This is not a glamorous game on paper in terms of the Portage Trail Conference Metro Division.

However, this game means a lot to the Rough Riders (5-2, 2-2). Long-time coach John Nemec seeks his 200th career victory.

Despite being 5-2, the Rough Riders need to win out to have a chance of reaching the post season playoffs and right now in the ninth spot in Division II, Region 5. Kent is one spot out of the playoffs, with Walsh Jesuit one spot ahead and ironically Ravenna, who just defeated the Rough Rider 28-14 a week ago, one spot behind them inn 10th, Division II is brutal wsih so mamy good teams fighing for the precious eight slots.

Kent quarterback Evan Shimensky ran well, but struggled mightily trying to pass in the second half against the Ravens. He needs to rebound and frankly the Rough Riders need to get the ball to Shakeel Howard more often than he did against the Ravens. 

The Spartans (2-5, 1-3) have been snake-bitten at times. Two weeks ago, the Spartans lost 35-34 on a missed extra point to division co-leader Field. Their defense needs to step up in this game, especially if Springfield want to finish at .500 for the season overall.

Dillon Mathews is an explosive rnning back. The junior had a 90-yard run at Field and when he is in the open field you can count on him scoring a touchdown – one of the best in the area, period.

Here are some highlights on high school action played on Wednesday:

Girls Tennis

Stow 5, Brunswick 0 – Senior Melanie Rozum of the Bulldogs was outstanding at first singles, while junior Ashley Kopko won two tough sets at second singles.

Revere 5, Copley 0 – Junior singles players Natalie Robson and Brittany Miller did not lose a game as the Minutemen dominated the Indians in their Suburban League match.

Louisville 5, Canton McKinley 0 – The Leopards are 4-0 with impressive play by singles players Brooke Mathie, Colleen Miller, Sam Pukys and dominating play from doubles tandems Hannah Lemmon and Alexis Isla, as well as Ciara Antonacci-Ashley Robbins.

Girls soccer

Hudson 0, North Canton Hoover 0 – The two teams combined for just four shots in the defensive battle.

Canton Central Catholic 2, Massillon 1 – The visiting Crusaders got second half goals from senior Maria Chiappini and sophomore Katie Nixdorf to stop the Tigers in their season opener.

Mentor Lake Catholic 3, Archbishop Hoban 1 – Madison Kaser had the lone goal for the Knights in their season opener on the road.

Boys Golf

Streetsboro 171, Mogadore 177 – The top five Rocket golfers all shots in the 40s at the par 36 West Mogadore Golf Course, led by David acketty’s 41 and 43s by Frank Gant and C.J. Diehl.

Kent Roosevelt 153, Field 178, Springfield 207 – After their 43-match conference win streak was snapped Monday by Crestwood, the Rough Riders got back on their horses and charged forward led by Tyler Jastromb’s 36 and James Strange with 37 on the par 36 Chenowith Golf Course in Akron. Kent is 9-1 overall and in the Metro Division of the Portage Trail Conference.

Girls Golf

Wadsworth 177, Tallmadge 199 – Freshman Alice Ho shot 37 and sister Katy Ho, a sophomore, posted a 40 to lead the Grizzlies, which are 6-1, at the par 36 Brookledge Golf course in cuyahoga Falls.

Springfield looks to finish off its surprise season with a win tonight at Ravenna.

Spartans sophomore Dillon Matthews rushed for 218 yards and four touchdowns in a 33-15 win over the visiting Coventry Comets last week.

The victory ensured Springfield’s first winning season since 1998.

The Spartans (6-3, 4-2 Portage Trail Conference Metro Division) also rely on the rushing of Zach Talbert.

Springfield heads into tonight’s Week 9 game against visiting Coventry seeking a win that will guarantee a winning season and keep alive chances of qualifying for the state playoffs.

The Spartans are looking to rebound from a 19-12 loss to host Kent Roosevelt in Week 8. The Spartans are 5-3 overall and 3-2 in the Portage Trail Conference County Division.

Springfield coach Kevin Vaughn said “John Hofer played well on defense for his first game back off of injury and Dillon Matthews also continued to produce on the offensive side of the ball.”

Matthews rushed for 124 yards on 16 carries.

Vaughn praised senior Chris Evans and junior Chase Cole for their efforts defensively.

“Evans played great against the run, and Cole put pressure on (Roosevelt quarterback Evan) Shimensky all night.”

Vaughn said Springfield sustained “some crucial injuries from last week” that will affect not only this week, but the rest of the season.

“We lost junior middle linebacker Randy Baker for the rest of the season to a knee injury,” Vaughn said. “We also lost sophomore linebacker Andrew Hofer for this week due to a head injury. We are thin at the linebacker position and now we have to resort to more two-way players.”

Vaughn said the Spartans must be more efficient offensively on third down.

Coventry is 0-8 overall and 0-5 in the PTC County, yet Vaughn still respects the Comets and does not want his team to overlook them.

