Newton South boys soccer jumped three spots to No. 5 in the MIAA Division 1 power rankings released Tuesday, Oct. 13.

The Lions (5-4-3 overall, 3-1-2 in the Dual County League) climbed from No. 8 the previous week. The rise came after a 2-0 win over Framingham on Saturday, Oct. 10, and a 1-1 draw with No. 2 Lincoln-Sudbury on Thursday, Oct. 8.

The DCL is loaded. Four of the division's top 10 teams play in the league: No. 1 Concord-Carlisle, No. 2 Lincoln-Sudbury, No. 4 Cambridge Rindge & Latin and No. 5 Newton South, as MassLive reporter Kyle Grabowski noted in his breakdown of the rankings. The DCL also claims the No. 1 team in Division 2 in Wayland.

Newton South's strength of schedule has helped its ranking. The Lions carried a 2.6222 opponent rating in the Oct. 6 rankings, second in the DCL behind Cambridge Rindge & Latin's 2.6337. Cambridge's rating jumped to 3.163 in the Oct. 13 release, the highest in Division 1 and well clear of any other team.

Newton South fell 3-0 to Newton North on Saturday, Oct. 3, a cross-city loss that dropped the Lions before their mid-October surge. The Lions then lost 5-0 at No. 1 Concord-Carlisle on Oct. 13, a result that will factor into the next rankings update. Newton South sits third in the DCL standings, according to MaxPreps.

The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) updates its power rankings each Tuesday and Friday based on results member schools enter into the Arbiter system. The next release is expected Friday, Oct. 16.

Across town, Newton North (6-4-4, 3-0-2 Bay State-Carey) picked up a 1-0 win at Brookline on Oct. 13, according to MaxPreps. The Tigers sit second in the Bay State-Carey division. Newton North's current MIAA D-1 ranking was not listed in the Oct. 13 release.

What's ahead

Newton South travels to Waltham on Thursday, Oct. 15, then visits Needham on Saturday, Oct. 17. The Lions close October with DCL games at Westford Academy on Thursday, Oct. 22, home against No. 1 Division 2 Wayland on Monday, Oct. 26, and home against No. 4 Cambridge Rindge & Latin on Wednesday, Oct. 28.

Newton North heads to Wellesley on Thursday, Oct. 15. The Tigers then play at Weymouth on Tuesday, Oct. 20, host Framingham on Thursday, Oct. 22, host Brookline on Tuesday, Oct. 27, and travel to Natick on Thursday, Oct. 29.