2023 Division V, Region 17 football projection
Aug. 13—Note: Despite this being the third year of expanded playoffs to 16 per region, for consistency with years past and to not make projections a "by default" exercise, the projection total for each region outside Division I will remain at 12.
DIVISION V
Region 17
(in alphabetical order, with 2022 regular-season record; News-Herald coverage area teams are in CAPS)
Contenders: BERKSHIRE (7-3), CHAGRIN FALLS (4-6), Clearview (3-7; Region 18), Fairless (8-2), Garrettsville (8-2), Norwayne (7-3), PERRY (8-2), Richmond Edison (10-0), Sandy Valley (4-6), Smithville (6-4), South Range (10-0), West Lafayette Ridgewood (7-3)
What to look for: Putting three Chagrin Valley Conference teams across two divisions in this projection does raise a fair counterpoint: Is there room for three teams, two in the Chagrin and one in the Valley, to make top-12 cases? If it were like the old days, when this would be split into a top-four contenders and then the others vying elsewhere, then no. But for a general top-12 push, especially with what's coming back for all three? It's not out of the question. ... Perry gets Walter Moses back under center, along with the ever-versatile multi-sport stalwart Brayden Richards. Berkshire returns Miles Miller at QB and his 2,648 yards through the air and on the ground for the Badgers. Chagrin Falls was sophomore-heavy a year ago and should be solid. ... A big advantage for the Pirates schedule-wise is having six Division III foes. Those points can add up fast in this region. ... Unbeaten 2022 D-V state champion South Range graduated a ton, and Sugarcreek Garaway has dropped to D-VI. So this region should be more wide-open toward the top as a result. ... If you want a deep sleeper for vast improvement from 2022, it might be Clearview. The Clippers were 3-7 a year ago, but with a freshman QB (Cy Christiansen; 1,486 yards, 16 TDs), junior RB (Ethan Lorenzana; 673 yards, nine TDs), three junior receivers with 24 catches or more and five one-possession losses. Same goes for Sandy Valley, which was notably young a year ago and may be ready to progress, too.
