RALEIGH - The News & Observer rankings were due a major adjustment this week following losses on Friday by top-ranked Millbrook to Wakefield and No. 3-ranked Leesville Road to Broughton.

My candidates for No. 1 were Wake Forest-Rolesville, Harnett Central, West Johnston and Southern Durham.

Southern beat Wake Forest-Rolesville, but the Spartans have two losses and land at No. 4.

West Johnston is unbeaten, but its opponents have a combined 12-32 record and four of the opponents have one win.

A strong case can be made for Harnett Central, but Wake Forest-Rolesville was No. 2 last week and beat Enloe 48-7. That is good enough to move to No. 1.

As for Wakefield, it had an impressive win, but earlier in the season lost to 4-3 Knightdale.

That was my thinking. Readers weighed in with their own thoughts on the PrepsNow blog, http://blogs.newsobserver.com/prepsnow.

Here are some responses, edited for brevity, grammar and spelling:

* West Johnston 7 and 0 says it all! Go Wildcats!!

* From highlights and stats from this season thus far, I think West Johnston should definitely be the top-ranked team in the area slightly ahead of Harnett Central, which should own the No. 2 spot.

* I, as the starting center for Broughton, know, for a fact, that the Cap Seven is the best conference top to bottom in the state. We have lost our two games by a total of six points and only because our defense can't stop incredible running backs like Kevin Fogg and Kuwon Eldridge.

* Harnett Central, with an early season win over recent state juggernaut Wilmington Hoggard along with a perfect record, deserves to be the new No. 1. ... With multiple wins over good 4-A programs (Fuquay-Varina's and Hoggard's only losses this season were to HCL), you cannot make the argument that Central's record or numbers are skewed.

* The Cap Seven is a stronger conference as early season matchups proved. And a Cap Seven one-loss team is better than an undefeated team in the Greater Neuse River Conference. But can you put a two-loss team ahead of an unbeaten? Broughton, Southern Durham or Southeast Raleigh over Harnett Central or West Johnston?

Although Wakefield beat Millbrook, it's Wakefield's first big win of the season. Wakefield's been winning close ones against weak teams. Broughton beat an undefeated Leesville Road and took Millbrook to within two points, but Broughton has two losses, one to an average Apex team. And where does Ravenscroft fit in?

* Wakefield should be No. 1 this week. Millbrook is good. Wakefield was just a little bit better on Friday night.

* Wakefield ... should at least be in the top 3.

* Wake Forest-Rolesville was certainly impressive enough to become No. 1. The loss to Southern Durham was on the road in OT. West Johnston is an impressive 7-0, but with not nearly the strength of schedule of the Cap Seven schools.

* If this is a weekly poll, then shouldn't No. 1 be the team [Wakefield] that knocked off No. 1 [Millbrook]? Give credit where credit is due.

* Honestly, it's hard to put any non-Cap Seven team at the No. 1 spot because of how hard the conference is.

Southern Durham might get a chance if Wake Forest-Rolesville falls off, but so far the Cap Seven has shown that it is in charge. Wakefield and Broughton are coming off of impressive wins, but Wakefield definitely gets the more commanding spot having beaten previously No. 1 Millbrook.

I think Wakefield should be in the top 3, Broughton in the top 6 or 7, and Millbrook and Leesville Road in the last half of the poll until they can prove themselves.

* Wakefield is good, but just because they beat Millbrook doesn't mean they should catapult to the top of the rankings. Millbrook should still be in the top five ... Leesville Road should drop a bit after its big loss to Broughton and Broughton should take a huge rise.

In the end Wakefield should move up a bit, probably to 6 or 7; ... Wake Forest-Rolesville is No. 1 for now and Southern Durham should be 2.

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