“Coventry is a neighboring school district,” Vaughn said. “We know that there team is hungry for a win and will give great effort this week to achieve that goal. This is the kind of game that you can throw all the records out the window. We must stop the run on defense and play well on first and third downs on offense to beat Coventry.”

Hey everyone! This is my column that’s running in the Akron Beacon Journal Friday, but it’s posted on Ohio.com now, as you can see. Thanks to everyone who submitted votes for their favorite high school nicknames. If there are other crazy nicknames from out of state, post them so we can all get some laughs. Thanks again!

Springfield will travel Kent Roosevelt tonight and attempt to win their second consecutive Portage Trail Conference Metro Division game.

The Spartans defeated visiting Crestwood 33-14 last Friday after a 16-13 loss to visiting Field the previous Friday.

Spartans coach Kevin Vaughn said he was impressed by “The team’s ability to bounce back with a victory after a tough loss. The kids maintained a positive frame of mind the entire week of practice and focused on the game at hand.”

Sophomore Dillon Matthews rushed for 197 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries.

Vaughn said Springfield (5-2, 3-1) has struggled with the kicking game, particularly kick-off and field goal units the past few weeks. He also said John Hofer has been injured and that “has affected depth on both sides of the ball, but more importantly with our special teams.”

Vaughn expects Hofer to “be back in action this week and that should alleviate some of the problems we’ve had in the past.”

Roosevelt (5-2, 2-2) will present Springfield with some problems.

“Their team speed is a definite threat to us in all three phases of the game,” Vaughn said. ‘We have a lot of respect for Coach (John) Nemec and his staff and know that they will always put a quality team on the field. We feel Evan Shimensky does a great job at the quarterback position and is very exciting to watch. He is the key to their offense. We need to contain Shimensky and his passing game for us to win. … Part of containing Shimensky will be keeping him and the Kent offense off the field by controlling the clock with our ground game. A solid dose of Zack Talbert and Dillon Matthews carrying the ball successfully will help us achieve that goal.”

Springfield is seeking its first victory against Kent since the start of the new PTC.

What a week that was and what a game coming up. As you read my thoughts, remember this – to reach the football playoffs, eight teams in each of the four regions in each division get their ticket punched. The top four teams host first round home games.,

Let’s go:

Roll 7, please!

I have beeen watching high school sports longer than some of my colleagues have been alive. So when I tell you that Ravenna coach Jim Lunerdi took one of the biggest gambles I’ve ever seen in defeating bitter rival Kent Roosevelt, 29-28 in overtime, I believe that is a big statement.

Here was the situation – Kent had just scored the go ahead touchdown in the OT to go ahead 28-21. Ravenna quarterback Zach Thomas, who wears No. 7, then counters with a 6-yard touchdown run to cut the lead to 28-27. Conventional wisdom is to kick to the extra point and play another overtime.

Instead, the Ravens come out from a time-out and Lunerdi, convinced by his assistant coaches, go for the 2-point conversion. Thomas barely falls over the goal-line and Ravenna wins 29-28.

What was on the line? The Ravens came in 3-0 in the Metro Division of the Portage Trail Conference and Kent was 2-1, and both teams desperately needed playoff points. Ravenna and Kent now are 13th and 14th in Division II, Region 5 and now must win out for a hope of getting to the post season in this brutal division, one of the best in the state.

Surprising Spartans

Springfield’s 5-2 season now becomes the focus for both Ravenna and Kent. Kent hosts the Spartans this week, which is No. 12 in Division III, Region 13. so the winner’s chances of the post season improves.

Two of Ravenna’s last three games are against the Spartans and Field, which is 6-1 and also 4-0 in the division and No. 4 in Division III, Region 9. The  Falcons have already defeated the Rough Riders, so the Oct. 23 game at Ravenna could be for both the division and a playoff berth.

The big game

As each week as passed, it became apparent that Week 8 would gives football fans a big game in the River Division of the Northeast Ohio Conference. As  Twinsburg plays at Hudson Friday night, the stakes could not be bigger.

Face it – in an otherwise weak division, the winner will bring home the division crown. The winner also grabs a huge number of critical playoff points, which neither can get in the remaining two weeks of the schedule. It appears Twinsburg is the No. 4 team in Division I, Region 5, Hudson is No. 8. The Explorers obviously need this game more.

Springfield looks to rebound from a 16-13 loss this past Friday at home to Field.]ep

The Spartans dropped to 5-1 overall and 3-0 in the Portage Trail Conference Metro Division, and Field upped its marks to 4-2, 3-1.]ep

“We were happy that we played good football against a really good team in a really big game,” Springfield coach Kevin Vaughn said. “I feel that the next time we are in a big game scenario the experience from the field game will play a significant role in us being successful.]ep

“Our defense as a unit played great Friday. Field was a team that was putting up 30-plus points per game, and for our defense to hold them to one touchdown and three field goals and to 16 points, was a pretty good effort.”]ep

Vaughn said senior defensive lineman Chris Evans “was the cornerstone of our defense’s success. Field had the best offensive line that we’ve seen thus far, and I think they had their hands full with his play Friday night.”]ep

