Rivalry games, playoff races highlight final week of regular season in Ohio high school football

Zac Jackson, OhioHSsports.com, October 29, 2009 3:22 p.m.

St. Ignatius vs. St. Edward is just one of many rivalry games going on this weekend in the state of Ohio. - (Chuck Crow | The Plain Dealer)

There's no week quite like this one, and there's no place like Ohio to enjoy it.

The state of the game in the Buckeye State is rarely (if ever) better than it is this week, the final week of regular season high-school football. It's a week for rivalries, high drama, high stakes and memories that last a lifetime.

It's Massillon-McKinley. It's about last chances and last games, neighborhood pride, playoff positioning for some and spoiling such plans for others. It's unmatched passion, third and one in the mud and a fist-pump to celebrate when the clock finally hits zero.

It's something you can't really explain unless you live it. It's painting the town, counting down the minutes and busting out those trick plays that have been waiting all season long.

It's Ohio. It's our game. We love high school football, and we love every level -- every aspect -- of the game. Always have.

You know about Paul Brown, and Don Shula and Woody Hayes. The list goes on and on, and it's still growing today. The NFL's unofficial tackle leader, London Fletcher, is an Ohioan. So is the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, James Harrison.

There are Ohio guys making plays for college programs throughout the Midwest (and beyond), and not just at Ohio State University. That was Mentor Lake Catholic grad Ricky Stanzi throwing the winning touchdown pass on the final play last week to beat Michigan State and keep Iowa undefeated, hours after Youngstown Ursuline alum Darryl Clark and Penn State silenced the Big House in a convincing victory at Michigan.

Lest anyone think the Ohio influence is just in the Big Ten, we present the unbeaten and largely unchallenged Cincinnati Bearcats of the Big East, an Ohio team whose roster is stocked with Ohio players. Six teams ranked among college football's initial Top 25 poll last summer - including the top team, Florida - are coached by Ohio natives: Urban Meyer at Florida, Bob Stoops at Oklahoma, Jim Tressel at Ohio State, Les Miles at LSU, Bo Pelini at Nebraska and Gary Pinkel at Missouri.

Those are just examples of the impact Ohioans are making at the national level. And here's one of just how much Ohio football means, even to those who leave the state to pursue their football dreams.

Maybe the most surprising NFL success story this fall is happening in Denver, where 33-year-old first-time head coach Josh McDaniels has the Broncos at 6-0.

McDaniels speaks often with his father, Thom, the longtime Canton McKinley head coach who's now coaching quarterbacks at Solon. Josh was the McKinley quarterback and kicker 15 years ago this month for the famous games 100 and 101 between Massillon and McKinley. He's obviously a busy guy - too busy to keep up with the weekly comings and goings back home - but he knows what people in Stark County are feeling this week.

"I know my dad's team is undefeated," McDaniels said earlier this month. "Other than that, I don't know a whole lot about what's going on. But I do know that no matter what happens during the course of the season, I'm always curious about what's happening in Massillon or Canton on that last Saturday in October.

"I always have that feeling in my stomach about 4:30 in the afternoon -- no matter where I am -- wondering what happened. That doesn't really go away, ever."

Massillon and McKinley meet for the 118th time Saturday afternoon at Fawcett Stadium. There's a chance, albeit ever so slight, that a McKinley win could put the Pups in the playoffs. If that happens, McDaniels will know when his team lands in Baltimore.

Dover and New Philadelphia play for the 106th time Friday night, and in many ways that one is just as big. Unbeaten New Philadelphia can clinch a first-round home game in the Div. II playoffs, while one-loss Dover has already done the same in Div. III. You can hear the game live on OhioHSsports.com.

Those are far from the only ones, and they range from other ones you know (St. Ignatius-St. Edward in Cleveland, St. Xavier-Moeller in Cincinnati) to ones that might not make many headlines, but still mean plenty in towns big and small throughout the state.

There's no time like now, no game like the last one. And no better place to savor them.