NOTEBOOK \ Playoff news and notes

Down year: The Valley has 11 teams in the playoffs -- the second-lowest for the area since the playoffs expanded to eight teams in each region in 1999. The highest was 15 in 2002 and the lowest was 10 in 2003. There were 14 last season and in 1999, 2000 and 2001. League notes: The Inter-County League (South Range, Mineral Ridge), Tri-County League (Crestview, Columbiana) and East Suburban Conference (Mathews, Ledgemont) each had two teams advance to the postseason, while the Steel Valley Conference (Mooney), Metro Athletic Conference (Canfield) and the Portage Trail Conference (Southeast) each had one. Warren JFK and Beaver Local are both independents in football and compete in the SVC in all other sports. This is the second straight season no City Series school has made the playoffs. Rayen came closest, finishing 10th in Division II, Region 7. Only two Federal League teams made the playoffs (Canton McKinley, North Canton Hoover) after five made it last season. Two Northeastern Buckeye Conference teams made it (Louisville and Canal Fulton Northwest). Back in the big dance: Mooney is making its third straight trip to the playoffs and 19th overall -- by far the most in the area. Here's the breakdown for the other schools: Warren JFK (15 appearances), South Range (nine), Beaver Local (six), Canfield (five), Crestview (five), Columbiana (four), Liberty (three), Mineral Ridge (three) and Southeast (two). Still searching: Area schools that have never made the playoffs are Wilson, Salem, Jackson-Milton, Sebring, Southern, United and Youngstown Christian. Not enough: Salem, McDonald, Springfield, Hubbard and Lisbon all went 7-3 but did not make the playoffs. The school with the most playoff appearances not to make it this season was Ursuline (3-7), which has been to the playoffs 12 times since they started in 1972. This is the first year since 2000 that no area team made it in Div. I. State champs: Former state champions in the playoffs include Mooney (1973, 80, 82, 87, 2004) and Warren JFK (1991). Vindicator staff report