HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL Warren Harding, Massillon renew rivalry

The Week 9 schedule includes several important matchups.
VINDICATOR STAFF REPORT
Throw on your sweaters and throw out the records.
It's rivalry week.
And for the first time since he was coaching Canton McKinley, Thom McDaniels will stand on the sideline at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium as Warren Harding (8-0) travels to play Massillon at 8 p.m. Saturday.
"It's a great challenge when you go into Massillon," McDaniels said. "It's one of the most hostile environments to go into. That's a challenge I relish and a challenge our team needs to meet. I look forward to it."
The Raiders -- with plenty of help from Mario Manningham -- beat Massillon twice last season. Manningham, now a junior wideout, torched the Tigers for four touchdowns in last year's regular season win at Mollenkopf Stadium, then helped Harding in a come-from-behind overtime win in the regional final at the Akron Rubber Bowl.
Friday's game should be another classic.
But it won't be the only one.
The list
Mooney (6-2, 0-1), fresh off a better-than-it-looked loss to Div. III power Cleveland Benedictine, will battle Ursuline (4-4, 0-1) in a Steel Valley Conference showdown Friday at Stambaugh Stadium.
Rayen and Wilson will play on Thursday at YSU in one of the final meetings between the two City Series schools. The Redmen are still looking for their first win in nearly two seasons.
Fitch (5-3) ruined Boardman's playoff hopes last season and the Spartans (1-7) will look to return the favor when they play host to the Falcons on Friday.
Canfield (3-5, 2-3) travels to Poland (5-3, 3-1) in the Metro Athletic Conference's premier rivalry, while Campbell Memorial (6-2) will travel to play Warren JFK (7-1) in what was once one of the Mahoning Valley Conference's best rivalries.
Hubbard (6-2, 3-2) will travel to Girard (6-2, 5-0) looking to gain a measure of revenge from last year's loss that gave the Indians the Trumbull Athletic Conference title. With a win, Girard could clinch a share of the TAC title.
Other unbeatens
Columbiana (7-0, 5-0), fresh off a win over league-rival United, can wrap up a share of the Tri-County League title with a win at East Palestine.
South Range (8-0, 5-0) will play at Mineral Ridge (7-1, 5-0) to decide the Inter-County League title, while Howland (7-1, 5-0) will look to wrap up the outright MAC title when it plays at Struthers.
The Wildcats (5-3, 3-1) could all but clinch a playoff berth with a win over the Tigers, but it won't be easy.
"Howland is a great football team," Struthers coach Gary Zetts said. "We've seen them on film and they have everything you're looking for in a football team. They've got speed, they've got size and they've got toughness."
And when it's rivalry week, you need all three.