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The Southeast Pirates football team is undefeated and looks to take control of the Portage Trail Conference County Division this week against Rootstown. In the coming weeks, the Pirates face Waterloo and Mogadore in divisional play.

As a season progresses it’s only natural that the league title picture clears up as challengers are eliminated and the best teams rise to the top.  But that's just not yet the case in the Portage Trail Conference County Division.

Halfway through league play, the Southeast Pirates (6-0, 3-0) are leading the pack, ahead of four teams that are currently 2-1 in the County Division.  However, Southeast’s road to a league title in its first year in the County Division is just getting started.  The Pirates play Rootstown, Waterloo and Mogadore in consecutive weeks starting Friday night.

Southeast has been impressive through its first six games, allowing less than six points per game defensively and scoring more than 41 points per game offensively.  Those numbers rank first and second, respectively, in the SportsInk.com coverage area.

The Pirates will face their toughest test of the season against the Rovers (5-1, 2-1), who are averaging 28 points per game in a run-first offense and are allowing just eight points per game on defense.  That defensive number was even more impressive a week ago, before losing to Garrettsville Garfield 23-22, in that game Rootstown allowed nearly as many points as it had in its first five contests combined.

So the Rovers bouncing back from that performance will be necessary if they want to get a win and keep realistic title hopes alive. 

Maybe the key to the game Friday night will be which team can most quickly step up to its greatest challenge to date.  Rootstown’s five victories have come against teams that are a collective 8-22; the G-Men (4-2) are the only team the Rovers have faced with a winning record.

Southeast’s story is much the same, as the Pirates have faced teams that are currently 7-29.  The Pirates do hold a 24-7 victory over Garrettsville Garfield to open County Division play.

Southeast hosting Rootstown isn’t the only big game the County Division has to offer, as Garrettsville Garfield will travel to Mogadore as both teams will try to stay on the brink of title contention.  The Waterloo Vikings will try to do the same thing when they meet winless Windham.

Boys soccer: Vikes are champs

Unlike the murky football race, the Waterloo boys soccer team made that race crystal clear with a 6-1 win over Woodridge on Tuesday.  Junior midfielder Jacob Podnar’s four goals erased any doubt as the Vikings (7-3-3, 5-1-1) got off to a 4-1 first half lead.

Now Waterloo and the rest of the PTC County Division will turn their attention to this Sunday’s soccer sectional/district tournament draws. 

The Vikings were among three of the league’s five teams to win a sectional championship in 2010.  Waterloo defeated arch rival Rootstown after a first-round bye to win their sectional.  Southeast defeated Metro Division member Springfield, to win their sectional championship, before losing to Marlington.  Finally, Garrettsville Garfield defeated Lordstown and Lake Center Christian in their tournament run, before losing to eventual Division III state champion Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy.

Girls soccer: Race goes down to the end

In the girls soccer race for the County title, Waterloo’s arch rival Rootstown (8-4-2, 5-0-2) has clinched at least a share of the championship with one game remaining.  A victory over Woodridge (2-7-4) next Tuesday would earn the Rovers the crown outright.  If Southeast can’t win against Garrettsville Garfield and Waterloo to close out the season Rootstown will win the title as well.

Volleyball: Waterloo nears second straight championship

When the Streetsboro Rockets and Southeast Pirates switched divisions this school year, a power vacuum was created in both divisions in volleyball.  The two schools had nine PTC championships between them, including six by the Rockets in the County Division.

Well, it didn’t take long for Waterloo to decide to fill that void.  After splitting the championship with Streetsboro last year, the Vikings have won 11 straight league matches to start this season.  One more win against East Canton, Mogadore or Woodridge in the next week, and Waterloo will at least share the title.  Two wins equals a championship for the close-knit and experienced group that is guided by first-year coach Kim Plisko. 

Waterloo’s closest competition comes from Southeast (9-2 in County Division), whose only losses in the County Division so far this fall have come at the hands of the Vikings.