By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

Mogadore and Rootstown began scheduling each other as Week 10 opponents beginning regularly in 2015.

Since that time, 2019 is the only year that they did not play each other in the final week of the regular season.

The scheduling arrangement has coincided with a rebirth of a gridiron rivalry between the two programs, with the Cats always in league contention and the Rovers sustaining as one of the league’s primary contenders against Mogadore.

Enter, Friday’s matchup.

Illustration courtesy of mogadorefootball.com

Rootstown hosts Mogadore at Robert C. Dunn Field, with the Portage Trail Conference championship on the line, as well as Division VI, Region 21 playoff rankings to be jostled by the result.

Both teams enter with identical 3-0 league records in a shortened league season because of a lack of PTC member schools.

Rootstown’s league victories include: at St. Thomas (37-6), vs. Warren JFK (49-14) and at Southeast (35-7). The Rovers are seeking the program’s sixth unbeaten season in school history.

Mogadore’s league victories include: at Warren JFK (41-7), vs. Southeast (47-6) and vs. St. Thomas Aquinas (53-6). The Wildcats are seeking the 45th league title in school history.

Here is a detailed look at Friday’s game, along with some historical perspective of the Mogadore-Rootstown matchup.

ALL-TIME SERIES

Mogadore leads the all-time series, 43-10.

First game ever played between the two schools was in 1968, with Mogadore winning, 42-22.

By decade:

1960’s: Mogadore, 2-0

1970’s: Mogadore, 7-3

1980’s: Mogadore, 8-2

1990’s: Mogadore, 7-3

2000’s: Mogadore, 8-0 (did not play each other in 2003 and 2004)

2010’s: Mogadore, 8-2

2020’s: Mogadore, 3-0

ROOTSTOWN UNDEFEATED SEASONS

1956: 9-0

1958: 9-0-1

1960: 9-0

1981: 10-0

2017: 10-0

ROOTSTOWN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIPS

1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1981, 1989, 2004, 2017.

MOGADORE LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIPS

1922, 1932, 1934, 1936, 1950, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1960, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022.

ROOTSTOWN SENIORS

Will McEwuen

Ryan Piscitani

Tyler Paulus

Cohen Schlaubach

Dawson Morgan

Jake McGowan

Julian Gabriella

Colby Scott

Kyle Weese

Michael Lattimer

Kyle Kuharich

Tony Karp[

Dominic Siglow

Chris Cooper

Brock Wise

MOGADORE SENIORS

Tanner Buso

Layne Miller

Jason Spicer

Zeke Cameron

Devin Graham

Austin Constantine

Corey Lehner

Chad Westfall

Travis Hummel

Bo Lanham

RECORDS

Mogadore: 7-2 overall, 3-0 Portage Trail Conference; 2-2 on the road

Rootstown: 8-0 overall, 3-0 Portage Trail Conference; 4-0 at home

ROOTSTOWN STAT LEADERS

Rushing: Dawson Morgan, 230 attempts, 1,767 yards

Passing: Ryan Piscitani, 48-of-80 (60 percent), 651 yards, 8 touchdowns, 3 interceptions

Receptions: Chris Cooper, 12

Receiving Yards: Dawson Morgan, 185 yards

Tackles: Brian Youngblood, 75 tackles

Sacks: Tristan McKibben, 6

MOGADORE STAT LEADERS

Rushing: Cole Reese, 38 attempts, 195 yards

Passing: Zeke Cameron, 69-of-103 (67 percent), 919 yards, 12 touchdowns, 5 interceptions

Receptions: Corey Lehner, 22

Receiving Yards: Corey Lehner, 262 yards

COACHES

Mogadore: Matt Adorni, 20th year, 197-47 career record. Mogadore High School graduate.

Rootstown: Chris Knopick, 3rd year, 20-10 career record. Southeast High School graduate.

PLAYOFF RANKINGS

Both teams are in Division VI, Region 21.

   • Rootstown: 2nd, 16.0913, clinched top-four finish (first round home game)

   • Mogadore: 4th, 11.7614, clinched playoff spot