[16thregioner]

The full lineup at Ironton's Tank stadium on Saturday features 3 of the nation's top 100 teams, based on CalPreps' current rankings.

#56 Moeller (OH) vs. #55 Good Counsel (MD)

#84 Dematha (MD) vs. #2250 Benedictine (OH)

#679 Ironton (OH) vs. #1999 Johnson Central (KY)

Hopefully, Johnson Central will be able to pull off an upset but it won't be easy. This is a big event for the town of Ironton and the Tigers won't be caught looking past JC.

I am tempted to go watch the games but It is a long drive from home. I've never been to a game at Ironton and I was unaware of the history of the stadium. In their last year of operation, the Ironton Tanks beat both the Chicago Bears and the New York Giants before the team folded and half of the team's players joined the Portsmouth Spartans, which folded in 1933 but became the Detroit Lions. The Tanks and the Spartans had established the tradition of the Thanksgiving game, which was later adopted by the Lions.

Ironton is a unique place to watch a game.  The home side stands are covered.  It’s a nice turf field.  There are covered stands at one end where the Ironton Million Dollar Marching Band sits.  You walk down Tiger Alley when entering the stadium and it lets you know about the history of the Ironton program.  I would vote it the number one stadium in our area, although I’m sure some of the Ashland Putnam Stadium faithful will disagree.

Ironton really boosted their program when they hired Trevon Pendleton who played fullback at Michigan State in 2015.  He apparently has implemented college style weight training and is using his connections to get Ironton players seen and offered by major colleges.  This showcase on September 10th is just another example.  Many from the area express discontent that Ironton is getting good players from schools all around, but I don’t blame any player for going to play at Ironton.  If college football really is your dream, it’s clearly the place to be in our area.

Johnson Central is a great opponent for Ironton in this showcase.  Johnson Central will undoubtedly have the advantage on the line while Ironton will have the advantage at the skill positions.  I would tab Ironton as the slight favorite, but there’s no doubt it will be a great game.  It should draw a big crowd from the area being on Saturday night.