In 1980, Willie Nelson soared to the top of the music charts while expressing the joys of getting back on the road again.

Thirty-seven years later, area high school football coaches are singing to the tune of Willie as they prepare for the start of the playoffs.

A record number 18 area schools will begin their playoff journeys tonight. A record number 14 area schools will begin their postseason on the road.

In fact, games tonight involving area teams will take place in nine different counties — Trumbull, Mahoning, Stark, Summit, Portage, Cuyahoga, Jefferson, Lake and Wayne. Travel distance, excluding three games that involve a pair of area teams playing each other, averages 61 miles. Destinations include Massillon’s Paul Brown Stadium and Steubenville’s Harding Stadium, places where it is suggested visitors are down 14-0 before they step off the bus.

Yet if you think coaches are bothered by their travel arrangements, think again. In fact, most are more than willing to take a first-row seat on the Willie travel bus.

“Playing in Massillon is going to be a special treat for our kids,” said Boardman coach Joe Ignazio, whose Spartans visit Paul Brown Stadium. “Massillon is the pinnacle of high school football in terms of venues and atmosphere, so it will be a special night.”

“The coaches and some of the players attended [last Saturday’s] Massillon-Canton McKinley game. The players had never experienced that type of environment before. The good news for us is that we’ve played better on the road this year, but against Massillon we will face a huge task.”

Salem earned the eighth seed in Region 13. As a reward, the Quakers will travel to Steubenville. Big Red (10-0) has won three state titles, and advanced to the Div. IV title game last year. Steubenville has won 32 of its last 35 home games.

Nevertheless, Quakers coach Ron Johnson said he is “beyond excited” to be playing at a venue Steubenville opponents refer to as “Death Valley.”

“I told our players that they should be thrilled, that they will experience one of the great environments in all of high school football,” Johnson said. “It’s a really neat place. The fans are right on top of you, it’s loud, it’s intense.”

“We expect the full treatment, and we want it. It’s part of what makes high school football so special.”

Of all the area qualifiers, Mathews will make the longest trek. The Mustangs will be on a yellow school bus for approximately 95 minutes as they travel 90 miles to Dalton.

“Our league forces us to make trips all over the place, so to us it’s just another bus ride,” Mathews coach John Protopapa said. “Our kids are actually looking forward to visiting a new stadium. We get to play a team we’ve never seen at a location we’ve never been to.”

“The players will get out of last period to enjoy a pre-game meal, and we’ll depart from school at around 3:45, so it will be memorable experience.”

Struthers coach Curt Kuntz isn’t the least bit fazed about his team’s 82-mile trip to Perry. Then again, Kuntz grew up in Morgan County, where he experienced daily 55-minute bus trips to and from school. His nearest neighbor was two miles down the road.

“Oh yeah, long bus rides mean nothing to me,” Kuntz said. “Our kids, they adapt without any problems. Earlier this year, we went to Edgewood [65 miles] and they were very business-like. Most of them just put on their radios and took a nap.”

Kuntz said that it also helps that Struthers will be visiting a first-class facility.

“Depending on where you’re going, you might not want to arrive too early,” Kuntz said. “But Perry has the power plant, they have more money than they know what to do with. Their facility resembles a college campus. We’ll get there early and decompress.”

“The only downside is that it stinks for fans who have work commitments and such.”

Since 2011, Kirtland has appeared in five state title games, winning three. The Hornets also own an 8-0 playoff record against teams from the Mahoning Valley. They have won 113 of their last 118 games.

Still, Liberty coach Chet Allen looks forward to his trip tonight to Kirtland. Liberty was on the outside looking in a week ago, but a win over a then-undefeated Girard team put the Leopards in the playoffs.

Allen noted that playing an unfamiliar opponent at an unfamiliar location will add some intrigue to the experience, “but at the end of the day the field is still 100 yards long, and we’ll keep our focus and avoid going in over-hyped.” He then pointed out that Liberty will travel on chartered buses “rather than those cheese boxes,” much to the delight of the team.

Allen then summed up the feelings of every coach who will hit the road tonight.

“We’re playing in Week 11, we’ll play whoever, wherever,” Allen said. “All we wanted was a chance to extend our season. Every team that is sitting at home [tonight] would much rather be playing, regardless of opponent or location.”

Like a band of gypsies going down the highway, it appears as though 14 area coaches just can’t wait to get on the road again.

Steve Ruman covers sports for The Vindicator. Email him at sports@vindy.com.