CINCINNATI (WKRC) - While the Covington Catholic football team didn't even play this past week - having wrapped up its regular season the week before - it was able to move up to the top spot in the final "Local 12 Top 12" area high school football ranking thanks to losses by the two teams ahead of it.
CovCath was ranked No.3 last week, but then-No. 1 Elder fell to La Salle, 27-25, and then-No. 2 Fairfield lost 16-10 in overtime to Colerain opening the door for the Colonels to move to No. 1.
CovCath finished the season at 10-0, including a 27-7 win over La Salle, which also beat St. Xavier, which earlier in the season beat Colerain.
The lone close game for CovCath came in the third game of the season when it beat Lexington (Ky.) Catholic, 39-38. In the other nine games, including the win over La Salle, the Colonels outscored their opponents by a combined 355-23 or by an average score of 39.4-2.5. CovCath held each of those other nine opponents to seven points or less and posted five shutouts.
Colerain finished No. 2 after winning its 83rd straight Greater Miami Conference game with the win over Fairfield.
Fairfield dropped only one spot to No. 3 as the loss to Colerain was its only setback of the season.
La Salle jumped up to No. 4. The Lancers finished 8-2 with losses to CovCath and Winton Woods (26-21).
Elder fell all the way to No. 5 despite losing only to La Salle and Lakewood St. Edward.
Winton Woods fell one spot to No. 6 despite not playing last week. The Warriors lost to Elder only 42-37, Lakewood St. Edward and Christian Brothers (Mo.), which finished with an 8-2 record.
St. Xavier wound up No. 7. The Bombers were 8-2 with the losses coming to La Salle and Elder.
Spots 8-10 remained the same: Springboro, Turpin and East Central.
Harrison moved up a spot to No. 11 after Princeton lost to Mason and dropped out of the ranking.
Lakota West, which finished 7-3, is No. 12.
In the Ohio Divisions III-VII ranking the top four spots remained the same: Wyoming, Clinton-Massie, Franklin and Taft.
Roger Bacon moved up one spot to No. 5 after last week's No. 5 Indian Hill lost to Wyoming, 21-18. Indian Hill finished No. 6.
The top six spots in the Kentucky/Indiana Combined Top 6 remained the same: CovCath, East Central. Lawrenceburg, Conner, Highlands and Simon Kenton.
LOCAL 12 TRI-STATE TOP 12
1. Covington Catholic (10-0)
Last Week's Ranking: No. 3. Last Week's Result: Did Not Play. Next Game: Friday vs. Cooper in first round of Class 5A playoffs, 7 p.m.
2. Colerain (9-1)
Last Week's Ranking: No. 4. Last Week's Result: Beat Fairfield in overtime, 16-10. Next Game: Friday vs. Princeton in first round of Division I, Region 4 playoffs, 7 p.m.
3. Fairfield (9-1)
Last Week's Ranking: No. 2. Last Week's Result: Beat Lost to Colerain in overtime, 16-10. Next Game: Friday vs. Hamilton in first round of Division I, Region 4 playoffs, 7 p.m.
4. La Salle (8-2)
Last Week's Ranking: No. 6. Last Week's Result: Beat Elder, 27-25. Next Game: Friday vs. Little Miami in first round of Division II, Region 8 playoffs, 7 p.m.
5. Elder (8-2)
Last Week's Ranking: No. 1. Last Week's Result: Lost to La Salle, 27-25. Next Game: Friday vs. No. 12 Lakota West in first round of Division I, Region 4 playoffs, 7 p.m.
6. Winton Woods (6-3)
Last Week's Ranking: No. 5. Last Week's Result: Did Not Play. Next Game: Did not qualify for Ohio Division II playoffs so season is complete.
7. St. Xavier (8-2)
Last Week's Ranking: No. 7. Last Week's Result: Beat Louisville St. Xavier, 35-7. Next Game: Friday vs. Mason in first round of Division I, Region 4 playoffs, 7 p.m.
8. Springboro (9-1)
Last Week's Ranking: No. 8. Last Week's Result: Beat Centerville, 37-6. Next Game: Friday at Dublin Jerome in first round of Division I, Region 2 playoffs, 7 p.m.
9. Turpin (10-0)
Last Week's Ranking: No. 9. Last Week's Result: Beat Milford, 42-13. Next Game: Friday vs. Columbus St. Francis DeSales in first round of Division II, Region 8 playoffs, 7 p.m.
10. East Central (11-0)
Last Week's Ranking: No. 10. Last Week's Result: Beat Greenwood in semifinals of Class 4A Sectional 23 playoffs, 49-35. Next Game: Friday at Mooresville in championship game of Class 4A, Sectional 23 playoffs, 7 p.m.
11. Harrison (9-1)
Last Week's Ranking: No. 12. Last Week's Result: Beat Northwest, 49-0. Next Game: Friday vs. Canal Winchester in first round of Division II, Region 8 playoffs, 7 p.m.
12. Lakota West (7-3)
Last Week's Ranking: Unranked. Last Week's Result: Beat Middletown, 41-13. Next Game: Friday at No. 5 Elder in first round of Division I, Region 4 playoffs, 7 p.m.
DROPPED OUT: No. 11 Princeton.