By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

After an opening week that was filled with excitement, enthusiasm and plenty of stories, Week 2 is already here.

Week 2 does not have the rivalry showdowns like Week 1 did, but the games will be competitive just the same.

Portage Sports wishes every team the best of luck and safe travels in their matchups on Friday.

Here is your first look at the upcoming action.

FRIDAY’S WEATHER FORECAST

It is going to be hot.

At kickoff, the temperature is expected to be near 85 — and thunderstorms are possible.

Hopefully, the rain stays away. More importantly, hopefully, the lightning and thunder stay farther away as to avoid weather delays.

The heatwave expected at kickoff sparked the administration at Champion High School to push back the start of its game against Rootstown to a 7:30 p.m. kickoff (pushed back 30 minutes from its originally scheduled 7 p.m.).

By the fourth quarter, more thunderstorms remain possible, and the temperature will remain in the low 80s.

Consider bringing an umbrella to the stadium on Friday night just in case.

HISTORY IN RAVENNA

In 2023, the Mogadore Wildcats and Ravenna Ravens played for the first time in each program’s history. They had long been scrimmage partners throughout the 1990’s and 2000’s, but had never met for a regular-season game.

With last year’s game in Mogadore, tonight’s matchup at Portage Community Bank Stadium and Harry Gilcrest Field will be the first time that the Wildcats play the Ravens in Ravenna.

The county’s two winningest programs still making history in 2024 is pretty cool.

Both teams are coming off difficult losses to rivals, with Ravenna losing to Kent Roosevelt (14-7) for the second straight year and Mogadore losing to Field (14-12).

The Cats are looking to avoid starting a season 0-2 for the first time since 1997.

COACH MILESTONES

Field head coach Matt Furino won his 100th game last Friday during the Falcons’ triumph over Mogadore.

The next coach with a milestone watch is Streetsboro’s Pete Thompson. The veteran coach, who previously spent time at Kenston and Crestwood, now has 96 career victories following the Rockets’ 29-21 win over CVCA.

MORE HISTORY

A historical list of league championships won by all of Portage County’s programs.

44 — Mogadore

31 — Aurora

24 — Kent Roosevelt

14 — Ravenna

10 — Rootstown

9 — Crestwood, Southeast

8 — Garfield, Windham

7 — Streetsboro

4 — Field

1 — Waterloo

WEEK 2 SCHEDULE

Lutheran West at Aurora

Minerva at Crestwood

Bay at Field

Warren JFK at Garfield

Kent Roosevelt at Wooster

Mogadore at Ravenna

Rootstown at Champion

Mathews at Southeast

Normandy at Streetsboro

Leetonia at Waterloo

East Palestine at Windham

WEEK 1 SCORES

Field 14, Mogadore 12

Crestowod 20, Rootstown 2

Garfield 47, Edgewood 27

Aurora 42, Twinsburg 6

Waterloo 28, Akron Springfield 0

Kent Roosevelt 14, Ravenna 7

Windham 49, Lisbon David Anderson 6

Streetsboro 29, CVCA 21

Revere 7, Woodridge 6

Northwest 29, Norton 14

Buckeye 49, Cloverleaf 21

Manchester 41, Coventry 0

Campbell Memorial 48, St. Thomas Aquinas 0

Warren JFK 22, Liberty 19

PLAYOFF RANKINGS

The top-16 teams from each region qualify for the playoffs.

DIVISION III, REGION 9

• T3. Aurora
• T12. Kent Roosevelt

DIVISION IV, REGION 13

• T4. Streetboro
• T11. Field
• T14. Coventry
• T14. Norton
• T14. Ravenna
• T14. Springfield
• T14. Woodridge

DIVISION IV, REGION 14

• T16. Cloverleaf

DIVISION V, REGION 17

• T2. Garfield
• T12. Crestwood
• T17. Southeast

DIVISION VI, REGION 21

• T12. Mogadore
• T12. Rootstown

DIVISION VII, REGION 25

• 1. Waterloo
• T10. Windham

WEEK 3 LOOK-AHEAD SCHEDULE

Aurora at West Geauga

Kent Roosevelt at Lakewood

Revere at Ravenna

Firestone at Norton

Streetsboro at Alliance

Akron Garfield at Cloverleaf

Coventry at Chippewa

Minerva at Springfield

Waterloo at Lisbon David Anderson

CVCA at Woodridge

Dalton at Mogadore

St. Thomas Aquinas at Mineral Ridge

LaBrae at Warren JFK

Field at Rootstown

Crestwood at Cuyahoga Heights

Garfield at Normandy