Ohio high school football predictions, Greater Canton Week 9 breakdowns

Week 9 of the Ohio high school football regular season kicks off for Stark County-area teams on Friday, Oct. 16 with 18 games.

Here's our look at all of those games, including a breakdown of each matchup and who we predict will win.

All games kick off at 7 p.m.

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Week 9

Friday's OHSAA football games | Oct. 16

Jackson (6-2, 4-0) at Canton McKinley (7-1, 5-0)

• What to watch: The Federal League championship is on the line when the Polar Bears visit the Bulldogs at Benson Stadium. McKinley, which is playing its league finale, takes the outright Fed title with a win. Jackson needs a win vs. McKinley and a win next week against Hoover for the outright championship. ... McKinley and Jackson also are fifth and sixth, respectively, in the Region 1 playoff standings. ... This a battle of the two deepest, most athletic and most balanced teams in the league. Jackson features the league's leading passer and rusher. McKinley features the league's leading receiver, second-leading passer and third-leading rusher. McKinley is winning its league games by 31.2 points on average, Jackson 21.0. ... Jackson senior QB Carter Muhleman completes 61.2% of his passes for 1,513 yards, 13 touchdowns and five interceptions. He's rushed for another eight TDs. Senior RB Chase Maurer, who has eclipsed 100 yards rushing in each game this season, has 1,294 yards at 7.2 a carry and nine TDs. "The quarterback is a playmaker," McKinley coach Renzy Parnell said. "They get after you up front and the running back runs hard. Their wide receivers do a good job staying alive as the quarterback buys time." ... McKinley senior WR Darius Hill leads the area with 821 yards at 21.6 a catch. He's caught six TD passes and scored one of McKinley's three punt return TDs on the season. Junior QB Braylon Crook completes 69.5% of his passes for 1,501 yards, 11 TDs and two interceptions. That includes a 77.9 completion percentage in the last six games. Crook hasn't thrown a interception since Week 2. Junior RB Kyelin West has rushed for 804 yards at 10.9 a carry and 16 TDs despite missing 2.5 games to hamstring problems. "They have a great run game," Jackson coach Jay Rohr said. "Great size up front. Dynamic running backs, not to mention the quarterback can run when needed. And there is the versatility to throw the football. That creates some challenges." ... After missing the second half of McKinley's season opener and the Week 2 loss at St. Edward, West missed last week's 34-7 win at Lake because of the hamstring again. Parnell explained it as McKinley being extra careful with the All-Ohio back, although Parnell was not sure on West's availability for the Jackson game. ... Junior DeMarlo Rozier Jr. and senior Shad Davis combined for 215 yards and two touchdowns on 34 carries last week in West's absence. ... Versatile junior RB Derrick Gordon III is expected back for the Bulldogs after missing the last two weeks with a shoulder injury. ... Jackson beat GlenOak 35-0 last week for its first shutout since Week 9 of the 2023 season. The Polar Bears feature dynamic edge rushers with LB Luke Mazon and DE Reese Myers, who are 1-2 in the area in sacks with 16.5 and 13, respectively. Mazon had an incredible 6.5 sacks last week alone. Myers blocked a punt and returned it for a TD vs. GlenOak. ... McKinley has three shutouts on the season and allowed a single touchdown three other times. "They get after you on defense," Rohr said. "They all run to the ball exceptionally well. They're all physical." Senior LB Antonio Stevens has a team-high 61 tackles, while Davis and fellow senior S Dwoyne Robinson have 53 and 50, respectively. Amare Mitchell, a Ball State commit, leads the Pups with 3.5 sacks. He and fellow senior DE Javier Moore have 10 TFLs each. Mitchell also has two interceptions. Junior CB Chase Ivory has a team-high three interceptions. The Bulldogs have returned three of their eight picks for touchdowns. ... Jackson has a weapon at kicker with sophomore Joey Biviano. He is 27-for-30 on PAT kicks and 11-for-14 on field goals, with a long of 40 yards. ... McKinley won 40-9 at Jackson last season with 481 yards of offense. Hill caught five passes for 114 yards and a touchdown. West ran 24 times for 108 yards and two TDs. Gordon had a rushing and receiving TD. ... The Bulldogs lead the all-time series 25-4.
• Who will win: McKinley 39-24.

