FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS | News and notes

Mooney is making its 17th trip since the playoffs began in 1972 -- by far the most in the area. Mooney has not been in the playoffs since Don Bucci led the Cardinals to the Division IV state semifinals in 1999.
Warren Harding finished the regular season 10-0 for the second consecutive year and has won an area-best (21) consecutive regular season games. The Raiders have made the playoffs three straight years, losing to Cincinnati Elder in last year's Div. I state championship.
South Range (10-0), Columbiana (9-0) and Beaver Local (10-0) were the other area teams to finish undefeated. The teams with the best records not to make the playoffs were Mineral Ridge, Hubbard and Liberty, which all went 8-2.
Southeast is the only team from the area making its first trip to the playoffs. Area schools which have never made the playoffs are Woodrow Wilson, Salem, Jackson-Milton, Mathews, Sebring, Southern and United.
Other playoff teams with multiple appearances include Chaney (seventh appearance, including four straight), Howland (fourth, including three straight), South Range (seventh), Columbiana (third), Lisbon (fourth), Warren JFK (13th) and Beaver Local (fourth).
Former state champions in the playoffs include Mooney (1973, 80, 82, 87), Warren Harding (1974, 90), Lisbon (1995) and Warren JFK (1991).
For the first time since 1998, no Trumbull Athletic Conference team made the playoffs. The TAC is the only area conference without a playoff team this season.
Notable schools which did not make the playoffs include Ursuline (which has 11 playoff appearances but went 5-5 this season against a brutal schedule), Poland (which had qualified four of the last five years), Hubbard (which had qualified the past four years) and West Branch (which has seven playoff appearances).
-- Joe Scalzo