Portage County Week 9 football previews

Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference Grey Tier

Brookfield (7-1, 5-0) at Garfield (7-1, 5-0)

This is one of Northeast Ohio's most hotly anticipated Week 9 matchups, and for good reason, as both the G-Men and Warriors are undefeated in league play. Moreover, Garfield's lone loss is to Division VII powerhouse Warren JFK and Brookfield's only defeat came against a very strong Ursuline team.

While the G-Men chase a third straight conference championship (the first came back in the Portage Trail Conference), Brookfield seeks to avenge losses to Garfield in 2020 and 2021. Per usual, the G-Men are built from the ground up, averaging 330.1 rushing yards per game, with Jesse Grace and Keegan Sell both at 690-plus rushing yards, but Garfield also just got a big performance from QB Eric Geddes in last week's win over Crestview, as he went 7-of-9 for 232 yards and two scores. Of course, Brookfield has its own deadly quarterback in Donovan Pawlowski.

Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference Scarlet Tier

Waterloo (3-5, 2-3) at McDonald (2-6, 1-4)

Having already picked up their first victory over Western Reserve since joining the Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference, the Vikings now seek their first win over the Blue Devils. Both teams also seek to snap three-game skids, with Waterloo losing a 7-0 heartbreaker to Jackson-Milton in Week 8.

William Van Meter is a dangerous weapon to watch for McDonald, as he had a goal-line pick and a 55-yard touchdown catch in last week's loss to Lowellville, while Michael Woloschak is also featured prominently in the Blue Devils' offense. Meanwhile, the Vikings, who had a big defensive performance last week, including multiple interceptions, look to get the offense going after they were held to seven combined points in losses to Springfield and Jackson-Milton.

Suburban American

Highland (8-0, 5-0) at Aurora (6-2, 4-1)

There's no time to mourn for the Greenmen, coming off a tough Homecoming loss to Barberton Friday night. Instead, Aurora has to get itself up for another massive test at Veterans Stadium as undefeated Highland comes to town. The stakes are huge. Despite Friday's loss to the Magics, the Greenmen could end up right back in a three-way tie for first place if they can top the Hornets at home. Of course, Highland has amassed a perfect record for a reason. After the Greenmen struggled to score against the Magics, they now face a Hornets defense that has allowed just five points per game, including shutting out three of its first five Suburban American opponents (and holding dangerous Tallmadge to seven points).

Roosevelt (2-6, 1-4) at Revere (2-6, 1-4)

The Suburban American can feel like a climb up Mount Everest, with one obstacle after another, but after falling to three straight teams that are 6-2 or better (Highland, Aurora and Tallmadge), the Rough Riders finally get a game against a Minutemen team that has suffered through its own four-game losing streak. Roosevelt should have plenty of motivation, not just to snap a three-game skid, but also to avenge last season's 22-0 loss to Revere.

Portage Trail Conference

Rootstown (6-2, 1-1) at Southeast (4-3, 1-1)

Two of the area's more committed ground games square off at Freedom Field. The Rovers, with a dominant offensive line led by Tony Karp and Linden White, have been a handful on the ground all year, including another four-touchdown performance from Cody Coontz in last week's win over Grand Valley. The Pirates, like last year with Aidan Fischer, boast a dual-threat QB in Randy Williams, who leads the team in rushing (81 carries, 638 yards, 7 TD), along with throwing six more touchdowns and averaging 9.88 yards per attempt through the air.

Mogadore (7-0, 2-0) at Aquinas (0-6, 0-1)

The first question for the Wildcats, unfortunately, entering Week 9 is whether the game will be played, a legitimate question after the Knights canceled their last two contests against Southeast and Warren JFK. If so, the Mogadore defense has been solid all season, never allowing more than 28 points in a game, despite taking on a loaded schedule. That included shutting out the Pirates last week after Case Myers took the opening kickoff back for a touchdown.

Metro Athletic Conference

Norton (6-2, 4-1) at Field (4-4, 3-2)

The Falcons, fresh off their biggest win of the season at Coventry, take on a Panthers team that is also flush with confidence after topping first-place Cloverleaf. The Panthers were particularly impressive on defense, limiting a normally dominant Colts ground game to just 119 rushing yards. Needless to say, the Falcons can't let that happen Friday, as their offense is based off the rushing prowess of QB Braxton Baumberger and RB Drexal McAmis. Indeed, expect both teams to push hard on the ground, as Norton RB Luke Dobbins is coming off of a four-score performance.

Streetsboro (4-4, 2-3) at Springfield (0-8, 0-5)

Momentum has been hard to maintain for the Rockets, who have alternated wins and losses since they notched back-to-back victories in Week 2 and Week 3. Injuries are a large part of that story, including last week when Streetsboro, fresh off a big Week 7 win at Field, had to play a huge game against Woodridge without leading running backs Preston Hopperton and Cohen Klimak. The hope for the Rockets is that they can get back to health and back on track against a Spartans team that has been out-scored 264-36 in five league games thus far.

Ravenna (3-5, 1-4) at Woodridge (5-3, 4-1)

Woodridge got a big gift from Norton last week when it toppled first-place Cloverleaf, thus plunging the Bulldogs, Colts and Panthers in a three-way tie for first place. Now, Woodridge works to not squander that gift against a dangerous Ravenna team that features two of the league's better playmakers in QB M'Kell Williams and RB/WR Pavel Henderson, with the latter turning six carries into 114 yards and two scores in last week's win over Springfield. While the Ravens turned 27 carries into 284 yards against the Spartans, the Bulldogs unleashed their own deadly ground game at Streetsboro in Week 8, rushing for 386 yards behind an offensive line made up entirely of seniors.

Chagrin Valley Conference Valley Division

Grand Valley (1-7, 0-4) at Crestwood (3-5, 1-3)

Like the Rockets, the Red Devils have been alternating wins and losses for a while and hope to bounce back from a 40-0 loss to Cardinal with Grand Valley in town. While the Mustangs' record isn't all that intimidating, they gave Rootstown a battle last week, as they were within a score of the Rovers late in the fourth quarter. Moreover, Grand Valley's combination of QB Nathan Boiarski and WR Robert Rogers proved to be a deadly one, as the pair connected for two touchdowns and Rogers finished with eight catches for 159 yards. The Mustangs' greater issues have come on defense, where they are allowing 38.25 points per game, including 419 rushing yards to the Rovers last week, a great sign for RB Nate Blasiole and the Red Devils.

Northeastern Athletic Conference

Mathews (7-1, 3-0) at Windham (3-4, 2-1)

Fresh off one of their biggest victories of the season, the Bombers take on a Mustangs team whose only loss came to undefeated Edison. Outside of that loss, Mathews has been tough to score on, allowing just 49 points over its seven wins (seven per victory). Then again, Windham QB Chase Eye is a different kind of weapon, including 19 carries for 193 yards and two scores in last week's victory over Fairport Harding.

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Portage County Week 9 high school football previews