High School Football: 5 games to watch in Week 9

Eight weeks down and two to go for area high school football teams. We lost three more unbeaten teams last week, leaving five with perfect records heading into Week 9.

Trotwood, Greeneview and Belmont shouldn’t have a problem getting to 9-0, but Valley View and Marion Local will have some work to do.

»RELATED: Week 8 recap

Here are five games to watch in Week 9:

Marion Local (8-0) at St. Henry (6-2)

It’s the Flyers’ final test in the regular season. They close against a Parkway team that is 1-7. St. Henry’s two losses are by a total of five points, 13-10 at Coldwater and 21-19 at home against Anna.

Marion Local has already clinched a home playoff game, but folks in St. Henry know the Redskins probably need to win one of their final two games to make it in. They close out at Fort Recovery.

Brookville (6-2) at Valley View (8-0)

The Spartans have kept the pedal to the metal all season and it’s not likely that Bob Skidmore’s team will slip up against Brookville, but stranger things have happened.

The Blue Devils have won four in a row, averaging 46 points a game in the last month of the season.

Fairmont (6-2) at Centerville (7-1)

That old adage of throwing out the records works for this south-of-town rivalry, but the Firebirds and the Elks will keep theirs if you don’t mind.

Centerville is coming off its first loss of the season at Northmont, which was also the first loss in Brent Ellery's eight-game career with the alma mater.

Fairmont lost to Wayne 35-28 on a touchdown pass in the final seconds at Roush Stadium.

This one is the Touchdown 7 Arby's Game of the Week.

Badin (5-3) at CJ (6-2)

The Eagles have quietly run off six wins in a row since back-to-back losses to start the season. Marcus Colvin’s club is well aware that splitting their final two games might be enough to get in the playoffs. The Eagles close out the regular season at home against Alter.

Badin has lost two of their last three games after a 4-1 start. The Rams haven’t beaten a team all season with a winning record.

New Richmond (7-1) at Clinton Massie (7-1)

It’s the middle game of a brutal finish for the Falcons. Massie lost 33-31 at unbeaten Goshen last Friday, and now tries to bounce back at home against the once-beaten Lions.

The last time Dan McSurley’s team didn’t host a first-round playoff game was 2002. The Falcons are currently seventh in Division IV, Region 16, but they control their own destiny and likely would move up to the top four with wins over New Richmond and in Week 10 at Wilmington.

If you can't make it out to a game, we have you covered with the highlights and scores on Touchdown 7 Friday at 11:13 p.m. on WHIO-TV Ch. 7.

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