Lake (4-4, 2-2) at North Canton Hoover (4-4, 1-3)

• What to watch: These are two Region 7 teams in need of a win. Lake has dropped three straight games and sits 15th in the region. Hoover has lost two straight games and sits 10th. The top 12 teams in the region after Week 10 qualify for the playoffs. ... After falling at Louisville 16-15 in Week 6, the Blue Streaks lost to Jackson and McKinley — the Federal League's top two teams — by a combined score of 71-27 the last two weeks. "It's time for us to respond," Lake coach Dan DeGeorge said. "We've had a rough couple of weeks." Hoover has allowed 70 points the last two weeks, including 551 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground. After losing to McKinley 35-7 in Week 7, the Vikings fell 35-10 last week as Perry snapped a five-game losing streak behind Jonathan Lemon's 289 yards and four touchdowns. "They won the battle of the line of scrimmage, which was a point of emphasis for us," Hoover coach Brian Baum said. "I like what Perry did. Their backs were against the wall and they came out swinging. I told our guys, now we have to be like that. That's how we have to play now." ... Both Lake and Hoover lean on one player for a lot of offense. Senior Ty DeGeorge has gained 1,110 yards from scrimmage for the Blue Streaks. That includes 717 on the ground, at 5.5 yards a carry, and 393 receiving on 33 catches. DeGeorge has scored 16 of Lake's 22 touchdowns this season. Hoover senior QB Nolan Bonner has run for 545 yards at 5.3 a carry and 10 touchdowns while throwing for 796 yards, four TDs and five interceptions. He's accounted for 14 of Hoover's 20 TDs overall. ... Senior RB Michael Lammlein adds 497 yards at 4.0 a carry and three TDs for the Vikings. Lake junior QB Wyatt Jones completes 54.0% of his passes for 859 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions. ... Lake CB Mitch Wise has a team-high four interceptions. DE Simon Humphrey leads the Blue Streaks with 11 tackles for loss and five sacks. ... Junior Elijah Fryson returned a kickoff 93 yards for Hoover's only touchdown last week. Fryson also has three of the Vikings' five receiving TDs on the season. ... Hoover LB Justin Oster has a team-high 80 tackles, while LB Jake Lukens and S JT Gregory have 75 each. ... Lake held on to beat Hoover 20-14 last year, forcing four straight incompletions inside the 10-yard line late in the game. Hoover leads the all-time series 21-18.
• Who will win: Lake 14-10.

Perry (3-5, 1-3) at Green (4-4, 2-2)

• What to watch: Perry just snapped a five-game losing streak while Green has dropped three of its last four games as these two Region 7 teams look to finish the regular season strong. Green is ranked 11th in the region, while Perry is 14th. The top 12 teams in each region after Week 10 qualify for the playoffs. ... Perry bounced back from a 62-14 loss at Fitch in Week 7 to beat Hoover 35-10 at home last week behind a monster game from RB Jonathan Lemon. The senior ran for a career-high 292 yards and four touchdowns on 37 carries. It was Lemon's second 200-yard rushing game of the season and it gives him 1,277 yards on the season. He ranks second in the Federal League and third in Stark County in rushing. Lemon has scored 16 touchdowns, one of them a 90-yard kick return. Green allowed 272 yards rushing last week in a 30-14 loss at Louisville. "We're going to have to stop the run," Green coach Mark Geis said. "Lemon is a stud and they are playing well. Last week they put it all together." ... Senior Chase Herbert has proven to be one of the area's more versatile quarterbacks in Green's spread offense. He completes 52.2% of his passes for 1,429 yards, 12 touchdowns and one interception. He adds 498 yards and four TDs on the ground. Aiden Rice and Reed Liberatore have combined for 50 receptions for 919 yards and nine touchdowns for the Bulldogs. "Offensively, they're extremely explosive," Perry coach Spencer Leno said. "They have the ability to make a play at anytime, anywhere on the field. The quarterback is a really good player. He does a little bit of everything. He's mobile. He has a good arm." ... Liberatore has four receiving TDs and one each on interception and kick returns for Green. ... Senior LB Luke Schaal leads a fast Green front seven defensively. He has 84 tackles — 38 more than his closest teammate — to go with 9.5 TFLs, four sacks and three forced fumbles. Jayden Hall has a team-high three interceptions. Junior LB Mitchel Takacs leads Perry's defense with 61 tackles — 33 more than his closest teammate. The Panthers limited Hoover to 213 yards of offense last week. ... Green beat Perry 28-21 last year. The Panthers lead the all-time series 7-3.
• Who will win: Perry 20-17.

