​We’ve made it to Week 8 and there are four important games in the Wayne/Holmes County area to pay close attention to with playoff seeding, league title implications and just plain trying to notch a big win at the forefront. Today, let’s tackle one key question for each of those four games ahead of Friday’s (Oct. 9) games.More: WDR Week 7 HS football power rankings | Conferences races getting tightSmithville (7-0) at Norwayne (4-3)Question: Can Norwayne crack 20 points on Smithville’s defense?Both teams head into Friday’s critical Wayne County Athletic League game with a 4-0 league record, with the winner taking the sole lead in the WCAL title race. Norwayne’s key to victory just might be how it handles Smithville’s defense. There’s no team in the Wayne/Holmes County area through seven games that has a stingier defense than the Smithies (only Triway can argue).They’ve given up just 68 points through seven games, are allowing 9.7 points per game and have two shutouts to their name. Better yet, no team has cracked 20 points on them in a single game all season. The most points the Smithies defense has given up is 15. For Norwayne to win, they just might have to score over 20 to do it. If Norwayne can keep the offense more balanced like it did in their Week 7 win over Dalton (231 passing yards, 131 rushing yards). Then it might be able to keep the Smithies defense guessing a little more.Either way, breaking 20 points or more could be the key to victory for the Bobcats.Triway (6-1) at Akron Manchester (4-3)Question: Can Triway’s defense stay rolling?If Smithville’s defense is the best in the area, Triway’s isn’t far off. In Triway’s six wins, it’s given up just 47 total points and 7.8 points per game. The Titans defense has recorded 21.5 sacks and 15 interceptions, along with three fumble recoveries. The likes of Alex Robinson, Bruin Flinner, Austin Houser, Wilson James, Landen Harvey, Brandt Clippinger and Co. have been filling the stat sheet on the defensive side.After dropping their first three games (all nonleague), Manchester have won four in a row and are averaging 42.0 points per game in that stretch. Last season, the Panthers were averaging 46.1 points a contest through their first six games heading into their huge Principals Athletic Conference showdown with Triway in Week 7, and the Titans submitted a near flawless performance in its 49-7 win to take control of the league title race. If the Titans can produce like that again, especially on defense, then a road win could be in place as they look to stay within reach for the PAC title and earn a top-four seed in their region in Division V.Dalton (2-5) at Chippewa (5-2)Question: Can Chippewa grab that signature win?At this point, it’s well-known that Dalton — one of the top small school football programs in Ohio in the past decade — and its hopes of qualifying for the postseason are in jeopardy. It might need to win every game the rest of the way to get in.For Chippewa, they’re having a bre