The stakes are raised as Week 8 nears: Ohio High School Football Insider

Zac Jackson, OhioHSsports.com, October 15, 2009 10:59 a.m.

It's crunch time in every corner of the state as the regular season's final three weeks bring rivalry games, conference showdowns and last-ditch opportunities to eventually play for the big prize in each of the state's six divisions.

Here's a quick glance at five of the top games on tap for this weekend.

7-0 Coldwater at 7-0 Delphos St. John's: The MAC title is essentially at stake as the Associated Press #1 team in Div. V takes on the #1 team in Div. VI. Coldwater won 38-7 last year, DSJ's last setback before the young Blue Jays ran to the state title. This DSJ team is a year more experienced and set on revenge; either way, look for a fun, high-scoring game.

7-0 Chagrin Falls at 7-0 Chesterland West Geauga: Both teams are on the verge of wrapping up first-round home games, but the CVC title remains very up for grabs. Chagrin is scoring by the boatload and looks like a Div. IV state title favorite, but West G's option game has fooled many defenses this season and the Wolverines are looking for a huge home win and a first-round home game in Div. II, Region 5.

7-0 Poland Seminary at 7-0 Steubenville: The Big Red are big bullies; they ran their home win streak to 59 by manhandling Massillon, 13-3, last week. Poland has dominated most of its competition and finds itself with a great playoff test (win or lose) in this one. But the Bulldogs want to send a message that they're real Div. III contenders, and there are few better ways to try to do so.

4-3 Cincinnati LaSalle at 7-0 Archbishop Moeller:  Forget LaSalle's record; this one is big. LaSalle's losses are to GCL rivals Elder and St. Xavier and at Div. III power Columbus Watterson. A desperate Lancers team can get back in the playoff hunt by knocking off Moeller, which is hoping to take a step towards the league title and a first-round home game.

6-1 Canton GlenOak at 5-2 Boardman:  The visiting Eagles are currently in the Federal League driver's seat and are looking to ride sophomore power back Brionte Dunn back to the postseason. But the Spartans feel battle-tested from an early-season slugfest with Mooney and shootout loss to Uniontown Lake and want to be rude hosts as they were to North Canton Hoover two weeks ago.

NICE NIGHT: North Canton Hoover's Erick Howard, the reigning Mr. Football, keeps reeling in the records.

He ran for 222 yards in last week's win over Austintown Fitch, becoming Stark County's career rushing leader with 5,248 on the same night he was named homecoming king. Howard became Hoover's all-time scoring leader with 436 points and stands just 10 points away from becoming the county's all-time leader.

Hoover's push to repeat as champions of the Federal League and Region 2 is at a key point. This week the 5-2 Vikings host a Canton McKinley team fighting for its playoff life, and next week they play at backyard rival GlenOak in a game that could have implications in the league race and on potential playoff hosting.

STATUS QUO: The top teams in all six AP polls remain unchanged from the initial poll. Defending champions St. Ignatius and Alter sit atop Div. I and IV, respectively, while the others have also maintained their spots. That's Louisville in Div. II, Youngstown Cardinal Mooney in Div. III, Coldwater and DSJ.

TOUGH BREAK: Dublin Coffman junior QB Cole Stoudt is out for the season with a leg injury, The Columbus Dispatch reported early this week.

Coffman is 7-0 heading into this week's Ohio Capital Conference showdown with 6-0 Hilliard Davidson, a game that virtually ensures the winner a first-round playoff game in its home stadium. The report said Colton Caldwell, a senior who's a Div. I college prospect as a tight end, will take over the quarterbacking duties.