Lawrence County’s top two teams are among the the state’s best.

Wednesday, September 15, 1999

Lawrence County’s top two teams are among the the state’s best. The Ironton Fighting Tigers and Chesapeake Panthers cracked the Associated Press first high school football poll.

Ironton, 2-1, was 18th in the Division IV poll with 28 points.

Germantown Valley View, spanked 33-15 by Bellbrook in a game that wasn’t even as close as the final score, used its past reputation to grab the No. 1 spot in the division.

Youngstown Mooney, which plays a strong schedule against Div. I and II schools, was only three points and Bellville Clear Ford was third. The Wheelersburg Pirates were fourth, one points ahead of Chagrin Falls and Hamilton Badin.

Chesapeake, 3-0, was tied for 13th place in Division V with 33 points, the same total as Massillon Tuslaw. The Oak Hill Oaks (3-0) were 11th with 41 points, just three behind 10th place North Lima South Range.

St. Henry, up for the first time from Div. VI to V, had a big lead of 62 points over Hamler Patrick Henry.

Other division leaders are Canton McKinley in Div. I, Mentor Lake Catholic in Div. II, Columbus Watterson in Div. III, and Delphos St. John’s had a comfortable lead in Div. VI over Newark Catholic.

Coal Grove plays host to Newark Catholic Oct. 16, and the Hornets host Columbus Bishop Ready, ranked 10th in Div. IV, on Sept. 25. Both are Saturday games.

One of Ironton’s future opponents, Columbus St. Francis DeSales, is ranked 17th in Div. III.

DeSales’ only loss was to Westerville South, ranked 9th in Div. I, and its two wins are over Toledo St. John’s, 19th in Div. I, and Kentucky power Covington Catholic.