It’s Week 5 of the high school football season and two of the best rivalry games in the Mahoning Valley are on the schedule. To quote Stewie Griffin: “What the deuce?”

Tonight, Poland (2-2, 0-1 All-American Conference American Division) travels to Canfield (2-2, 1-0).

An even bigger game sees Boardman (3-1) visiting Austintown to take on archrival Fitch (4-0).

These showdowns used to be Week 10 staples.

Asked if he wishes the Spartans and Falcons were playing five weeks from now, Boardman coach Mark D’Eramo didn’t hestitate: “Absolutely.”

“A lot of times, there’s so much at stake,” D’Eramo said of the long-time rivalries. “Canfield and Poland, they could be playing for a league title. Or [this win] could be the one to get you into the playoffs.”

The Boardman-Fitch winner will get a boost in next week’s computer playoff ratings. This week, Fitch is ranked second in Division I, Region 1 while Boardman is tenth.

The top eight teams in each region advance to the postseason, with the top four earning first-round home games.

“Everyone knows it’s going to be a big game for both of us,” said Boardman senior quarterback John Babos, who said a packed Falcon Stadium will be “breathtaking.”

“I’m sure everyone is going to get goosebumps when they hear the fans cheering, the student sections, the coaches yelling at us to get ready,” he said.

John’s identical twin brother Justin, a guard, linebacker and also a captain, says tonight’s game is extra-meaningful for the Spartans.

“If we want a home playoff game, this is a game that we have to win,” Justin said. “That’s never happened at Boardman — our class wants to be the first to be known for that. That [would be] special to us.”

It won’t be easy. Boardman’s next five games are against the Federal League’s Massillon Perry, North Canton Hoover, Massillon Jackson, Canton McKinley and Uniontown Lake.

And the Falcons need to grab as many points as possible in their drive to play at home in Week 11. This is Fitch’s second season as an independent after leaving the Federal League in June 2011. (The school’s other teams participate in the All-American Conference.)

Boardman and Lake are the only Federal teams still on the Falcons’ schedule. Fitch’s remaining opponents include Cardinal Mooney (2-2), East (2-2) and Massillon (3-1).

The Spartans’ wins were against Cleveland Benedictine, Akron Hoban and Canton GlenOak. The loss was to Mooney in Week 2, a game that was much closer than 37-0 indicates. Trailing 14-0 in the third quarter, a John Babos pass went off one of his wide receiver’s fingertips in the end zone. Justin Babos said that Fitch leaving the Federal League hasn’t diminished the rivalry.

“I grew close with a lot of [Fitch players] — Billy Aaron, Billy Price,” said Justin, noting that Aaron once attended Boardman.

“It would be nice if it were Week 10, but we’re still going to play them,” lineman Chris Riwniak, Boardman’s other captain, said. “This game [means] a lot of [computer] points — they are a good team, they are going to go far.”

John Babos said the Spartans have an added weapon — the marching band.

“To me, the band makes a big difference in the game,” Babos said. “I hear them, especially when it’s third down and you hear them play [The White Stripes’] ‘Seven Nation Army’ — it gets us all pumped up.”

Tom Williams is a sportswriter with The Vindicator. Write him at williams@vindy.com.