(11-15-26) The 56 teams left in the OHSAA football playoffs play 28 regional final games Friday, Nov. 20, all at 7 p.m. at neutral sites. The OHSAA announces the neutral sites today, Sunday, Nov. 15 — two are already known, and the rest are listed as TBA below.

The field by the numbers

  • 56 teams remain, two in each of the 28 regions.
  • 39 of the 56 are top-four seeds. 16 of the 28 No. 1 seeds are still alive.
  • 13 teams are still unbeaten.
  • No losing-record team remains — the lowest records left are two 8-5 teams: New Bremen and Middletown Bishop Fenwick.

Eight No. 1 seeds fell Friday

  • Division I, Region 3: No. 4 Powell Olentangy Liberty 14, No. 1 Gahanna Lincoln 10. Lincoln (11-1) is out; Liberty (8-4) goes to the final against No. 6 Pickerington North.
  • Division III, Region 10: No. 4 Wapakoneta 28, No. 1 Celina 7. Celina (10-2) is out; Wapakoneta (9-3) goes to the final against No. 2 Ontario.
  • Division IV, Region 13: No. 5 Chesterland West Geauga 14, No. 1 Streetsboro 7. Streetsboro (9-3) is out; West Geauga (11-2) goes to the final against No. 3 Beloit West Branch.
  • Division IV, Region 14: No. 4 Bellville Clear Fork 35, No. 1 Ottawa-Glandorf 9. Ottawa-Glandorf (11-1) is out; Clear Fork (10-2) goes to the final against No. 2 Shelby.
  • Division V, Region 18: No. 4 Archbold 39, No. 1 LaGrange Keystone 8. Keystone (10-1) is out; Archbold (11-1) goes to the final against No. 10 Coldwater.
  • Division V, Region 20: No. 4 Waynesville 14, No. 1 St. Paris Graham Local 7. Graham (10-1) is out; Waynesville (10-2) goes to the final against No. 6 Middletown Bishop Fenwick.
  • Division VI, Region 23: No. 4 Woodsfield Monroe Central 43, No. 1 Hannibal River 14. River (11-1) is out; Monroe Central (9-3) goes to the final against No. 7 Sugarcreek Garaway.
  • Division VII, Region 25: No. 4 New Middletown Springfield 27, No. 1 McDonald 7. McDonald (10-1) is out; Springfield (9-3) goes to the final against No. 2 Cuyahoga Heights.

Five of the seven defending champions are still playing

Kirtland (Division VI), Liberty Center (now Division VI), Bishop Watterson (now Division II), Avon (Division II) and St. Henry (now Division VI) all survived Friday. The two defending champions gone: Division I champion Olentangy Orange is out of Region 3, and Division IV champion Glenville was removed from the Division III, Region 9 field Oct. 29.

Seeds remaining (56 teams)

No. 1 — 16 | No. 2 — 15 | No. 3 — 7 | No. 4 — 8 | No. 5 — 2 | No. 6 — 2 | No. 7 — 3 | No. 8 — 1 | No. 9 — 1 | No. 10 — 1 | No. 11 — 0 | No. 12 — 0

The lowest seeds still alive are No. 10 Coldwater (9-4), No. 9 St. Henry (10-3) and No. 8 Youngstown Ursuline (9-4), followed by three No. 7 seeds: Carey (9-4), Sugarcreek Garaway (10-3) and New Bremen (8-5). No No. 11 or No. 12 seed remains.

Unbeatens remaining (13)

Division I (1): Cincinnati Princeton (12-0). Division II (1): Columbus Bishop Watterson (11-0). Division III (1): Bellbrook (12-0). Division IV (2): Shelby (12-0), Gnadenhutten Indian Valley (11-0). Division V (2): Perry (12-0), Girard (12-0). Division VI (1): Liberty Center (12-0). Division VII (5): Leipsic (12-0), Bascom Hopewell-Loudon (12-0), Willow Wood Symmes Valley (12-0), Danville (12-0), Maria Stein Marion Local (12-0).

