By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

The end of the high school football season is racing to an end.

Friday night welcomes Week 8 of the season.

Just three games remaining.

I will be in Mogadore to cover the Wildcats host the Southeast Pirates in a Portage Trail Conference showdown that has league championship and playoff implications.

The two teams have met on the gridiron 46 teams and the Cats own a 36-10 all-time record against the Pirates, according to mogadorefootball.com.

Good luck to all of the teams on Friday night!

WEEK 8 SCHEDULE

Kent Roosevelt at Aurora

Berkshire at Crestwood

Coventry at Field

Garfield at Newton Falls

Southeast at Mogadore

Ravenna at Springfield

Streetsboro at Woodridge

Waterloo at Berlin Center Western Reserve

Windham at McDonald

Norton at Cloverleaf

FRIDAY NIGHT’S FORECAST

There could be some rain so be prepared for that possibility.

Temperature wise, expect low 60s at kickoff and high 50s by the fourth quarter.

If the rain stays away, it will be yet another beautiful fall night of football.

We have all been very lucky to have so many amazing nights for fall football this season.

STATISTICAL LEADERS

Check out this week’s updated stats here.

PIGSKIN PICKS

This week’s Pigskin Picks Challenge is sponsored by the Meyers Fence Company. Updated standings and this week’s game selections by all competitors can be found here.

UPDATED PLAYOFF RANKINGS

Note: The top-16 teams qualify for the postseason.

• DIVISION III, REGION 9

5. Aurora

19. Kent Roosevelt

• DIVISION III, REGION 10

2. Norton

20. Cloverleaf

• DIVISION IV, REGION 13

3. Streetsboro

13. Woodridge

17. Field

18. Ravenna

T24. Coventry

T24. Springfield

• DIVISION V, REGION 17

6. Garfield

15. Crestwood

• DIVISION VI, REGION 21

2. Rootstown

9. Mogadsore

12. Southeast

T17. Waterloo

• DIVISION VII, REGION 25

T24. Windham

ASSOCIATED PRESS STATE POLL

The fourth Associated Press state poll released this week.

Three teams remained in the ranking.

In Division IV, Streetsboro is ranked 13th.

In Division V, Garfield is ranked 13th.

In Division VI, Rootsown is ranked 7th.

See the complete poll here.

STANDINGS

METRO ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

Norton 7-0, 4-0

Streetsboro 6-1, 3-1

Woodridge 4-3, 3-1

Field, 2-5, 2-2

Ravenna 2-5, 2-2

Cloverleaf 3-4, 1-3

Coventry 1-6, 1-3

Springfield 0-7, 0-3

PORTAGE TRAIL CONFERENCE

Rootstown 7-0, 2-0

Mogadore 6-1, 1-0

Southeast 6-1, 1-0

Warren JFK 1-5, 0-2

St. Thomas Aquinas 0-7, 0-2

SUBURBAN LEAGUE

AMERICAN CONFERENCE

Aurora 6-1, 4-0

Highland 6-1, 4-0

Barberton 4-3, 3-1

Kent Roosevelt 4-3, 2-2

Revere 3-4, 1-3

Tallmadge 2-5, 1-3

Cuyahoga Falls 2-5, 0-4

Copley 0-7, 0-4

MAHONING VALLEY ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

GREY DIVISION

Garfield 7-0, 4-0

Brookfield 3-4, 2-2

LaBrae 4-3, 3-1

Crestview 3-4, 3-1

Liberty 2-5, 2-2

Newton Falls 3-4, 1-3

Campbell Memorial 1-6, 0-4

Champion 0-7, 0-4

MAHONING VALLEY ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

SCARLET DIVISION

New Middletown Springfield 5-2, 4-0

Jackson-Milton 6-1, 3-1

Lowellville 6-1, 3-1

Western Reserve 5-2, 3-1

McDonald 4-3, 1-3

Mineral Ridge 4-3, 1-3

Waterloo 2-5, 0-4

CHAGRIN VALLEY CONFERENCE

VALLEY DIVISION

Kirtland 6-1, 2-0

Painesville Harvey 4-3, 2-0

Cardinal 4-3, 1-1

Berkshire 3-4, 1-1

Crestwood 4-3, 0-2

Grand Valley 2-5, 0-2

NORTHEASTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

Pymatuning Valley 4-3, 1-0

St. John School 3-4, 1-1

Fairport 2-5, 1-1

Mathews 1-6, 1-1

Windham 2-5, 0-2

WEEK 9 LOOK-AHEAD SCHEDULE

Aurora at Barberton

Crestwood at Kirtland

Field at Norton

Crestview at Garfield

Kent Roosevelt at Tallmadge

St. Thomas Aquinas at Mogadore

Woodridge at Ravenna

Rootstown at Southeast

Springfield at Streetsboro

Lowellville at Waterloo

Windham at Mathews