By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

The final two weeks of the regular season carry heavy championship implications.

Many of tonight’s matchups will be critical in setting the stage for a title opportunity in Week 10.

Included in those scenarios are Highland at Aurora, Norton at Field, Ravenna at Woodridge, Brookfield at Garfield and Southeast at Rootstown.

I will be in Rootstown at the Rovers’ Robert C. Dunn Field to watch the showdown between the visiting Pirates and host Rovers. See everyone there!

Best of luck to all teams tonight, regardless of championship implications or not.

For the seniors, the special time spent underneath the Friday Night Lights is running out.

CHASING RECORDS

Rootstown head coach Chris Knopick has his team focused on one thing and one thing only: The Southeast Pirates.

For the Rovers, the team’s opportunity to play for a championship in Week 10 against Mogadore can only unfold if they are able to topple rival Southeast this week.

Rootstown’s winning formula this season has been its aggressive offensive line, which has set the lanes, holes and opportunities for senior running back Cody Coontz.

Coontz will enter Friday’s matchup with the Pirates with 1,854 yards this season, averaging 232 yards per game.

Coontz is 146 yards away from becoming Portage County’s 17th player to run for at least 2,000 yards in a season. Coontz is 252 yards away from Rootstown’s single-season record, which was set in 2017 by Caleb Kaut (2,105).

The list of rushers in Portage County history with 2,000-yard seasons includes:

1. Marcus Sanders, Ravenna, 2,605 (1999)
2. Logan Thut, Crestwood, 2,597 (2016)
3. Jay Reed, Windham, 2,580 (2003)
4. Tommy Lee, Mogadore, 2,555 (2002)
5. D.J. Jones, Ravenna, 2,428 (2011)
6. Patrick Boggs, Field, 2,272 (2011)
7. Patrick Boggs, Field, 2,245 (2010)
8. Anthony Kelly, Woodridge, 2,244 (2009)
9. Dorian Williams, Streetsboro, 2,221 (2012)
10. Gary Strain, Mogadore, 2,205 (2012)
11. Kaleb Wright, Southeast, 2,184 (2019)
12. Chuck Moore, Mogadore, 2,149 (1996)
13. Caleb Kaut, Rootstown, 2,105 (2017)
14. Aaron Urchek, Rootstown, 2,071 (2005)
15. Anthony Demma, Garfield, 2,066 (2021)
16. Alan Vanderink, Crestwood, 2,047 (2007)

TONIGHT’S FORECAST

A perfect fall night for football.

No rain (or snow as we have seen in some late fall games) and clear skies.

At kickoff, the temperatures should be around 55 degrees and by the fourth quarter it will dip to the low 50s.

Dress accordingly.

TONIGHT’S WEEK 9 SCHEDULE

Medina Highland at Aurora

Kent Roosevelt at Revere

Streetsboro at Springfield

Norton at Field

Ravenna at Woodridge

Mogadore at St. Thomas Aquinas

Southeast at Rootstown

Waterloo at McDonald

Brookfield at Garfield

Grand Valley at Crestwood

Mathews at Windham

Coventry at Cloverleaf

Cleveland Central Catholic at Warren JFK

WEEK 8 SCORES

Norton 35, Cloverleaf 14

Field 25, Coventry 20

Woodridge 35, Streetsboro 7

Ravenna 55, Springfield 12

Mogadore 47, Southeast 6

Rootstown 27, Grand Valley 13

Cardinal 40, Crestwood 0

Garfield 62, Crestview 22

Jackson-Milton 7, Waterloo 0

Barberton 35, Aurora 14

Tallmadge 70, Kent Roosevelt 21

Windham 28, Fairport Harding 15

PLAYOFF RANKINGS

The complete playoff listing can be viewed here.

Note, that the top 16 teams in each region will qualify for the postseason.

DIVISION III, REGION 9

T9. Aurora

22. Kent Roosevelt

DIVISION III, REGION 10

4. Cloverleaf

7. Norton

DIVISION IV, REGION 13

4. Woodridge

10. Coventry

11. Streetsboro

13. Field

17. Ravenna

DIVISION V, REGION 17

7. Garfield

DIVISION VI, REGION 21

2. Mogadore

8. Rootstown

11. Southeast

21. Waterloo

DIVISION VII, REGION 25

1. Warren JFK

16. Windham

PORTAGE TRAIL CONFERENCE STANDINGS

Mogadore 7-0, 2-0

Rootstown 6-2, 1-0

Warren JFK 6-2, 1-1

Southeast 4-3, 0-1

St. Thomas Aquinas 0-6, 0-1

METRO ATHLETIC CONFERENCE STANDINGS

Cloverleaf 6-2, 4-1

Norton 6-2, 4-1

Woodridge 5-3, 4-1

Field 5-3, 3-2

Coventry 5-3, 2-3

Streetsboro 4-4, 2-3

Ravenna 2-5, 1-4

Springfield 0-8, 0-5

SUBURBAN LEAGUE AMERICAN CONFERENCE STANDINGS

Highland 8-0, 5-0

Aurora 6-2, 4-1

Barberton 5-3, 4-1

Tallmadge 6-2, 3-2

Copley 2-6, 1-4

Kent Roosevelt 2-6, 1-4

Revere 2-6, 1-4

Cuyahoga Falls 1-7, 0-5

MAHONING VALLEY ATHLETIC CONFERENCE GREY DIVISION STANDINGS

Brookfield 7-1, 5-0

Garfield 7-1, 5-0

Crestview 2-5, 2-2

Liberty 3-4, 3-1

Champion 3-5, 2-3

Campbell Memorial 2-6, 1-4

Newton Falls 1-7, 0-5

MAHONING VALLEY ATHLETIC CONFERENCE SCARLET DIVISION STANDINGS

Lowellville 8-0, 5-0

Mineral Ridge 7-1, 4-1

New Middletown Springfield 4-4, 4-1

Jackson-Milton 6-2, 3-2

Waterloo 3-5, 2-3

Berlin Center Western Reserve 2-6, 1-5

McDonald 2-6, 1-5

Sebring McKinley 0-8, 0-5

CHAGRIN VALLEY CONFERENCE VALLEY DIVISION STANDINGS

Hawken 7-1, 5-0

Berkshire 5-3, 4-1

Cardinal 4-4, 3-2

Harvey 4-4, 3-2

Crestwood 3-5, 2-3

Beachwood 2-6, 1-4

Grand Valley 1-7, 0-4

WEEK 10 LOOK-AHEAD SCHEDULE

(Friday, Oct. 21, 2022)

Aurora at Revere

Kent Roosevelt at Cuyahoga Falls

Cloverleaf at Springfield

Norton at Ravenna

Field at Woodridge

Coventry at Streetsboro

Rootstown at Mogadore

Southeast at Warren John F. Kennedy

St. Thomas Aquinas at Canton Central Catholic

North Baltimore at Windham

Liberty at Garfield

Hawken at Crestwood

Mineral Ridge at Waterloo