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SPORTS BRIEFING

PLAYOFF OPENERS Four area football teams open the Ohio high school football playoffs tonight. There will be two played in Columbiana County as United (8-1) hosts Warren JFK (6-4) in Division VI and 17th-ranked East Liverpool (8-2) entertains Columbus Marion-Franklin (6-4) in Division IV. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. for both games. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. Road playoff games include Columbiana (8-2) at Brookfield (8-2) in Division VI and Beaver Local (6-4) at 12th-ranked Urichsville Claymont (9-1) in Division IV. Tickets are $12 for adults and $5 for students. Salem and West Branch ...

West Branch tackles foes

West Branch is the area's highest ranked football team because the Warriors proved it on the field. West Branch, coming off a 50-0 win against rival Salem, tied for 10th in Division IV of the final Associated Press high school football state poll released Wednesday. The Warriors (9-1) are winning with defense. Their first-team defense has allowed four touchdowns all season — three in a loss to Canfield and one to New Philadelphia. Senior quarterback and YSU recruit Grady Hirst directs a West Branch offense that is averaging 35.6 points and 391 total yards a game. Hirst has thrown ...

Big Red player runs into official

STEUBENVILLE — The Ohio High School Athletic Association is looking into an incident that occurred late in the Steubenville-New Philadelphia boys soccer match on Tuesday night. With less than six minutes to go in the game, a Steubenville player contacted an official who was displaying a penalty card at another player following a collision near the goal. Video of the incident circulated on social media on Wednesday. The Steubenville player appeared to run at and slam into the official. The referee was sent to the ground. The referee continued to officiate the final minutes of the ...

SPORTS BRIEFING

SPLIT SQUAD SALEM — The Salem girls cross country team is expected to be at full strength Saturday as the Quakers seek their sixth straight state berth. Salem athletic director Matt Freeman said the school's request to change the time of the girls soccer district final on Saturday was denied by the OHSAA Northeast District. He said the girls will be running in the Division III regional cross country meet at Boardman High School at 1:40 p.m. Saturday. Four of the Quakers' top seven runners also play on the soccer team, which also plays on Saturday afternoon. The 10th-seeded ...

Clippers, Eagles ready for next step

After facing adversity with two blowout losses to playoff-bound United and Woodmore, Columbiana won five straight to end the season to capture the ninth seed in Div. VI, Region 21. The Clippers (8-2) will travel to MVAC Gray Division runner-up Brookfield (8-2) on Friday. The Warriors had held ...

Season ends for Beaver Local teams

CADIZ — Down 4-0 late in the match, top-seeded Beaver Local fought back but dropped a tough 4-2 decision to second-seeded Tri-Valley in a Division III district championship girls soccer match at Harrison Central’s Wagner Field on Wednesday night. “I asked them to leave everything on the field, and I really believe they did,” said Beaver Local coach Liz Connor. “We started to figure things out offensively, but I think it just came a little too late in the game.” “We just talked about playing possession,” said Tri-Valley coach Emily Reilly. “We like to control the ...