For the past nine Fridays, The Vindicator Blitz has highlighted some of the best high school football players the Mahoning Valley has to offer.

With 44 schools to choose from, including many with football-rich histories, there is never a shortage of athletes who deserve their moment in the spotlight.

I have used this space to feature the exploits of players such as Mitch Davidson, Lynn Bowden and George Hill. Such standouts have rightfully had their names plastered in the headlines and on the highlight reels on numerous occasions.

Today, I am going to use this space to salute the hundreds of other athletes who will play for the final time tonight without ever having their names announced at a game or appear in a box score.

For every Davidson, Bowden and Hill, there are literally hundreds of lesser-known players who put in every bit of time and effort toward what has become a year-long commitment.

More than anyone, those individuals deserve a salute for enduring the August sun, the off-season lifting, the after-school practices and the rigors of Friday nights under the lights.

According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association, there are roughly 310,000 senior high school football players in the United States. Just six percent will play at the college level. That leaves about 291,400 who will walk away the game when the final whistle of the season blows. Of those, very few ever scored a touchdown, kicked a game-winning field goal or recorded a pick-six.

It takes a great deal of time and dedication to become an elite high school football player.

It takes an equal amount of time and an enormous amount of loyalty and dedication to play the game to the best of your ability, all while knowing your efforts won’t get mentioned in tomorrow’s newspaper and your talents won’t take you to the next level.

Such commitment to a program earns the respect of Western Reserve coach Andy Hake, who says that he would welcome the opportunity to coach “an entire team of no-namers” who are playing solely for the love of the game.

“Seriously, those are the type of guys you want next to you at Normandy,” Hake said. “Think about the number of high school football players in the tri-county area, and think about how many have ever had their name mentioned when the highlights are shown.

“The ones who just continue to go out and fight and who play just as hard as the kid who is scoring the touchdowns, those are the guys who make up our programs. That backup offensive lineman who just keeps plugging away and who is always supporting his teammates, gosh I love that kid.”

Jackson-Milton’s roster includes 14 seniors. Nearly every one of them will hang up their cleats for good at the end of this season. Bluejays coach Mark Assion estimates that maybe four of those seniors were mentioned in game stories throughout the course of the year.

“Can you imagine if those other 10 men didn’t play? We wouldn’t have a team,” Assion said. “Honestly, our program completely revolves around team accomplishments. Our success is a reflection on the efforts of every single young man on our roster.”

Assion noted that the emphasis the area places on high school football puts added pressure on all the student-athletes who choose to put on the pads and represent their communities.

“Football in the Mahoning Valley is like a religion — the games are events,” Assion said. “Everyone who puts in the time to represent their town deserves the same respect..”

Indeed they do!

So tonight when you head out to the local stadium, stand up and give an extra loud cheer to those seniors you may have overlooked in the past. They’ve been there for your team and your community throughout their high school careers. Be there for them tonight.

After all, this may be your final opportunity to salute the 94 percent whose football careers are about to quietly come to an end.

Write Vindicator correspondent Steve Ruman at sports@vindy.com