High school football | Portage County-area Week 3 breakdowns, predictions

Here's our look at every Week 3 high school football game in Portage County:

Field (2-0) at Rootstown (1-1)

• What to watch : Veteran coach Matt Furino has emphasized the importance of winning close games after the Falcons went 1-5 in one-score games over the last two seasons. Two of those five losses came against the Rovers, including last year's 14-7 decision . ... Field has been a very different team thus far in 2024, winning two one-score games to start the season. That included holding off a late Mogadore rally for a 14-12 Week 1 win and topping Bay in overtime last week. ... The Falcons hope to avenge close losses to the Rovers in each of the last two years and a streak of six straight losses to Rootstown going back to 2017 when they started playing every year. ... After turning the ball over seven times in Week 1, the Rovers got back to their identity in Week 2, running early and often. All told, they had 216 rushing yards (6.2 per carry) in last week's bounce-back victory at Champion, with Damien Reuting (19 carries, 96 yards) and Dominic Duvall (8 carries, 79 yards) both approaching the century mark. ... Expect Friday's game to fly by as both teams hit the ground hard. The Falcons will similarly lean on star running back Drexal McAmis, who had 26 carries in each of the last two weeks for a combined 282 yards and four scores.
• Who will win : Field 31-21

Jackson-Milton (2-0) at Windham (2-0)

• What to watch : The Bombers are one of the area's great turnaround stories, already matching last year's win total. The Blue Jays are off to their third straight 2-0 start after winning their first five games in 2023 and first four in 2022. Both have dominated thus far, with Windham outscoring Lisbon and East Palestine 94-18 and Jackson-Milton outscoring Mathews and Newton Falls 72-12. ... This Week 3 clash features some of the area's most explosive players: Windham's Jack Eye has 241 rushing yards through two games while Carlos Bruton has 98 rushing yards and 73 receiving yards. As for Jackson-Milton's Keegan White, his Week 1 performance was one for the books with 200 rushing yards and four scores.
• Who will win : Windham 31-28

Waterloo (2-0) at Lisbon (0-1)

• What to watch : The Vikings are off to their first 2-0 start this century with consecutive shutouts to start the 2024 season. Waterloo hopes to make it 3-0 against Lisbon David Anderson, which it beat by 10 points a year ago, fueled by a monstrous performance from Jayden Hakin, who had 25 carries for 186 yards. ... Hakin has since graduated but Landon McClain has fared well since taking over for Hakin at QB, completing 14 of 20 passes for 192 yards last week against Leetonia. Vikings coach Mike Devies talked about having a more open offense during the offseason , and their aerial attack has generated improved results in 2024, including big games last week by receivers Kade Thomas (five catches, 91 yards, TD) and Matthew Ralston (four catches, 81 yards). ... The Blue Devils have been off since a Week 1 loss to Windham in which they were held to just six points.
• Who will win : Waterloo 24-6

Streetsboro (2-0) at Alliance (0-2)

• What to watch : A year ago, the Rockets edged the Aviators in a classic, rallying from a two-touchdown deficit early in the fourth quarter for a 37-28 victory . Two standouts from that game, Alliance quarterback Brendan Zurbrugg (Oklahoma) and Streetsboro running back Preston Hopperton (Kent State), are now playing Division I football, but the Rockets return QB Cohen Klimak , who wreaked plenty of havoc against the Aviators. A year ago, Klimak accounted for 176 of Streetsboro's 377 rushing yards and, while Hopperton is gone, the Rockets have plenty of strong rushing options alongside Klimak, including Janiere Cook (85 rushing yards against Normandy) and Marcus Council (111 versus CVCA). ... Curbing turnovers will be key for the Aviators after they had two pick-sixes last week against Louisville. Alliance is led defensively by Malachi Thomas-Allen, who has 24 tackles (five for loss) through two games.
• Who will win : Streetsboro 31-21

Crestwood (2-0) at Cuyahoga Heights (0-1)

• What to watch : The Red Devils, off to their first 2-0 start since 2019, face a big test against a Red Wolves program that has historically been one of Northeast Ohio's top small-school contenders. A year ago, Cuyahoga Heights went 10-2, with its only losses coming to Division VI state champion Kirtland. ... One thing that bodes well for Crestwood? In its lone game of the season, a 26-15 loss to Berkshire, Cuyahoga Heights surrendered 295 rushing yards (5.1 per carry). Nate Blasiole (56 carries, 412 yards, four TDs through two games) and the Red Devils certainly hope to capitalize. ... Crestwood's defense has been another leading story, yielding just two points over its first two games and holding its opponents to 2.52 yards per carry. That said, Cuyahoga Heights is plenty dangerous, including Zach Shafer's big arm at quarterback and Devon Dzik's ability to wreak havoc as a runner and a receiver.
• Who will win : Crestwood 28-24

