There are two weeks remaining in the high school football season and the playoff picture remains a mystery.

The Ironton Fighting Tigers may have cleared up plenty in regards toward their playoff future. Ironton has virtually locked up a playoff spot in Region 15 of Division IV.

A win over Milford Center Fairbanks this week should not only secure a home game but also earn Ironton first place in the region.

The Symmes Valley Vikings are looking to qualify for the Region 23 Division VI playoffs with wins over Portsmouth Notre Dame and South Gallia. The Vikings will probably be on the road if they qualify, though, after losing to Oak Hill in what would have been a big points bonanza.

The lack of second level points could haunt the Vikings who will probably only get help from Chesapeake and Green the final two weeks plus points if they beat Notre Dame and South Gallia.

Symmes Valley is in a tough region that has nine teams in the hunt.

The Coal Grove Hornets are another team that belongs in the postseason playoffs but could be left at home because of limited second level points.

The Hornets were third in Region 19 of Division V last week, but Oak Hill and Lucasville Valley vaulted over them with big point wins last week.

Coal Grove will get some help from Meigs, Athens and Trimble. They should get some big points from Greenup County, Ky., but the Ohio Valley Conference offers limited help because the teams did not win in their non-league games and the Hornets will only get points from half the conference teams now that they are playing each other.

The points obtained this week will be crucial toward determining the fate of the Vikings and Hornets.

In other football notes from last Friday, Ashland was flagged 19 times in a 24-22 loss at Montgomery County.

Portsmouth West not only lost 21-14 to Lucasville Valley, but fullback and linebacker Trevon Pendleton suffered a compound leg fracture and is facing six months of rehabilitation.

Albany Alexander beat Athens 28-27 when the Bulldogs missed the tying extra point kick. The game was played in watery conditions.

Finally, River Valley has officially applied for the Tri-Valley Conference, but the league tabled a vote last week. The stumbling block is getting two teams to change divisions.

The TVC has a Hocking and Ohio divisions for the larger and smaller schools.

—— Sinatra ——

Jim Walker is sports editor of The Ironton Tribune.