GlenOak (1-7) at Louisville (6-2)

• What to watch: The Leopards, winners of three straight games and five of their last six, look to stay hot as they host GlenOak. Louisville is fifth in Division II's Region 7 and already has clinched a playoff spot according to JoeEitel.com. ... Louisville's six wins match its season total from last year. The Leopards haven't reached seven wins since going 7-3 in 2016. ... GlenOak has lost five straight, four of them by 30 points or more. ... This is the independent Leopards' fourth Federal League opponent in a span of five weeks. They've won the last two matchups, beating Lake 16-15 in Week 6 and Green 30-14 last week. Before that, Louisville had lost 11 straight and 21 of its last 22 games against Fed teams. ... QB Cody Zahler accounted for all four Louisville touchdowns in last week's win. He threw for three of them, finishing 7-of-10 passing for 143 yards and no interceptions. Zahler added 73 yards and a TD on 13 carries. Drake Wilson caught two of the TDs, finishing with 114 yards on four receptions overall. Jake Baker caught the other TD for Louisville. ... GlenOak senior WR Caydren Saunders is second in the area with 672 receiving yards on 54 catches. Sophomore QB Jamel Hall completes 59.4% of his passes for 1,250 yards, seven touchdowns and eight interceptions. ... Junior Lucas Neff ran for a game-high 112 yards on 18 carries last week. Neff leads the Leps with 841 yards at 6.1 a carry on the season. Louisville averages 224.5 yards per game on the ground, running behind a line featuring UConn commit Aden Norris and Division I prospect Trevor Burick. Zahler has nine rushing TDs. ... Senior LB Colton Dougherty leads Louisville's defense with 71 tackles and 10 TFLs. Baker has four sacks. Senior LB Drew Delp leads GlenOak with 55 tackles. ... Louisville K Parker Daum is 15-for-17 on PATs and 11-for-13 on field goals, with a long of 44 yards. ... This is the first Louisville-GlenOak matchup since 2023. The Golden Eagles lead the all-time series 12-7.
• Who will win: Louisville 27-7.

Massillon (7-1) at Warren Harding (4-4)

• What to watch: Massillon couldn’t stop a fast running back, Cornerstone Christian’s Jaylen McKane, but the Texas power left Tigertown having to work for a 35-21 win. As McKane put it, “Massillon has a really good defense, with really good coaches. They hit us with a lot of different fronts and a lot of different defenses for certain situations. They flowed to the ball very well.”  The best back the Tigers have faced in 2026 ran behind the largest line Massillon has ever seen. … Massillon’s roster went to over-the-top loaded to “typically Massillon strong” with the subtraction of the Feister brothers amid an eligibility dispute. The Tigers are a heavy favorite at Warren, heading into a showdown against McKinley that is looking v-e-r-r-y interesting. ... Massillon QB Rasmus Haines is coming off a 250-yard passing game against a heavy rush and a stream of holding penalties. Warren doesn’t have personnel to match some of the teams Massillon has faced and will be up against a run-pass threat in which the Tigers will try to get RBs Savior Owens and Gary Yeager going. … Warren Harding is playing its fourth Stark County team, having lost 33-0 at McKinley and 44-37 to Jackson, while winning 34-7 at Perry. … Harding’s four wins have comes against teams with a combined 7-24 record. The losses have been against teams that are a combined 23-9. Last Friday, it was a 24-3 setback at Youngstown Cardinal Mooney. ... Offense has been a struggle against the better teams, starting with the opener against McKinley, in which the run game produced minus-5 yards. … Harding senior QB James Jones (6-3, 220) has passed for 937 yards, 607 of them with 5-10 senior Matt Richardson Jr. on the receiving end. Richardson’s dad is in his third year as the Raiders’ head coach. … Outside linebacker Asa Burch, a 6-5 junior, leads the team in tackles. … Beating Massillon is unrealistic, aside from the quirks and mystique of playing at Mollenkopf Stadium, but the Raiders likely would make the Division II playoffs if they pull off a more feasible upset of 6-1 Austintown-Fitch next week. … Nate Moore lost his first two meetings with Warren as Massillon’s head coach, 48-41 in 2015 and 41-28 in 2016. Starting in 2017, Moore’s Tigers have tamed the Raiders 31-21, 51-21, 49-47, 24-0, 49-46, 41-12, 48-14, 45-14 and 42-10.  .  
• Who will win: Massillon 35-14.

