By now you've probably heard that both Lorain's Todd Auvil and Elyria's Steve Hamilton will not be returning to their respective football teams next season.
Both jobs should be intriguing for anyone looking to move up in the coaching world. It will be interesting to see who takes over either program.
Elyria seems like somewhat of a sleeping giant. A lot of local coaches have agreed with this notion. The JV program has gotten stronger over the past few seasons and it's not hard to tell the kind of talent that has come through, including Ohio State commit Chase Farris, Bowling Green's Isaiah Byler and Findlay's Trynell Davis among others.
When we look back at both of these coaches, we won't see much past their losing records. However, it can't be overlooked how much influence both of them had in the lives of the kids who played for them.
Not every kid from Elyria and Lorain realizes the opportunities out there for them. I feel like both Auvil and Hamilton did a great job of getting their players to go to college. That certainly counts for something, a lot actually.
Auvil said almost every player who graduated from Southview when he was there is in college now, and Hamilton has served as a great motivator, helping players cut weight and catch the eye of college recruiters. It's hard to believe Farris once was an out of shape kid who didn't want to play football and had paperwork in to transfer to Southview. Hamilton convinced him he was destined for big things and next year he'll be answering to Jim Tressel.
I'm not saying either guy should have kept his job because of these things, but both guys should be recognized for stressing the importance of furthering one's education. Our schools need people like that, not just in the guidance office.
From an on-the-field standpoint, I'm interested to see who takes over both these programs. As Division I schools in diverse cities, it seems like both should dominate the local football scene.
In Elyria's case, a brand new high school and a recent levy passage might intrigue candidates more.
Lorain just failed another levy and cuts in athletics are imminent. That could also mean pay-to-play is close to being instituted, which seems like a potentially devastating reality to a district like Lorain. Although, the school still has three strong middle school programs feeding into it and a large population like Lorain will always produce quality athletes.

Amherst at Berea - The Comets shouldn't have a problem with the winless Braves.
Avon at Vermilion - The Eagles shouldn't have a problem with the winless Sailors.
Bay at North Ridgeville - An intriguing matchup. The Rockets beat North Ridgeville last year and threw a wrench in what looked to be a cakewalk through the West Shore for North Ridgeville. The two teams ended in a three-way tie with Rocky River. Could revenge be on the minds of the Rangers?
Brookside at Buckeye - Buckeye hasn't been very good this season while the Cardinals have had a solid start at 3-2. A second straight road win for the Cards would be huge.
Clearview at Columbia - This is my game of the week. Clearview has gotten off to a nice start so far with a nice running attack while the Raiders have mixed it up behind quarterback John Banyasz.
Edison at Perkins - Edison is now 0-2 in the SBC after a 3-0 start. I don't expect it to stay that way but Perkins has to be feeling a lot better after finally getting a win under its belt.
Elyria at Cuyahoga Falls - A matchup of 1-4 teams, Elyria needs to get a win badly after letting one slip away at home to a quality opponent last week.
Firelands at Fairview - A nice chance for the Falcons to get their first WSC win in almost two years.
Keystone at Black River - This should also be a quality game. Keystone has had a couple of disappointing losses of late and the Pirates have also had some letdowns. Something's got to give.
Midpark at Avon Lake - Avon Lake shouldn't have trouble with the Meteors. The running game will be fine-tuned by the time the meat of the schedule arrives, though.
Midview at Rocky River - Rocky River showed last week what its offense can do. Midview is still struggling on that side of the ball.
Norwalk at Willard - Will the Truckers win a third game and even up their record?
Oberlin at Wellington - Oberlin is still seeking its first win while the Dukes are feeling good after getting their's last week. This was one of the best games of the year last year.
Sandusky at Lima Senior - Sandusky dropped 47 points on Lima for its first win last year. This year it won't be nearly as surprising.
St. Paul at South Central - This one could get ugly early.
Trinity at Elyria Catholic- EC should get some heavy-handed revenge on Trinity for knocking it out of playoff contention last season.
Western Reserve at Monroeville - This will be one of the night's most important games. The winner has a chance to knock off St. Paul for the outright Firelands Conference crown.
Westlake at North Olmsted - This game will be much more enjoyable than usual with Westlake boasting a very good defense and North Olmsted coming off a solid showing against Avon Lake.
Saturday
Lorain High at Shaw - LEL play starts eight days after the Titans put up 41 points against Marion Harding. Something to build off? Let's hope.
Huron at St. Mary - Expect the Tigers to win going away and lick their wounds after being shut out by Clyde last week.