Paying another visit to the variety store...



Series stuff

Let’s take a look at some historical information regarding the series involving the 10 area teams and their Week 9 opponents:

n Geneva (6-2, 1-0) at Conneaut (1-7, 0-0) 7 (WWOW, WYBL) — Talk about old friends!

Tonight’s game at Municipal Stadium will mark the 105th time the Eagles and the Spartans have squared off on the gridiron.

Conneaut will take a 51-47 advantage in the series into tonight’s matchup, with six games having ended in ties. The two teams have played every season since not playing in 1910. The only other time they have not tangled in football was 1905.

The Eagles have won the last five games, including a 17-7 triumph last fall at Memorial Field.

A couple of nuggets for your reading pleasure — Conneaut was Geneva’s first opponent — ever — in the Eagles’ first football game, played in 1903, with Conneaut prevailing, 12-0; Geneva won the 1915 matchup, 94-3.

n Edgewood (5-3) at Jefferson (3-5) 7 (WFUN) — This is another longtime rivalry, though not nearly as lengthy as that of Geneva and Conneaut, mainly because these programs haven’t been along nearly as long.

Edgewood began playing 11-man football in 1944, while Jefferson had played it since before 1900, but gave up the 11-man version of the game after 1926 and didn’t bring it back until the fall of 1946.

These two schools have played 63 times, though, with Edgewood holding a 37-24 edge, with two games having ended in deadlocks.

Jefferson has dominated the matchup for most of the past decade, however, winning the last eight games in the series and 11 of the last 12. The Warriors’ only win in the last dozen years was a 26-14 verdict on Sept. 15, 2000 at Falcon Pride Stadium.

Tonight’s game will mark the 58th time the Warriors and the Falcons have played for possession of the Edward P. Hoadley Cup, with Edgewood holding a commanding 37-19 lead in games, the 1963 game at Memorial Field in Jefferson ending in an 8-8 tie.

The Falcons extended their winning streak against the Warriors to eight with a 32-27 triumph last fall at Corlew Stadium.

n Madison (2-6, 2-1) at North (3-5, 2-1), 7:30 — Tonight’s game in Eastlake will represent the 19th time the Blue Streaks and the Rangers have played football in the past 30 seasons.

In the 18 games in the last three decades, Madison holds a 12-6 lead, having won the last three matchups, including a 41-14 whipping of North last season at Blue Streak Memorial Stadium.

n Wickliffe (1-7, 1-5) at Perry (5-3, 1-3), 7 — These two schools have played 13 times in the last 30 years — the last 13 years — with the Pirates holding an 8-5 lead in those contests.

Perry had won the last four games against Wickliffe, including a 55-14 rout last fall on the road, and six of the last seven games in the series.

n Riverside (2-6, 1-2) at South (6-2, 3-0), 7:30 — In the last three decades, the Beavers and the Rebels have played 12 times.

In those games, South holds a 7-5 advantage, including a 61-14 blowout last season at Riverside Stadium.

n Chardon (2-6, 0-3) at Lakeside (3-5, 1-2), 7:30 — The Hilltoppers and the Dragons have played the last six seasons, with Chardon holding a 5-1 lead in the matchup.

However, the Dragons recorded their first win in the series last fall at Memorial Field in Chardon, 24-16.

n Grand Valley (5-3) at Lutheran East (2-6), Saturday, 1 — This will be the first time the Mustangs and the Falcons have played in the last 30 years.

n Pymatuning Valley (2-6) at Grove City Christian (7-1), Saturday, 7 — This game will also mark the first time these two teams have played on the football field.



Teamwork

Two City League high school football teams in Columbus will be reunited in their actions after throwing haymakers at each other after a game last Friday night.

After the contest between Northland and Whetsone, players and spectators wound up in a massive throwdown at midfield at Northland.

Instead of forcing both teams to forfeit their final two games, local officials went another way — dictating that the two teams perform community service... at the opposing school, including raking leaves.

All players on both sides were ordered to read the story “Respect the Game.”



McCormack is the sports editor of the Star Beacon. Reach him at donmac@suite224.net.