Alliance (5-3, 3-1) at West Branch (7-1, 4-0)

• What to watch: Alliance is searching for its first win over West Branch in the 2020s. West Branch has won six games in a row and the last win for the Aviators in the series came in 2019 (28-10). West Branch holds a 12-9 record overall against Alliance. ... West Branch has won six consecutive Eastern Buckeye Conference championships. A victory would give West Branch at least a share of a seventh EBC title. ... Alliance is a perfect 4-0 since Cashe Brisker took over at QB for the Aviators. Brisker is 21-of-46 passing for 261 yards and three interceptions. He has run for 893 yards and 13 TDs on 125 carries. Brisker is an impact player at defensive back as well. Brisker has 34 tackles, three tackles for loss, three interceptions and a fumble recovery. ... Trevin Wilkes is the other half of the powerful Alliance run game. Wilkes has rushed for 1,053 yards and nine TDs on 132 carries. ...West Branch QB and Youngstown State recruit Grady Hirst continues to post some of the most impressive numbers in the area. Hirst is 122-of-168 passing for 1,706 yards with 13 TDs and four interceptions. He has run for 771 yards and 17 TDs. ... Drake Stryffeler is a factor in both the run game and pass game for West Branch. Stryffeler has run for 185 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries. He has caught 31 carries for 427 yards and three touchdowns and is the leading receiver for West Branch.
• Who will win: West Branch 31-28.

Carrollton (2-6, 1-3) at Salem (7-1, 3-1)

• What to watch: Carrollton snapped a five-game losing streak in Week 8 against Marlington. Carrollton scored a season-high 38 points against the Dukes. ... Carrollton and Salem are 7-7 against each other since 2011. Carrollton has won two of the last three meetings against the Quakers. ... RB Levi Kiko and QB JaSeon Gerber provide much of the offense on the ground for Carrollton. Kiko has 409 yards and four touchdowns on 74 carries. Gerber has 458 yards and four touchdowns on 92 carries. Kiko produced 150 of his yards last week against Marlington. ... Salem is coming off its first loss of the season, 28-14 to Howland in EBC play. Salem scored a season-low 14 points against Howland. ... Salem needs a victory to stay alive in the EBC race. West Branch is currently unbeaten in the league and the Quakers have their Week 10 rivalry showdown against West Branch looming. Salem would be able to earn a share of the title with wins over Carrollton and West Branch. A loss against Carrollton and a West Branch win over Alliance would give West Branch an outright title ... Junior Bairon Exline is the top offensive weapon for Salem. Exline scored both touchdowns against Howland last week and scored the winning touchdown in overtime against Marlington in Week 7.    
• Who will win: Salem 21-17.

Mogadore (6-2) at Marlington (2-6)

• What to watch: This will be the first meeting between these two programs. ... Marlington is looking to snap a four-game losing streak. The Dukes have been held to 11 points or less in three of those games. ... The players to watch for Marlington are QB Tyler Walder, WR Cameron Evanich, WR Austin Ring, WR Parker Jones and WR Colton Jones. ... Mogadore has won two straight and five of its last six games. The Wildcats are averaging 32 points per game this season. ... The top offensive weapons are QB Maddox Smith and RBs Kade Thomas and Quarviyon Sigers. Thomas will take direct snaps out of the wildcat at times for Mogadore. Smith has a big arm and Sigers is explosive.     .  
• Who will win: Mogadore 28-7.

