The Bee’s Central Section football Top 20

NOTE: This week’s rankings were incomplete in Tuesday’s Bee. You can see the full list here.

Week 3 of the 2010 Central Section football season is in the books. Here’s Andy Boogaard’s team and division rankings, and the latest buzz topics:

TOP 20 TEAMS

1. Centennial (3-0) Next: at North (1-2), Friday

2. Clovis West (2-1) Next: at Bullard (0-3), Thursday

3. Bakersfield (3-1) Next: at Golden Valley (3-0), Friday

4. El Diamante (3-0) Next: vs. Mt. Whitney (1-2), Friday

5. Sanger (3-0) Next: at Clovis (2-2), Friday

6. Clovis East (3-1) Next: Buhach Colony-Atwater (4-0), Friday

7. Buchanan (3-0) Next: vs. Edison (0-3), Friday

8. Central (2-1) Next: vs. Reedley (3-0), Friday

9. Liberty-Bakersfield (2-2) Next: at Highland (2-1), Friday

10. Frontier (2-1) Next: vs. West (1-2), Friday

11. Memorial (3-0) Next: vs. Clovis North (1-3), Friday

12. Ridgeview (3-0) Next: at Arvin (0-4), Friday

13. Garces (2-1) Next: vs. Stockdale (2-1), Friday

14. Bullard (0-3) Next: at Clovis West (2-1), Thursday

15. Golden Valley (3-0) Next: vs. Bakersfield (3-1), Friday

16. Hanford (4-0) Next: at Hanford West (3-1), Friday

17. Clovis North (1-3) Next: at Memorial (3-0), Friday

18. Kingsburg (4-0) Next: vs. Dinuba (0-3), Friday

19. Porterville (4-0) Next: at Mission Oak (1-2), Thursday

20. Clovis (2-2) Next: vs. Sanger (3-0), Friday

DIVISIONAL RANKINGS

D-I 1. Centennial; 2. Clovis West; 3. Bakersfield

D-II 1. Sanger; 2. Frontier; 3. Memorial

D-III 1. Ridgeview; 2. Golden Valley; 3. Hanford

D-IV 1. Washington (2-1); 2. Dos Palos (2-1); 3. Chowchilla (3-1)

D-V 1. Corcoran (3-1); 2. Fowler (3-1); 3. Caruthers (3-0)

D-VI 1. Farmersville (2-1); 2. Orange Cove (3-0); 3. Laton (3-0)

THE BUZZ

Buchanan is 3-0, No. 7 in the Central Section, No. 24 in the state and hurting — badly. Three-year starting safety and backup running back Tanner Barnes (shoulder) is out for the season; running back/outside linebacker Kenny Castle (high ankle sprain) is doubtful this week; and wide receiver/cornerback Austin Kemp (hamstring), the team’s fastest player, is out indefinitely. “Those are three of our top six players,” Bears 17-year coach Mike Vogt said. “We’re about as short-handed as I’ve ever been at Buchanan.” Joe Lynes, the team’s No. 3 running back, scored the winning touchdown in Saturday’s 23-17 overtime win over Liberty-Bakersfield. And Vogt said sophomore Roger Bik will be pressed into duty.

Also down to its No. 3 running back indefinitely is Central, which lost Brendon Bigelow (knee) for the year before the season began, and then lost Robert Johnson (concussion) in Friday’s 28-22 loss to El Diamante. Next in line for the Grizzlies is sophomore Michael Grimes, who carried eight times for 226 yards and four touchdowns in a season-opening 54-25 win over Paso Robles.

Arguably the section’s surprise impact player of the season to date is Hanford first-year quarterback Robert Ortega, who completed 20-of-24 passes for 254 yards and four touchdowns in a 40-27 win over Madera, and has thrown 14 TDs without an interception overall. The Bullpups — 4-0 against teams with a combined 2-12 record — now gear up for intracity rival Hanford West (3-1) in a West Yosemite League opener Friday.

Compiled by Andy Boogaard / The Fresno Bee