Of the three Wasthtenaw teams that appear in the first Michigan Associated Press prep football poll, one won a regional title last year, one nearly did, and the third went 2-7.

Saline, Father Gabriel Richard and Skyline all made the cut in the first poll of the season. The Hornets are ranked No. 7 in Division 1 while Skyline received five votes and finished two spots out. Gabriel Richard came in tied for seventh in Division 5 (see complete poll below.)

All three teams are in after starting the season 2-0. Saline and Gabriel Richard came into the season after strong seasons last year, while Skyline had gained notice for two strong wins to open the season.

Dexter player OK

There was a scary moment on Friday at Dexter’s Al Ritt Field, when a Dreadnaughts player had to be carried off the field in an ambulance.

Dexter athletic director Mike Bavineau said Monday morning that the player was cleared the same night and is doing well.

“I think it was more precautionary,” Bavineau said of the hospitalization.

FGR finds leaders

Father Gabriel Richard head coach Brian Lemons hasn’t been shy about the amount of youth on his team. With 22 players graduating from last year’s team, Lemons knew he would have to find some new leaders on the field for the Fighting Irish.

With two games finished and the Irish sitting at 2-0, Lemons said a lot of the credit has to go to the team’s captains, with two players especially standing out.

“I think we did a pretty good job of picking our captains,” Lemons said. “They’ve been really stepping forward and making sure things are done right. Nate Winnie has been solid back there and Matt Johnson. Those two guys have really been the driving force for us this season.”

Winnie’s presence made a huge impact during Saturday’s 25-14 win over Whitmore Lake as he recovered two fumbles on defense that led to Irish scores and recovered a fumble on offense.

‘We kept running’

Jari Brown sounded a bit like Forrest Gump while breaking down his first win as Pioneer’s head coach Friday, 39-13 over Dearborn Edsel Ford.

“We started running and things went well,” Brown said. “So we kept running.”

Brown’s first game at Pioneer started with a shutout loss and negative yards rushing. The second one was a marked turnaround.

Friday, Pioneer started with three straight carries from sophomore Tyson Montgomery. The fourth play of the game went to Malik Fuller for a touchdown.

From there, Pioneer kept going to the run, and finished with more than 200 yards on the ground. Montgomery led the way with 162 yards on 23 carries.

"I just have to keep giving credit to the offensive line,” Brown said. “The reason we had so much success was because they did so well on the line, enabling the offense, opening up holes and just keeping the defense at bay."

Another bad start

Chelsea is starting to make a habit out of these August and September woes.

The Bulldogs gave up an early 14-0 lead Friday and fell to Belleville, 17-14 to go to 0-2 on the year.

Last year, Chelsea started 0-3 before finishing the regular season with six straight wins to extend its playoff streak to 14 years.

Before 2012, Chelsea hadn’t been 0-2 since 2003. The last time the Bulldogs started consecutive seasons with two-or-more losses was in 1994-95.

And getting that first win of the season in Week 3 won’t be easy -- the Bulldogs host Saline.

“We’ve already seen a little bit of them on tape,” Saline coach Joe Palka said Friday. “I’m impressed with their quarterback, I’m impressed with their linebackers, they’ve got a tall, good receiver and I think they can do some things that will give us problems with athletes out in space.

Michigan Associated Press High School Football Poll

Division 1
School, Total, Points
1. Detroit Cass Tech (4) (2-0) 49
2. Detroit Catholic Central (1) (2-0) 43
3. Rockford (2-0) 39
4. Macomb Dakota (2-0) 32
5. Lake Orion (2-0) 31
6. Canton (2-0) 27
7. Saline (2-0) 12
8. Clarkston (1-1) 11
9. Howell (2-0) 7
10. Plymouth (2-0) 6
Others receiving votes: 11, Warren Mott (2-0) 5. 11, Ann Arbor Skyline (2-0) 5. 13, Clinton Township Chippewa Valley (2-0) 3. 14, Holland West Ottawa (1-1) 2. 14, Utica Eisenhower (1-1) 2. 16, Hudsonville (2-0) 1.

Division 2
School Total Points
1. Birmingham Brother Rice (2) (2-0) 37
(tie) Muskegon (2) (2-0) 37
3. Lowell (2-0) 27
4. Midland (2-0) 19
5. Oak Park (2-0) 17
6. Walled Lake Western (2-0) 14
7. Temperance Bedford (2-0) 13
8. Wyandotte Roosevelt (2-0) 12
9. Detroit King (2-0) 8
10. Battle Creek Lakeview (2-0) 7
(tie) Lansing Everett (2-0) 7
(tie) Portage Central (2-0) 7
Others receiving votes: 13, Farmington Hills Harrison (2-0) 6. 14, Southfield (2-0) 5. 15, Caledonia (2-0) 3. 16, Portage Northern (2-0) 1.

