From Ravenna-Roosevelt to Rootstown-Mogadore, 15 Portage County football games to watch

Here are 15 must-watch Portage County high school football games in 2024:

Ravenna at Roosevelt (Aug. 23)

For years, it must have felt like Ravenna's Jim Lunardi and Roosevelt's John Nemec would coach against each other for an eternity. More recently, there have been a number of shifts on the sideline with this year marking the third straight season in which one of the sides will bring a new head coach to the rivalry as Ravenna's Brian Coman (2024) follows Roosevelt's Kardell Jackson (2023) and the Ravens' Joe Callihan (2022) in making his debut. Of course, whoever is on the sidelines and whoever is wearing the helmets, the rivalry is always a must-watch, largely due to the closeness of Kent and Ravenna on and off the football field. How close are they on the field? Well, with the Rough Riders' 28-20 win last year , the Ravens now hold a very slim 54-52-3 all-time edge in the rivalry.

Mogadore at Field (Aug. 23)

The Wildcats have won all four matchups with the Falcons since the rivalry returned in 2019, including last year's dominant performance through the air . That said, Field has one of the area's most dangerous runners in Drexal McAmis, who missed last year's rivalry game due to injury. Expect an awesome battle between McAmis and a Mogadore defense that returns plenty of might, including hard-hitting linebacker Will Baskey and powerful defensive lineman Nick Stephenson, who excels against the run in addition to the havoc he wreaks rushing the quarterback.

Crestwood at Rootstown (Aug. 23)

The Red Devils and Rovers open up against each other for the fifth straight year, with Rootstown winning three of those four matchups. This is a must-watch game for a couple of reasons. First of all, Tom Hannan begins his time as Rovers coach with a matchup against the Red Devils, who he led to 92 wins in 16 years. Moreover, this is Crestwood's only game against a Portage County opponent all year, providing local fans arguably their best chance to get a glimpse of the Red Devils.

Mogadore at Ravenna (Aug. 30)

Last year's 21-3 Wildcats victory over the Ravens was closer than it may seem . Ravenna had multiple red-zone trips in the first half and three more drives into Mogadore territory after halftime, but couldn't turn those into points. Expect an intriguing rematch between a Ravens team that brings back QB C.J. Ross and TE Robert Melzer and one of the state's greatest small-school programs that should be particularly stout defensively. Oh, and watch out for the Wildcats' own QB-TE connection through the air as Karson Jaber and Nick Stephenson are poised for breakout seasons offensively.

Field at Rootstown (Sept. 6)

Last year, the Rovers got out of Kenneth W. Lohr Stadium with an undefeated record — barely — striking late for a 14-7 win . That game featured Falcons RB Drexal McAmis' return from a gruesome summer injury, and he showed no rust, turning 23 carries into 101 yards. Expect McAmis to lead Field's quest for revenge while Rootstown looks to extend its streak of 2,000-yard rushers after remarkable senior seasons by Dawson Morgan (2023) and Cody Coontz (2022). The Rovers defense should certainly be stout as it return a good portion of last year's group, including linebackers Dominic Duvall and Brian Youngblood, defensive end Tristan McKibben and defensive back Nick Malek.

Dalton at Mogadore (Sept. 6)

The Bulldogs and Wildcats meet in a battle of small-school powerhouses who combined to go 24-5 last year. Dalton's lone losses in 2023 came to Division VI state champ Kirtland and Division VII state champ Marion Local. Although the Bulldogs graduated four first team all-state standouts, including Division VII Offensive Player of the Year Greyson Siders, they should remain strong, led by RB Sammy Tomlinson and LB Alex Hess. Meanwhile, the Wildcats will be hungry for revenge after last year's 47-14 loss at Dalton.

Garfield at Southeast (Sept. 27)

The G-Men have been nothing short of dominant since joining the Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference's Grey Tier. In three years in the MVAC, Garfield has a combined league record of 19-1. Now, it's Southeast's turn to venture from the Portage Trail Conference to the MVAC , and the Pirates could certainly pose some problems for their new league foes. Although Southeast has a lot to replace up front, Antonio Mejia — who passed for 688 yards and 10 touchdowns and ran for 1,053 yards and 11 touchdowns — is poised to lead a dangerous offense. Garfield, meanwhile, has to replace its leading passer and three leading rushers. Watch for lineman Ivan Trent and running backs Devin Bates, Brandyn Bogucki, Collin McGranahan and Harper Troyer to take on enhanced roles for the G-Men.

