Quick breakdowns of Chillicothe area matchups ahead of Week Five of high school football

CHILLICOTHE − Another week of high school football is here, and with it marks the near-halfway point for many teams around the area.

Week Five arrived in the blink of an eye. Nonconference schedules have almost all come and gone, and many area teams are now in the throes of conference schedules. Piketon is still holding on to a perfect 4-0 start, while Adena and Southeastern are preparing to determine who gets their first Scioto Valley Conference win first.

Before Week Five gets underway, here's a quick preview of games for all 10 area teams and who they will face off against:

Looking back: Power rankings of all 10 Chillicothe area teams following Week Four

What we learned from Week Four: Three big takeaways for Chillicothe area teams following Week Four of high school football

Adena Warriors (0-4, 0-1 Scioto Valley Conference) vs. Southeastern Panthers (1-3, 0-1 SVC)

The Warriors enter Friday's matchup looking for their first win of the season, while the Panthers are looking to break into their first win in conference and snap their two-game skid.

Looking back at last week, Adena might have a step up. It put up 39 points against Zane Trace, largely carried on the backs of Nate Dreitzler and Terrelli Ward. Lucas King also passed for a season-high 239 yards, but Dreitzler and Ward have both been responsible for the majority of Adena's success near the end zone. Dreitzler himself scored three touchdowns on 114 rushing yards last week.

The Panthers, despite being held to nine points by Paint Valley last week, has found some growth under center. Joey Pfeifer threw for over 100 yards for the second game in a row, and Jensen Estep caught his second touchdown reception of the year. They've also run up the score when handing the ball off to Caleb Cutright and Ryan Peters, which gives the Panthers another angle of attack.

Chillicothe Cavaliers (0-4) vs. Logan Chieftains (1-3)

The Cavaliers have gotten through the brunt of their nonconference schedule, and the prospect of Frontier Athletic Conference play is just a few weeks away. But their final hurdle before their conference slate is a home game against the Chieftains. When the two teams last faced off, the Cavaliers walked away with a 24-0 shutout victory while on the road.

A win on Friday might not come as easily, but Chillicothe cut its teeth through the first four weeks. It knows what does and doesn't work for itself. Logan's only win this year came against Warren, which itself is only 1-3 thus far. It hasn't put up more than 10 points against any other opponent this season. Chillicothe has a chance to blow off some steam this week.

Huntington Huntsmen (0-4, 0-1 SVC) vs. Unioto Shermans (3-1, 1-0 SVC)

Huntington moves from one hard-nosed conference opponent to the other when it hosts Unioto on Friday. It had to deal with a prolific Piketon offense last week, and soon after has to deal with a Unioto team that isn't shy on either side of the ball. Unioto won the turnover battle easily last week against Westfall, and Huntington will have to be just as careful.

Plus, the Shermans are fresh off their best offensive showing of the season. They scored their most points in a game since last season, and they've only trended up. Huntington found a bit of a groove in the fourth quarter against Piketon. If Huntington wants to put up a fight, it'll have to crack Unioto's defense early.

Paint Valley Bearcats (3-1, 1-0 SVC) vs. Westfall Mustangs (2-2, 0-1 SVC)

Paint Valley kicked off conference play with a bang after taking down Southeastern at home, and it has the chance to keep its success rolling. Its homestand continues for another week, with Westfall paying a visit this time around. Its offense has hit its usual stride, and it is currently second only to Piketon in terms points scored this season.

Still, Week Five won't come easy. Westfall duked it out with Unioto for the better part of three quarters last week, and it didn't truly fall behind until turnovers began to pile up. Bryce Wickline has multiple receiver options in Jaden Towler and Trent Walters, and Joey Wright rarely fails to pick up yardage. Westfall packs a punch, and it can give Paint Valley a scare if underestimated.

Piketon Redstreaks (4-0, 1-0 SVC) vs. Zane Trace Pioneers (2-2, 1-0 SVC)

Piketon is the team to beat in the SVC right now. Remaining undefeated after four weeks is no easy task, but Piketon has been able to survive behind a multitool offense and a defense that's allowed the fewest points among SVC teams.

Now, the Pioneers step up in a bid to upset the standings. They've won two straight, including 49-39 shootout win over Adena last week. Their rushing attack has worked wonders through the past two weeks, and a growing receiving corps led by Aaden Dunn and Silas Stewart is hard to ignore.

Still, the Redstreaks have an ever-dependable offense of their own, and it hasn't failed them yet. Buddy Wilson comes to mind, as does Luke Gullion and Brent McGuire. Either way, Friday is bound to be a high-scoring night for either side.

Waverly Tigers (3-1, 1-0 Southern Ohio Conference) vs. Portsmouth West Senators (3-1)

The Tigers got a taste of SOC play last week, but their opponent was a winless Valley that only put up eight points throughout the game. Their real first test lies this week. When the Tigers faced the Senators last year, they put up 42 points and still lost by a touchdown.

On paper, Waverly is still in for a dogfight. Portsmouth West averages more points per game, but Waverly has allowed fewer points per game. If history is any indication, Waverly can at least lean on its offense, which has scored 40 or more points against Portsmouth West in each of the last three seasons. Scoring shouldn't be an issue with how well Waverly has been performing on the field.

This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Taking a glance at Week Five Chillicothe area football matchups