Eleven unbeatens fell Friday, including Gahanna Lincoln, Big Walnut, Mayfield, Licking Valley, Rocky River, Ottawa-Glandorf, Sandusky Perkins, Garrettsville Garfield, Barnesville, LaGrange Keystone and Hannibal River. All five Division VII unbeatens survived — the only division where every unbeaten is still playing.

Three regional finals match unbeaten against unbeaten: No. 1 Perry (12-0) vs. No. 3 Girard (12-0) in Division V, Region 17; No. 1 Leipsic (12-0) vs. No. 2 Hopewell-Loudon (12-0) in Division VII, Region 26; and No. 1 Symmes Valley (12-0) vs. No. 2 Danville (12-0) in Division VII, Region 27.

The local thread

  • Division III, Region 10: No. 4 Wapakoneta (9-3) vs. No. 2 Ontario (11-1). Wapakoneta is the last Western Buckeye League team standing after Celina, Ottawa-Glandorf and St. Marys all fell Friday. Ontario is in its second regional final in three years.
  • Division IV, Region 14: No. 4 Bellville Clear Fork (10-2) vs. No. 2 Shelby (12-0). Clear Fork ended Ottawa-Glandorf’s perfect season 35-9 on Friday; Shelby beat Sandusky Perkins 20-14.
  • Division V, Region 18: No. 10 Coldwater (9-4) vs. No. 4 Archbold (11-1). Coldwater is the lowest seed left in the entire field.
  • Division VI, Region 24: No. 9 St. Henry (10-3) vs. No. 2 Cincinnati Deer Park (11-1). St. Henry, last year’s Division VII champion, is playing in Division VI this season.
  • Division VII, Region 28: No. 1 Marion Local (12-0) vs. No. 7 New Bremen (8-5) — an all-MAC regional final. Marion Local beat Minster 27-9 on Friday; New Bremen scored with 40 seconds left to beat Riverside 40-33.

Four MAC teams are still playing — Coldwater, St. Henry, Marion Local and New Bremen — and Wapakoneta is the WBL’s last team standing.

The marquee games

  • No. 1 Columbus Bishop Watterson (11-0) vs. No. 3 Massillon Washington (11-1), Division II, Region 7. Watterson brings a 40-game winning streak into the final; Massillon has won its last three games by shutout, including a 21-0 win over previously unbeaten Big Walnut on Friday.
  • No. 1 Lakewood St. Edward (11-1) vs. No. 3 Mentor (10-2), Division I, Region 1. Mentor edged Canton McKinley 16-13 on Friday; St. Edward beat Hudson 38-14.
  • No. 1 Cincinnati Princeton (12-0) vs. No. 2 Cincinnati Elder (10-2), Division I, Region 4, at Paycor Stadium. The one regional final site already announced.
  • No. 1 Perry (12-0) vs. No. 3 Girard (12-0), Division V, Region 17. Unbeaten against unbeaten, and Perry’s fifth straight regional final.
  • No. 1 Leipsic (12-0) vs. No. 2 Hopewell-Loudon (12-0), Division VII, Region 26. Unbeaten against unbeaten.
  • No. 1 Willow Wood Symmes Valley (12-0) vs. No. 2 Danville (12-0), Division VII, Region 27. Unbeaten against unbeaten.

