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Thanks to team unity and new-found confidence, the Coventry Comets have started the season 2-0 for the first time since 2006 -- the last time Coventry made the playoffs.

The non-conference portion of the 2011 high school football season has turned the Portage Trail Conference Metro Division upside-down.  Not many prognosticators had the Coventry Comets and Streetsboro Rockets entering Week 3 as the only undefeated teams in the larger division of the PTC.  An equally small number of people would likely have predicted the Field Falcons (0-2) searching for their first win in the final week of non-league games, but that’s why they play the games.

Streetsboro is 2-0 for the first time since 2001 thanks to a powerful running combination of junior running back Dorian Williams and senior quarterback Tyler Dixon.  The Rockets are averaging 270 yards rushing in victories over Champion and former PTC County Division rival Garrettsville Garfield.

Meanwhile, the Comets were last 2-0 in 2006 when they started 3-0 and made the Division III, Region 9 playoffs.  Now Coventry is competing in Division II, Region 5.

Second-year coach Jerami Hodgkinson credits team unity and a growing confidence amongst his players for why the Comets have had their best start in five years.

“The guys all play well together and don’t get down on each other,” Hodgkinson said.  “One of the biggest things that needed to change when I took over last year was to work on confidence.

“We were tired of seeing them think they did not have a chance against the big dogs of our conference.  That change needed to take place.”

Now that the attitude at Coventry is starting to change, and the team is expecting to compete each week, it has already accomplished its first goal and is on its way to the second and third goals.

“In August we went to our camp (in Portage Lakes), and the team set their goals,” Hodgkinson said.  “They wanted to win their first game, win out at home and compete in the PTC.  So far, so good.”

Junior tailback Dillon Headrick is also a major reason the Comets have opened the season undefeated.  A member of SportsInk.com’s Top 100 football players to watch list for 2011, Headrick has gained 315 yards with five scores on 41 carries in two games.

Coventry and Streetsboro will try to keep their undefeated seasons going against Akron East and West Branch, respectively.

More football: One last chance to right the ship

The first three games of the season have no impact on conference races across the state but can be crucial for teams’ hopes of postseason play.  Just ask the 2010 Ravenna Ravens, who entered the last seven games with a 1-2 record.  Ravenna won the last seven games, but couldn’t dig out of their playoff hole and instead watched Field and Kent Roosevelt compete in November.

With that being said, there are a lot of teams looking to get things started on the right foot.

2010 playoff team Field, needs a strong showing this week against Chagrin Falls.  The Tigers made it all the way to the Division IV state championship game, making them a stiff test with a possible big payoff in points for the Falcons.  Last season Chagrin Falls won the head-to-head matchup 21-14.  This season’s version of Field has had trouble stopping the run, often allowing opposing running backs to be as effective as the Falcons' own Pat Boggs did last season when he ran for over 2,200 yards and 27 touchdowns for Field.

Crestwood and Springfield are also looking for their first wins of the season.  Springfield has been on the verge of victory in its first two games, but have had fourth quarter leads against Ellet and Barberton slip away as the game was winding down.  The Spartans will travel to Canton Central Catholic Friday night, while the Red Devils meet Southeast.  The Pirates defeated Field last week 21-14.

Norton joins preseason favorites Ravenna and Kent Roosevelt at 1-1, looking to enter Metro Division play with a winning record.  The Ravens are the defending champions and have faced a meat grinder of an early schedule with Tallmadge and Lake Catholic.  Things don’t get any easier for Ravenna when perennial playoff contender Louisville comes to town.

Kent Roosevelt is getting used to playing in blowouts this season.  The Rough Riders used a ball-hawking defense to recover from a 42-21 loss to Canfield in Week 1, with a 55-28 win against Stow-Munroe Falls in Week 2.  Kent Roosevelt will try and stay on the positive side against Cuyahoga Falls this weekend.

Finally, the Norton Panthers will host Woodridge with revenge on their minds.  Last season both teams entered their Week 3 game undefeated, and the Bulldogs baffled a short-handed Panthers squad 69-0.  

Boys soccer: Countdown to big matchup

When Kent Roosevelt and Crestwood meet on the boys soccer pitch in Kent next Tuesday, it will be a contest that separates the early Metro Division contenders.  The Red Devils are 2-0 in the PTC Metro Division after defeating Streetsboro and Coventry.  Crestwood is outscoring its league opponents 12-1 after two matches.

The Rough Riders have been the opposite of the Red Devils, defeating arch rival Ravenna 2-1 and tying three non-league opponents to start the season.

Springfield (2-2-1) is still waiting for its chance to open league play, but junior Eric Kennedy has started the season off hot, scoring five goals in the Spartans' first five matches.  Springfield hosts Ravenna on Tuesday night.

Volleyball: Champion vs Champion

Tuesday night marks a crucial night in the PTC Metro Division volleyball scene as defending Metro Division champion Kent Roosevelt meets last season’s co-County Division champion Streetsboro.

This season the Rockets and Rough Riders are the top contenders in the Metro Division after starting the season 2-0 in league play.

Streetsboro has a strong junior class, while Kent Roosevelt has reloaded after a strong senior class led the Rough Riders to their first conference championship in volleyball.

While this early season matchup is certainly important, it’s also important to remember that the Rough Riders were just one of three teams that had a shot at earning a share of the Metro Division title on the final day of the conference season in 2010.

Girls soccer: Panthers on the Prowl

The Norton (3-3) girls soccer team has started off on a hot streak in the PTC Metro Division, defeating Streetsboro 9-0 and Field 4-1.  The Panthers continue to find scoring from all over, with four players scoring in the win against the Falcons, while six scorers contributed to the win over the Rockets.  Norton has a big Summit County matchup with Coventry on Tuesday night.