Things should start to get interesting.

With week No. 7 of the high school football season at hand, teams begin to face crucial games the rest of the schedule. Each game will help determine if a team qualifies for the postseason playoffs or what place they finish to set up first-round home games.

The Ironton Fighting Tigers, 6-0, continue to lead Region 15 of Division IV with a 13.8123 average. Westfall is second, followed by Bellaire, Coshocton, Martins Ferry, and the Rock Hill Redmen (5-1) are sixth with a 7.2850 average.

Martins Ferry and Bellaire meet in a season-ending rivalry game.

Ironton is virtually assured of a playoff spot among the top eight. The Fighting Tigers need to keep winning to secure a home game to start the playoffs.

Also facing Ironton this week is Portsmouth West, which is 3-3 and could sneak into the playoffs by running the table to finish the season. An Ironton win would probably eliminate West.

Rock Hill, 5-1, is looking to make the playoffs for the second time in school history. The other playoff appearance came in 1995.

The Redmen, who have four difficult games remaining including South Point Friday, can not lose another game if they hope to get a home game. They can probably still make the playoffs with one more loss.

Fairland, 4-2, fell from sixth to 10th place in the region after losing a heartbreaker to South Point. The Dragons will need to win out in order to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Winning out will be even more difficult since the Dragons face archrival Chesapeake Friday. The Panthers (4-2) are seventh in Region 19 of Division V with an 8.2196 average and cannot afford another loss if they hope to make the playoffs.

Wheelersburg's big win over Portsmouth last week jumped the Pirates to fourth place in Region 19. Shenandoah leads the region, followed by unbeaten Minford and Amanda-Clearcreek.

The Symmes Valley Vikings stayed in the playoff hunt despite getting no second-level points following a victory over winless Green last week.

The Vikings (5-1) have a big game Friday as they host Lucasville Valley in not only a key computer points game, but a matchup to decide the Southern Ohio Conference championship.

The top eight teams in each region of the six divisions qualify for the Ohio High School Athletic Association playoffs.