The elephant in the room

  1. a major problem or controversial issue that is obviously present but avoided as a subject for discussion because it is more comfortable to do so.

UPDATE:

(10-28-25)

Thanks to Joe Eitel for his insight on this…

Even though the team had 6 losses, Versailles only finished 0.9 behind West Liberty-Salem for the 12th spot.  That roughly equates to only 9 Harbin points, which is a relatively slim margin.  By comparison, a win over Marion Local alone would have netted Versailles about 37 total Harbin points (3.5 level-1 and 33.5 level-2).  This would have landed the Tigers in the playoffs as the 10th seed with a 5-5 record.

In fact, each one of Versailles 6 losses would have been worth more than the 9 points needed, had they won.  So, really, a win in any one of those 6 games would have gotten the Tigers in at 5-5 this season.  For instance, a win over Minster or New Bremen would have netted them roughly 22-23 points in total, less than a win vs Marion Local but still more than enough to get them up to the 11th seed.

(10-26-25) — Versailles will not be a part of this year’s D V State Football playoffs. The Tigers finished the season at 4-6 and were ranked #14 in D V Region 20.

Just above them…#13 Waynesville (4-6) and #12 West Liberty-Salem (5-5).

How tough is the Midwest Athletic Conference? The Tigers went 2-6 in conference games this season. All 6 loses this season came from MAC members and all of them have qualified for the playoffs.

RELATED: Oklahoma HS Girls Basketball Team…’Does The Right Thing’

Now the ‘elephant in the room‘ …the Marion Local loss was and will always be controversial due to an apparent call very late in the game that allowed the Flyers to score the go-ahead and winning TD. Rather you agree or not that is the case...yes bad calls happen…but for the Tigers this another heart-breaker to deal with from that call.

The one unknown…how did that emotional loss to Marion Local effect the Tigers for the rest of the season. The season ended with Versailles losing five straight games.

Sam Houseworth in his recent posting — Sam Houseworth’s Ohio High School Football Projection Index – After Week 9

Division V – Versailles

Related- OHSAA Statement On Marion Local-Versailles Football Controversial Call

The ending of the Marion Local–Versailles game will be talked about for years if the Tigers can’t upset St. Henry this week. I won’t mince words: Versailles is probably the best team in Region 20. If they can beat St. Henry and get in, they’ll be the favorite to reach the state semifinals. But St. Henry is arguably the best team in Division VII without a 70-plus-game winning streak. This is a tall task for the Tigers.

For D V in the 2025 playoffs it has had two significant issues that might have just changed the outcome of of who wins the 2025 state championship.