Mansfield Senior and Lucas have clinched football post-season berths.
But that doesn’t mean the Tygers and Cubs don’t have a lot to play for next Friday night as the 10-week regular season comes to an end.
And local teams competing in the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference still have lot to sort out in terms of league and post-season honors.
Let’s see if we can help sort it all out.
MANSFIELD SENIOR TYGERS
Mansfield Senior (8-1) clinched a playoff spot in Division III, Region 10, according to Ohio football online guru www.joeeitel.com, with a 34-14 win at Mount Vernon.
In fact, the website shows seven of the eight playoff teams in Region 10 have already clinched spots, including Norwalk (8-1), Medina Buckeye (7-2), Bay Village (7-2), Tiffin Columbian (8-1), Sandusky (6-3) and Parma Heights Holy Name (7-2).
The remaining slot will likely go to either Cleveland Glenville (6-3) or River Valley (6-3), which ends its regular season at Lexington on Friday.
The top four teams in each region host first-round playoff games. The second-place Tygers are in a prime spot to earn a home post-season game.
The Tygers host winless Madison (0-9) on Friday still hoping for a share of the Ohio Cardinal Conference title.
Mansfield Senior (4-1) is tied for second with Ashland (4-5, 4-1), but the surging Arrows, who have won four of their last five games, host league-leading Wooster (6-3, 5-0) on Friday.
If Ashland and Mansfield Senior both win, there will be three teams atop the league standings at 5-1.
LUCAS CUBS
The perennial power Cubs (8-1) sit atop the standings in Division VII, Region 25, continuing success despite playing a rugged, independent schedule.
Lucas clinched the playoff spot on Friday with a 28-14 win on the road in Trumbull County in northeast Ohio against Leavittsburg LaBrae, a 3-6 Division VI school.
In fact, the Cubs, competing in the smallest division, have only played two schools its “own size” this season, battling weekly against larger teams like D-VI Centerburg (6-3), D-II Columbus St. Charles (4-4) and D-V Willard (0-9).
The only loss Lucas has this season was back in week three when the Cubs lost to D-VI Northmor (8-1), 14-13.
Lucas may face its toughest opponent of the regular season on Friday when the Cubs host D-VI Lima Central Catholic (8-1).
The Thunderbirds’ only loss was 49-45 to D-II Lima Senior in the season opener and LCC has wins against perennial D-VI power Mogadore (8-1) and D-IV Shelby. The Thunderbirds beat the Whippets, 55-41, in week eight.
MID-OHIO ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
Before the season started, many expected the MOAC to come down to the final week of the season. They weren’t wrong.
Galion (8-1, 4-1) and Shelby (6-3, 4-1) are tied atop the league standings. Both have huge week 10 games.
The Tigers travel to Marion Pleasant (7-2, 3-2) while the Whippets host two-time defending league champion Clear Fork (6-3, 3-2).
It’s conceivable there could be four teams with 4-2 league records when the regular season ends.
But that doesn’t even take into account playoff implications. All of these teams compete in Division IV, Region 14.
Keystone (8-1) currently leads the region and is the only team to have clinched a playoff slot. Galion, Wauseon, Ottawa-Glandorf and Clear Fork “control their own destiny,” according to Joe Eitel, and will clinch week 11 games with wins on Friday.
But the Whippets, currently in seventh in the region, also likely get in with win of their own.