Junior Zach Talbert, sophomore Dillon Matthews and senior Steven Cole are consistent rushing threats. Senior Joey O’Neil and junior Chase Cole are quality receivers.]ep

Steven Cole threw a 19-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter and Matthews ran a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown in the fourth.]ep

Vaughn was irritated by the Spartans inability to capitalize and finish in certain situations and also in ball security.]ep

Springfield hosts Crestwood (1-5, 1-2) tonight.]ep

“I feel that Crestwood does some good things that they’re record really doesn’t indicate,” Vaughn said. “I’ve always felt that the Wing-T style offense can pose problems for a defense and it did for us last year. The good thing is we are a better team this year and we feel that we pose problems for them as well. We think that our rushing attack will play a significant role in win for us this evening. With the expected weather (rain), it can be anybody’s game. The team who has the fewest turnovers this evening will be victorious tonight.”]ep

A victory for Springfield tonight would also snap a losing trend against Crestwood.]ep

“We have never beaten Crestwood since joining the PTC,” Vaughn said. “This has been our incentive multiple times this season, to be the first Springfield team for first time accomplishments.”]ep

Springfield and Field will square off tonight at 7 p.m. at Springfield.

Each team has a 4-1 overall record and a 2-0 mark in the Portage Trail Conference Metro Division.

Springfield defeated Norton 26-13 this past week. Spartans senior quarterback Steven Cole completed 9-of-12 passes for 125 yards and two touchdowns.

Spartans junior wide receiver Chase Cole had seven receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown; and junior running back Zack Talbert gained 110 yards on 32 carries and scored a touchdown.

“I thought our team did a good job of playing through a little adversity,” Springfield caoh Kevin Vaughn said. “Our team has been hindered by some minor injuries, and for the team to continue to play at a level that allows us to continue to be successful says a lot about the team. Our staff felt that it was positive to see some of our younger players rise to the challenge when their best was asked of them. We also thought winning on the road during the other schools homecoming is something to be proud of.”

Vaughn said one concern for tonight’s game is penalties. The Spartans were penalized seven times for 70 yards last week.

“That’s too many penalties,” Vaughn said. “We have to play smarter and more disciplined as a team.”

Field enters this game without senior running back Jay Lugo, who is now a student at Streetsboro. Regardless, Vaughn thinks the Falcons are a dangerous opponent because of the other players on the team

“We feel they are a quality opponent and we have a lot of respect for their coaches and the way their kids play the game,” Vaughn said. “To defeat field we need to contain their run game and be successful with ours. We feel that we match up well with them and are very excited for the challenge. Are kids understand that there are not only conference championship implications, but playoff implications as well. Practice has been good this week and hopefully that will transfer onto the field Friday.”

A large crowd is also expected tonight, which excites Vaughn.

“Ever since the Ellet game we have been getting good crowds, and I know Field has been getting big crowds too,” Vaughn said. “It should be a big crowd tonight.”

The Springfield Spartans football team is addicted to winning games this season.

Springfield defeated Southeast 34-20 this past Friday and improved their record to 3-1 this season under second-yard coach Kevin Vaughn.

The three victories are helping make a 34-game losing streak that Springfield entered this season with a distant memory.

“It’s kind of been an inspiration to all in Springfield,” Vaughn said. “The schools is upbeat and there is a lot of electricity in the air. There seems to be a nice buzz in the community and there has a been support from everyone in the building, the teachers, the administrators, the students and the superintendent.”

Sophomore Dillon Matthews rushed for 125 yards and junior Zack Talbert rushed for 109 yards. Matthews and Talbert each rushed for a touchdown.

Senior quarterback Steven Cole threw two touchdown passes, one to junior Chase Cole and one to senior Joey O’Neil.

Vaughn said he is proud of his team, that features some seniors, but is mostly comprised of sophomores and juniors.

“There is a definite determination of getting that monkey of the back, so to speak,” Vaughn said. “The kids are playing very well and have improved each week. They focus on doing the task at hand and are now letting the success go to their head.”

“Our offense has put up more numbers than we have seen in a long time at Springfield,” Vaughn said. “Our rushing attack has been our bread and butter so far.”

Vaughn said the startes along the offensive line are juniors Erik Etapa, Kevin Johnson and Adam Lesar, and sophomores Dylan Harris and Brad Cullen.

“We knew we would be young up there, and we were not sure how successful,” Vaughn said. “Watching these kids grow up front has been impressive. They are learning and getting better and better each game.”

Senior Dustin Moneypenny recovered two fumbles on consecutive plays, one that resulted in a touchdown after an errant snap and one following an on-side kick.

“Definitely, Dustin had a good game last week,” Vaughn said. “Our defensive line has played outstanding all year. They are experienced. We have some big strong kids, and they cause a lot of disruption and make it easier for our linebackers to make plays.”

Vaughn said Harris, Chase Cole and senior defensive lineman Chris Evans also made an impact defensively. Sophomore Andrew Hofer stepped in and helped fill the void of his brother, senior John Hofer, who was out with an injury.