Minerva (3-5, 0-4) at Howland (6-2, 3-2)

• What to watch:  This will be the first meeting between Minerva and Howland. ... The Lions have lost four of its last five games. Minerva's top offensive weapon is RB Timmy Kirkpatrick. Kannon Kirkpatrick, Keaton Kirkpatrick, Nick Wandle and Ethan Weaver among other players that are effective in the run game. ... Howland has won three of its last four games and upset previously unbeaten Salem 28-14 in Week 8. ... Howland QB Darren Douglas threw for 312 yards and four touchdowns in the win over Salem. He also was the leading rusher for Howland with 51 yards. ... Carter Nielsen is Douglas's top target. He gained more than 200 receiving yards in the win over the Quakers.    
• Who will win: Howland 28-7.

Fairless (4-4, 1-3) at Northwest (7-1, 3-1)

• What to watch: Northwest has wrapped up a playoff berth in Division IV, Region 13. A win over Fairless will keep PAC-7 title hopes for head coach John DeMarco's team. The Falcons need to beat Northwest to have a realistic shot at a postseason spot in Division V, Region 17. They can take comfort in knowing they upset Northwest in overtime last year for their only PAC-7 win. ... Northwest scored a season-high 55 points in last week's win over Tuslaw. QB Brayden Venables finished 13 of 16 for 220 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions and Conner Stephenson ran for three TDs as Northwest bounced back from its first loss. ... Stephenson, Venables and Jakob Garber have combined for 1,483 rushing yards and 19 of Northwest's 20 touchdowns. Venables has thrown 10 TD passes, including five to Ty Lipkins. ... Fairless hopes to finish the regular season strong after stopping a three-game losing streak last week. ... QB Mikey Ritterbeck has had a hand in 23 of the Falcons' 29 offensive touchdowns. He has thrown 15 touchdown passes and rushed for a team-leading eight TDs. Bronson Brown leads Fairless with seven TD catches. Jack Kirby has a team-leading 389 rushing yards and five TDs.
• Who will win: Northwest 28-21.

Tuslaw (2-6, 0-4) at Canton South (0-8, 0-5)

• What to watch: The Mustangs or Wildcats will break into the PAC-7 win column for the first time this year. It will be Canton South's last chance at conference win. The Wildcats close out the season next week at Coventry, which will join the PAC-7 for football in 2027. ... Tuslaw's has looked better than a two-win team at times this season. The Mustangs extended PAC-7 title contender Orrville to overtime and lost by just a point to a seven-win Toronto team. They have scored a combined 60 points against Toronto and Northwest the last two weeks. ... Parker Reinhardt is having a solid season on both sides of the ball for the Mustangs. He leads the team in tackles with 66.5 and interceptions with three from his cornerback spot. He also has caught three touchdown passes and rushed for three TDs. ... Reinhart, Gage Fink and Patrick Fox have combined for 16 of Tuslaw's 18 rushing touchdowns. Fink leads the way with 407 yards and seven TDs. ... The Wildcats have scored more than one touchdown in just two of their first eight games. AJ Benison scored their only TD last week against Fairless on a 64-yard run. It came after Canton South fell behind 32-0 at halftime.
• Who will win: Tuslaw 24-12.

Orrville (7-1, 4-0) at Manchester (4-4, 3-1) 

• What to watch: Orrville will look to wrap up at least a share of the PAC-7 title. A Manchester win forces a tie atop the conference and opens the door for multiple title possibilities in Week 10. ... The Red Riders have won five straight and are coming off their tightest game of the season, a 10-9 overtime victory over Worthington Christian in a nonleague game. Four of their five wins during the streak have come by nine points or fewer. ... RB Parker Hostetler and QB Mark Lorson helped power Orrville's offense. Hostetler is an All-Ohioan who rushed for 1,318 yards last season. ... Manchester will try to regroup after last week's 38-6 loss to Triway, another PAC-7 title contender. The loss stopped the Panthers' four-game winning streak. ... Phil Partin will try to get Manchester's running game going again after being held to just 5 yards by Triway. He has rushed for 1,309 yards and 16 TDs this season. 
• Who will win: Orrville 24-21. 

