3 things were learned from Mahoning Valley sports scene last week

Three things we learned around the greater Mahoning Valley sports scene last week:

Will eight-member football continue to grow in northeastern Ohio?

Greater Mahoning and Trumbull County now have one team each in the Northern Eight Conference, the state’s lone eight-member football league in Ohio.

Sebring in Mahoning County and Southington Chalker in Trumbull County are both members of the Northern 8, which stretches across northeastern and northwestern Ohio.

Sebring is entering its third season in the league and Southington is beginning its second year as a Northern 8 member.

Other schools in the league include Holgate, Stryker, Sandusky St. Marys, Fremont St. Joseph. Danbury Lakeside, Cardinal Stritch and new member, Kennedy Catholic from Hermitage, Pa.

Sebring head coach Anthony Agresta would love to see the league expand with more teams in northeastern Ohio, as well as other parts of the Buckeye State.

The Northern 8 offers schools fighting perennial small roster challenges in traditional 11-member football a chance to keep the sport alive and thrive at those schools.

In particular, there are some small schools in northern Trumbull County and southern Ashtabula County which don’t field football teams at all. Those schools would be prime candidates for the eight-member league.

The Ohio High School Football Coaches Association began sponsoring a state championship game for eight-member football in 2023. Toledo Christian won the first two titles in the Northern 8 and moved back to traditional 11-member football this season.

Agresta is hoping that the OHSAA will eventually consider sanctioning 8-man football in Ohio.

When contacted last week, the OHSAA stated that’s not currently on the table, but time will tell.

Gregory commits to Toledo

West Branch High School’s 6-7, 240-pound tight end Gavin Gregory has verbally committed to continue his academic and football career with the Toledo Rockets of the Mid-American Conference.

Gregory has been a member of three outright Eastern Buckeye Conference championship teams with the Warriors and is considered one of the top tight ends in the Buckeye State this season.

He is a two-sport star at West Branch in football and basketball.

Girls tennis season begins this week

As the OHSAA fall sports season gets underway, girls tennis teams across Ohio begin their campaigns this week.

Meanwhile, soccer and volleyball teams can begin playing games/matches as early as August 15.