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A year ago, Rootstown won each of its first five football games by 30-plus points, before dropping four of its final five to finish 6-4. The Rovers have a chance to start strong once again with three opponents — Southeast, Independence and Trinity — that finished 3-7 last year to open the 2026 season.
That Thursday night opener against the Pirates — the Rovers' first time opening on a Thursday since 2012 — should be fun. Rootstown and Southeast met every year from 2011 to 2023, from the moment the Pirates entered the Portage Trail Conference's County Division to the moment Southeast left for the Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference. The Pirates won their first six meetings against the Rovers in the PTC County, but the Rovers won five of their last eight.
The middle of the year could determine Rootstown's fate. From Week 4 through Week 7, the Rovers face three teams that beat them a year ago — Berkshire, Chagrin Falls and Kirtland — and a Fairport Harbor team that went 10-1 last season. Although the eventual state champion Hornets routed Rootstown, the other two losses were close, with the Rovers falling by a touchdown apiece to the Badgers and Tigers. Those will be critical games toward Rootstown potentially making its way back into the postseason for the ninth time in the last 10 seasons.
The Rovers will face five opponents they didn't play a year ago, including the Pirates in Week 1, the Blue Devils in Week 2 (their first meeting since 1978) and the Skippers in Week 6. Rootstown last played Fairport Harding in 2016, the last of three consecutive seasons of Rovers-Skippers games, with Rootstown winning all three. The Rovers also take on two new opponents in league play. Rootstown last faced Conneaut, its Week 8 opponent, in 2017, prevailing 33-0. The Rovers haven't played Fairview (Week 10) in at least half a century, with the Warriors going 9-3 a year ago.
Watch Ohio High School Sports Live on NFHS Network all year
Contact Jonah L. Rosenblum at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter at @JLRSports.
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: 2026 Rootstown High School football schedule, first glance
Continue reading...
That Thursday night opener against the Pirates — the Rovers' first time opening on a Thursday since 2012 — should be fun. Rootstown and Southeast met every year from 2011 to 2023, from the moment the Pirates entered the Portage Trail Conference's County Division to the moment Southeast left for the Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference. The Pirates won their first six meetings against the Rovers in the PTC County, but the Rovers won five of their last eight.
The middle of the year could determine Rootstown's fate. From Week 4 through Week 7, the Rovers face three teams that beat them a year ago — Berkshire, Chagrin Falls and Kirtland — and a Fairport Harbor team that went 10-1 last season. Although the eventual state champion Hornets routed Rootstown, the other two losses were close, with the Rovers falling by a touchdown apiece to the Badgers and Tigers. Those will be critical games toward Rootstown potentially making its way back into the postseason for the ninth time in the last 10 seasons.
The Rovers will face five opponents they didn't play a year ago, including the Pirates in Week 1, the Blue Devils in Week 2 (their first meeting since 1978) and the Skippers in Week 6. Rootstown last played Fairport Harding in 2016, the last of three consecutive seasons of Rovers-Skippers games, with Rootstown winning all three. The Rovers also take on two new opponents in league play. Rootstown last faced Conneaut, its Week 8 opponent, in 2017, prevailing 33-0. The Rovers haven't played Fairview (Week 10) in at least half a century, with the Warriors going 9-3 a year ago.
Watch Ohio High School Sports Live on NFHS Network all year
2026 Rootstown Rovers football schedule
- @ Southeast (Aug. 20, 7 p.m.)
- @ Independence (Aug. 28, 7 p.m.)
- Trinity (Sept. 4, 7 p.m.)
- Kirtland (Sept. 11, 7 p.m.)*
- @ Chagrin Falls (Sept. 18, 7 p.m.)*
- Fairport Harding (Sept. 25, 7 p.m.)
- @ Berkshire (Oct. 2, 7 p.m.)*
- Conneaut (Oct. 9, 7 p.m.)*
- @ Crestwood (Oct. 16, 7 p.m.)*
- Fairview (Oct. 23, 7 p.m.)*
- NOTE: Conference games are marked with an asterisk.
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Contact Jonah L. Rosenblum at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter at @JLRSports.
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: 2026 Rootstown High School football schedule, first glance
Continue reading...