Streetsboro at Norton (Sept. 27)

The Rockets and Panthers have long sat toward the top of the Metro Athletic Conference, with one or the other winning at least a share of the last six Metro championships. Although both teams lost electrifying players from a year ago, including the MAC Offensive Player of the Year (Streetsboro's Preston Hopperton) and Defensive Player of the Year (Norton's Noah Willig), plenty of talent remains. That includes first team all-league linemen Alex Light and Arthur Scott blocking for the Rockets' Cohen Klimak and speedy all-around athlete Buddy Willig (a first team all-MAC wide receiver) for the Panthers.

Mathews at Windham (Sept. 27)

The Bombers' first conference home game is a big one as they seek to snap a four-game skid against one of their leading rivals. A year ago, Windham came close, falling 14-6 to Mathews. Expect Bombers bruising RB Jack Eye, who ran 14 times for 91 yards and a touchdown and also had two catches for 56 yards against the Mustangs, and Carlos Bruton (16 carries, 61 yards; two catches, 66 yards) to be out for revenge, while Mathews star Drew Spagnoletta can influence the game in any number of ways. Spagnoletta rushed for 468 yards last year (on 5.1 per carry) and also topped 200 passing and receiving yards.

Cardinal at Crestwood (Oct. 4)

It's the end of a (short) era as the Huskies and Red Devils ultimately only shared a conference for a few years with Cardinal bound for the Northeastern Athletic Conference. Both Cardinal and Crestwood are known for running the ball, with the Huskies rushing for 1,661 yards (5.7 yards average) last year while the Red Devils' Nate Blasiole ran for 1,780 yards and 25 touchdowns as a junior.

Jackson-Milton at Waterloo (Oct. 4)

The Vikings struggled against a loaded Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference Scarlet Tier last year, but their 19-6 loss to the Blue Jays was their most competitive league game. With rival Sebring McKinley playing eight-man football now, Jackson-Milton, a roughly 25-minute drive down U.S. Route 224 or Interstate 76, is arguably Waterloo's leading league rival. Coming off back-to-back 7-4 seasons, the Blue Jays return last year's leading rusher, Keegan White, who averaged 8.2 yards per carry, while the Vikings lost a number of playmakers but return 13 starters.

Streetsboro at Field (Oct. 18)

The Rockets are certainly one of the leading challengers to Norton, which has won three consecutive Metro Athletic Conference titles. But don't overlook the Field Falcons, who have one of Portage County's most dominant runners in Drexal McAmis. Indeed, it will be a battle of 1,000-yard runners at Kenneth W. Lohr Stadium as McAmis ran for 1,168 yards on 198 carries last season while the Rockets' Cohen Klimak had 189 rushes for 1,400 yards (and both ran for 12 touchdowns). Klimak also thrived passing the ball last year, and while Streetsboro graduated Preston Hopperton, its leading pass-catcher, Jackson Gula is poised for a breakout season on offense.

Barberton at Aurora (Oct. 18)

The Greenmen and Magics have had a great rivalry since the former joined the Suburban American in 2015, having split their eight meetings. Two of their last three games have been decided by a single score, including last year's thrilling 35-33 Aurora victory that featured Dylan Crasi making ESPN's "SportsCenter" with a remarkable backflip interception. Barberton is a bit of a mystery entering 2024 after graduating Dominic Wilson, who passed for 2,371 yards last year; leading rusher, Xavier Macon, who ran for 1,012 yards; and five of its six leading receivers. Then again, so is Aurora, which has to replace its own 1,000-yard runner in Enzo Catania.

Rootstown at Mogadore (Oct. 25)

Just two Portage County teams remain in the PTC but that's not the only reason this game is a must-watch. The Wildcats have typically finished toward the top of the conference over the past several decades. The Rovers have frequently been a leading challenger, including finishing second in the league to Mogadore last year. Both teams have loaded defenses with plenty of returning manpower.

Highland at Aurora (Oct. 25)

The Greenmen host the Hornets in a rematch of last year's classic battle in which Aurora and Highland entered with the game with 8-1 records before the visiting Greenmen prevailed 9-7 to nab the conference crown . Both teams return tons of talent, particularly on defense. That includes Highland senior Ryan Zywiec, who won Suburban American Lineman of the Year honors in 2023 after recording a staggering 83 tackles (13 for loss) and seven sacks. Aurora should boast a powerful defensive line, led by Lucas Manderbach (55 tackles, 24 QB hurries, 11 sacks) and Alex Brooker (51 tackles), as well as a strong linebacker corps led by Tommy Tartabini, who led the team in tackles last year.

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: From Ravenna-Roosevelt to Rootstown-Mogadore, 15 Portage County football games to watch