PREP FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS Warren Harding to face St. Edward in rematch

The teams met in the regional semifinals a year ago and the Raiders won with Maurice Clarett.
VINDICATOR STAFF REPORT
There are no givens in high school football, and Warren Harding High coach Thom McDaniels knows it.
"I'm thrilled that I get to coach another week," McDaniels said. "And hopefully another week, and another week and another week."
That was McDaniels' reaction after the Raiders opened the Division I playoffs with a 24-17 victory over defending state champion Cleveland St. Ignatius.
Div. I showdown
For keeping its unbeaten season alive, Warren Harding (11-0), No. 1 in Ohio and No. 14 in the USA Today national rankings, was rewarded with a Region 1 semifinal game against Lakewood St. Edward on Saturday at Byers Field in Parma.
"It's a tough regional to get out of," St. Ignatius coach Chuck Kyle admitted. "You've got a tough St. Ed's team and an undefeated Solon team and a very experienced Mentor team."
St. Edward (10-1), in the playoffs for the 10th year, advanced with a 51-27 victory over Parma Heights Valley Forge and will face Warren Harding for the second straight year in the regional semifinals.
In their game last year, Maurice Clarett ran for 401 yards and five touchdowns as Warren Harding won 42-26.
Solon (11-0) and Mentor (10-1) will meet in the other Region 1 semifinal. Solon is the No. 1 seed in the region.
Local flavor
This weekend's playoff match-ups are highlighted by two games involving area teams.
In Div. II, state-ranked Canfield (11-0) will play Metro Athletic Conference opponent Howland (8-3) -- for the second time this season -- Friday at Bo Rein Stadium in Niles.
The Cardinals, who defeated Howland 23-8 in Week 5, advanced with a 49-28 home victory over Maple Heights. Howland stayed alive on the road with a 28-6 victory at Madison.
In Div. IV, the Steel Valley Conference and Tri-County League will have a rare meeting Friday at Spartan Stadium in Boardman.
Ursuline (6-5) defeated top-seeded Akron Manchester 28-10. The Irish will play East Palestine (10-1), a first-time playoff participant that beat Sullivan Black River 23-22.
Milestone
Girard (10-1) also celebrated a Div. IV playoff win, which provided the school with its 400th victory and a regional semifinal game against Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph (8-3) on Friday at Memorial Field in Chardon.
In Div. VI, Lowellville (11-0) kept its perfect season intact with an impressive defensive performance in a 26-0 victory over Leetonia. The Rockets will play Cleveland Cuyahoga Heights (7-3) Friday at Ravenna Gilcrest Field.
East Liverpool (8-3) and Beaver Local (9-2) also will continue their playoff runs. The Potters will play Avon Lake in a Div. II game at Massillon Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, while the Beavers will play University School in Div. III at Heacock Stadium in Beloit.
New Castle, Sharon, Shenango and West Middlesex will represent the area in the Pennsylvania playoffs this weekend.