As the Ohio high school football playoffs kick off Friday night with first-round regional games, many eyes will be on one of the toughest regional groupings in any of the state's seven divisions.
That grouping is the 16 teams in Region 18 of Division V, which includes nine teams from Toledo-area leagues.
The combined regular-season records of the top eight seeded teams in Region 18 is 70-10 and, figuring in the entire 16-team field, Region 18 boasts a composite record of 119-41.
Of all the 28 regions in Ohio's divisions, only Region 22 of Division VI, which includes two area teams (No. 7 seed Ottawa Hills, 8-1 record, and No. 10 seed Patrick Henry, 6-4) has, by one fewer loss, a better record. The top eight teams in Region 22 are 70-9, and the combined record for all 16 teams is 119-40.
DIVISION V, REGION 18
1. Liberty Center (10-0)
2. Elmwood (9-1)
3. Eastwood (10-0)
4. Coldwater (9-1)
5. Huron (8-2)
6. Oak Harbor (9-1)
7. Marengo Highland (7-3)
8. Archbold (8-2)
9. Liberty-Benton (7-3)
10. Tinora (7-3)
11. Genoa (6-4)
12. Milan Edison (6-4)
13. Richwood North Union (7-3)
14. Fredericktown (6-4)
15. Delta (6-4)
16. Port Clinton (5-5)
“Region 18 is a meat grinder,” said Casey Mohler, coach of top-seeded Liberty Center, which reached the regional final in Division VI, Region 22 last year, and won the Region 18 title in 2018. “It doesn't really matter where you finished, 1 through 16, the matchups are going to be extremely difficult.
“I don't recall a region being so loaded with great programs and teams. The only good thing is you don't have to play them all. I think whoever gets out of this region is going to have to be a very good team, and they will be battle-tested.”
Under Craig Rutherford, Eastwood won Region 18 in 2017 on the way to finishing as the Division V state runner-up at 14-1. This season, like 2017, his Eagles, ranked No. 10 in the final Ohio Associated Press D-V poll, enter the postseason coming off a 10-0 regular season that included a 7-0 mark and a title in the Northern Buckeye Conference.
To capture that outright title, Eastwood had to survive some late-game drama in a 49-48 win over visiting NBC runner-up Elmwood (9-1, 6-1), which failed on a potential go-ahead two-point conversion pass with 1:37 remaining. That pass was broken up by a diving Case Boos, also the Eagles' chief offensive producer at quarterback.
“Originally, when we went to 16 teams from each region, I thought it would really water down the playoffs,” Rutherford said. “But, when you look at our region, I think there are going to be some great matchups in the first round.
“It’s like the playoffs have always been. You have to focus on the opponent you have that week and prepare like it’s the last time you’ll ever play.”
Elmwood's Royals edged Eastwood for the No. 2 seed in Region 18 on a tie-breaker determined by higher third-level points in the Ohio High School Athletic Association's computer-points system.
“Region 18 is full of very talented and well coached teams,” said Oak Harbor coach Mike May, whose Rockets finished 9-1 and won the Sandusky Bay Conference's Bay Division title at 5-0. “The team that makes it out of the region will have earned it.”
May's Rockets won the Region 18 title in 2019, when they went 13-1 with a 28-14 loss to eventual D-V state champion Kirtland in the state semifinals.
“When you look through all 16 teams in the Region 18 playoffs, it’s very evident that no matter who wins this region they are going to have a tough road,” said Archbold coach David Dominique, whose Blue Streaks were 8-2. “You look through the first-round matchups and it is impressive to see the level of competition that all teams will be facing.”
Last season, Archbold entered the postseason at 10-0 and ranked No. 1 in Ohio in Division VI. The Blue Streaks, who had won their third straight NWOAL title in 2021, were upset by Liberty Center 38-35 on a last-second field goal in a third-round Region 22 game. They had beaten the Tigers 41-7 during league play.
Like Liberty Center, Archbold also moved up from D-VI to D-V this year, and the Blue Streaks will host perennial Blanchard Valley Conference power Liberty-Benton (7-3, 5-2) in Region 18's opening round.
L-B's Eagles had a chance at a BVC title split last week before falling to ultimate outright champion McComb, 39-16.
“As far as Region 18 goes, it may be the most evenly matched region from top to bottom that I have ever seen going into the playoffs,” Liberty-Benton coach Scott Garlock said. “Every game in every round has the potential to be a close, competitive game. It will take a ton of resiliency, along with staying healthy, if you want to come out on top of this region.”
It is worth noting that the No. 4 seed is perennial state power Coldwater (9-1), which had been ranked No. 1 in the Division V state poll before losing 35-0 to Marion last week in a battle for the title in the powerful Midwest Athletic Conference. Marion Local (10-0), which is ranked No. 1 in Division VI, is a 12-time state champion.
Coldwater's Cavaliers, who compete in Ohio's best pound-for-pound football conference, are entering their 28th postseason. The Cavaliers have won seven state championships, been state runner-up seven times, reached three other semifinals, and boast an all-time playoff record of 84-20.
Looking at the playoff history of the 16 teams to qualify in Region 18 this year, 13 of the teams have reached at least one state semifinal.
Beyond Coldwater's success, scanning down through the 2022 seeds, in order, Liberty Center won a D-V state title in 1997, was a runner-up in 1993 and 1998, and the Tigers have reached four other state semifinals.
Eastwood was the 2017 D-V runner-up, Huron was a state runner-up in 1993 and has reached three other semifinals, and Oak Harbor advanced to semifinals three times.
Archbold won a state title in 1998, was runner-up in 1982, and reached three other semifinals. Liberty-Benton was the D-V state runner-up in 2008, and has advanced to three other semifinals.
Tinora has made to it two semifinals, Genoa to one semifinal, Edison to two semifinals, Fredericktown to two semifinals, Delta to one semifinal, and Port Clinton reached the 2021 Division IV semifinals.
First Published October 26, 2022, 9:22 p.m.