The full pairings — all games Friday, Nov. 20, 7 p.m., at neutral sites

Division I

  • Region 1: No. 1 Lakewood St. Edward (11-1) vs. No. 3 Mentor (10-2) — site TBA
  • Region 2: No. 4 Huber Heights Wayne (8-4) vs. No. 2 Springfield (10-2) — site TBA
  • Region 3: No. 4 Powell Olentangy Liberty (8-4) vs. No. 6 Pickerington North (10-3) — site TBA
  • Region 4: No. 1 Cincinnati Princeton (12-0) vs. No. 2 Cincinnati Elder (10-2) — Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati

Division II

  • Region 5: No. 1 Medina Highland (11-1) vs. No. 3 Macedonia Nordonia (11-1) — Twinsburg Tiger Stadium
  • Region 6: No. 1 Toledo Central Catholic (10-2) vs. No. 3 Avon (10-2) — site TBA
  • Region 7: No. 1 Columbus Bishop Watterson (11-0) vs. No. 3 Massillon Washington (11-1) — site TBA
  • Region 8: No. 1 Cincinnati Anderson (11-1) vs. No. 2 Harrison (10-2) — site TBA

Division III

  • Region 9: No. 8 Youngstown Ursuline (9-4) vs. No. 2 Chardon Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin (11-1) — site TBA
  • Region 10: No. 4 Wapakoneta (9-3) vs. No. 2 Ontario (11-1) — site TBA
  • Region 11: No. 1 Steubenville (10-2) vs. No. 3 Columbus East (11-1) — site TBA
  • Region 12: No. 1 Bellbrook (12-0) vs. No. 2 Tipp City Tippecanoe (11-1) — site TBA

Division IV

  • Region 13: No. 5 Chesterland West Geauga (11-2) vs. No. 3 Beloit West Branch (11-1) — site TBA
  • Region 14: No. 4 Bellville Clear Fork (10-2) vs. No. 2 Shelby (12-0) — site TBA
  • Region 15: No. 1 Gnadenhutten Indian Valley (11-0) vs. No. 2 New Lexington (11-1) — site TBA
  • Region 16: No. 5 Urbana (10-3) vs. No. 2 London (10-2) — site TBA

Division V

  • Region 17: No. 1 Perry (12-0) vs. No. 3 Girard (12-0) — site TBA
  • Region 18: No. 10 Coldwater (9-4) vs. No. 4 Archbold (11-1) — site TBA
  • Region 19: No. 1 Ironton (11-1) vs. No. 2 Beverly Fort Frye (11-1) — site TBA
  • Region 20: No. 4 Waynesville (10-2) vs. No. 6 Middletown Bishop Fenwick (8-5) — site TBA

Division VI

  • Region 21: No. 1 Kirtland (11-1) vs. No. 2 Canfield South Range (11-1) — site TBA
  • Region 22: No. 1 Liberty Center (12-0) vs. No. 7 Carey (9-4) — site TBA
  • Region 23: No. 4 Woodsfield Monroe Central (9-3) vs. No. 7 Sugarcreek Garaway (10-3) — site TBA
  • Region 24: No. 9 St. Henry (10-3) vs. No. 2 Cincinnati Deer Park (11-1) — site TBA

Division VII

  • Region 25: No. 4 New Middletown Springfield (9-3) vs. No. 2 Cuyahoga Heights (11-1) — site TBA
  • Region 26: No. 1 Leipsic (12-0) vs. No. 2 Bascom Hopewell-Loudon (12-0) — site TBA
  • Region 27: No. 1 Willow Wood Symmes Valley (12-0) vs. No. 2 Danville (12-0) — site TBA
  • Region 28: No. 1 Marion Local (12-0) vs. No. 7 New Bremen (8-5) — site TBA

Winners advance to the state semifinals Friday, Nov. 27, and the seven state championship games are Dec. 3-5 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton.

Sources: Mansfield News Journal statewide scoreboard (all 56 regional semifinal scores, Nov. 14); OHSAA regional semifinal pairings release (seeds and records); Canton Repository regional final schedule; Columbus Dispatch; Akron Beacon Journal (Highland–Nordonia site); Cincinnati.com (Princeton–Elder at Paycor Stadium). Records shown are after the Nov. 13 semifinals. Neutral sites other than Paycor Stadium and Twinsburg Tiger Stadium had not been announced as of Sunday morning, Nov. 15 — the OHSAA announces them today.

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