Newcomerstown (6-2, 3-0) at East Canton (6-2, 3-0) 

• What to watch: The game of the week in the Inter-Valley Conference North Division. The winner earns sole possession of first place and at least a share of the division title. ... East Canton has played its best football since a Week 5 loss to Tusky Valley. The Hornets faced a little adversity last week when they fell behind Strasburg. They quickly regrouped a rallied for a 32-19 win. ... RB Colby Schrader has been a workhorse for East Canton this year. He averages almost 173 rushing yards a game and has 1,383 yards and 18 TDs for the season. Schrader ran for 193 yards and four TDs in the win over Strasburg. It was his fourth game of 190 yards or more this season. ... Schrader ran for 193 yards and four TDs in the win over Strasburg. ... Schrader and Aydan Stephens anchor a Hornets defense that allows almost 173 total yards a game. Stephens leads the team in tackles with 69. Schrader has 68. ... Newcomerstown has outscored opponents 182-22 during its four-game winning streak. The Trojans erupted for 52 points apiece in their last two wins over Strasburg and Tuscarawas Central Catholic. ... Quarterback J.J. Justice and running back Mason Shalosky are difference makers for Newcomerstown's run-oriented offense. 
• Who will win: East Canton 24-21. 

Coventry (1-7) at St. Thomas Aquinas (2-6) 

• What to watch: St. Thomas Aquinas likely won't experience postseason football again this year. Still, it has been a season of progress for the Knights under first-year head coach Isaiah Robinson. Aquinas has won multiple games for the first time since 2020. The Knights came close in other games, too, including last week's 20-12 defeat to Leetonia. Aquinas rallied to within a point twice before the Bears held on for the win. ... With rival Canton Central Catholic looming in Week 10, the Knights must avoid what is easily a trap game. Coventry has lost five straight since their only win, a 20-2 victory over Springfield. The Comets have been shut out in six of their seven defeats. 
• Who will win: St. Thomas Aquinas 27-6.

Canton Central Catholic (5-3) at Triway (7-1)

• What to watch: Central Catholic and Triway meet for the third time on Friday. The series is tied 1-1. The teams met last year and Triway won 28-0. Both teams are perennial playoff teams. ... Central Catholic has won four consecutive games. ... QB Brock Bourquin leads the way for the Crusader offense. Bourquin led Central in passing and rushing in the 20-6 win over Warren JFK in Week 8. ... Triway also is on a four-game winning streak. The Titans are averaging 48 points per game during that span. Triway's only loss this season has come to Northwest (7-1). ... QB Jaxon Clippinger is closing in on 2,000 yards passing this season. Clippinger is 111-of-176 passing for 1,689 yards with 14 touchdowns and five interceptions. He can run if he has to. Clippinger has 152 rushing yards and three touchdowns. ... Brandt Clippinger is the top receiver for the Titans with 39 catches for 639 yards and four TDs. He averages 16.4 yards per catch. Brandt Clippinger also is a standout DB with 28 tackles and four interceptions. ... DL Landen Harvey is a disruptor for the Triway defense. He has 50 tackles, 20 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks this season.  .  
• Who will win: Triway 35-28.

Sandy Valley (1-7, 0-3) at Indian Valley (7-0, 3-0)

• What to watch: Even if Glenville was not out of the way, Indian Valley would be seen as a state title contender in Division IV. With Glenville now in Division III (looking strong after a 26-0 rout of Hoban), Indian Valley has the experience and is producing like one of the favorites in D4. The 2025 Braves fell 26-21 to Glenville in the D4 state semis. The 2026 team has fought off the other two members of the IVC South’s big three. The Braves were in a 7-7 halftime tie against Ridgewood en route to a 21-7 win. They trailed Garaway early this past Friday but eventually won 28-21. … Coach Matt Lancaster has established a culture that is showing it doesn’t rely on one or two stars. The Braves took a state title with Grady Kinsey at running back in ’24. With Kinsey a freshman at Air Force now, the Braves opened 2026 by handily beating four bigger schools, Green 42-13, Buchtel 42-12, New Philadelphia 37-14 and Steubenville 41-13. “They just manhandled Steubenville, and they looked really good,” Ridgewood head coach John Slusser said. “They’re so well coached, especially up front and in the trenches. Their quarterback, Ryker Williams, isn’t Kinsey, but he’s a difference maker.” … Sandy Valley’s offense has had some good moments behind sophomore QB Liam Fetty. In a 36-6 win over Malvern, he spread 15 completions for 220 yards among Caleb Duebner, Chase Helwig and Bo Bernower. In a 48-7 loss to Ridgewood this past Friday, overwhelming defensive pressure prevented Fetty from getting untracked. The Cardinals are in their next-to-last season in the IVC South. Indian Valley, which has won 40 of its last 42 games, is having a hard time finding a replacement league for the IVC after it dissolves.   .  
• Who will win: Indian Valley 35-0.

