The second season begins at home.

Monday, October 29, 2001

The second season begins at home.

The Ironton Fighting Tigers and Chesapeake Panthers not only qualified for the Ohio High School Athletic Association postseason playoffs, but each will host a first round game.

Ironton, 10-0, entertains Portsmouth West, 9-1, at 7 p.m. Saturday at Tanks Memorial Stadium in a Region 15 Division IV game.

Chesapeake, 7-3, will host Crooksville, 7-3, at 7:30 p.m. on Friday in a Region 19 Division V game.

This marks the 20th playoff appearance for Ironton, third most in the history of the Ohio playoffs behind Newark Catholic and Cincinnati Moeller. Chesapeake earned its fourth playoff berth.

Eight-time state champion Cleveland St. Ignatius is making its 14th straight appearance in Division I, a tournament record. Ironton made 11 straight appearances from 1985-95.

New Concord John Glenn ended the longest drought of any team, making the playoffs in Division III for its first trip since 1980.

Portsmouth and Wheelersburg will also be making an appearance in the playoffs.

The Trojans (9-1), ranked fifth in Region 15 Division IV, will travel to fourth-ranked New Lexington (9-1) Saturday with kickoff slated for 7 p.m.

The Pirates, meanwhile, finished ranked second in Region 20 Division V and will host seventh-ranked Cincinnati Reading (8-2) at 7:30 p.m. Friday.