Four Valley teams advance to regional finals
By Steve Ruman
For a fourth straight year, the Mahoning Valley will be represented in the state semifinals of the Ohio High School Athletic Association football tournament.
Hubbard, Girard, Canfield and Warren John F. Kennedy were all victorious over the weekend in second-round playoff games. As a result, the four schools will play in the title games in their respective regions.
Hubbard (11-1) and Girard (11-1) will square off in the Division IV, Region 13 final, meaning one of the Trumbull County schools is guaranteed to advance to the final four. The game will be played Saturday at Bo Rein Stadium in Niles.
Ursuline reached the state semifinals in 2015. Kennedy did so in 2016 as part of its Division VII state championship run. South Range captured the Division V, Region 17 title last year before bowing out to Eastwood.
Hubbard is moving on thanks to an impressive 34-16 win over defending state champion Steubenville. The Big Red had won five consecutive regional titles.
Girard advanced with a 42-33 win over top-seeded Perry. The victory avenged last year’s second-round loss to the Pirates.
“We don’t concern ourselves with who we beat, we don’t concern ourselves with who we’re playing next, it’s more about us being able to get together for another Monday practice,” said Girard coach Pat Pearson. “Honest to God, I’ve never been around a bunch of players and coaches who have been this excited about being able to get together for at least one more week, We just enjoy working together for ourselves, for each other and for our great community.”
Pearson knows that Valley football fans will be excited about the all-Trumbull County matchup. He is also well aware that there will be plenty of revenge talk this week. Hubbard handed Girard its lone loss of the season. In Week 2, the Eagles defeated the Indians 48-32 in a game played at Hubbard.
“I just think it’s great that we’re both here, so many of the local fans and experts picked against both teams the past couple of weeks,” Pearson said. “People knocked our schedules, our conference. I am glad we had a chance to show a lot of people what Mahoning Valley football is all about.”
Hubbard and Girard are both seeking their first regional title. Hubbard lost in regional final games in 2014, 2013 and 2000. Girard missed out on opportunities to advance to the state semifinals in 2011, 2002 and 1991.
Canfield (11-1) is advancing to the Region 9 title game for a second straight year. A year ago, the Cardinals lost to Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary 13-10. This time, they will go up against Chagrin Falls Kenston (11-1) in a game which will be played Friday at Warren’s Mollenkopf Stadium.
Canfield advanced with a 30-7 win over Akron East.
“Our defense and special teams came out clicking on all cylinders, and the offense caught up in the second quarter,” Canfield coach Mike Pavlansky said of his team’s win over East. “In the second half, we played well in all phases against an extremely talented and well-coached opponent.
“We lost 18 seniors from a year ago. We returned just three starters on offense and we had a lot of question marks. Our current senior class did a marvelous job this year of stepping up and taking charge.”
Canfield will go against a Kenston team which averages 40.8 points per game. The Redskins are led by junior quarterback Jon Tomcufcik (2,039 yards, 18 touchdowns) and junior running back Jack Porter (1,627 yards, 20 TDs).
“They are as balanced as an offense can be, they are a very fast-paced, no-huddle offense led by a pair of all-state candidates,” Pavlansky said.
Canfield is looking for its second regional title. In 2005, the Cardinals lost to Toledo Central Catholic in a Division II state semifinal.
Kennedy (7-5) and Cuyahoga Heights (10-2) will meet in the playoffs for a second straight year. In 2017, Cuyahoga Heights handed JFK a 40-12 setback in a first-round game. The Redskins then advanced all the way to the state title game before falling to Minster.
Cuyahoga Heights also advanced to the Division VI state final in 2016, where it lost to Marion Local.
This time, JFK and Cuyahoga Heights will meet Saturday at Boliantz Field in Nordonia to decide the Region 25 champion.
Kennedy is coming off a 42-34 win over Mapleton while Cuyahoga Heights advanced with 21-6 victory over East Canton.
The Redskins will be playing their sixteenth playoff game in a four year stretch.
JFK owns seven regional championships. It’s last title came in 2016 when it won its second state crown.
Statewide, 56 schools remain alive in the playoffs