By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

Windham High School is currently in the running for $1,000,000.

The athletic department received a $5,000 donation from T-Mobile at last Friday’s football game as part of the cellular company’s Friday Night 5G Lights contest, which is a nationwide community program and contest run by T-Mobile that awards high school football fields in small towns with major upgrades and cash prizes.

For Windham, the $5,000 reward could turn into $1 million that it would use toward a new football field and new track.

The program’s key timeline of dates includes:

   • Oct. 8 — 40 division finalists are announced (each wins $25,000)

   • Oct. 8-25 — Voting period for division finalists

   • Oct. 29 — 4 division champions are announced (each wins $250,000)

   • Nov. 12 — Grand prize winner announced ($1,000,000)

Windham’s run toward advancing in the contest is helped by tagging #FN5GL and #Entry on social media posts.

WATERLOO CANCELS GAME

Waterloo High School’s football game on Friday, a Week 7 league matchup at McDonald, was canceled following an announcement by the Waterloo Local School District.

The district announced the decision on Wednesday afternoon and cited low roster numbers for the cancellation.

“Our football team has shown resiliency throughout the year,” a statement released by the district said. “We assessed the overall physical health of the players following (last) Friday’s game. Our numbers were low, but we hoped to continue to play the upcoming game.

“Additional players throughout the week came forth unable to play this week,” the statement added. “We have decided it is best to cancel this upcoming Friday’s game against McDonald.”

After Week 6, the Vikings are 1-5 overall and 0-3 in the Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference. The team started the season with 20 players, but that number has dropped to the low teens.

However, the Vikings’ remaining regular-season games have not been canceled at this time. The district intends to review each future game on a weekly basis.

“We hope that the team will be able to play the remaining games on the schedule,” the district’s statement said.

McDonald will be awarded a forfeit win over Waterloo.

TEAM WINS FOR MOGADORE

The Wildcats have won four of their first six games with an offense that is content with sharing the workload.

Despite averaging 29.7 points per game (and 39 per game in their four wins), considering the following:

   • Mogadore does not have a player with more than 300 yards rushing on the season.

   • Mogadore does not have more than 700 yards passing on the season.

   • Mogadore only has one defensively player with more than 45 tackles.

Some may view those three things as statistical shortcomings, but what it probably more accurately shows is the depth Mogadore has on its team.

FRIDAY NIGHT FORECAST

Rain could drop throughout the county at different times of the morning and early afternoon, but by kickoff, the rain is expected to be gone.

Temperatures are forecasted to be around 55 degrees at 7 p.m. and 53 degrees by game’s end.

Fall football is officially here.

PLAYOFFS

Note: The top-12 teams in each region qualify for the playoffs.

Aurora: 22nd in Division III, Region 9

Crestwood: 23rd in Division V, Region 17

Field: 16th in Division IV, Region 13

Garfield: 3rd in Division V, Region 17

Kent Roosevelt: 18th in Division III, Region 9

Mogadore: 5th in Division VII, Region 25

Ravenna: 14th in Division V, Region 17

Rootstown: 18th in Division VI, Region 21

Southeast: 20th in Division V, Region 17

Streetsboro: 5th in Division IV, Region 13

Waterloo: 23rd in Division VII, Region 25

TEAM RECORDS

Aurora: 2-4 overall; 1-2 Suburban League American Conference

Crestwood: 1-5 overall; 0-2 Chagrin Valley Conference Valley Division

Field: 2-4 overall; 1-2 Metro Athletic Conference

Garfield: 6-0, 3-0 Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference Gray Division

Kent Roosevelt: 3-3 overall; 1-2 Metro Athletic Conference

Mogadore: 4-2 overall (independent)

Ravenna: 3-3 overall; 1-2 Metro Athletic Conference

Rootstown: 3-3 overall; 1-2 Chagrin Valley Conference Valley Division

Southeast: 2-4 overall; 2-1 Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference Gray Division

Streetsboro: 4-2 overall; 2-1 Metro Athletic Conference

Waterloo: 1-6, 0-4 Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference Scarlet Division

Windham: 3-3 overall; 1-2 Northern 8 Conference

THIS WEEK’S GAMES

Aurora at Kenston

Kirtland at Crestwood

Field at Cloverleaf

Liberty at Garfield

Kent Roosevelt at Springfield

Pymatuning Valley at Mogadore

Streetsboro at Ravenna

Rootstown at Berkshire

Southeast at Champion

Waterloo at McDonald — CANCELED

St. Joseph Central Catholic at Windham

LAST WEEK’S SCORES

Week 6 — Friday, Sept. 25, 206

Garfield 47, Southeast 7

Revere 24, Aurora 14

Rootstown 40, Fairport Harding 0

Windham 58, Sebring McKinley 16; Cloverleaf 42; Streetsboro 35

Tallmadge 31, Ravenna 6

Mineral Ridge 53, Waterloo 14

Linsly (W.V.) 21, Mogadore 20

Conneaut 40, Crestwood 28

LOOK-AHEAD WEEK 8 SCHEDULE

Friday, Oct. 9, 2026

Brecksville at Aurora

Crestwood at Fairview

Streetsboro at Field

Newton Falls at Garfield

Norton at Kent Roosevelt

Mogadore at Lorain Clearview

Conneaut at Rootstown

Brookfield at Southeast

Jackson-Milton at Waterloo

Windham at Chalker (Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026)