CLEVELAND — What has been a strange but exciting high school football season is truly starting to take shape, as we prepare to enter the third round of Ohio's expanded playoffs.
All teams were eligible to participate in the postseason due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but now all divisions are down to no more than 32 teams (or in the case of Division I just 16), the maximum number allowed in normal years. This has given us a clearer picture of who the true contenders are.
Last week gave us a number of big upsets, including North Royalton over Olmsted Falls in the WKYC.com High School Football Game of the Week. However, the biggest shocker came in Division I's first region, as eighth-seeded Medina took down No. 1 St. Edward 35-31. Several top teams such as Mentor and Archbishop Hoban remain, but if 2020 has taught us anything, it's to expect the unexpected.
3News has compiled a comprehensive list of all matchups involving local teams, with such squads written in bold below. The first round games will kick off at 7 p.m. at the higher seed's home field (1 being the highest). Divisions I, II, III, and VII will play Friday night; while IV, V, and VI will play Saturday:
DIVISION I
Region 1
- (8) Medina (5-3) vs. (5) St. Ignatius (3-3)
- (6) Brunswick (6-2) vs. (2) Mentor (7-1)
DIVISION II
Region 5
- (8) Mayfield (5-1) vs. (1) Archbishop Hoban (7-0)
- (5) Walsh Jesuit (5-1) vs. (4) Benedictine (3-4)
- (6) Painesville Riverside (6-1) vs. (3) Hudson (7-0)
Region 6
- (8) Granger Highland (4-2) vs. (1) Avon (7-0)
- (13) Barberton (3-5) vs. (5) Brecksville-Broadview Heights (6-1)
- (22) North Royalton (2-6) vs. (3) Avon Lake (6-1)
Region 7
- (8) Dublin Scioto (7-1) vs. (1) Perry (7-0)
- (7) North Canton Hoover (5-2) vs. (2) Massillon Washington (6-1)
DIVISION III
Region 9
- (8) Geneva (7-1) vs. (1) Chardon (7-0)
- (5) Aurora (6-2) vs. (4) New Philadelphia (6-1)
- (10) Dover (4-4) vs. (2) Streetsboro (7-0)
- (6) St. Vincent-St. Mary (5-2) vs. (3) Canfield (7-0)
Region 10
- (8) Revere (4-2) vs. (1) Tiffin Columbian (6-1)
- (12) West Holmes (6-2) vs. (4) Padua Franciscan (5-1)
- (7) Norwalk (4-3) vs. (2) Ashland (6-1)
- (6) Holy Name (5-1) vs. (3) Bowling Green (6-1)
DIVISION IV
Region 13
- (8) East Cleveland Shaw (5-2) vs. (1) Lawrence Northwest (7-0)
- (13) CVCA (6-2) vs. (12) Lake Catholic (4-2)
- (10) Chagrin Falls (6-2) vs. (2) Poland Seminary (6-1)
Region 14
- (8) Kenton (4-3) vs. (1) Bellevue (7-0)
- (5) Van Wert (6-1) vs. (4) Keystone (7-0)
- (10) Firelands (7-1) vs. (2) Shelby (7-0)
- (11) Clyde (5-3) vs. (3) Huron (7-0)
Region 15
- (11) Carrollton (6-2) vs. (3) Bloom-Carroll (7-0)
DIVISION V
Region 17
- (9) Sandy Valley (6-2) vs. (1) Kirtland (6-0)
- (5) Bellaire (4-2) vs. (4) Garaway (6-1)
- (7) Beachwood (6-0) vs. (2) South Range (7-0)
- (6) Fairfield Crestview (5-1) vs. (3) Garrettsville Garfield (7-0)
Region 18
- (6) West Salem Northwestern (6-1) vs. (3) Ottawa-Glandorf (6-1)
DIVISION VI
Region 21
- (9) St. Thomas Aquinas (5-2) vs. (1) Springfield (7-0)
- (5) Pymatuning Valley (7-0) vs. (4) Mogadore (5-1)
- (10) LaBrae (6-2) vs. (2) Wickliffe (7-0)
- (11) Canton Central Catholic (3-5) vs. (3) Norwayne (7-0)
Region 23
- (18) Loudonville (3-5) vs. (10) Coal Grove Dawson-Bryant (5-2)
DIVISION VII
Region 25
- (8) Norwalk St. Paul (6-1) vs. (1) Warren John F. Kennedy (5-2)
- (5) Malvern (7-0) vs. (4) Dalton (5-2)
- (10) Independence (6-1) vs. (2) Lucas (5-2)
