15 area teams are within striking distance of Ohio playoffs

VINDICATOR STAFF REPORT

After six weeks of football, 15 area high school teams are in position to qualify for the Ohio playoffs while two others are close to getting in.

With twice as many points are the ninth team in Division IV Region 13, Mooney (6-0) is all but assured of playing in Week 11.

Eight teams from each region qualify for the state playoffs. The Cardinals, the Div. IV state champions two of the past three years, are the top team in Region 13.

Girard (4-2), a first-place team in the Trumbull Athletic Conference, is the number-seven team in Region 13.

Boardman’s 42-6 walloping of Massillon Perry last Friday has the Spartans (4-2) back in the hunt in Div. I’s Region 1. This week’s ratings show the Spartans at number eight.

In Div. VI, Region 21 has four teams in contention: Columbiana (5-1) at number three, Warren JFK (4-2) at number five, McDonald (5-1) at number seven and Leetonia (4-2) at number eight.

South Range heads group

Three Mahoning Valley teams are contenders in Div. V Region 17, led by Inter Tri-County League Tier One leader South Range (6-0).

Ursuline (5-1) is number three while Mathews (6-0) is number four.

Mineral Ridge (5-1) is number 10. On Oct. 19, the Rams will play host to South Range.

The other team on the outside looking in is Niles in Div. III’s Region 9. The Red Dragons (4-2) are 10th in their region after last Friday’s 26-7 loss to Poland.

Lakeview (4-2) is sixth in Region 9. Friday, the Bulldogs are at home against Liberty (5-1), which is not ranked in the top 10.

Also in Div. III, West Branch (5-1) is fourth and Poland (5-1) sixth in Region 11.

Two Metro Athletic Conference teams — Howland and Canfield — are playoff contenders in different regions.

Howland (6-0) is the number two team in Region 5. Canfield (5-1), which lost to Howland, is the number three team in Region 7.