OHIO — Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School is steeped in athletic tradition, going all the way back before the merger when the all-boys school (St. Joseph’s) produced the Golic brothers (Bob & Mike), Clark Kellogg, Elvis Grbac and Desmond Howard. 

What You Need To Know

  • The OHSAA Game of the Week Friday features Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph vs. Columbus Hartley in a contest seen in Northeast and Central Ohio

  • In Southwest Ohio, old foes Troy and Xenia battle in a Miami Valley League meeting
  • Previous OHSAA Games of the Week are also available on demand through Spectrum News 1's website

The Vikings’ seven Ohio High School Athletic Association boys basketball state championships are tied for second-most all-time (Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary has 10), and St. Joe’s took home the Division II state title in football in 1989.

It’s been 30 years since VASJ captured a regional championship on the gridiron, and with the Vikings currently third in Region 9 (Division III) with a 5-1 mark, hopes are high to end that drought. They head to Columbus on Friday as part of the OHSAA Game of the Week on Spectrum News 1 and the Spectrum News App (7 p.m. in both Northeast and Central Ohio). 

Awaiting in Central Ohio is Hartley, no stranger to OHSAA football titles themselves. Three of the Hawks four state championships have come since 2010 (2015-16, 2010 and 1986). 

Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph’s lone loss was to Kenston in week four and is the only game this season where the offense didn’t score at least 40 points. The Vikings have a potent ground attack led by Lamar “Bo” Jackson, who is just under 1,000 yards rushing and has 15 touchdowns through the first six games. 

One of the top juniors in the state of Ohio, Bo knows recruiting, as he holds offers from Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State and Tennessee among others. 

Hartley is 4-2 this season, and currently fifth in Region 15 (Division IV). The Hawks losses are teams (5-1 Bloom-Carroll and 6-0 Watterson) that are currently a combined 11-1. In addition to Friday’s match-up with a Cleveland school, Hartley has also played opponents from Dayton, Cincinnati and Lima. 

The Vikings were winners in this contest a year ago in Cleveland, by a 21-20 score. Hartley won back-to-back meetings in 2010 (37-8) and 2011 (49-7). 

In Southwest Ohio, the conference connections between Troy and Xenia go all the way back to the old Miami Valley League, which formed in 1926. The Trojans and Buccaneers were also in the Western Ohio League for a brief time, then to the Greater Western Ohio Conference, and finally, when the MVL re-formed in 2019.

The latest meeting is a hotly contested battle in Region 8 (Division II), where Troy (5-1) sits one spot higher (seventh) than 4-2 Xenia in the computer points. 

The Trojans loss was as 13-12 heartbreaker two weeks ago to Tippecanoe. In the five victories, Troy’s defense has only allowed 13 total points, including a shutout of rival Piqua last week. 

The Buccaneers are trying to right the ship after losing to Butler and Fairborn by identical 28-21 scores the past two weeks, following a 4-0 start. 

In this century, it’s Troy with a slight 8-7 edge in the series, although it was Xenia with a convincing 50-20 triumph a season ago. 

Both OHSAA Games of the Week begin at 7 p.m. on Spectrum News 1 and the Spectrum News App. Previous games are also available on demand through the website. 

Some other big games around the state on Friday include six matchups of undefeated teams: Walsh Jesuit (6-0) at Hoban (5-0), Milan Edison (6-0) at Perkins (5-0), Patrick Henry (6-0) Liberty Center (6-0), Barnesville (6-0) at Caldwell (6-0), West Liberty-Salem (6-0) at West Jefferson (6-0) and Elgin (6-0) at Waynesfield-Goshen (6-0).