’Neill.
Dover’s 18-13 win over Chester keeps the Dragons unbeaten and atop Class C. A team can lead its class without sitting above every larger program in the overall Power 40. These boards answer different questions.
Rondout Valley moves ahead of Spackenkill after winning their meeting 21-20. Head-to-head results matter when teams are close, and that result gives Rondout the edge at No. 24 over No. 25 Spackenkill.
Sullivan West changes the 8-Man conversation
Pawling and Millbrook remain first and second among the 8-Man programs. Sullivan West moves to No. 3 among the Eight-Man programs after a 34-6 win over Eldred. Eldred holds No. 4, one spot ahead of Tri-Valley at No. 5.
Those positions recognize what happened in September. October gives every team another chance to change the argument.
Complete Power 40 and class rankings → Full class-by-class explanation → Week 4 Schedule →
KOT845 rankings are presented by Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler, Official Community Partner.
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