By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

In the blink of an eye, everyone is back for another high school football season.

Teams have spent the last few months preparing for tonight.

The first opportunity of many over the next couple of months to spend time together underneath the Friday Night Lights.

Players, coaches, volunteers and families are drawn together by a football team, cheerleading squad and band to share time together as a community.

Sports unite us!

And I can’t wait to see what this season brings — and to share it with all of you!

FRIDAY NIGHT FORECAST

We are going to be given a picture perfect night for high school football.

The pregame festivities and kickoff (7 p.m.) are forecasted to be 75 degrees with mostly sunny skies and zero precipitation on the radar.

The skies are expected to be clear of any rain chances throughout the game and by the fourth quarter, the temperatures should still be hovering in the low 70s.

It seems as if Mother Nature is equally excited for the 2025 season’s Opening Night!

THE GAME

Happy Birthday, Kent Roosevelt and Ravenna!

Your historic rivalry, which is recognized throughout all of Ohio as one of the most prolific and storied matchups in history, turns 111 tonight.

It is one thing for a longstanding rivalry to have the years to give it reverence, but what lifts this annual matchup is the long list of generational talent and how balanced the battles have been since the very beginning.

Consider, after 110 years, Ravenna leads the all-time series by just a single game, 54-53-3.

Yes, there have been long win streaks by one team or the other, but the overall numbers always find a way to swing back to even.

ROOTSTOWN’S NEW HOME

For the first time in the life of the district, Rootstown’s athletic home is not based out of Portage County.

The Rovers are now members of the Chagrin Valley Conference.

That snaps a 102-year streak.

For the first time in 2014, though, the Rovers will play a football schedule that includes seven league games, with three non-league games to open the season — considered by most of the state to be the standard schedule format.

ROOSEVELT’S FAREWELL

Kent Roosevelt has been a member of the Suburban League since 2015, but the 2025 season will be its last in the league.

The Rough Riders, along with Cuyahoga Falls and Tallmadge, were accepted as new members of the Metro Athletic Conference beginning in 2026.

NEW FACE AT WATERLOO

Only one new coach was introduced across the county from last season.

Waterloo hired Nathan Brode to replace Mike Devies, who retired after 11 seasons with the Vikings and a 34-year career as an educator.

The roster features only 20 players for the Vikings, which has Brode concerned about depth and staying healthy. However, he plans to incorporate offensive sets that run with four- and five-receiver sets.

LEAGUE AFFILIATIONS

With so many changes throughout the league landscapes, it has been difficult for some to keep up with who is playing where and for what league.

Here is a look:

Chagrin Valley Conference Valley Division: Crestwood and Rootstown.

Independent (no league affiliation): Mogadore.

Metro Athletic Conference: Field, Ravenna and Streetsboro.

Suburban League: Aurora and Kent Roosevelt.

Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference Grey Division: Garfield and Southeast.

Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference Scarlet Division: Waterloo.

Northeastern Athletic Conference: Windham.

WEEK 1 SCHEDULE OF GAMES

Brecksville at Aurora

Mogadore at Crestwood

Field at Canton South

Garfield at Edgewood

Kent Roosevelt at Ravenna

Toledo Christian at Rootstown

Copley at Streetsboro

Waterloo at Akron Springfield

Strasburg at Windham

Akron Garfield 21, Southeast 19 (Thursday)

2024 RETURNING STATISTICAL LEADERS

A list of the top statistical leaders from the 2024 season who are returning for 2025.

RUSHING

Damien Reuting, Rootstown, 1,015 yards

Marcus Council, Streetsboro, 933

Xavier Board, Aurora, 902

Brandyn Bogucki, Garfield, 714

Janiere Cook, Streetsboro, 702

Devin Bates, Garfield, 700

Logan Fincham, Streetsboro, 609

Victor Brown, Field, 431

Ke’Shan Talbert, Kent Roosevelt, 382

Ryder Cain, Garfield, 320

PASSING

CJ Ross, 77-of-145, 944 yards

Joe Sharish, Southeast, 63-of-167, 803

Blake Mullaly, Rootstown, 57-of-104, 803

Jack Neikirk, Garfield, 31-of-51, 670

PASSING TOUCHDOWNS

Blake Mullaly, Rootstown, 7

Jack Neikirk, Garfield, 6

Joe Sharish, Southeast, 5

CJ Ross, Ravenna, 4

RECEIVING

Jaiden Portis, Kent Roosevelt, 329 yards

Brandyn Bogucki, Garfield, 290

Quincy John, Aurora, 265

LaDarion Askew, Ravenna, 232

Keyshawn Anderson, Waterloo, 188

Manny Gibson, Streetsboro, 169

Wyatt Januska, Crestwood, 158

Nathanael Rivera, Southeast, 141

Janiere Cook, Streetsboro, 129

SCORING

Devin Bates, Garfield, 96 points

Janiere Cook, Streetsboro, 96

Marcus Council, Streetsboro, 90

Brandyn Bogucki, Garfield, 82

Damien Reuting, Rootstown, 66

Xavier Board, Aurora, 54

Logan Fincham, Aurora, 54

Ke’Shan Talbert, Kent Roosevelt, 30

Blake Mullaly, Rootstown, 30

Victor Brown, Field, 24

CJ Ross, Ravenna, 24

Manny Gibson, Streetsboro, 24

KICKING

Logan Sadowski, Streetsboro, 76 points (1-of-1 FGs, 73-of-74 XPs)

Blake Mullaly, Rootstown, 33 (0-of-0 FGs, 33-of-33 XPs)

Hannah Timmons, Garfield, 28 (0-of-0 FGs, 28-of-38 XPs)

Jose Carpenter, Ravenna, 22 (1-of-2 FGs, 19-of-19 XPs)

Tristan Finch, Southeast, 13 (0-of-0 FGs, 13-of-20 XPs)

TACKLES

Ayden Knuebel, Streetsboro, 128

Devin Bates, Garfield, 107

Arthur Scott, Streetsboro, 80

Blake Dunderman, Field, 75

Brady Hakes, Waterloo, 71

Matt Kolaczek, Windham, 71

Logan Sell, Garfield, 69

Janiere Cook, Streetsboro, 63

Luke Thomas, Waterloo, 59

Victor Brown, Field, 59

Ryder Cain, Garfield, 57

Cyler Foreman, Kent Roosevelt, 48

INTERCEPTIONS

Wyatt Januska, Crestwood, 4

Manny Gibson, Streetsboro, 3

Brandyn Bogucki, Garfield, 3

Mason Lisi, Rootstown, 3

SACKS

Arthur Scott, Streetsboro, 5.5

Janiere Cook, Streetsboro, 4

Braylon Burks, Ravenna, 3

Keon Fortson, Ravenna, 3

Brady Hakes, Waterloo, 3

Ayden Knuebel, Streetsboro, 3

Demetrius Fuller, Streetsboro, 3

TACKLES FOR LOSS

Arthur Scott, Streetsboro, 26.5

Ayden Knuebel, Streetsboro, 14

Logan Sell, Garfield, 12

Janiere Cook, Streetsboro, 10

Devin Bates, Garfield, 9

Cooper Richmond, Streetsboro, 8.5

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schedule of games

league affiliations

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