High school football | Portage County-area Week 7 breakdowns, predictions

Here's our look at every Week 7 game:

Metro Athletic Conference

Woodridge (2-4, 2-1) at Streetsboro (6-0, 3-0)

• What to watch : The Rockets have won their first six games for the third time in the last six years (they won their first eight in 2020 and first 11 in 2019). Their last win might have been their most impressive — a 55-0 victory over Norton , which has won at least a share of the last three MAC championships. ... One key question is can Woodridge, averaging 11.2 points per game, get anything going against a Streetsboro defense with plenty of size and speed. The Rockets are allowing just 4.5 points per game and have shut out four of their last five opponents, led by Ayden Knuebel (a team-leading 57 tackles, including 17 last week) and Jackson Gula (an all-state defensive back). The Bulldogs look to counter with Leon Cross, who ran for 149 yards and two touchdowns last week. ... Streetsboro has endless firepower offensively, with Janiere Cook, Marcus Council, Logan Fincham and Cohen Klimak all averaging over a first down per carry behind the Rockets' impressive offensive line.
• Who will win : Streetsboro 42-7

Field (5-1, 2-1) at Coventry (0-6, 0-3)

• What to watch : The Falcons have won behind two of the best running backs in the area (Drexal McAmis and Victor Brown) and a very underrated defense that is allowing just 13.2 points per game. ... That physical, speedy defense could prove challenging for a Comets team that has scored just 12 points all year.
• Who will win : Field 35-0

Springfield (1-5, 0-3) at Ravenna (2-4, 1-2)

• What to watch : The Ravens hope to continue their momentum after snapping a three-game skid with a big-time victory at Cloverleaf . ... Ravenna, which has held four of six opponents to 14 points or fewer, got its offense going against the Colts. Speedy Bryant Thompson ran for 108 yards, hard-nosed Jaxon Kelly added 48 and QB C.J. Ross and TE Bobby Melzer connected five times for 71 yards. ... The Spartans snapped their 29-game losing streak with a Week 3 win over Minerva but have lost three in a row since (by a combined margin of 132-11).
• Who will win : Ravenna 35-7

Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference Grey Tier

Liberty (2-4, 2-1) at Garfield (5-1, 3-0)

• What to watch : Both teams enter with considerable momentum as the G-Men have won four straight since a Week 2 loss to Warren JFK and the Leopards have bounced back from an 0-4 start with back-to-back wins. ... Watch for a couple of electric players in Garfield's Brandyn Bogucki, who had four carries for 114 yards and two touchdowns last week against Southeast, and Liberty's Dawaun Moody, who has nine touchdowns over the last two weeks. ... Both of these teams are capable of racking up rushing yards with the Leopards running for 308 last week against Newton Falls and the G-Men running for 309 against the Pirates. G-Men sophomore Devin Bates is averaging 76.25 rushing yards over the last four weeks. ... Garfield is 3-0 against Liberty since joining the MVAC.
• Who will win : Garfield 35-21

Southeast (2-4, 1-2) at Champion (0-6, 0-3)

• What to watch : The Pirates hope to rebound from lopsided losses to the best of the MVAC after falling to Crestview and Garfield in back-to-back weeks by a combined margin of 110-26. They'll certainly have a great chance against a Golden Flashes team that has lost five of six by 21-plus points. ... Southeast has one of the area's top backs, with Bryer Pickana rushing for 161 yards on just 17 carries against an always strong Garfield defense.
• Who will win : Southeast 35-7

Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference Scarlet Tier

Jackson-Milton (2-4, 0-3) at Waterloo (2-4, 0-3)

• What to watch : The Vikings and Blue Jays both hope to snap four-game skids when they meet in Valhalla. The MVAC rivals have had close matchups of late with their last three games decided by 13 points or fewer, with Jackson-Milton taking the past two. ... Watch out for (and, to be honest, you can't miss) the Blue Jays' Keegan White and the Vikings' Landon McClain. McClain has emerged as a strong dual-threat QB this year for Waterloo with 760 passing yards (and seven touchdowns) and 198 rushing yards. It helps that McClain has numerous strong weapons to throw to, including Matthew Ralston (18 catches, 327 yards, 4 TD) and Kade Thomas (20 catches, 258 yards, 2 TD). ... White's heroics included four touchdowns in a Week 1 win over Mathews with Vincent Fay serving as another very dangerous runner for Jackson-Milton.
• Who will win : Waterloo 28-24

Portage Trail Conference

Rootstown (3-3, 1-0) at Warren JFK (5-1, 1-0)

