With league championships now all decided with the conclusion of the 2022 regular season, the Ohio and Michigan high school football playoffs kick off on Friday and Saturday.
In all, 27 teams from area Ohio leagues, plus three area Michigan teams, will begin their postseason trails.
The Ohio High School Athletic Association playoffs include 448 teams for the second year after the latest expansion in the format. Sixteen teams in each of the four regions in all seven divisions earned postseason berths.
This means the seven divisional state champions must win six games to capture titles.
In the opening two rounds in regional play, the higher seeded teams host the games, and all games are scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m.
Beginning with the regional semifinals (third round), divisions I, II, III, and V will play on Fridays, and divisions IV, VI, and VII on Saturdays, and all of these will be at neutral sites. This continues through the state semifinals.
All seven state championships games will be played Dec. 1-3 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton. In the state-final round, the title game for one of the divisions that plays on Friday will be played on Thursday night, Dec. 1.
Here is a guide to the first-round playoff matchups:
THE NO. 1 SEEDS:
Liberty Center (10-0): The NWOAL champion Tigers seem destined for a deep playoff run, even in a deep Division V, Region 18 field. Coach Casey Mohler's team has been solid, especially on defense, for 10 straight weeks, outscoring foes 364 to 61. The Tigers reached the D-V state semifinals in 2018 and advanced to the D-VI regional finals last year before falling to eventual state champion Carey.
McComb (9-1): Some might have reasoned that the Panthers would have a bit of a drop after major losses to graduation on their front lines. But veteran coach Kris Alge's team had just one excusable setback this season, falling to perennial state power Marion Local, 42-0, in Week 2. Marion Local (10-0) is Ohio's top-ranked Division VI team and just beat Midland Athletic Conference rival Coldwater (9-1), Ohio's top-ranked D-V team, 35-0 on Friday. McComb has reeled off eight straight wins since that Week 2 loss, including an impressive 39-16 victory over Liberty-Benton on Friday. The Panthers won their second state championship in 2018 and seem capable of capturing a third this year.
Whiteford (9-0): The Bobcats won the Tri-County Conference and enter the postseason as Michigan's top-ranked Division 8 team and the No. 1 playoff seed in Division 8. The No. 2 seed, Iron Mountain, is on the other side of the bracket and would not meet Whiteford until the state finals.
BEST FIRST-ROUND GAMES:
No. 11 Genoa (6-4) at No. 6 Oak Harbor (9-1): Three things make this Division V, Region 18 game an intriguing matchup. These two have played as neighboring rivals for decades and each year battle for the Celestial Ball trophy in the regular season. For the first time since 1986, when Oak Harbor's Rockets left the former Suburban Lakes League, they will face Genoa as a league rival in the Northern Buckeye Conference next fall. The Comets handed Oak Harbor its only loss this season, a 28-25 setback at Genoa in Week 2.
No. 9 Liberty-Benton (7-3) at No. 8 Archbold (8-2): Both teams are coming off Week 10 losses and will be looking to rebound. L-B fell 39-16 at McComb, missing out on a BVC title share. Archbold, the NWOAL runner-up, was upset at Patrick Henry, 20-14, and also saw its run of three straight league titles snapped this year by Liberty Center. The two teams also have a recent history of competitive nonleague matchups. L-B beat Archbold in 2016 and 2017, and the Blue Streaks topped the Eagles in 2017, 2018, and 2021.
No. 10 Patrick Henry (6-4) at No. 7 Ottawa Hills (8-1): On the surface, this matchup might appear to lean in favor of Ottawa Hills' Green Bears, who are champions of the TAAC, are playing at home, and sport a better record than the Patriots, who tied for third in the NWOAL. But PH has been honed by a tougher regular-season schedule, especially in league play, and are coming off a 20-14 upsetof NWOAL runner-up Archbold. The Green Bears will have to be at their best to get past the Patriots.
No. 13 Findlay (5-5) at No. 4 Perrysburg (9-1): The host Yellow Jackets, who are NLL champions and were ranked No. 9 in the latest D-I state poll, seem to have a clear edge against Findlay, which finished fourth in the TRAC. In Week 2, Perrysburg took an easy 49-21 win at Findlay. But, the Trojans have improved throughout the season and should be more competitive this time. The two teams will compete against each other in the upper division of an expanded NLL beginning next fall.
No. 12 St. John's (5-5) at No. 5 Olmsted Falls (8-2): The visiting Titans would seem to be overmatched here based on the records. But, St. John's .500 regular-season mark is deceiving. The Titans enter the postseason on a four-game winning streak after a tough-luck 1-5 start that saw them fall to Dublin Coffman, 14-7, NLL runner-up Anthony Wayne, 10-7, NLL champion Perrysburg, 48-41 in overtime, TRAC champion Central Catholic, 28-7, and TRAC runner-up Whitmer, 31-28. A few plays here and there could have had St. John's approaching the playoffs at 9-1. Against Olmsted Falls, the Titans must first be able to contain the Bulldogs’ 40-points-per-game offense.
TEAMS ON A ROLL:
Central Catholic (9-1): The Fighting Irish have rolled to nine straight wins after losing a tight 23-20 battled at Lakewood St. Edward in Week 1. St. Ed just happens to be the top-ranked defending Division I state champion and winner of four state titles since 2014. Since then, Central has topped its foes by a average of 43-7 per game. Last week the Irish were ranked No. 5 in Division II.
