Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

As Willie Nelson sang, “On the road again.”
With home games finished, the Ironton Fighting Tigers are back on the playoff road and this time it will be at Jackson High School at 7 p.m. on Saturday against the Amanda-Clearcreek Aces (9-2) in the Division 5 Region 19 semifinals.
Ironton and Amanda-Clearcreek have met on three occasions, twice in the regular season and once in the playoffs. Ironton has won all three meetings.
The first meeting was in 2011 at Clearcreek in the playoffs with the Fighting Tigers winning 12-9.
The teams met in 2013 at Ironton with the Fighting Tigers winning 14-7 and then travel to Clearcreek the next year and won 34-23.
The other two regional quarterfinal games saw West Lafayette Ridgewood build a 42-7 halftime lead and beat Portsmouth 56-21 while Wheelersburg fell behind early, then took a 28-10 lead but had to hold on to beat Minford 28-23.
Ridgewood (11-0) plays Wheelersburg (8-3) at Lancaster in the other semifinal game.
There was speculation Ironton would play at Chillicothe but the site is being used for the Div. 4 game between Waverly and Bloom-Carroll.
Ironton is in the playoffs for the 35th time, tied for second most all-time in Ohio playoff history along with Cincinnati Moeller.
Ironton won state titles in 1979 and 1989 and has six runners-up.
The Aces qualified for the 21st time and have two state titles in 1999 and 2000.
They have been state runners-up in 1993, 2003 and 2004.
Ironton head coach Trevon Pendleton is in his second season while Steve Daulton is in his second year at the helm of Amanda-Clearcreek.
Ironton won the Ohio Valley Conference title this season and the Aces claimed the Mid-States League crown.
The regional semifinal winners will meet on Saturday, Nov. 23, at a neutral site with the winner advancing to the state semifinals.