Aurora (2-0) at West Geauga (0-2)

• What to watch : A year ago, the Greenmen and Wolverines met for the first time since they were both in the Chagrin Valley Conference, with Aurora prevailing 35-7. ... The Greenmen offense has been prolific thus far, amassing 572 rushing yards (7.8 per carry) and 320 passing yards. Watch for quarterback Ryan Dwyer, who has completed 82 percent of his passes this season, to have his chances against a Wolverines defense that has yielded 202.5 passing yards per game. ... Also watch for West Geauga QB Finn Keenan, who had 218 passing yards in his team's opener against Chagrin Falls.
• Who will win : Aurora 38-10

Garfield (1-1) at Normandy (1-1)

• What to watch : Both the G-Men and Invaders look to bounce back from tough Week 2 losses, with Garfield's loss to Warren JFK representing just its fourth regular-season loss since the start of the 2019 season. ... Both teams look to reassert themselves on the ground after the Eagles held the G-Men to 157 rushing yards last week (low by their lofty standards) and the Invaders were held to minus-4 rushing yards in a blowout loss at Streetsboro. ... A week ago, Garfield gave up a couple of big pass plays to state-caliber sprinters/wide receivers. Now, the G-Men must contend with Invaders dual-threat quarterback Elijah Gray, another explosive athlete. ... Garfield's Brandyn Bogucki is no less electric, including a kickoff-return touchdown last week, but the G-Men can also be counted on to spread the ball around, with four players recording at least five carries last week.
• Who will win : Garfield 35-21

Dalton (1-1) at Mogadore (0-2)

• What to watch : The schedule doesn't get any easier for the Wildcats, who are 0-2 for the first time this century. The Bulldogs, last year's state runner-up in Division VII, gave Division VI state champ Kirtland a run for its money in Week 1 before topping Marengo Highland last week. ... Through two games, Dalton is scoring 41 points per game. It's little wonder why with the Bulldogs boasting big-time weapons like quarterback Carter Hignight, wide receivers Brady Hignight and Coy Wenger and running back Sammy Tomlinson. ... Mogadore has the defense to compete with anyone, with Dylan Benedum and Nick Stephenson leading a particularly strong defensive line and Will Baskey, Cole Reese and Aaron Rumschlag guiding an equally stout linebacker corps. ... The challenges for the Wildcats have come offensively, as they have scored just 12 points in their first two games. They did find some success turning to their vaunted Full House against Ravenna.
• Who will win : Dalton 35-21

Revere (2-0) at Ravenna (1-1)

• What to watch : The Minutemen and Ravens meet for the second straight season after Revere toppled Ravenna 39-14 in 2023. Zach Olechnowicz took over that game for the Minutemen with 143 rushing yards and three touchdowns but has since graduated. ... Much has changed since then for the Ravens. The Ravens incorporated new quarterback C.J. Ross midway through the 2023 season, then brought in new head coach Brian Coman during the offseason. ... Points could certainly come at a premium in this one with Revere yielding 6.5 points per game and Ravenna close behind at 7.0. The Ravens boast a particularly athletic secondary, which should create a fun match-up with Minutemen quarterback Luke Farris, who tossed touchdowns to three different receivers last week.
• Who will win : Ravenna 14-10

Roosevelt (1-1) at Lakewood (1-1)

• What to watch : The Rough Riders hope to bounce back from a Week 2 loss at Wooster and finish nonconference play with a winning record for the second straight season. ... There should be opportunities in the pass game for Roosevelt quarterback Yahntae Smith after Clearview's QB completed 10 of 12 passes for 223 yards and three touchdowns against Lakewood in Week 2. ... Then again, Lakewood quarterback Avery Holt, a Hillsdale commit, is no less dangerous. ... In short, expect a higher-scoring game than last year's 10-7 Rough Riders win over the Rangers.
• Who will win : Roosevelt 34-31

Southeast (1-1) at Cuyahoga Falls (1-1)

• What to watch : The Black Tigers and Pirates both bounced back from Week 1 losses in Week 2. ... Cuyahoga Falls quarterback Nick Robinson showed an ability to affect the game in multiple ways with a 38-yard touchdown pass to go with a TD run in his team's 21-6 win over Springfield. ... Southeast, while throwing it a bit more this season, embraced its traditional ground-and-pound identity in a 41-6 win over Mathews, with 21 carries for 266 yards. Bryer Pickana, a sophomore Hoban transfer, had 199 of those rushing yards on just 11 carries, scoring three touchdowns.
• Who will win : Southeast 24-14

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: High school football | Portage County-area Week 3 breakdowns, predictions