Each summer, The Vindicator sports staff sends football coaches a form that includes a question asking them to evaluate their league. More often than not (especially from public schools), the coaches send back glowing tributes about most of their league opponents. (Confession: eyerolls often greet those reports — not everyone can be that good!)

Since the Inter Tri-County League Tier One debuted in 2006, only South Range and Crestview have won or shared the league title.

That didn’t stop Columbiana head coach Bob Spaite from making one of the best predictions of the summer. During training camp, Spaite said, “Tier One will be loaded. Springfield, United, South Range and Lisbon all return very veteran teams. East Palestine, after one year under [head coach] Tony Foster, should be much improved.

“What else can be said about Crestview?” Spaite said of the Rebels whose four-year Tier One title streak was snapped last year by South Range. “Even though hurt by graduation, Coach [Paul] Cusick has established the Rebels as one of the Top 10 teams in the state [in Division V].”

Spaite was more than right. After three weeks of league play, six teams — Crestview, South Range, Columbiana, Lisbon, United and Crestview — were tied for first place with 2-1 records.

Then South Range self-reported using an ineligible player and forfeited a win over East Palestine to drop to sixth place. United and Columbiana lost their next games, leaving Springfield, Crestview and Lisbon on top.

Last Friday, Springfield (6-2, 4-1) defeated Crestview (4-3, 3-2) and United (6-2, 3-2) knocked Lisbon (6-2, 3-2) out of first place. It was the Tigers’ first win over the Rebels since 1998.

“There’s a lot of evenly matched teams,” Cusick said of the league race.

With two games to go in the regular season, seven of eight teams still have a chance to share the title. To be fair, Columbiana (4-4, 2-3) and East Palestine (3-5, 2-3) would need a lot of help even if they win their final two contests.

The only team with one loss, Springfield is in the driver’s seat but has the toughest remaining schedule. After playing in Lisbon tonight, the Tigers will close at home next Friday against archrival South Range (4-3, 3-2).

“Our big [goal] is to win the league and go to the playoffs,” Springfield running back Ryan Kohler said. “To do that, we’ve got to win out. We have two very good [opponents] coming up.”

If Springfield wins tonight, the Tigers will clinch a tie for the crown and probably end Lisbon’s postseason dreams.

But if the Blue Devils pull off an upset tonight (and the way the league has gone this fall, it could happen), there will be another logjam at the top, making the Springfield-South Range game a winner-take-all showdown.

“Playoffs are always on our mind,” Springfield head coach Sean Guerriero said. “We know if we win our conference, we’re going to make it, we’re going to have enough [computer] points.”

If you love competitive football, there is no better league to follow this fall.

Tom Williams is a sportswriter at The Vindicator. Write him at williams@vindy.com and follow him on Twitter, @Williams_Vindy.