The Valley’s latest turf project is going to have to be put on hold for another week.

The installation of turf was scheduled to begin this week at E.Z. Whittaker Field, the home of the Mineral Ridge Rams. However, last Thursday the Rams were awarded a first-round home playoff game. The Rams will host Wellington on Saturday.

Originally, Mineral Ridge school officials considered moving the playoff game to a neutral location. However, after consulting with company handling the turf installation, it was determined that the project could be delayed.

Mineral Ridge will host just its third playoff game, and its first since 2005.

“Our kids are so excited. We told them on Thursday just before our team meal that we’d be playing at home, and there was a buzz,” said Mineral Ridge coach Brian Shaner. “They’re thrilled that they will be able to be part of something special. They’ll be the last group to play on that grass field.

“This is especially great for our community, which is so very supportive of this program.”

Mineral Ridge (3-3) is coming off back-to-back wins. Two weeks ago the Rams defeated then-unbeaten Jackson-Milton 45-0. They followed that Friday with a 48-8 victory over Lowellville.

“We had a brutal schedule out of the gate, we knew we were facing an uphill battle especially without the benefit of scrimmages,” Shaner said. “But our guys never quit, they never felt sorry for themselves. They kept believing in themselves and in each other.

“We knew if we corrected our mistakes, we’d be okay. And I can’t say enough about how our defense has played. I’m so proud of that unit.”

TIGERS ON A TEAR

The Springfield Tigers continue to steamroll the regular-season competition.

On Friday, Springfield defeated Jackson-Milton 44-8 to complete its second straight undefeated regular season. The Tigers, who last year advanced to the Division VI state title game, have now won 21 consecutive regular season games.

This year Springfield outscored its opponents 287-52 en route to another Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference title.

“I’m just happy for the kids who put in so much time and work this year, and who had to overcome so many off-season obstacles,” said Tigers coach Sean Guerrero. “Our kids know that the expectations are high. They know that the bar is set high because of the past success. But, they don’t back away from any of it. They embrace the tradition.”

Springfield earned the top seed in Division VI, Region 21. As a result, the Tigers will have a bye week in the first round of the tournament and will host either Western Reserve or Columbiana on Oct. 17. A week off between games is a first for Guerrero.

“Honestly, I’d rather be playing this week,” Guerrero said. “When you’re playing at a high level, you want to stay in that routine. We actually looked into working something out with a few different teams but it just didn’t work out.

“We’ll use this week to get fresh, to heal up. We’ll practice on some of the fundamentals and such, things that you don’t always concentrate on during the season when you’re preparing for a specific opponent.”

SIDELINE NOTES

Springfield is one of five Mahoning Valley teams with a 6-0 record. Others include Austintown Fitch, Canfield, South Range and West Branch. Garrettsville Garfield and Pymatuning Valley are also 6-0. There are no unbeaten teams in Trumbull or Columbiana Counties. … Because of positive cases of COVID-19, Champion has withdrawn from the playoffs. The Golden Flashes (2-2) haven’t played since Sept. 18. Champion’s scheduled first-round opponent — Crestwood — will automatically advance. … If the Harbin computer playoff system were used this year, 14 teams from the Mahoning Valley would advance to the tournament. Just three teams from Trumbull County (Brookfield, McDonald, Warren JFK) would advance. … Prior to Jefferson’s 49-7 win over Lakeview, the Falcons had lost 28 consecutive games against Mahoning Valley schools since 2017.