With the Ohio High School Athletic Association's football playoffs moving to the second round of regional play on Friday, here are five games to watch involving teams from Toledo-area leagues.
■ No. 7 seed Lakewood St. Edward (6-5) at No. 2 Whitmer (9-2)
On the surface, with the host Panthers being ranked eighth in Ohio's final Division I state poll, it would seem Whitmer would be considered the clear favorite in this Region 1 matchup.
But, a closer look reveals that coach Tom Lombardo's Eagles have won the last three D-I state titles, and are still the champions until they are dethroned. As usual, St. Edward played one of the state's toughest regular-season schedules, with three of its five losses coming against state-ranked teams, one to defending D-IV state champion Cleveland Glenville, and the other to an unbeaten power from Kentucky.
St. Edward is 66-22 all-time playing in its 30th postseason, and has posted seven state championships plus three runner-up finishes. Last Friday, the Eagles advanced with a 48-0 blanking of Whitmer's fellow Northern Lakes League Buckeye Division member Findlay.
By beating No. 15 seed Cleveland John Marshall 49-0 at home last Friday, coach Ken Winters' Panthers — who have been led offensively by Ohio State OL commit Carter Lowe, third-year starting QB Brady Ford, and WR T.J. Hutchen — won their fifth straight game after dropping their Buckeye showdown at Anthony Wayne 27-3 in Week 6.
Even with the home-field advantage, Whitmer will likely need to bring its A-game, including an effective run-pass balance, to advance to the Region 1 semifinals. The Panthers, who have topped foes 432-139 in games, advanced with a 49-0 win against an overmatched Cleveland John Marshall team.
Whitmer is playing in its 26th postseason (27-25 record). The Panthers' best finish was 2012, when they ended at 14-1 as D-I state runners-up to Cincinnati Moeller.
■ No. 7 Liberty-Benton (10-1) at No. 2 Liberty Center (11-0)
This intriguing Division V, Region 18 matchup features the vaunted pass-run attack of the visiting Eagles led by the trio of QB Trevin Lieb, junior University of Toledo receiver commit Seth Elchert, and twin brother RB Zach Elchert against Ohio's No. 2 defense in points allowed this season.
The host Tigers have surrendered just 42 total points in 11 games, second only to perennial D-VII power Marion Local (22 points).
Also, with its run-dominant offense, Liberty Center has scored 491 points (44.6 per game) compared to 403 (36.6) for Liberty-Benton. The Tigers' run game is led by a trio of backs – Waylon Rentz, Thomas Mohler, and Garrison Kruse.
Liberty Center is in its 24th postseason, sporting a 44-22 playoff record with a D-V state title in 1997, state runner-up finishes in 1993, 1998, and last year, and four other semifinal runs.
Liberty-Benton is in its 17th postseason (24-16 record), with its best finish coming in 2008, when a 14-1 Eagles team — quarterbacked by eventual Ohio State University basketball standout Aaron Craft — was the D-V state runner-up. L-B has reached three other state semifinals.
■ No. 5 Eastwood (10-1) at No. 4 Creston Norwayne (10-1)
Following an impressive 41-0 first-round blanking of Archbold, the Northern Buckeye Conference runner-up Eagles take to the road for a tough Division V, Region 18 challenge against an equally battle-tested Bobcats squad which has reeled off 10 straight wins after season-opening 28-21 loss to still unbeaten St. Clairsville, Ohio's No. 5-ranked Division IV team.
Eastwood's lone setback came in Week 9, a heart-breaking 31-27 loss at still unbeaten NBC champion Oak Harbor (ranked No. 5 in D-V) in a game that ended with the Eagles throwing three incompletions from the Rockets' 4 yard line to end the game.
The Eagles have been paced by QB Drew Luidhardt, WRs Andre Lewis and Cam Schumaker, and RB Kevin Lewis.
Norwayne, in its 14th postseason (20-12 record) won a D-IV state championship in 2011, and reached the state semis in 2012. Eastwood, in its 17th postseason (20-16 record), ended 14-1 as Div. V state runner-up in 2017.
The Bobcats have topped opponents 433-175, while Eastwood has outpointed foes 449-141.
■ No. 6 Fairview (9-2) at No. 3 Ottawa Hills (9-1)
The host Green Bears — on the strength of superior skill-position talent on offense and defense — are riding a nine-game winning streak after a season-opening 26-7 loss at Gibsonburg entering this Division VI, Region 22 clash.
Second-year Ottawa Hills coach Brandon Carter relies heavily on fourth-year starting quarterback Chase Miller, superb junior running back Rocco Pillarelli, and the combined receiving talents of seniors Reddik Pillarelli, Nick Anderson, and Jackson Snyder.
Ottawa Hills, in its ninth postseason (5-8 record), has outscored foes 464-113 in 10 games, and has not been held to under 37 points since its Week-1 loss.
The Green Bears are looking to top last year's program-best two playoff wins against a visiting Apaches team that was one point from a Green Meadows Conference title, losing to eventual GMC champion Tinora 35-34 in Week 5.
Fairview, making its 11th postseason appearance (9-10 record), also fell in a nonleague game against Delta 35-28 in Week 2. The Apaches have outscored foes 381-197.
■ No. 6 LaGrange Keystone (10-1) at No. 3 Oak Harbor (11-0)
Outside of a tough Week-9 test against Eastwood, the host Rockets have appeared unstoppable at times this season led by third-year starting QB Michael Lalonde, highly-productive RB Carson Ridener, and a stingy defense.
Oak Harbor, in its 14th postseason (19-13 record), has gone 29-1 the past three regular seasons in winning three straight league titles (SBC Bay in 2022, NBC 2023-24), and this season has topped foes 495-97 in 11 games.
The fifth-ranked Rockets' best playoff runs were state semifinal advancements in 1999, 2006, and 2019.
The visiting Wildcats have less of a playoff pedigree (fifth appearance, 3-4 record), but bring a nine-game winning streak into this D-V, Region 18 matchup. Keystone has outpointed opponents 350-107 this season. They advanced by beating Oak Harbor's NBC rival Genoa 49-21 last Friday.
First Published November 4, 2024, 8:27 p.m.
