Below are the pairings for the regional finals in Ohio high school football.
Todd Bell of PressBoxProductions.net will have a preview of this week’s action on his Talkin’ Football show at 7 p.m. Wednesday night. Access the webcast of that show with this link:
www.pressboxproductions.net
Here are the pairings for this weekend’s Ohio football playoffs:
DIVISION I
All games 7 p.m. Saturday
Region 1: (1) Cleveland St. Ignatius (11-1) vs. (2) Strongsville (11-1), Parma Byers Field – St. Ignatius is playing for its 13th state final four berth, but just its first since winning the 2001 state title. That championship was the state-record ninth for St. Ignatius.
Region 2: (1) North Canton Hoover (11-1) vs. (2) Canton GlenOak (10-2), Massillon Paul Brown Tiger Stadium – Hoover defeated GlenOak 14-10 in Week 9 at Hoover.
Region 3: (1) Hilliard Davidson (11-1) vs. (3) Pickerington Central (12-0), Upper Arlington Moorehead Memorial Stadium – Pickerington Central features a pair of OSU commitments in DB Jamie Wood and LB Zach Boren.
Region 4: (1) Cincinnati Colerain (11-1) vs. (3) Cincinnati Elder (11-1), University of Cincinnati Nippert Stadium – This game will be televised live by Sports Time Ohio and Time Warner Cable. It is a match-up of recent state champions as Colerain took the title in 2004 and Elder won back-to-back crowns in 2002-03.
DIVISION II
All games 7:30 p.m. Friday
Region 5: (5) Akron Hoban (8-4) vs. (6) Tallmadge (9-3), Twinsburg Tiger Stadium
Region 6: (2) Sylvania Southview (12-0) vs. (4) Medina Highland (11-1), Kalahari Field at Huron Memorial Stadium
Region 7: (1) Columbus DeSales (12-0) vs. (2) Louisville (12-0), Mansfield Senior Arlin Field – Louisville defeated DeSales 25-20 in a regional final last year. They meet as unbeatens this time around. This game will be televised live by Sports Time Ohio and Time Warner Cable.
Region 8: (1) Cincinnati Winton Woods (11-1) vs. (3) Cincinnati Anderson (10-2), Princeton Mancuso Field – Defending champion Anderson bids for return to state final four. Winton Woods is one of four teams remaining that claimed their first-ever playoff win this year.
DIVISION III
All games 7 p.m. Saturday
Region 9: (1) Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit (9-2) vs. (2) Aurora (10-2), Solon Stewart Field – Aurora features OSU verbal OL Adam Bellamy.
Region 10: (1) Avon (12-0) vs. (7) Sunbury Big Walnut (10-2), Ashland Community Stadium – Defending state champion Big Walnut needs win to get back to state final four.
Region 11: (1) Dover (11-1) vs. (2) Newark Licking Valley (11-1), Zanesville Sulsberger Memorial Stadium – Licking Valley won the region a year ago. Valley features OSU verbal RB-LB Storm Klein.
Region 12: (2) Circleville Logan Elm (12-0) vs. (4) Columbus Eastmoor Academy (11-1), Gahanna Lincoln Stadium – Logan Elm’s amazing run from 0-10 a year ago to 12-0 and a shot at the state final four continues. Logan Elm is among the four first-time playoff winners this year.
DIVISION IV
All games 7:30 p.m. Friday
Region 13: (1) Steubenville (12-0) vs. (3) Perry (11-1), Warren Mollenkopf Stadium – Steubenville is vying for its third state final four and state championship in four years, although the school’s two most recent titles (2005-06) were won in Division III.
Region 14: (4) Genoa Area (12-0) vs. (7) Ottawa-Glandorf (8-4), BGSU Doyt Perry Stadium
Region 15: (1) Martins Ferry (11-1) vs. (2) New Lexington (11-1), Zanesville Sulsberger Memorial Stadium
Region 16: (1) Coldwater (12-0) vs. (6) Kettering Alter (10-2), Troy Memorial Stadium – Coldwater won the state title last year. Coldwater is vying for its third state final four berth and championship in four years. Coldwater features OSU verbal FB Adam Homan.
DIVISION V
All games 7 p.m. Saturday
Region 17: (1) Youngstown Ursuline (12-0) vs. (3) Kirtland (12-0), Warren Mollenkopf Stadium – Ursuline one win from a return trip to the state final four, but it must win this battle of unbeatens to get there. Kirtland is among the four first-time playoff winners this year.
Region 18: (1) Hamler Patrick Henry (12-0) vs. (2) Findlay Liberty-Benton (12-0), BGSU Doyt Perry Stadium – Unbeatens collide in regional final rematch, won by Patrick Henry 44-27 a year ago.
Region 19: (5) Columbus Ready (8-2) vs. (6) Baltimore Liberty Union (11-1), Hamilton Township Hamilton Field – Ready won the regional title a year ago. Liberty Union is making the most of its first playoff appearance since 1999.
Region 20: (4) West Jefferson (10-2) vs. (7) Maria Stein Marion Local (10-2), Piqua Alexander Stadium at Purk Field – Marion Local stopped West Jeff 24-0 in last year’s regional final and went on to win the state title. This game will be carried on a live audio webcast by www.pressboxproductions.net
DIVISION VI
All games 7:30 p.m. Friday
Region 21: (1) Bascom Hopewell-Loudon (12-0) vs. (2) Norwalk St. Paul (12-0), Fremont Don Paul Stadium at Harmon Field – Hopewell-Loudon downed St. Paul 26-14 in last year’s regional final. Teams collide as unbeatens this time around.
Region 22: (1) Ada (12-0) vs. (3) Delphos St. John’s (10-2), Findlay Donnell Stadium
Region 23: (1) Hannibal River (12-0) vs. (2) Malvern (12-0), Steubenville Reno Field, Harding Stadium – Unbeatens collide to determine regional champion. Malvern is among the four first-time playoff winners.
Region 24: (1) Mechanicsburg (12-0) vs. (2) Sidney Lehman (10-1), Clayton Northmont Good Samaritan Stadium
OSU Verbals, Prospects Outside Ohio
Here is a look at where OSU verbals and prospects outside Ohio will be in action this weekend:
Louisville (Ky.) Trinity (with OSU verbal LB Jordan Whiting) hosts Graves County in a playoff game Friday.
Louisville (Ky.) Male (with OSU verbal DB Justin Green) hosts Shelby County in a playoff game Friday.
Frederick (Md.) Tuscarora (with OSU verbal DB Dominic Clarke) visits Urbana for a playoff game Friday.
Naples, Fla., (with OSU verbal RB Carlos Hyde) visits Sarasota Friday.
Monroeville (Pa.) Gateway (with OSU verbals LB Dorian Bell and DB Corey Brown) plays Pittsburgh Penn Hills in a Class AAAA semifinal playoff game Friday at West Mifflin.
Jeannette, Pa., (with OSU verbal RB Jordan Hall) plays Beaver Falls in a WPIAL Class AA semifinal playoff game Friday at Pine-Richland.
Miami (Fla.) Palmetto (with RB Jaamal Berry) plays North Miami Beach Friday at FIU.
Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas (with OSU verbal WR Duron Carter) visits Miramar Friday.
Other Links
Here is Bill Kurelic’s Commitment Tracker with a recap of last weekend’s high school action:
http://www.bucknuts.com/news/articles/2008/11/10/buckeye-weekend-commitment-tracker-27
Here is the Ohio playoff roundup from JJHuddle.com:
http://www.jjhuddle.com/news/articles/2008/11/9/playoffs-roll-into-regional-semifinals-locations-set-for-the-weekend
