CANTON

For the second year in a row, things didn’t end well for the Mahoning Valley in the high school football state championship.

Don’t let that fool you.

Football is alive and well in Trumbull and Mahoning counties. Springfield and Poland solidified that point in the playoffs (along with Girard’s state final appearance last year). Sure, the Tigers suffered an ugly 48-14 loss to Anna High School in the Division VI title game on Friday, and Poland was stunned in the Division IV semifinal last week, giving up two late TDs in a thrilling finish.

That doesn’t mean Valley teams aren’t some of the best in Ohio — and it doesn’t mean the area isn’t producing the greatest of players.

This was the second straight year a local team reached the state final and the third time in the last four years. Yes, there was only one winner (John F. Kennedy in 2016), but a Mahoning Valley public school has now reached the state final in back-to-back years for the first time since 1989 and 1990, when McDonald was runner-up and Warren G. Harding won it all. That’s 30 years!

Some pundits feel like the area has suffered a letdown of sorts because overall roster sizes have shrunk, the quantity of teams making the playoffs has slightly decreased and there are often quite a few early exits in the postseason. I repeat: Don’t let that fool you.

The diminishing numbers are a state-wide problem, and in most respects, a nation-wide trend. Injuries, especially concussions, along with the continuous boom of the internet age has changed the lifestyle of kids. There are fewer children outside playing sports than there used to be, and it has led to a reduced amount of kids participating in interscholastic sports — especially football.

While the quantity of great area teams has decreased, the quality is still there — for a number of reasons. One is tradition. There are countless local teams with rich histories of successful football. Generations of families who played sports for their hometowns raise their children with a similar livelihood and focus on athletics, which is the biggest factor in building the area back to a state powerhouse.

Take the Springfield Tigers, for example. Quarterback Beau Brungard’s father, Mark, was a 1990 Springfield graduate. Brungard, now the offensive coordinator at Springfield, was a star with the Tigers and went on to win two national titles as QB for Youngstown State University. His oldest son, Brannon, just recently played for the Tigers and led them to a few playoff appearances. Now his younger sons, Beau, Springfield’s star QB, and Brady, the starting center, along with Mark’s nephew, Anthony, a freshman quarterback/defensive back, are all excelling at the school.

The Brungards are just one of many well-respected and talented families that represent the area well. While not every family stays in the Mahoning Valley, there are some that stick around and keep the Youngstown/Warren region ticking. Just about every school in the area has a few bloodlines that have been around for decades, but that’s just it — there’s often only “a few.”

When large corporations shut down (ala GM, Packard, North Side Hospital, etc.), the economy struggles, and often times, crime increases because of the lack of opportunity and increased layoffs. Without diving too far into social economics, this leads to good people leaving our communities and fewer moving in. It also cuts down on the talent pool of potential athletes.

Still not convinced? Well, maybe Anna head coach Nick Marino can shed some light on the topic. His Rockets are part of the dominant force known as the Midwest Athletic Conference, which has had eight different teams combine for a ridiculous 39 state football championships (it could improve to 40 if Marion Local beats Lucas today). Anyway, during the postgame press conference, Marino was asked what makes the MAC so good. His answer made a lot of sense.

“The biggest thing is you’ve got really good communities,” he said. “There are really good families. People still go to church and do all the things that makes a family structure so good, and it makes a difference.

“It doesn’t hurt that there are a lot of big kids around there too,” he added, laughing. “That helps a little bit. But no, it definitely helps a ton that the family structure is important, and authority still matters. That’s the biggest thing that helps our whole area over there.”

It helps here, too. Unfortunately, it’s on a smaller scale.

The Mahoning Valley may not be thriving financially. Some people may jettison when hard times hit, and more companies might leave, but those who stay often prosper. Whether they thrive personally or monetarily, the blue-collar work ethic, combined with good values and a positive upbringing, are what drives this area.

No, not every kid will be fortunate enough to receive those traits, but the more this community sticks together, the better it will become. The positive attributes we instill shine through, especially in tough times. Springfield is the perfect example.

As the Tiger players were about to exit their postgame press conference Friday, some still in tears after having their dream of a state title shattered, the Anna players entered. Every Springfield kid willfully shook the hand of their opponent and congratulated them. The Rocket players respectfully reciprocated, and two great communities continued to move in the right direction.

One might have left with a trophy that was inscribed with different words, but again, don’t be fooled — champions were born at both schools.