Great players and coaches, history, tradition… these are all things we associate with high school football in Ohio.

Great programs, too, and headlining the “OHSAA Game of the Week” schedule for Week 3 features some of them.

Canton McKinley and Huber Heights Wayne have combined for 50 playoff appearances, 13 regional titles, 10 appearances in the state championship game, and three state titles (all belonging to McKinley).

The list of players who have gone on to Ohio State from these two schools is long and impressive. Look no further than the Buckeyes’ two most recent national championship squads:

            Canton McKinley                                           Huber Heights Wayne

            2014    Steve Miller (DL)                                 2014     Braxton Miller (QB injured)

            2002    Mike Doss (DB)                                   2002    Will Allen (DB)

                        Tyler Everett (DB)                                          John Hollins (WR)

                        Andre Hooks (WR)                

                        Kenny Peterson (DL)

For our viewers in Northeast and Southwest Ohio (please note 6 p.m. game time), they meet Friday for the first time in nine years. The Bulldogs got the better of the Warriors, winning three of four meetings from 2009 through 2012.

Canton McKinley heads out on the road with an 0-2 record on the young season, losing to Mentor and Fitch at home. Wayne, meanwhile, is the exact opposite, having started the year 2-0 with victories at Dunbar and Reynoldsburg.

Three Warriors worth watching — offensive tackle Aamil Wagner, the highest-rated senior in Ohio not yet committed (has an Ohio State offer), tight end Elijah Brown (Alabama commit) and linebacker Adam Trick (Miami University commit) have Wayne envisioning its first deep playoff run since 2016.

Meanwhile, in Muskingum County, the OHSAA Game of the Week was scheduled to feature Tri-Valley and Zanesville, two schools separated by 13 miles. This would have been the ninth straight year they’ve met, but the game was canceled due to COVID-19 protocols. Tri-Valley has rescheduled to play Jackson on Friday.

That was the situation Westerville South found itself in last week, but was unable to find a replacement.

Viewers in central Ohio will watch the Wildcats, 29-17 winners over Olentangy in Week 1, host Hilliard Darby (2-0).

Westerville South wide receiver Kaden Saunders is one to watch. He’s committed to play at Penn State, the same path former Wildcat Ki-Jana Carter took on his way to being the first overall pick in the 1995 NFL Draft.

We’ll have the coverage, live at 6 p.m. in northeast and southwest Ohio, and at 7 p.m. in central Ohio on Spectrum News 1, and the Spectrum News 1 App.