CANTON, Ohio — Every practice, every snap, every gathering under the Friday Night Lights has led up to this moment.
The Ohio High School Athletic Association football championship games return this weekend to Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, the culmination of a grueling season that has seen roughly 700 statewide teams whittled down to just 14 across seven divisions. Seven of those teams hail from WKYC's viewing area, some being familiar faces while others seek their first taste of the ultimate glory.
So, which local schools will be making their way to George Halas Drive this weekend? Let's break it all down.
Division I: St. Edward (14-1)
Only a Week 5 loss to Massillon has kept Tom Lombardo's squad out of the national championship discussion. While the Eagles are still ranked as high as 10th in the country, they will have to settle for a shot at their third consecutive state title for the time being, and they certainly have the players to do it.
On defense, Notre Dame commit Loghan Thomas leads the way with six sacks and 19 1/2 tackles for loss, while linebacker Jon Slaper has tallied 180 total tackles and four interceptions. An offensive line sporting three D-I college prospects also paves the way for Brandon White, whose stats include 1,684 rushing yards and 24 total touchdowns.
St. Ed's opponent on Friday at 7:30 p.m. will be Springfield, which entered the playoffs seeded 12th in their region at 5-5 before reeling off five straight wins. However, the Wildcats' status as underdogs is somewhat deceiving, as they have made it to the title game each of the last two years against the Eagles.
Division II: Archbishop Hoban (13-1) vs. Massillon Washington (15-0)
Does this matchup sound familiar? It should, because this marks the third D-II state title game meeting between these two schools since 2018. The Knights won both of those last two meetings, while the Tigers are still seeking their first state championship since the playoff era began in 1972 (they are 0-6 all-time in championship games).
Currently ranked as high as ninth in the nation, Nate Moore's group is once again battle-tested, blasting through a brutal regular season schedule before outscoring their opponents 212-32 in the postseason. Quarterback and Copley transfer DaOne Owens leads Massillon in both rushing (1,225 yards, 15 TDs) and passing (1,549 yards, 18 TDs), and as a whole the defense has put up 44 sacks and 112 tackles for loss (Michael Wright Jr. leads the team with 10 1/2 sacks).
Unlike Massillon, Hoban (ranked as high as 23rd nationally) has managed to finish the job more often than not with five state titles since 2015, although they have lost in the championship round each of the past two seasons. The Knights, who came back from an 11-point deficit to beat Avon in the state semis, feature a loaded offensive line that paves the way for Xavier Williams and a strong running game, while on defense the linebacking core is anchored by stars Rickey Williams and Eli Lee, the latter of whom just committed to Ohio State.
Kickoff is slated for Thursday night at 7:30 p.m.
Division IV: Cleveland Glenville (12-3)
Last year, Ted Ginn Sr. and the Tarblooders finally broke through to win the program's first state title, and while this year's team has lost three times (albeit to three powerhouse programs), the amount of talent is clearly the most of any team in D-IV.
Even if cornerback Bryce West isn't able to play (he injured his shoulder back in the regional finals), his fellow Ohio State commit Damarion Witten can help carry the load both as a tight end and even quarterback. Senior running back D'Shawntae Jones also helps but up the points, while the defense also boasts Kareem Jennings up front and Jermaine Agee in the secondary.
Glenville's opponent on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. will be Archbishop Alter (12-3). The Knights are seeking their first state title since 2009.
Division V: Perry (15-0)
For the longest time, it seemed like Perry was always just on the cusp of greatness, slashing through the regular season with its high-powered offense before flaming out in the playoffs. Now, the Pirates have finally sailed to a state championship game, finally earning some long-deserved respect in the process.
All 15 wins for Bob Gecewich's team this season have come by at least 13 points, including an eyebrow-raising 24-6 thrashing of Kirtland back in Week 3. Perry's two-way star is Kent State commit Jayden Studio, who's not only a solid running back but also plays linebacker and leads a defense that has pitched six shutouts while giving up less than 10 points per game.
The Pirates will face Liberty Center Saturday at 3 p.m. in the weekend's only matchup featuring a pair of 15-0 squads. The Tigers won their only state title way back in 1997.
Division VI: Kirtland (14-1)
Early in the season, some were forced to ask, "What's wrong with Kirtland?" The Hornets struggled with Dalton early before seeing their long regular-season winning streak snapped at the hands of Perry.
Tiger LaVerde's group finally looked vulnerable. Too bad for the rest of the region that only lasted about five minutes.
Yes, Kirtland quickly got back to its winning ways, ripping off 12 in a row by an unreal tally of 545-71 (including seven shutouts). This year's obligatory stable of running backs includes Rocco Alfieri and Will Beers, while the starting quarterback is none other than LaVerde's youngest son Jake.
The game is set for Friday at 10:30 a.m., with Kirtland taking on Versailles (13-2) in a rematch of the 2021 D-VI state championship game. The Tigers won that battle, 20-16, snapping the Hornets' 55-game winning streak that had been the longest in the nation at the time.
Division VII: Dalton (13-1)
Perhaps the best thing that could've happened to Danton was losing 14-7 to Kirtland back in Week 1. Sure, it was a loss, but it showed Broc Dial's team could compete with the best.
True to form, the Bulldogs haven't lost since, with just one win coming with a margin of victory under 20 points. The offense is led by running back Greyson Siders, who also does his part as a linebacker on defense.
Now in its first-ever state championship game, Dalton will have to match up with one of the preeminent programs in all of Ohio: Marion Local, winners of three consecutive state titles and 47 games in a row dating back to 2021 (they even dropped from D-VI this season despite winning that division's championship a year ago). Kickoff is set for Saturday at 10:30 a.m.
ONE FINAL NOTE: The Division III championship game will be played Friday at 3 p.m. between Bishop Watterson (14-1) and Toledo Central Catholic (15-0).