AKRON — Akron’s City Series played its Week 9 football games on Saturday morning, Oct. 17, and the day produced two shutouts and an overtime finish: East blanked Firestone 36-0, Ellet routed North 53-0, and Buchtel edged Garfield 14-6 in overtime.
All three games kicked off at 10 a.m. at stadiums across the city — East met Firestone at Ellet, Ellet hosted North at Kenmore Stadium, and Buchtel welcomed Garfield — under the revised schedule Akron Public Schools put in place for the rest of the season.
East entered the morning tied with Buchtel atop the City Series standings, and both teams did what they needed to stay there. The Dragons’ 36-0 win over Firestone was their latest commanding performance, a week after quarterback Naseer Williams-Clay threw four touchdown passes in a 60-0 win over North. Firestone, which lost a 27-26 heartbreaker to Garfield last Saturday, could not find the end zone this time.
Ellet’s 53-0 shutout of North was the day’s most lopsided result. North remains winless in the head-to-head City Series slate this month, having also been shut out by East last Saturday, while Ellet bounced back strongly in front of its home crowd at Kenmore Stadium.
The closest game of the morning came at Buchtel, where Garfield pushed the Griffins into overtime before falling 14-6. Garfield arrived with momentum from its one-point win over Firestone a week earlier, and its defense kept Buchtel within reach all morning before the Griffins settled it in the extra period.
The Saturday morning format itself remains the bigger story in Akron. Akron Public Schools moved all remaining City Series games from Friday nights to Saturday mornings for Weeks 8, 9 and 10 after spectator fights halted games earlier this month, including a Buchtel-Firestone game at Ellet that was ended at halftime. No players or coaches were involved in those incidents, district officials said at the time.
Saturday’s Week 9 results set up a decisive final week. East and Buchtel, still level at the top of the standings after both won, are scheduled to meet each other on Saturday, Oct. 24 at Kenmore Stadium in one of three 10 a.m. City Series finales, alongside Garfield at Ellet and North against Firestone at Buchtel.