Six of 12 Portage County football teams drop down a division
The release of the new divisional breakdowns by the Ohio High School Athletic Association Monday signaled significant changes in the Portage County football landscape.
Half of the county's 12 schools are moving down a division, as Roosevelt drops from Division II to Division III, Ravenna and Streetsboro go from Division III to Division IV and Rootstown, Southeast and Waterloo change from Division V to Division VI.
(The downside for the Rovers, Pirates and Vikings is they would still have to contend with state power Kirtland in the postseason, with the Hornets also making the move from Region 17 to 21.)
Whereas Division III and Division V previously housed eight of the county's 12 football teams, Division VI now has the most local teams with Rootstown, Southeast and Waterloo joining Mogadore, which has made a number of deep runs in the Region 21 postseason in recent years.
Division IV is next with three local teams as Ravenna and Streetsboro, which both made the Region 9 postseason in 2021, join Field in Region 13.
Division III, Region 9 (Aurora, Roosevelt) and Division V, Region 17 (Crestwood, Garfield) have two local teams apiece while Windham is the only local team in Division VII, Region 25.
Divisional Changes
Ravenna | From Division III to Division IV
Roosevelt | From Division II to Division III
Rootstown | From Division V to Division VI
Southeast | From Division V to Division VI
Streetsboro | From Division III to Division IV
Waterloo | From Division V to Division VI
New Divisional Breakdown
Division III, Region 9 | Aurora, Roosevelt
Division IV, Region 13 | Field, Ravenna, Streetsboro
Division V, Region 17 | Crestwood, Garfield
Division VI, Region 21 | Mogadore, Rootstown, Southeast, Waterloo
Division VII, Region 25 | Windham
Boys Soccer
Aurora is making the jump from Division II to Division I, joining Roosevelt, which barely remained in Division I. (The Rough Riders were slated for Division II prior to the influx of competitive balance numbers. They now have the smallest adjusted enrollment in Division I.) Southeast, meanwhile, dropped from Division II to Division III, where it will actually sit around the middle of Division III in terms of adjusted enrollment.
New Divisional Breakdown
Division I | Aurora, Roosevelt
Division II | Field, Ravenna, Streetsboro
Division III | Crestwood, Garfield, Rootstown, Waterloo, Southeast
Girls Soccer
The only change locally was Southeast dropping from Division II to Division III. The last time the Pirates played in Division III, in 2018, they advanced to the Niles District championship game. Southeast now has the 15th-biggest adjusted enrollment in Division III. Aurora sits close to the Division I line, as the Greenmen are tied for the fifth-biggest adjusted enrollment in Division II.
New Divisional Breakdown
Division I | Roosevelt
Division II | Aurora, Crestwood, Field, Ravenna, Streetsboro
Division III | Garfield, Rootstown, Southeast, Waterloo
Volleyball
One-quarter of Portage County's volleyball programs are changing divisions as Aurora and Crestwood move into Division II (with the Greenmen dropping down from Division I and the Red Devils rising up from Division III) and Southeast exited Division II for Division III. The Greenmen now are tied for the largest adjusted enrollment in Division II. Waterloo remains in Division III but is actually awfully close to the Division IV line with the 16th-lowest adjusted enrollment in Division III.
New Divisional Breakdown
Division I | Roosevelt
Division II | Aurora, Crestwood, Field, Ravenna, Streetsboro
Division III | Garfield, Rootstown, Southeast, Waterloo
Division IV | Mogadore, Windham
Boys XC (Cross Country)
Rootstown is the lone local program to change divisions, as the boys will join the girls in Division III.
Garfield remains in Division II but is close to moving down as it is tied for the sixth-lowest enrollment in Division II.
New Divisional Breakdown
Division I | Aurora, Roosevelt
Division II | Crestwood, Field, Garfield, Streetsboro
Division III | Mogadore, Rootstown
Girls XC (Cross Country)
Only one local team is changing divisions as Garfield makes the move from Division II to Division III.
Aurora is relatively close to dropping into Division II as it has the 10th-lowest enrollment in Division I.
New Divisional Breakdown
Division I | Aurora, Roosevelt
Division II | Crestwood, Field, Southeast, Streetsboro
Division III | Garfield, Mogadore, Rootstown
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Ravenna, Roosevelt, Rootstown, Southeast, Streetsboro, Waterloo drop
