Correspondent file photo / David Dermer
Warren G. Harding quarterback Chaz Coleman celebrates after a big play vs. Canton McKinley on Aug. 22 in Canton.
By STEVE RUMAN
Correspondent
Backyard rivalries will take center stage today as the 2024 high school football regular season comes to an end.
For 448 schools statewide, the season will continue a week from today with a first-round playoff game.
For 253 other schools, the season will conclude this weekend.
McDonald (6-3) and Mineral Ridge (4-5) meet for the 80th time Friday. The Blue Devils and Rams first squared off in 1927. The series ended in 1941, then resumed in 1961. The two teams will play for the 64th consecutive year, making this the longest continuous current series in Trumbull County.
McDonald leads the series 53-22-4. The Blue Devils recently owned a nine-game winning streak in the rivalry from 2013-2021, the longest winning streak in series history. However, the Rams have registered victories each of the last two years. Both the Rams and Blue Devils are playoff-bound.
Trumbull County’s oldest ongoing rivalry resumes when Niles (1-8) and Girard (5-4) meet for the 81st time. The Red Dragons and Indians first met on the gridiron in 1898, the year Niles fielded its first football team. According to newspaper accounts, that first encounter was played “in the cow pasture on Evan Morris’ farm” in Girard.
Niles leads the series 44-29-8. Girard has already clinched a playoff spot.
Youngstown’s Holy War will take place for the 70th time when Ursuline (8-1) squares off against Cardinal Mooney (3-6).
Ursuline, which has won eight straight games, has already secured a playoff berth and will host a first-round playoff game. Despite its losing record, Mooney is a near lock to secure a spot in the tournament.
Mooney leads the series 41-25-3. The first game was played in 1958, and the two teams have since met on an annual basis, including three times (1968, 1990, 1995) in which the Cardinals and Irish played twice in the same season.
West Branch (9-0) will look to secure its second 10-0 season in four years when it hosts Salem (3-6) in the 53rd matchup between neighboring schools.
West Branch leads the series 30-22. The two schools played for the first time in 1964, with Salem winning 12-0 at Reilly Stadium. During the early years of the series, the rivalry was intensified due to the fact that West Branch played some of its home games at Salem, prior to the construction of Clinton Heacock Stadium.
Regardless of Friday’s outcome, West Branch will return home next Friday to host a playoff game.
South Range (9-0) is also assured of hosting a playoff game next week, and like West Branch, South Range is looking to secure a perfect 10-0 season when it travels to Hubbard (5-4).
A win would give South Range its fourth perfect regular season in the past five years.
The Raiders enter the game with at least a share of the Northeast 8 title. A win would ensure the Raiders the title outright for a fifth consecutive year. The Raiders have won 35 straight league games.
Since 2020, South Range owns an overall record of 59-4.
The Battle of Route 616 renews when Poland (7-2) visits Struthers (8-1). This will mark the third meeting between the two schools in the past 12 months. A year ago, Poland defeated Struthers 28-27 to close the regular season. Two weeks later, the Cats gained revenge with a 14-9 victory over the Bulldogs in a second-round playoff game.
Both teams are heading to the playoffs.
Poland leads the series 27-14-1. Struthers dominated the early part of the rivalry, winning nine of the first 13 meetings. However Poland then strung together a 14-game winning streak to pull ahead.
Austintown Fitch (7-2) and Warren G. Harding (6-3) meet for the 37th time, including the seventh time since 2020. The Raiders and Falcons played each other in both the regular season and in the playoffs in both ’20 and ’21.
The series has been incredibly close. Fitch owns a slim 19-17 edge in wins. The Falcons own a 717-688 advantage in points scored.
Last year, Fitch defeated Harding 14-13.
Both schools have locked a playoff spot. Fitch will play a Week 11 game at home, and the Falcons can earn the right to host a second-round game with a victory over WGH. The Raiders can secure a first-round home game with a victory.
In recent years, Canfield (4-4) has dominated its series against State Route 224 neighbor Boardman (5-4), winning eight straight games. The Cardinals may need to make it nine in a row in order to advance to Week 11.
With a home win over Boardman, Canfield will assure a playoff berth. Should the Cardinals lose, they would need some outside help to continue their season.
Boardman has already secured a playoff berth, but a win over Canfield would boost the Spartans’ chances of hosting a first-round game.
Something has to give when Champion travels to Newton Falls. The Golden Flashes and Tigers both enter the season-finale with 0-9 records.
A total of 27 area teams have already secured a playoff berth. Seven other teams are in the hunt but need a win and/or outside help.
A year ago, 28 area teams played in the tournament.
The playoff field and all first-round matchups will be officially released on Sunday.