YOUNGSTOWN

To me, the most fascinating game tonight doesn’t involve two state defending champions pounding on each other. I’m pretty sure how that game will turn out (although if you look at my record in Blitz Picks you could argue I pretty much should not be sure of anything).

The game I find most intriguing is between a couple of Division VI teams that might not play beyond Week 11. That’s why there is so much at stake for McDonald (6-2) and Western Reserve (8-0) in tonight’s contest.

Both are unbeaten in Inter Tri-County League Tier Two play. Both are jockeying for playoff positions.

What’s so fascinating? In some minds, McDonald is an underdog. The team which has gone 30-3 in league play since the Inter County League and Tri-County Leagues merged is on the outside looking in as far as playoff seeding goes.

Western Reserve coach Andy Hake isn’t buying into that theory.

“They are the champs and you can’t be the champs until you beat the champs,” said Hake who added that Western Reserve hasn’t beaten McDonald in 20 years. “It’s a great test for us.

“We want to win the league, so this has been a real big week,” Hake said. “They’re good, as good as anybody we play. They are the team to beat in the league until someone beats them.”

In this week’s computer playoff rankings, Western Reserve is number three in Region 21 while McDonald is number 10. (The top eight teams qualify for the playoffs.) Both squads need the points boost a victory would deliver.

“This is as big as they’ve been,” said McDonald coach Dan Williams of the showdown, “especially with them being undefeated.”

In the past two regular seasons, McDonald went unbeaten (the last league loss came in Week 9 of the 2007 season against Wellsville).

This season has been unusual as McDonald dropped two of its first three games by a combined five points (9-7 to Springfield and 24-21 to Mineral Ridge).

Realizing that their postseason hopes rely on at least one more victory, Williams said his coaches have asked their players to treat this week as if it were Week 11.

“Definitely, it’s a different week,” said Williams commenting on intensity of practices. “We talked to them about needing a little extra this week.

“In Week 11, things are different, things are more lively, kids don’t mind staying on the practice field until 6:30 instead of leaving at 5:30.”

While McDonald is loaded with seniors (24), Williams said the difference this year is that many had little playing experience before the season started.

“Only a handful started last year,” Williams said,

“To come out of gate with a loss was different,” Williams said. “Our kids aren’t used to losing, so they took that loss pretty hard. We had to do our jobs to bring them back.”

Williams knows Western Reserve is up to tonight’s challenge.

“They’ve got a good group of players, especially their skill kids,” Williams said. “They have a nice sized line, they can do a lot of different things to put pressure on you.”

Since the loss to the Rams, Williams said his team has improved each week.

Western Reserve has had one close call — a 13-12 win over Independence in Week 2. Western Reserve is averaging a little more than 30 points per game.

“We’re talented but young,” said Hake referring to eight underclassmen starting on offense.