By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

If the high-school football season is here, then that means the Portage Sports Pigskin Picks Challenge has arrived and that means the time has come to try to be an expert.

A collection of football enthusiasts are ready, they have turned their picks in and they are ready for some fun.

For the fourth season, Portage Sports rolls out its Pigskin Picks Challenge.

It is a 10-week engagement with readers, who will attempt to pick as many correct winning games as possible throughout the regular season — for a little bit of local glory for the crowned champion.

Jim Manion successfully worked his way through the picks last year to be crowned champion.

Each week, the participants will select who they think will win games from schedule of Portage County contests.

For the start of the 2026 season, Siciliano’s Pizzaria in Ravenna is the title sponsor.

Here is this week’s schedule of games — followed by the selections made by all of this year’s “experts.”

WEEK 1 SCHEDULE

Thursday, Aug. 20

• Warren JFK at Garfield
• Rootstown at Southeast

Friday, Aug. 21

• Stow at Aurora
• Crestwood at Mogadore
• Ravenna at Field
• Kent Roosevelt at Twinsburg
• Streetsboro at Copley
• Akron Springfield at Waterloo
• Plymouth at Windham

THE PICKS

TOM NADER

Aurora

Mogadore

Ravenna

Garfield

Twinsburg

Streetsboro

Waterloo

Windham

JEREMY ALLEN

Aurora

Mogadore

Field

Garfield

Twinsburg

Copley

Waterloo

Windham

Rootstown

GARY HUMBERSON

Rootstown

Mogadore

Ravenna

Garfield

Kent Roosevelt

Copley

Akron Springfield

Windham

RON EVANS

Rootstown

Aurora

Mogadore

Field

Garfield

Kent Roosevelt

Streetsboro

Waterloo

Windham

RANDY PORTER

Aurora

Mogadore

Ravenna

Warren JFK

Kent Roosevelt

Copley

Waterloo

Plymouth

Rootstown

CHUCK ULRICH

Aurora

Mogadore

Field

Garfield

Twinsburg

Streetsboro

Springfield

Plymouth

Rootstown

TOM RAUBER

Aurora

Mogadore

Field

Garfield

Twinsburg

Streetsboro

Akron Springfield

Windham

Rootstown

FRANK HAIRSTON

Aurora

Mogadore

Field

Garfield

Twinsburg

Streetsboro

Akron Springfield

Southeast

Windham

MIKE KEEGAN

Southeast

Aurora

Mogadore

Field

Garfield

Twinsburg

Copley

Springfield

Plymouth

BRETT DUBINSKY

Aurora 

Mogadore

Field 

Garfield

Twinsburg 

Streetsboro

Springfield 

Rootstown

MATT SHULL

Aurora

Mogadore

Field

Garfield

Twinsburg

Streetsboro

Springfield

Rootstown

Plymouth

JIM MANION

Aurora

Mogadore

Ravenna

Garfield

Twinsburg

Streetsboro

Springfield

Windham

Rootstown

JUSTIN GREENE

Aurora 

Mogadore

Field

Warren JFK

Kent Roosevelt

Copley

Springfield

Windham

CHIP BITTECUFFER

Stow

Mogadore

Ravenna

Garfield

Kent Roosevelt

Copley

Waterloo

Windham

Southeast

TOM BYICH

Aurora

Mogadore

Ravenna

Garfield

Twinsburg

Streetsboro

Springfield

Windham

Rootstown

DREW FLARIDA

Aurora

Mogadore

Field

Garfield

Twinsburg

Streetsboro

Waterloo

Plymouth

Rootstown

JOHN LEHNER

Rootstown

Aurora

Mogadore

Field

Garfield

Twinsburg

Streetsboro

Waterloo

Plymouth

ALEX BLAKE

Aurora

Mogadore

Ravenna

Garfield

Twinsburg 

Copley

Waterloo

Windham

Southeast

TREVOR FLARIDA

Rootstown

Aurora

Mogadore 

Field 

Garfield 

Kent Roosevelt

Streetsboro

Waterloo

Plymouth

RYAN SMITH

Southeast

Aurora

Mogadore

Field

Garfield

Twinsburg

Streetsboro

Springfield

Windham

KAYNE SMITH

Southeast

Aurora

Mogadore

Field

Garfield

Kent Roosevelt

Streetsboro

Waterloo

Windham