PREP FOOTBALL Strange season has surprising playoff picture

Only Warren Harding and Lowellville are assured of home playoff games.
VINDICATOR STAFF REPORT
At the beginning of the high school football season, who would have thought that Ursuline would be in danger of missing the playoffs?
Or that Boardman, after a 4-0 start that included wins over St. Ignatius, Chaney and Ursuline, would lose four of five games and be eliminated from the playoffs?
Or that Austintown Fitch and Mooney -- who combined for three on-field wins last year -- would be knocking on the door of the playoffs?
It's been a strange year indeed, and not just in the Steel Valley Conference.
Only two teams have (unofficially) clinched a home playoff game -- Warren Harding and Lowellville -- and both are undefeated.
Canfield (which is also undefeated), Girard and Beaver Local have clinched playoff spots while Hubbard, East Palestine and East Liverpool need only to win to get in.
Aside from those teams, who knows?
On the bubble
Poland, a regional finalist last year, may not make the playoffs and South Range, also a regional finalist, has been eliminated.
But before teams can think about Week 11, they must first think about Week 10.
Chaney (City Series), Canfield (Metro Athletic Conference) and East Palestine (Tri-County League) have clinched league titles outright .
Warren Harding, Lowellville and Girard have clinched a share of titles, with a chance to win outright.
Top games
Warren Harding (9-0, 3-0) will play host to Fitch (6-3, 2-1) on Friday. If Fitch wins, the Falcons share the SVC title.
Lowellville (9-0, 6-0) will play at McDonald. Springfield (6-3, 5-1) must win at Jackson-Milton and hope the Blue Devils upset the Rockets to get a share of the Inter-County League title.
Girard (8-1, 6-0), off a 27-7 win over Hubbard, will win the Trumbull Athletic Conference outright win a win over visiting Liberty. If the Indians lose and the Eagles win at Brookfield, Hubbard and Girard will share the title.
One of this week's most interesting games is Howland at Warren JFK. The Eagles routed Newton Falls in their opener 26-0, but had to forfeit the game after using an ineligible player.
JFK will probably be in the ninth spot in Division V, Region 17 of this week's computer ratings. The team that will probably be below them at No. 10, Gates Mills Hawken, needs only to win to clinch a spot.
The Eagles probably will need to beat the Tigers to get in.
The final computer ratings come out on Sunday.
Stay tuned.