Division 3
School Total Points
1. Grand Rapids Christian (1) (1-1) 43
2. DeWitt (2) (2-0) 42
3. Zeeland East (2) (2-0) 41
4. East Grand Rapids (2-0) 29
5. Stevensville Lakeshore (2-0) 24
6. Orchard Lake St. Mary (2-0) 23
7. Zeeland West (1-1) 17
8. Mason (2-0) 13
9. Tecumseh (2-0) 8
10. St. Joseph (2-0) 7
(tie) Mount Pleasant (1-1) 7
(tie) Linden (1-1) 7 Others receiving votes: 13, Marquette 5 (2-0). 14, Petoskey (2-0) 4. 15, Charlotte (2-0) 3. 16, Auburn Hills Avondale (1-1) 1. 16, Plainwell (2-0) 1.

Division 4
School Total Points
1. Saginaw Swan Valley (4) (2-0) 48
2. Grand Rapids South Christian (1) (1-1) 34
3. Grosse Ile (2-0) 29
4. Paw Paw (2-0) 28
5. Lansing Sexton (2-0) 26
6. Cadillac (2-0) 22
7. Dowagiac Union (2-0) 15
8. Comstock Park (2-0) 13
9. Detroit Country Day (0-2) 10
10. Pontiac Notre Dame Prep (2-0) 9
Others receiving votes: 11, Belding (2-0) 8. 12, Adrian (1-1) 7. 12, Battle Creek Harper Creek (1-1) 7. 14, Battle Creek Pennfield (2-0) 6. 15, Allendale (2-0) 4. 15, Croswell-Lexington (1-1) 4. 17, Grand Rapids Catholic Central (1-1) 3. 18, Three Rivers (1-1) 1. 18, West Branch Ogemaw Heights (1-1) 1.

Division 5
School Total Points
1. Muskegon Oakridge (3) (2-0) 45
2. Portland (2) (2-0) 43
3. Menominee (2-0) 34
4. Essexville Garber (2-0) 24
5. Kingsford (2-0) 23
6. Marine City (2-0) 20
7. Grayling (2-0) 18
(tie) Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard (2-0) 18
9. Olivet (2-0) 12
10. Reed City (2-0) 10
Others receiving votes: 11, Flint Powers (1-1) 8. 12, Freeland (2-0) 7. 13, Almont (2-0) 6. 14, Newaygo (2-0) 4. 15, Livonia Clarenceville (2-0) 3.

Division 6
School Total Points
1. Ithaca (4) (2-0) 49
2. Jackson Lumen Christi (1) (2-0) 38
(tie) Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central (2-0) 38
4. Grass Lake (2-0) 23
5. Negaunee (2-0) 20
6. Elk Rapids (2-0) 15
(tie) Clinton (2-0) 15
8. Montrose (2-0) 14
9. Jonesville (2-0) 12
10. Constantine (1-1) 10
Others receiving votes: 11, Madison Heights Madison (2-0) 9. 11, Watervliet (2-0) 9. 13, Millington (1-1) 7. 14, Michigan Center (2-0) 6. 15, Shelby (2-0) 4. 16, Kalkaska (2-0) 3. 17, Quincy (2-0) 2. 18, Niles Brandywine (2-0) 1.

Division 7
School Total Points
1. Ishpeming (5) (2-0) 50
2. Detroit Loyola (2-0) 41
3. Pewamo-Westphalia (2-0) 35
4. Hudson (2-0) 32
5. Flint Beecher (2-0) 25
6. Saginaw Nouvel (1-1) 24
7. Schoolcraft (2-0) 17
8. Decatur (2-0) 16
9. Lake City (2-0) 11
10. Traverse City St. Francis (1-1) 9
Others receiving votes: 11, Whittemore-Prescott (2-0) 7. 12, Marlette (2-0) 4. 12, Springport (1-1) 4.

Division 8
School Total Points
1. Beal City (2) (2-0) 47
2. Harbor Beach (3) (2-0) 46
3. Mendon (2-0) 40
4. New Lothrop (2-0) 31
(tie)IronMountainNorthDickinson (2-0) 31
6. Climax-Scotts (2-0) 20
(tie) Crystal Falls Forest Park (2-0) 20
8. Vestaburg (2-0) 16
9. Ottawa Lake Whiteford (2-0) 13
10. St. Ignace LaSalle (1-1) 3
(tie) Fowler (1-1) 3
(tie) Muskegon Catholic Central (0-2) 3
Others receiving votes: 13, Hillman (1-1) 2.

Kyle Austin covers sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kyleaustin@annarbor.com or 734-623-2535. Follow him on Twitter @KAustin_AA.