PREP PREVIEW Saturday's playoff game

DIVISION V
SOUTH RANGE vs. DALTON
Game time: 7 p.m. at Canton Central Catholic Lowell Klinefelter FieldTV/Radio: Fox 17/62 (taped); WNIO-AM (1390); WBBW-AM (1240)
SOUTH RANGE (10-1)
42East Palestine1528Crestview2148Champion048Lowellville755Conneaut031McDonald726Jackson-Milton167Mineral Ridge2045Western Reserve734Springfield10
Playoffs
27Rootstown21
Raiders notebook: The Raiders can pass, but they'd rather not, preferring to hand the ball off to Ben Johnston (1,215 yards, 18 TDs), Tony Darkadakis (458 yards, 9 TDs) or Matt Schlatter (648 yards, eight TDs). Johnston and Schlatter both went over 100 yards against Rootstown. Johnston and Darkadakis also play linebacker on a typically stout South Range defense, which is surrendering just 11 points per game. The Raiders have scored on special teams the past three weeks -- getting kick returns for touchdowns against Springfield (Justin Carolyne) and Rootstown (Ryan Maxwell) and a blocked punt for a TD against Western Reserve (Joe Marino). Coach Dan Yeagley is 6-6 all-time in seven playoff appearances, advancing to the regional final in 1996 and 2001. The Raiders lost both times.
DALTON (9-2)
25Garaway2014Tuslaw620Toronto728Norwayne044Chippewa626Waynedale1412Smithville1328Hillsdale763W. Salem Northwestern714Rittman15
Playoffs
14Mineral Ridge11
Bulldogs notebook: Dalton, which improved to 5-6 all-time in the playoffs, is 170-79-1 under coach Bob Ramsay. The Bulldogs are primarily a running team, led by a trio of players: junior running back Shawn Gerber (168 carries, 785 yards, 4 TDs), junior running back Ryan Sullivan (132 carries, 742 yards, 12 TDs) and senior quarterback Jason Koontz (120 carries, 761 yards, 7 TDs). Koontz has completed 54 of 110 passes for 804 yards, 10 TDs and five interceptions. His primary target is senior P.J. Zaleski, who has 17 catches for 343 yards. Linebackers Luke Messner (117 tackles) and Sullivan, (104 tackles) lead a defense giving up just nine points per game. Senior defensive end Pat Stutz can cause havoc in the backfield, recording a team-high 14 tackles for a loss. He's also tied with Zach Peterman for the team lead with five sacks. Senior DB Ryan Clark has five interceptions.
Vindicator staff reports