Staff report

Four Mahoning Valley High School football teams would host first-round home games if the playoffs began this week.

Unbeaten Hubbard (7-0) is again the area’s top team in the Ohio High School Athletic Association computer ratings. The Eagles are No. 1 in Division III, Region 7 with 18.5143 points.

Ursuline (5-2) is second in Division V, Region 15 with 12.8786 points. Liberty (6-1) is third in the same region with 11.2214 points. Western Reserve (6-1) is second in Division VII, Region 23 with 9.2429 points.

Ursuline visits East on Friday night, Liberty hosts rival Girard and Western Reserve visits Lowellville.

All four of those teams currently are in position to host first-round playoff games, but other Valley teams also are battling for playoff berths.

Austintown Fitch (6-1) is fifth in Division I, Region 1 with 14.9082 points. The Falcons do not play this week. Bill Crothers Secondary School, out of Unionville, Ontario, informed Fitch officials last week it would not bring its team to Ohio for a scheduled Friday night game at Fitch Falcon Stadium.

Poland (6-1) is fifth in Division III, Region 7 with 13.5714 points. Howland (6-1) is eighth in the same region. The Tigers host Hubbard on Friday night and can vastly improve their playoff hopes with an upset of the Eagles. Poland plays at Niles on Friday.

Three Valley teams are in contention in Division IV, Region 11. Cardinal Mooney (4-2) is sixth with 10.0833 points, followed by West Branch (3-4) in 11th with 6.5643 and Lakeview (4-3) in 12th with 6.3714. Mooney plays at Buffalo Canisius on Saturday. West Branch hosts Alliance in Northeastern Buckeye Conference action Friday and Lakeview hosts All-American Conference, American Division rival Jefferson (6-1) in a critical game for both teams Friday. The Falcons currently hold the eighth and final qualifying spot in the region with 9.4429 points.

Three teams trail Ursuline and Liberty in Division V, Region 15. United (5-2) is sixth with 8.4286 points. The Golden Eagles host Lisbon on Friday night. Crestview (4-3) is ninth with 7.95 points. The Clippers visit South Range on Friday night. Girard (6-1) is 10th with 7.3071 points. The Indians visit Liberty on Friday night with their playoff hopes seemingly at stake.

Unbeaten McDonald (7-0) is the area’s top-rated team in Division VI, Region 19. The Blue Devils are fifth with 13.7571 points, just behind fourth-place Kirtland (7-0, 13.8 points). Lisbon (6-1) is seventh with 10.3071 points and Springfield (5-2) is ninth with 9.5071 points. McDonald visits Leetonia on Friday night, while Lisbon visits United and Springfield hosts Crestview.

Three teams are still alive in Division VII, Region 23, trailing Western Reserve. Wellsville (5-2) is fifth with 7.15 points, Lowellville (4-3) is ninth with 4.5714 points and Mathews (4-3) is 11th with 3.8229 points. Wellsville hosts Sebring on Friday night and Lowellville hosts Western Reserve.