Xavier of Middletown coach Sean Marinan was asked after Friday's win over Notre Dame of West Haven if he was prepared to be ranked No. 1 in The Day of New London's Top 10 state coaches poll.

"No, but we'll enjoy it," Marinan laughed. "I know it's coming."

The Falcons opened the season with a 22-15 win at Notre Dame, which was ranked No. 1 last season and opened up on top of the New Haven Register's media preseason Top 10. Xavier received 12 of 13 first-place votes and Staples of Westport got the other.

Xavier used a terrific defensive effort to beat the Green Knights. The defending Class L champions returned some explosive playmakers, but the Falcons limited them to under 200 yards.

Holding on to No. 1 will be a challenge for Xavier. It plays in Division I of the Southern Connecticut Conference, one of the state's top leagues. Its schedule features defending LL champion Cheshire as well as Shelton, Hamden and West Haven.

"It doesn't matter where you're ranked, you have to line up and play," Marinan said. "I talk to the kids all the time that it's one thing to become one of the better teams in the state, it's another thing to stay there because you have to work harder."

The Day’s top 10 h.s. football poll

First-place votes in parentheses, record, points tabulated on a 30-28- 26-24-22-20-

18-16-14-12-11-10-9-8-7 basis and last year’s final ranking:

1. Xavier-Middletown (12) 1-0 384 8

KNOW THIS: The Falcons start the season on top. The biggest question (other than their offense) is if they can survive the weekly SCC Division I bloodbath. NEXT: vs. Foran-Milford, Friday, 7 p.m.

2. Masuk-Monroe 1-0 306 NR

KNOW THIS: Fair warning, Pomperaug — Masuk is coming to town and looking for payback after last season’s SWC championship loss. NEXT: at Pomperaug-Southbury,

Friday, 7 p.m.

3. New Canaan 1-0 302 4

KNOW THIS: The Rams are shooting for their fifth straight state title, one short of Cheshire’s state-record six in a row. NEXT: at Trinity Catholic-Stamford, Saturday, 1

p.m.

4. Staples-Westport (1) 1-0 238 3

KNOW THIS: The Wreckers are a Top 10 staple. Staple. Staples. That was a joke, son.

NEXT: at Norwalk, Friday, 7 p.m.

5. Notre Dame-W. Haven 0-1 224 16. Cheshire 1-0 205 27. Berlin 1-0 217 108. Bridgeport Central 1-0 212 69. St. Joseph-Trumbull 1-0 188 710. Windsor 1-0 116 NR

KNOW THIS: Branford lost its season opener on a missed extra point in overtime. Now it travels to play a Green Knights team ticked off about its loss to Xavier. Not good. NEXT: vs. Branford, Friday, 7 p.m.

KNOW THIS: The defending ClAC Class LL champions graduated their entire backfield,

defensive line and most of their offensive line. Otherwise it’s all good. NEXT: vs. Hillhouse-New Haven, Friday, 7 p.m.

KNOW THIS: The Redcoats return most of last season’s Class M title team, have a UConn-bound tailback (Max DeLorenzo) and a favorable regular-season schedule. The chances that another plaque will be added to the trophy case this December looks real good. NEXT: at Northwest Catholic-West Hartford, Saturday, 10:30 a.m.

KNOW THIS: The Hilltoppers lost one regular-season game and missed states last year. Eleven of those players are back to make sure that doesn’t happen again. NEXT:

vs. Bassick-Bridgeport, Saturday, 1:30 p.m.

KNOW THIS: The reigning SS champs return most of their offense and are the favorites to win S. Two problems, though: They graduated most of their defense, and star running back/linebacker/catalyst Tyler Matakevich is out indefinitely with a fracture in his right foot. NEXT: vs. Wilton, Saturday, 1:30 p.m.

KNOW THIS: The Warriors weren’t getting much hype during the season. That all changed after last Wednesday’s 42-6 rout of Simsbury. NEXT: at New Britain, Saturday,

7 p.m.

Dropped out: Pomperaug (5), Hyde-New Haven (9).Also receiving votes: Montville (1-0), 105 points; Wilbur Cross-New Haven (1-0), 84; Norwalk (1-0), 74; Naugatuck (1-0), 59; Glastonbury (1-0), 57; Darien (1-0), 53; Tie, Conard-West Hartford (1-0) and Ledyard (1-0), 48; Ansonia (1-0), 46; New London (0-1), 43; Pomperaug-Southbury (1-0), 37; Trumbull (1-0), 34; Newtown (1-0), 31; Hyde (1-0), 20; Bunnell-Stratford (1-0), 10; Ridgefield (1-0), 9; Tie, Hand-Madison (1-0) and Rocky Hill (1-0), 8; Wolcott (1-0), 7.

The following coaches voted: Tom Brockett, Ansonia; Jim Buonocore, Ledyard; Dave

Cadelina, Bridgeport Central; Chuck Drury, Pomperaug-Southbury; Steve Filippone,

Hand-Madison; Tanner Grove, Montville; Jude Kelly, St. Paul-Bristol; Tim King, Valley

Regional-Deep River; Sean Marinan, Xavier-Middletown; Sal Morello, Middletown; John

Murphy, Masuk-Monroe; Marce Petroccio, Staples-Westport; Bob Zito, Maloney-Meriden.