PREP FOOTBALL Harding faces another big test

After losing two straight, the Raiders must now face state power St. Ignatius.
VINDICATOR STAFF REPORT
Less than two weeks after seeing its 25-game regular season win streak snapped, the Warren Harding High football team is looking for answers.
After a 4-0 start, the Raiders have lost two straight, including last Friday's 37-22 loss to Ursuline that cost them their fourth straight outright Steel Valley Conference title.
Harding still won a share of the SVC, but the Raiders are struggling at the wrong time. On Saturday, they'll travel to Bedford to play perennial state-power Cleveland St. Ignatius.
"We need to reevaluate and manage the situation we find ourselves in and make it right," said Harding coach Thom McDaniels. "The coaches and players have to sit back and decide what we're going to do, go forward or backward."
Two ways to go
"Are we going to let it snowball, or are we going to go in the other direction? There are two ways we can go."
The Irish, on the other hand, are clearly on the upswing. They've won four straight and are in good position to make the playoffs in Division IV.
On Friday at 8 p.m., Ursuline (5-1) will play host to Akron Hoban (5-1), who lost for the first time last week, falling to Columbus Watterson 31-7.
"I don't know very much about [Hoban]," Irish coach Dan Reardon said Friday. "I haven't seen them play yet."
Friday doubleheader
The game is part of an SVC doubleheader at Stambaugh, with Mooney playing Cleveland Benedictine -- last year's Division III state champion -- at 5:45 p.m.
Fitch will travel to play North Canton Hoover -- last year's Federal League champion -- before back-to-back weeks with Uniontown Lake (5-1, 3-1) and Canton GlenOak (4-2, 2-1).
"We're in the driver's seat in the league," said Fitch coach Neal Kopp. "If we had lost, that would have put four teams at 2-1. Now we control our own destiny."
The Vikings are just 2-4, but Kopp isn't looking past them.
"It doesn't matter what their record is, we know they're going to play their tails off," Kopp said.
Meanwhile, can anyone figure out the Metro Athletic Conference?
League race tightens
Howland, Salem and Alliance are all 2-1 in the league, and it might come down to the final week before the race is decided. Howland will look to rebound from a surprising loss to Salem when it plays host to Niles, while the Quakers look to keep rolling at Poland.
Mineral Ridge has a tough game against Liberty Center on Friday, then plays South Range in a game that could go a long way toward deciding the Inter-County League title.
And in the Trumbull Athletic Conference, Hubbard will play host to LaBrae, which is looking to rebound from a blowout loss to Liberty.