(10-6-25) It’s always incredible how fast the high school football season goes. Going into Week 8 under the new postseason format, teams are either fighting for a bye, fighting for a home game, or fighting just to get in. The final games will sort everybody out.
________________________________________

Division I – Elder, Pick Central Soar

In front of a sold-out crowd of over 10,000 fans on Friday night, Elder upended No. 1 Moeller 24–16 to capture its first GCL South championship since 2015. Pickerington Central jumped four spots after a 52–7 win over Newark. Freshman Edmund McAllister III logged his fifth 100-yard rushing game of the season with 134 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown.


________________________________________

Division II – Top Teams All Win, Hold Steady

The top five look exactly the same as they did a week ago, with Anderson, Walsh Jesuit, Avon, and Wadsworth all logging wins. Trotwood-Madison rebounded after a pair of out-of-state losses. The Rams pitched their first shutout of the season, beating Dunbar 45–0. Massillon isn’t going away either, following a 28–14 win over Missouri’s 2023 Division V state champion Cardinal Ritter.


________________________________________

Division III – Region 10 Deeper Than We Thought?

It appears that Wapakoneta and Toledo Central Catholic are on a collision course to meet in the Region 10 championship. However, Lexington may have something to say about that. After questions about the strength of their wins, the Minutemen destroyed 5–2 West Holmes 41–7. Staying in Region 10, Rocky River debuted in the top 15 following a 35–0 win over North Olmsted.


________________________________________

Division IV – Galion Climbs Into Top 5

Remember when everybody said that St. Marys was way down after its opening loss to Galion? With seven weeks of hindsight, that’s clearly not the case. Galion has recorded three straight shutouts in Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference play. If all lines up, the Tigers will get a chance at revenge against MOAC rival Shelby, the only team to defeat Galion this season.


________________________________________
Division V – Youngstown Area Football in the Spotlight

With all the attention on Ironton, Liberty Center, and Liberty-Benton, the boom in eastern Ohio has been largely ignored. Cardinal Mooney has won three straight while navigating one of the toughest schedules in Division V. Poland Seminary has continued its strong tradition, starting 6–1. (Yes, Canfield, we see you.) Girard climbs into the top five after a 56–35 win over South Range. Those two will square off in Girard in Week 8 for Youngstown supremacy.


________________________________________

Division VI – Colonel Crawford Debuts in Top 15

Colonel Crawford is finally getting the respect it deserves. The Eagles logged back-to-back shutouts, including a 31–0 win over Seneca East on Friday. They weren’t the only climbers in geographically massive Region 23. Fort Frye jumped into the top five after a 55–0 win over Greenbrier West (W.Va.), and Centerburg handed Mount Gilead its first loss of the season, 46–0.


________________________________________

Division VII – Western Ohio Dominates Rankings

Every week when I think I can focus on eastern Ohio, a team from the western half of the state steals the headlines. This time, it’s Minster, which is now a near-lock for the postseason after its 27–16 upset win against cross-county rival New Bremen. Further north, Columbus Grove has won four straight after an 0–3 start. The real tests for the Bulldogs are still to come. Their final three opponents, Convoy Crestview, Lima Central Catholic, and Bluffton, have a combined record of 18–3.