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OHSAA football playoffs: Every 1st-round matchup involving Northeast Ohio high schools

The amount of teams normally in the postseason has doubled, with regional brackets expanding from eight to 16 slots.

Credit: Photo Submitted

CLEVELAND — The moment has arrived.

Ohio's high school football playoffs are set to begin this weekend, with 448 teams across seven different divisions vying for a trip to Canton and a state championship. After a 2020 postseason that saw only very limited spectators in attendance due to health concerns, fans across the state are expected to once again pack stadiums under the Friday (and Saturday) night lights.

RELATED: More high school sports coverage from 3News

Every team was eligible for the playoffs last year due to a truncated regular season schedule, and this year things will be somewhat similar, with the number of schools in each regional bracket doubling from the normal eight to 16. This will add an extra round and give more teams an opportunity to compete, but has also led to some controversy, including the invite of an 0-10 squad from the Cincinnati area (Oak Hills).

The slate of games is littered with teams from Northeast Ohio, and storylines are aplenty: Can "Mr. Football" frontrunner Drew Allar lead Medina to the promised land? Will Kirtland win a fourth straight state title and extend its nation-best 50-game winning streak? Who will come out of the wide-open regions in Divisions II and III?

These questions will all be answered in time. For now, lets take a look at all the first-round matchups involving teams from WKYC Studios' 17-county viewing area.

NOTE: All games during the first two rounds will be played at the better seed's home field, with local teams listed in bold. Divisions I-IV will play on Friday night, while V-VII will play Saturday.

Division I

Region 1

(16) Lorain (1-9) vs. (1) St. Edward (8-1)
(9) Berea-Midpark (6-4) vs. (8) Brunswick (6-4)
(13) Solon (4-6) vs. (4) Canton McKinley (6-4)
(12) Strongsville (5-5) vs. (5) Jackson (8-2)
(15) Shaker Heights (3-6) vs. (2) Medina (10-0)
(10) Elyria (6-4) vs. (7) Cleveland Heights (8-2)
(14) Plain GlenOak (3-6) vs. (3) Stow-Munroe Falls (8-2)
(11) Mentor (5-5) vs. (6) St. Ignatius (6-4)

Division II

Region 5

(16) Akron Firestone (4-6) vs. (1) Benedictine (6-2)
(9) Lyndhurst Brush (5-4) vs. (8) Painesville Riverside (6-4)
(13) Ashtabula Lakeside (5-4) vs. (4) Hudson (8-2)
(12) Maple Heights (5-4) vs. (5) Walsh Jesuit (8-2)
(15) Cleveland John Hay (4-6) vs. (2) Nordonia (8-2)
(10) Bedford (6-3) vs. (7) Willoughby South (7-3)
(14) Eastlake North (4-6) vs. (3) Archbishop Hoban (7-3)

Region 6

(16) Toledo Waite (4-4) vs. (1) Granger Highland (9-1)
(9) Cleveland Rhodes (6-2) vs. (8) Anthony Wayne (8-2)
(13) North Olmsted (6-4) vs. (4) Toledo Central Catholic (8-2)
(12) St. John's Jesuit (4-5) vs. (5) Avon Lake (7-3)
(15) Toledo St. Francis de Sales (4-6) vs. (2) Avon (8-2)
(10) North Royalton (7-3) vs. (7) Fremont Ross (7-3)
(14) Lakewood (5-5) vs. (3) Barberton (9-1)
(11) Parma Heights Valley Forge (6-3) vs. (6) Olmsted Falls (8-2)

Region 7

(13) Columbus Independence (5-5) vs. (4) Massillon Washington (8-2)
(12) Lake (5-4) vs. (5) Westerville South (7-2)
(15) Worthington Kilbourne (4-6) vs. (2) North Canton Hoover (8-2)
(10) Marion Harding (7-3) vs. (7) Green (7-3)
(14) Wooster (5-5) vs. (3) Olentangy Berlin (8-2)

Division III

Region 9

(16) Akron East (5-5) vs. (1) Chardon (10-0)
(9) West Geauga (7-3) vs (8) Streetsboro (7-2)
(13) Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin (5-5) vs. (4) Canfield (9-1)
(12) New Philadelphia (6-4) vs. (5) Hubbard (9-1)
(15) St. Vincent-St. Mary (4-6) vs. (2) Dover (9-0)
(10 Ravenna (7-3) vs. (7) Aurora (8-2)
(14) Painesville Harvey (5-4) vs. (3) Kenston (9-1)
(11) Tallmadge (7-3) vs. (6) Steubenville (8-2)

