The 2010 Season in Review:
The Fastest Ten Weeks of the Year
    The fans shuffle away, on their way back home, or to the local food establishment to talk about the game just completed.  The stadium is now quite, except for a few of the grounds crew cleaning up, and a group of parents or coaches talking about what just happened.  The buses running in the parking lot give off their foul deisel engine smell as the band and football team load their equipment, preparng for the long trip home.  For the winners it will be a loud, quick trip.  The losers will travel in silence on a journey that will seem like it takes forever.  Such is the end of the 2010 high school football season in the ITCL.
    One of the biggest stories that marked the 2010 season was the reversal of fortunes for two schools in the ITCL Lower Tier.  Both Southern and Sebring emerged from the lower depths of the league to post a historic season for the Indians, and a turnaround one for the Trojans.  Southern, who forfeited a game due to a lack of players only a few years ago, was in the league title hunt right up to week #10, and qualified for the playoffs for the first time in school history.
     Sebring, who went 4-6 this year had the best record for the program in nearly two decades on the gridiron.  If you consider that they loss in the final minute to Lowellville, and also a close game to Rootstown, the Trojans could have easily finished with a 6-4 winning record with a lucky bounce or two.  Regardless, the Trojan program is beginning to turn the corner with football.
     Speaking of turn-arounds, the McDonald Blue Devils began the year with an unimpressive 1-2 start, however the Devils would go on a nine game winning streak and finish the season with a remarkable 10-3 final mark.  Along the way, they would win a fourth consecutive ITCL crown, and end up as regional runner-up in Division 6, Region 21.
     One yard seperated the McDonald Blue Devils from the Western Reserve Blue Devils, at least in the first round playoff re-match between these two rivals.  Reserve looked to be the team to beat all year, but a last minute filed goal and a defensive stand were the only things that kept the Reserve Devils from being the premier team in the Lower Tier.
     Both Lowellville and Leetonia had high hopes going into the 2010 campaign, however a rash of injuries slowly stole those hopes away.  The Rockets did manage to finish the year at .500, but unfortunately it also forced head football coach Mike Palumbo to resign following the season.  Leetonia on the other hand, limped to a very uncharacteristic 2-8 season.  The good news for the Bears is that so many underclassmen played and started at years end, that coach Altomare will see many familiar faces next summer in camp.
     Wellsville, who started the season with a lot of young players understandably started slow, losing six of their first seven games, but the Tigers won the last three games of the year, and finished the year at 4-6.  The momentum at the end of the year should help Coach Skinner keep those young players excited, and ready for 2011.
     Although Jackson-Milton would only go 1-9 on the season, at times, and especially in the second half of the year, they played a very competitive brand of football.  With talented players like Morrison and Kramer, Coach Assion has something to build on for next year, and make 2011 a season to improve the Jays record.
    The Crestview Rebels were suppose to be the favorites in 2010 in the ITCL Upper Tier, however they not only won the league, they basically dominated it.  Only Mineral Ridge and United would give the Rebels any challenge, and both of those contest were 11-point victories for the Rebs.  The real disappointment for the Rebels came in a first round playoff loss to Norwayne in overtime, when many thought they would be playing at least into week 11.
     United brought back a vetreran coach, and he brought back a winning tradition to the Eagles program.  Coach Mike Ward helped lead the Eagles to a winning season, tie for second place in the league, and their first playoff appearance.  With the renewed confidence in the program, the Eagles may be a force to be taken seriously in the furture of the ITCL.
     Two other teams went in slightly differesnt directions when you look at Mineral Ridge and South Range.  The Rams, who were a pre-season pick to possibly give the Rebels a run for their money, had numerous injuries, and yet remarkably still finished with a winning record and a second place tie in the league. But due to the talent that the Rams had going into this year, it may have been both a disappointing and frustrating season for them.
     South Range returned to their winning ways with a 7-4 record, second place tie in the league, and a 13th playoff appearance in 2010.  The Raiders pulled out some of the most dramatic wins of the season in the league with a last second field goal to beat Columbiana, and a last play of the game touchdown pass to beat rival  Springfield.
     Both Columbiana and Springfield suffered through very difficult seasons, with both losing a couple heartbreaking games such as those South Range losses, but also a couple other ones that sank both of them into the unfamiliar depths of the league standings.  However,  it wasn't without some bright moments for both teams as Springfield started the year with a 2-1 record, and 3-2 mid-way through the campaign, and Columbiana finished strong by winning two of their last three, giving them some much needed off-season momentum.
     The East Palestine Bulldogs had a lot of new faces in 2010 and a new coach.  The result was a disappointing 3-7 season that saw them start the year 1-6.  However, wins in two of the last three games, along with a number of younger players seeing action, will give the Bulldogs hope that the 2011 season will be a much better year.
     Lisbon continues to struggle, but they were able to snap a long 29-game losing streak with a victory over rival Wellsville this year.  They also managed to play East Palestine and South Range to realatively close contest, showing that they can be competitive on any given night.
     This year may have been one of the most competitive in the Lower Tier, and after Crestview, the same could be said in the Upper Tier of the ITCL.  With so many outstanding players graduating from all the teams, next year should be yet another great year for fun, excitement, and great games.  It will take forever for next year to get here, but then it will also be the fastest ten weeks.