Tuscarawas Valley (3-5, 0-3) at Ridgewood (5-3, 1-2)

• What to watch: Ridgewood’s record isn’t as good as usual, but the team is close to as strong as usual under head coach John Slusser. Two would-be, last-minute, game-winning touchdowns in the opener at Fort Frye (currently 7-1) were called back by penalties. Logan Wince, one of the better players in the IVC as a ball carrier and on defense, is out for the year with a foot injury; yet, Ridgewood played state power Indian Valley to a 7-7 halftime tie before falling 21-7. The Generals overpowered Sandy Valley 48-7 this past Friday. … Slusser is sorry the IVC is coming to an end, the result of the IVC South’s big three (Ridgewood, Indian Valley and Garaway) becoming too dominant. Slusser thinks Tusky Valley would be able to compete on a regular basis if head coach Cade Smith gets enough of the school’s athletes to play football. “They have a lot of good athletes in a lot of sports there,” he said. Slusser did a double take last weekend when he noticed Ben Congdon, a senior at Tusky Valley last year, starting at left guard for the Miami Hurricanes in a win over Clemson. …  Tusky Valley head coach Cade Adams had his team at 3-2 prior to losses of 49-16 to Garaway, 41-7 to Indian Valley and 35-0 to Claymont. Against Claymont, the Trojans lost two fumbles, fell behind early, and couldn’t get their passing game on track, eventually getting 70 yards out of 25 throws. ... Tusky Valley is on the playoff bubble, ranking 13th among 28 teams in Division V Region 17, just behind No. 12 Manchester. Twelve teams from the region will make the tournament. Ridgewood, also in Division V, ranks 10th in Region 19.  
• Who will win: Ridgewood 28-7.

Strasburg (5-3, 1-2) at Malvern (3-5, 2-1)

• What to watch: Malvern dropped five straight games before winning the last two against Tuscarawas Central Catholic and Buckeye Trail. If East Canton upsets Newcomerstown Friday, the Hornets could head into the season finale against East Canton with a chance to share the IVC South title. … “I told our kids, these next two weeks are playoff games,” Chiurco said. “We’re 2-1 in the league and we have our last two at home. We’d love to get another win.” ...  Against Buckeye, QB Jaxon Jones threw touchdown passes to Grady Barkley and Jeremiah Fach for a 14-0 halftime lead and ran for a fourth-quarter TD to put the game away. … With emerging back Nate Exell out with a broken rib, head coach Matt Chiurco is piecing together a run game that got carries from Jacob Rubins, Fach. Camden Babiczuk and Linkoln Maruna against Buckeye. … The Hornets, standing 14th in Division 7 Region 25, will surface as a playoff contender if they beat Strasburg and acquire the points that go with defeating a winning team. Twelve of the 25 teams in the region will advance. Strasburg ranks seventh in Division VII Region 7 but might need to beat both Malvern and Tuscarawas Central Catholic to remain in the region’s competitive top 12. The Tigers have dropped three of their last four and are coming off a 32-19 loss to East Canton. Strasburg’s offense is fueled by junior QB Brody Baughman, who has passed for 1,577 yards. Ryan Becker, a 6-2 senior, has caught 42 passes for 703 yards (16.7 average) and 12 TDs. ... Malvern won 16-10 at Strasburg last year.
• Who will win: Malvern 22-20.

The Canton Repository sports department can be contacted via email at sports@cantonrep.com. 

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Ohio high school football predictions, Greater Canton Week 9 breakdowns

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