By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

Hello, Week 5.

The midway point.

Already.

As teams prepare for kickoff in a few hours, news broke late Thursday afternoon that the Cuyahoga Falls at Field game was canceled.

The decision was made because of an illness within the Black Tigers’ program.

Following previous rulings by the Ohio High School Athletic Association in similar situations over the last few years, including games last year, the game will likely be ruled a forfeit win for the Falcons.

The forfeit win would be recognized as Field’s 300th all-time football win.

The Falcons are the 11th team in the county to reach the milestone.

PLENTY OF OFFENSE FOR GARFIELD

The Garfield G-Men have celebrated plenty of success over the last two decades to firmly establish itself as one of the perennial and consistent winning powers in Northeast Ohio.

They did it again last week with a dominating 49-0 victory over LaBrae.

The high-scoring total sparked a curiosity to see how many times they have scored 40 or more points in recent history.

The answer to that question: Since 2021, the G-Men have scored 40 or more points in 71 percent of their games.

Out of a possible 52 games from that sample size, Garfield has scored 40 or more in 37 of them.

HOT START FOR RAVENNA

The last time the Ravenna Ravens started a season 3-1 was back in 2019.

In that season, the Ravens started 4-0, with wins over Tallmadge (25-20), John Marshall (61-0), Kent Roosevelt (10-7 in triple-overtime) and Field (31-26).

Over the previous six seasons, the Ravens had a combined record of 8-16 record heading into Week 5 of their seasons, including 2-10 over the last three years when they were 1-3 in 2025, 1-3 in 2024 and 0-4 in 2023.

ANOTHER SLOW START IN AURORA

For the second straight year, the Aurora football team has started 1-3.

You need to go back nearly 30 years to find the last time the Aurora football team started a season with at least three losses in the first four weeks.

In the 1997 season, when the Greenmen finished 2-8 overall, the team lost its first six games of the season before running off a Week 7 win over Berkshire (26-7).

FRIDAY NIGHT FORECAST

We get another night for good football.

Kickoff temperature is forecasted to be in the high 60s, but will dip to the low 60s by the fourth quarter.

There is no rain expected and sunset will be around 7:30 p.m.

It will be a perfect night.

PLAYOFF UPDATE

The top-12 teams qualify for the high school football playoffs.

DIVISION III, REGION 9

16. Kent Roosevelt

18. Aurora

DIVISION IV, REGION 13

2. Woodridge

7. Streetsboro

12. Norton

18. Field

DIVISION V, REGION 17

5. Garfield

10. Ravenna

19. Southeast

20. Crestwood

DIVISION VI, REGION 21

20. Rootstown

DIVISISION VII, REGION 25

6. Mogadore

T15. Waterloo

ASSOCIATED PRESS STATE POLL

The first state poll was distributed by the Associated Press this week.

Woodridge is ranked 12th in Division IV and Mogadore is ranked 16th in Division VII.

The complete poll can be found here.

TEAM RECORDS

Aurora 1-3, 0-1 Suburban League

Crestwood 1-3, 1-0 Chagrin Valley Conference Valley Division

Field 2-3, 1-1 Metro Athletic Conference (includes forfeit win over Cuyahoga Falls)

Garfield 4-0, 1-0 Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference Gray Division

Kent Roosevelt 2-2, 0-1 Metro Athletic Conference

Mogadore 3-1 overall record (independent/no league record)

Ravenna 3-1, 1-0 Metro Athletic Conference

Rootstown 2-2, 0-1 Chagrin Valley Conference Valley Division

Southeast 1-3, 0-1 Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference Gray Division

Streetsboro 3-1, 1-0 Metro Athletic Conference

Waterloo 1-3, 0-1 Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference Scarlet Division

Windham 2-2, 2-0 Northern 8 Conference

THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE

Twinsburg at Aurora

Crestwood at Berkshire

Garfield at Champion

Streetsboro at Kent Roosevelt

Mogadore at Akron North

Woodridge at Ravenna

Rootstown at Chagrin Falls

Crestview at Southeast

New Middletown Springfield at Waterloo

St. Mary Central Catholic at Windham

LAST WEEK’S SCORES (WEEK 4)

Tallmadge 31, Kent Roosevelt 21

Holgate 60, Windham 42

Streetsboro 42, Norton 35

Woodridge 62, Field 7

Ravenna 40, Springfield 0

Garfield 49, LaBrae 0

Southeast 35, Newton Falls 27

Kirtland 50, Rootstown 7

Crestwood 53, Independence 8

Western Reserve 32, Waterloo 0

Mogadore 46, Malvern 16

Mayfield 40, Aurora 0

LOOK-AHEAD WEEK 6 SCHEDULE

(Friday, Sept. 25, 2026)

Aurora at Revere

Conneaut at Crestwood

Field at Kent Roosevelt

Garfield at Southeast

Field at Kent Roosevelt

Linsley (W.V.) at Mogadore

Ravenna at Tallmadge

Fairport Harding at Rootstown

Cloverleaf at Streetsboro

Mineral Ridge at Waterloo

Sebring McKinley at Windham