PREP FOOTBALL Top ICL games on Friday feature four contenders
Unbeaten and state-ranked South Range heads up the matchups.
VINDICATOR STAFF REPORT
The Inter-County League high school football title picture will come into focus Friday night when the top four teams play one another.
State-ranked South Range (6-0, 3-0) will play host to McDonald (3-3, 3-0), while Mineral Ridge (5-1, 3-0) will travel to Lowellville (5-1, 2-1).
South Range, in Division V, is one of four area unbeaten teams remaining as the season begins its seventh week. The others are Warren Harding (Div. I), Beaver Local (Div. III) and Columbiana (Div. V).
Old SVC rivals
Nationally-ranked Harding remains at Mollenkopf Stadium to face Boardman (1-5), which is coming off its first victory of the season, over Painesville Riverside.
Beaver Local (to Chardon) and Columbiana (to Sebring) go on the road.
Cardinal Mooney (5-1), behind a balanced defense, continues its surge toward the Div. IV playoffs. The Cardinals will play their next two games on the road, with a Friday trip to Canton Central Catholic (4-2).
The team Mooney beat last weekend, Austintown Fitch (4-2), will face a daunting challenge in its effort to bounce back. The Falcons will play host to unbeaten North Canton Hoover of the Federal League.
"Our kids are down and disappointed with the way they played," Fitch coach Neal Kopp said after Friday's loss. "We'll see what kind of team we are [this week].
"By no means is this season over for us," he added. "All of our goals can still be reached."
Chaney, with little fanfare, has improved its record to 5-1. The Cowboys will stay at Stambaugh Stadium on Friday to face Pennsylvania unbeaten Slippery Rock (5-0).
Other games
Some of the area's other top teams are matched against those struggling to gain an edge.
In the Metro Athletic Conference, first-place Howland (5-1, 3-0) travels to Niles (2-4, 0-2), which will try to bounce back from a 28-0 loss at Canfield.
Trumbull Athletic Conference unbeaten Girard (4-2, 3-0) takes its high-powered offense to Champion (1-5, 0-3), which is seeking its first conference victory.
In addition to Columbiana-Sebring in the Tri-County League, United (5-1, 3-0) plays at Crestview (1-5, 1-2); Leetonia (5-1, 2-1) welcomes Southern (1-5, 0-3); and Lisbon (5-1, 2-1) plays host to East Palestine (1-5, 1-2).
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