Staff report

Fifteen Mahoning Valley football teams are in position to qualify for the playoffs based on the current Ohio High School Athletic Association computer ratings, which were released on Tuesday.

Canfield (5-0) is the area’s top-rated team. The Cardinals are the No. 1 team in Division III, Region 9. West Branch (4-1) is 10th in the same region.

Austintown Fitch (4-1) is fourth in Division I, Region 1.

Boardman (4-1) is fourth in Division II, Region 5. Warren Harding (3-2) is eighth in the same region.

The top eight teams in each region at the end of the regular season qualify for the playoffs.

Canfield will host Boardman on Friday in one of the top area matchups with playoff implications in Week 6.

Fitch visits Massillon in another game with postseason implications.

West Branch visits Carrollton (3-2), which is sixth in Division IV, Region 13.

Hubbard (5-0) and Poland (5-0) are third and fourth, respectively, in Division IV, Region 13. Five other area teams are among the top 12 in the region. East Liverpool (3-2) and Salem (3-2) are tied for seventh, followed by Struthers (3-2) at No. 9, Girard (4-1) at No. 11 and Cardinal Mooney (2-3) at No. 12.

Hubbard host Niles and Poland hosts Struthers on Friday.

LaBrae (5-0) is fourth in Division V, Region 17. Garfield (4-1) is sixth and Crestview (3-2) is eighth in the same region.

Grand Valley (4-1) is ninth and South Range (3-2) is 11th.

LaBrae visits Liberty in a key All-American Conference Blue Tier game Friday. The Leopards are 13th in Division VI, Region 21.

Southern (5-0) is second in Division VI, Region 21. McDonald (5-0) is sixth, Springfield (4-1) is ninth and Western Reserve (5-0) is 10th in the same region.

Valley Christian (4-1) is fifth in Division VII, Region 25. Leetonia (3-2) is sixth, Wellsville (2-3) is 10th and Southington (3-2) is 12th in the same region.

Valley Christian hosts Garfield on Saturday night at Poland in a game with playoff implications for both teams.