A pair of area schools separated by 4.4 miles will represent the Mahoning Valley in the Ohio High School Athletic Association football state semifinals.

On Friday, Springfield (13-0) earned the Division VI, Region 21 title with a 35-21 win over Mogadore. Springfield trailed Mogadore 14-7 late in the second quarter, then scored touchdowns on its next five possessions to seal the victory. The Tigers now face East Knox (13-0) Friday at Red Rider Stadium in Orrville. The winner will play either Anna or Mechanicsburg in the state title game.

On Saturday, Poland (11-2) rallied from a 7-0 deficit to score 17 straight points, then hung on to defeat Perry 17-13, giving the Bulldogs their third regional title. Poland now faces Newark Licking Valley (13-0) Saturday at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium in Massillon for the right to advance to the Division IV title game. The winner will play either Clyde or Cincinnati Wyoming, which knocked off Girard to win last year’s D-IV title.

This marks the first time in six years that a pair of area teams will play in the state’s final four. In 2013, Cardinal Mooney defeated Steubenville before falling to Clinton-Massie in the Division IV state final. That same year, Western Reserve lost to Glouster Trimble in Week 14.

Springfield is making its first-ever state semifinals appearance. The 13 wins by the Tigers is also a school record.

East Knox is located in Howard (Knox County), 121 miles southwest of New Middletown.

The Bulldogs of East Knox, who finished third in Region 22, have the appearance of a team of destiny. A missed extra point and a missed 26-yard field goal as time expired gave the Bulldogs a 21-20 first-round win over Ashland Crestview.

Against Seneca East in the regional semifinals, East Knox trailed 20-0 in the third quarter, then rallied for a 21-20 win. On Friday, the Bulldogs trailed Carey 21-7 in the regional final before scoring 25 unanswered points for a 32-21 win.

East Knox is in the playoffs for the eighth time in school history. Prior to this year, the Bulldogs last won a postseason game in 2005.

Like Springfield, East Knox is 13-0 for the first time in school history and is also making its first state semifinal appearance. And just like Springfield, East Knox advanced to the playoffs this year after finishing ninth in its region in both 2017 and 2018.

Poland is making its third state semifinals appearance, and its first since 1999 when the Bulldogs won the Division III state title en route to a 15-0 season. Ironically, in ’99, Poland won its regional title at Austintown Fitch — the same place it defeated Perry on Saturday.

Licking Valley finished atop the Region 15 rankings, more than four computer points ahead of second-place Indian Valley. The Panthers have outscored opponents this year 485-130. Senior Mitchell Ford leads the Panthers’ balanced offense with 1,456 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns. Senior quarterback Logan Brown has completed 103 of 170 passes for 1,364 yards and 22 TDs.

Licking Valley is no stranger to the playoffs. The Panthers are in the postseason for the 19th time, with a record of 33-18. They have won eight regional titles. The Panthers appeared in the state title game in 2001 and 2007.

A year ago, Licking Valley fell to Girard 53-48 in the state semifinals.

The seven state championship games will be played Dec. 5-7 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton. The OHSAA will announce the schedule for the finals next Sunday.

PLAYOFF NOTES

Six of the 28 state semifinalists are making their first trip to the final four, including three of the four schools in D-VI. … Maria Stein Marion Local is making its 18th appearance, tops among all remaining participants. Newark Catholic, which was eliminated over the weekend, holds the record with 25 state semifinal appearances. … All seven schools that finished the season ranked No. 1 in the final Associated Press Poll are still playing. They include Mentor, Massillon Washington, Columbus Bishop Hartley, Cincinnati Wyoming, Kirtland, Anna and Maria Stein Marion Local. … Half of the 28 semifinalists were No. 1 seeds at the start of the tournament. Clyde is the only remaining No. 8 seed. … Of the 28 state semifinalists, 10 are undefeated.