Whiteford (9-0): Although the Bobcats underwent a head coaching transition this season, they have not missed a stride under current leader Todd Thieken. Whiteford enters the Michigan postseason as the state's top-ranked Division 8 team and as the top overall postseason seed. Last year, an 11-2 Bobcats team lost 28-22 in the D-8 state semifinals to eventual champion Hudson. Previously under former coach Jason Mensing (93-24 record, 2012-2021), Whiteford ended 14-0 as D-8 state champion in 2017, 13-1 as runner-up in 2016, and 10-3 and a semifinalist in 2015.
Liberty Center (10-0): After a humbling 41-7 NWOAL loss to Archbold in Week 5 of the 2021 season, the Tigers have won 18 of their past 19 games, including a 38-35 D-VI third-round playoff win in a rematch with top-ranked Archbold. The only setback for Liberty Center was a 31-7 loss to eventual state champion Carey in the 2021 regional final. The Tigers are outscoring opponents by an average 36-6 per game, with a defense that has recorded four shutouts.
Eastwood (10-0): After three close, heartbreaking losses in 2021, the Eagles have been perfect so far this season while outscoring foes by an average score of 46-15 per game. Their only close call came in Week 7 at home, when preseason NBC favorite Elmwood rallied from a late 49-35 deficit to the brink of a comeback win. Eagles quarterback/defensive back Case Boos, however, broke up a potential go-ahead two-point conversion pass with 1:37 left in a 49-48 victory that proved to be the clinching blow in Eastwood's conference championship.
Elmwood (9-1): As previously stated, Elmwood was within inches of winning an NBC title with a dramatic rally at Eastwood. That one point is all that separated the Royals from their own perfect regular season. With a strong mix of run-pass offensively, Elmwood has combined the rushing of All-Ohio running back Mason Oliver and the passing of quarterback Hayden Wickard to outscore its opposition by an average 42-15 per game this season.
Scott (8-2): In what has been an otherwise miserable season for City League teams, the Bulldogs of second-year coach Rahsan Wilson have been a major bright spot with a strong mix of passing from Carnel Smith II (primarily to Daryl Barnett), and rushing from Amon Haynes. This is the second straight playoff appearance for the Bulldogs after not reaching the postseason since Ohio began its playoff format back in 1972. The Bulldogs have outpointed foes by an average 36-11 per game. Their only losses came in nonleague road games against 8-1 Columbus East, 22-20, and 7-3 Clyde, 34-16.
NOTABLE QUALIFIERS:
Southview (8-2): The Cougars have undergone a transformation back toward their football success of past years after having posted a 13-57 overall record between 2015-21. Prior to 2020, when all Ohio teams were eligible for the playoffs because of the pandemic, and last season, when Southview reached the Division III field with a 4-6 regular-season record, the Cougars’ last postseason berth had been in 2011. This was a long drought for a program that produced a 15-0 Division II state championship season in 2008 and a 13-2 D-II state runner-up finish in 1999. First-year coach Steve Hardy has Southview back in its more familiar form.
Clay (5-5): Led by the passing of sophomore quarterback Mason Heintschel and with a strong group of receivers that includes seniors Christian Mays and Evin Baker, the Eagles have qualified for the postseason for the second time in school history. The 2004 Clay team of coach Jeff Lee were the first to reach the playoffs, In 2020, all Ohio teams were eligible for the postseason without having to qualify. The Eagles of coach John Galyas opened the season at 5-1 overall before running into the tough portion of their TRAC schedule with the conference's top four teams. Clay will join the lower division of an expanded NLL next fall.
Napoleon (4-6): After making 11 of its playoff appearances between 1998 and 2013, the Wildcats' only trip to the postseason since came in 2020, when their 5-4 squad was the No. 10 seed in Division IV, Region 14. That team only made it in because all Ohio teams were eligible that year. This year, despite a 1-4 start overall, Napoleon squeaked into the Region 14 bracket as the No. 16 seed after a 21-13 NLL win at Bowling Green last Friday. The Wildcats' reward is a first-round matchup at top-ranked Cleveland Glenville (9-0), which enters the postseason riding a string of six straight shutouts.
TEAMS THAT COULD SURPRISE:
Patrick Henry (6-4): The Patriots are much improved and have been strengthened by competed in a very tough NWOAL schedule as the league's smallest school. A barometer of their growth was last Friday's 20-14 upset of NWOAL runner-up Archbold, which had won three straight league titles before this season. Veteran coach Bill Inselmann's team has relied on a strong defense (16.7 points allowed per game), and the passing of junior quarterback Nash Meyer, whose top target is classmate Landon Johnson.
St. John's (5-5): The Titans have won four straight game entering the postseason after a 1-5 start that included two seven-point and two three-point losses. Coach Larry McDaniel's team refused to roll over amid the disappointing first six weeks, and now appear poised to reap the rewards of that determination. The Titans should be a tough out for any playoff foe, even in a very strong Division II, Region 6 field. The first test for resilient St. John's comes at 24-time playoff qualifier Avon Lake (8-2).
Gibsonburg (8-2): Coach Joe Wyant's Golden Bears were unable to secure an SBC River Division title last Friday, falling 40-13 at division winner Hopewell-Loudon (8-2). But, the Chieftains, who were a 13-2 Division VII state semifinal team last season, are up in D-VI this year. Behind standout senior running back/linebacker Connor Smith, Gibsonburg figures to be a tough foe for anyone in the D-VII, Region 26 field. Led by Smith, who has rushed for 2,511 yards, scored 38 touchdowns, and tops the River Division with 131 tackles, the Bears have outscored foes by an average 39-19 per game.
First Published October 23, 2022, 11:47 p.m.