Region 10

(16) Copley (3-7) vs. (1) Norton (9-0)
(9) Bay (5-4) vs. (8) Holy Name (4-5)
(13) Lexington (4-6) vs. (4) Mansfield Senior (8-2)
(12) Cleveland Central Catholic (3-6) vs (5) Padua Franciscan (7-2)
(15) Sylvania Southview (4-6) vs. (2) West Holmes (10-0)
(10) Cloverleaf (4-5) vs. (7) Tiffin Columbia (6-4)
(14) Toledo Rogers (4-5) vs. (3) Rocky River (7-3)
(11) River Valley (5-5) vs. (6) Buckeye (7-3)

Division IV

Region 13

(16) CVCA (5-5) vs. (1) West Branch (10-0)
(9) Poland Seminary (7-3) vs. (8) Fairless (9-1)
(13) Lawrence Northwest (6-4) vs. (4) Perry (8-2)
(12) Girard (6-4) vs. (5) Gilmour Academy (7-2)
(15) Hawken (5-5) vs. (2) Villa Angela-St. Joseph (6-1)
(10) Beaver Local (7-3) vs. (7) Cleveland Glenville (7-3)
(14) Canton South (7-3) vs. (3) Ursuline (6-3)
(11) Woodridge (6-4) vs. (6) Salem (7-3)

Region 14

(16) Milan Edison (5-5) vs. (1) Bellevue (8-2)
(9) Perkins (7-3) vs. (8) Lutheran West (8-1)
(12) Huron (6-4) vs. (5) Keystone (8-1)
(10) Clear Fork (6-4) vs. (7) Shelby (8-2)
(11) Wauseon (7-3) vs. (6) Triway (7-1)

Region 15

(12) Philo (6-4) vs. (5) Indian Valley (6-2)
(10) Cambridge (6-4) vs. (7) Carrollton (7-3)

Division V

Region 17

(16) Harrison Central (4-6) vs. (1) Kirtland (9-0)
(9) Island Creek Richmond (7-3) vs. (8) New Franklin Manchester (6-4)
(13) Sandy Valley (6-4) vs. (4) Garrettsville Garfield (10-0)
(15) Rootstown (5-5) vs. (2) South Range (10-0)
(10) Berkshire (6-4) vs. (7) Crestwood (6-3)
(14) Buckeye Local (3-5) vs. (3) Garaway (10-0)
(11) Lutheran East (5-5) vs. (6) Southeast (8-1)

Region 18

(13) Waynedale (5-5) vs. (4) Indian Lake (7-3)
(12) Chippewa (4-5) vs. (5) Ottawa-Glandorf (7-3)
(15) Pleasant (2-8) vs. (2) Elyria Catholic (8-2)
(14) Brooklyn (4-6) vs. (3) Elmwood (8-1)

Division VI

Region 21

(16) Trinity (3-7) vs. (1) LaBrae (9-1)
(13) Canton Central Catholic (4-6) vs. (4) Mogadore (7-3)
(12) Hillsdale (6-4) vs. (5) Cardinal (7-3)
(15) Wellington (4-6) vs. (2) Columbia (9-1)
(10) East Canton (5-3) vs. (7) Black River (7-3)
(11) Pymatuning Valley (6-3) vs. (6) Norwayne (7-3)

Region 22

(9) Collins Western Reserve (6-3) vs. (8) Gibonsburg (7-2)
(15) Northwood (5-5) vs. (2) Weller Crestview (10-0)

Division VII

Region 25

(16) Mapleton (3-6) vs. (1) Lucas (8-1)
(9) Lowellville (7-2) vs. (8) Malvern (8-2)
(13) Mathews (6-3) vs. (4) Dalton (8-2)
(12) Toronto (5-5) vs. (5) Independence (8-2)
(15) South Central (3-6) vs. (2) St. Paul (8-1)
(10) Plymouth (5-4) vs. (7) Washington Southern (7-3)
(14) Monroeville (3-7) vs. (3) Warren John F. Kennedy (6-2)
(11) Valley Christian School (7-2) vs. (6) Cuyahoga Heights (5-3)

Region 27

(11) Conotton Valley (5-4) vs. (6) Waterford (7-2)