• What to watch : The Eagles are on a roll, including last week's pivotal 27-8 victory at Mogadore. That win marked JFK's third over a team it lost to a year ago, with the Eagles also avenging 2023 losses to Garfield and Marlington. ... JFK is wonderfully balanced with QB Freddy Bolchalk and RBs Jaylen Murray and Steven Thomas all topping 250 rushing yards and Noah Elser, Marcus Komora and LaMarcus Provitt all exceeding 160 receiving yards. ... Rootstown has won two straight, outscoring winless Akron North and St. Thomas Aquinas teams by a combined margin of 75-12. The Rovers unleashed their own balance last week with Blake Mullaly firing four touchdown passes to Tristan McKibben, providing a wonderful complement to their Damien Reuting-led ground game.
• Who will win : JFK 28-14

Suburban American

Tallmadge (4-2, 2-1) at Aurora (6-0, 3-0)

• What to watch : Blue Devils QB Ryan Loveless has had a strong season at quarterback, including passing and running for a touchdown in last week's win over Revere. That said, Loveless and the Blue Devils face a staunch test as the Greenmen have held their first three Suburban American opponents to a combined 24-of-66 (36.4 percent) passing for 303 yards (4.6 per attempt). ... Undefeated Aurora, meanwhile, has flashed plenty of balance offensively with 1,368 rushing yards (7.3 per carry) and 892 passing yards (with Ryan Dwyer completing 45-of-62 attempts, including 10 TDs against three INTs).
• Who will win : Aurora 35-7

Roosevelt (2-4, 1-2) at Highland (6-0, 3-0)

• What to watch : The schedule doesn't get any easier for the Rough Riders with back-to-back games against undefeated Highland and Aurora. ... Since winning a close Week 1 tilt with Hudson, the undefeated Hornets have beaten their last five opponents by at least 30 points. While Highland is best known for its ground game featuring Casey Myser (98 carries, 802 yards, 17 TD), the Hornets can get it done through the air as well. In their Week 5 win over Tallmadge, QB Dylan Borla completed 10-of-14 passes for 281 yards and three touchdowns.
• Who will win : Highland 42-7

Chagrin Valley Conference Valley Division

Cardinal (1-5, 0-1) at Crestwood (4-2, 0-1)

• What to watch : The Red Devils hope to bounce back from last week's shutout loss at Chagrin Falls and avenge consecutive losses to the Huskies (in 2022 and 2023). ... Crestwood should have chances to score against a Cardinal team yielding 46 points per game. Expect the Red Devils to try to get Nate Blasiole (132 carries, 989 yards, 9 TD) going early and often. ... The suddenly pass-first Huskies are capable of scoring points in droves. In their lone win of the season, against Grand Valley, dual-threat QB Cal Ciminello broke the program's single-game passing mark with 306 yards while WR Reese Soltis broke Cardinal's single-game records for receiving yards (195) and touchdowns (four).
• Who will win : Crestwood 42-21

Nonleague

Canton Central Catholic (2-4) at Mogadore (2-4)

• What to watch : The schedule doesn't get any easier for the Wildcats, who are trying to avoid their first losing season since the millennium turned. Sure, the Crusaders are 2-4, but they, too, have taken on a grueling slate of opponents and have played well of late, beating Salem and Alliance and falling a point shy of Division II Louisville over the last three weeks. ... Expect a great battle between strong CCC runners in Luke Spittler (16 carries, 102 yards against Louisville) and Conner Thomas (13 carries, 84 yards) and a potent Mogadore defense. ... As for the Wildcats, expect Aaron Rumschlag to play a leadership role on both sides after scoring their lone touchdown in last week's loss to Warren JFK.
• Who will win : Canton Central Catholic 21-14

Saturday, October 5

Windham (6-0, 2-0) at St. John (1-4, 0-1)

• What to watch : The Bombers have won their first six games for the first time this century, including avenging three losses from a year ago (Lisbon David Anderson, Jackson-Milton and Mathews). ... Now, Windham looks to avenge one of its most painful losses of 2023 — a 36-33 heartbreaker to St. John . The Bombers led that game 33-20 before Will Anderson scored two touchdowns down the stretch, one passing and one rushing. The Heralds return many of their key players from that game, with QB Vin Narducci still able to fire the ball to Anthony Severino and Anderson. ... The Bombers also return many of their key players from that thriller, including Jack Eye, who had 19 carries for 170 yards and three TDs last year against St. John. Not that Eye is alone with Carlos Bruton proving an electric complement in the backfield, Dylan McCune providing senior leadership at quarterback and Nick Hopper coming off a two-touchdown performance against Mathews last week.
• Who will win : Windham 42-21

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: High school football | Portage County-area Week 7 breakdowns, predictions