One Week to Go: Teams Peaking at the Right Time

With one week remaining before the state playoffs, several teams across Ohio appear to be peaking at exactly the right moment. In the smaller divisions, tournament brackets were released over the weekend. For Divisions I and II, those brackets will be announced this coming weekend.

For now, let’s take a look at the teams hitting their stride as the postseason approaches.

DIVISION I

Archbishop Moeller was clinging to a spot in the top 15 the last time we checked in. Since then, the Crusaders have surged, winning four straight and clinching an outright Greater Catholic League championship — their second in the past three seasons.

Freshman Jayden Davis has fueled that run, averaging 12.0 points and 4.8 rebounds per game during the streak. He’ll need to stay hot when Moeller hosts Covington Catholic tonight, the top-ranked team in the state of Kentucky.

DIVISION II

Since a late-December loss to Hoover, Massillon has rattled off 15 straight wins and may now be the most dangerous team in northeast Ohio. During that stretch, the Tigers have picked up wins over No. 13 (Division I) Canton McKinley, 19–2 Alliance, and 14–5 Austintown-Fitch.

The looming question for both Massillon and Hoover is regional placement. With Lima Senior and Toledo St. John’s Jesuit expected to funnel through Wooster, both programs will be eyeing placement in the Kent State regional.

DIVISION III

As the season winds down, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to envision anyone stopping Toledo Central Catholic from a state title run. That said, plenty of movement has occurred beneath the top tier as teams jockey for position in the final week.

No. 3 Badin, No. 6 La Salle, No. 8 Bishop Watterson, and No. 10 Goshen all climbed multiple spots in the latest rankings. If nothing else, it reinforces the idea that southwest Ohio will be a gauntlet once teams converge at the Xavier regional next month.

DIVISION IV

At this point last month, Cleveland Central Catholic appeared to be fading from the conversation. Fast forward to now, and the Ironmen have won seven straight and are positioning themselves as favorites to emerge from the Canton regional.

That regional figures to be must-watch, with Warrensville Heights, Glenville, Canfield, and CCC all expected to collide. Still, the eventual Division IV state champion may well come from the Xavier regional, where Wyoming, Northridge, and Archbishop Alter are all headed.

DIVISION V

While Lutheran East remains perched atop Division V, several teams are surging late. Margaretta, Waynesville, Summit Country Day, West Muskingum, and Canton Central Catholic all made notable jumps in the latest rankings — with Margaretta standing out as the most dangerous of the group.

The Polar Bears pushed No. 1 (Division III) Toledo Central Catholic to the brink in a 54–50 loss just over two weeks ago. Since then, they’ve won three straight by an average of 33.3 points per game. With momentum on their side, Margaretta looks capable of making a run to UD Arena in March.

DIVISION VI

I already had this written about Patrick Henry, and I won’t scrap it now — because the Patriots earned it.

Patrick Henry jumped six spots after ripping off eight straight wins before a one-point loss to Liberty-Benton. During that streak, the Patriots defeated Wauseon, 14-win Liberty Center, and 13-win Archbold.

A road win at Swanton on Friday would clinch at least a share of the Northwest Ohio Conference title.

DIVISION VII

Yes, Racine Southern has been mentioned before — but its late-season surge deserves continued attention. Since we last checked in, the Tornadoes have added five more wins, all by 20-plus points, pushing their winning streak to 15.

Another notable climber is Leesburg Fairfield, which picked up key wins over Whiteoak and Peebles over the weekend. A potential meeting with Southern at the Ohio Dominican regional could be one of the most compelling matchups in the division.