MANSFIELD — The high school football game all of Richland County has enjoyed the past two seasons will become a trilogy on Friday night at Arlin Field in Mansfield.
Shelby has taken the measure of Ontario in the past two regular seasons in a couple of outstanding contests that determined the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference championship.
In 2023, the Whippets nipped the Warriors with a wicked hook-and-ladder play on a 4th-and-15 from the Ontario 39 in the final minute to earn a stunning, 37-31 victory.
Earlier this season, Shelby again came from behind to collect a 50-36 win in another high-scoring affair.
This time the Whippets and Warriors will tangle at Arlin Field in a Sweet 16 clash that should draw one of the biggest crowds in recent memory. The two powerhouses will collide on Friday at 7 p.m. when No. 2-seed Shelby (12-0) meets third-seeded Ontario (11-1) in the Division IV, Region 14 semifinals.
The Ohio High School Athletic Association announced the football regional semifinal playoff pairings and neutral sites for the third round of the playoffs on Sunday afternoon.
Here’s where other area teams will be in action.
Lexington (7-5) has authored the best Cinderella story in the region by ripping off a pair of road upsets. Next up in Division III, Region 10 the Minutemen tangle with No. 1-seed Toledo Central Catholic (11-1) at Tiffin Columbian’s Frost-Kalnow Stadium.
Speaking of upsets, Ashland thumped state powerhouse Columbus DeSales 27-13 at Community Stadium. The fourth-seeded Arrows (12-0) will challenge top seed Big Walnut (11-1) at Marion Harding High School in a Division II, Region 7 semifinal.
Northmor is having perhaps the greatest season in the history of Morrow County football. The Knights are 12-0 and will carry the No. 2-seed into a Sweeet 16 encounter with third-seeded Ridgewood (11-1) at Newark’s White Field in Division VI, Region 23.
No one in the region has been more impressive than Hillsdale. The Falcons (11-1) are the No. 2-seed and will face third-seeded Malvern (11-1) at Massillon Perry High School in a Division VII, Region 25.
Danville is the last team standing in Knox County. The Blue Devils are the No. 1 seed in Division VII, Region 27. They will take a 10-2 record into their matchup with fifth-seeded Corning Miller (10-2) at Thornville Sheridan High School.
Playoff pairings
The first team listed in the pairings is the designated home team. A team’s regional seed, state rank and overall record do not factor into neutral site locations.
During the first round, 45 lower seeded schools won on the road at higher seeded schools, and 11 of those schools won again on the road last Friday in the regional quarterfinals.
The regional playoffs will follow bracket format (see bracket link below). The regional finals are Friday, Nov. 22 and the state semifinals are Friday, Nov. 29. The state championship games will be hosted at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton Dec. 5 to 7.
Neutral sites
Neutral host sites receive a stipend from the OHSAA and also keep revenue from concessions, parking, 50-50 raffles and program sales. In addition, the OHSAA pays for the officials.
Without schools being willing to host games, the OHSAA would not be able to use neutral sites. Many factors go into determining locations for each game, and rarely can a site be found that is exactly halftime between the two schools. Once a potential site is determined, the school must be available and willing to host a game on the requested night.
Tickets
Tickets for all playoff games will be available on Mondays at www.ohsaa.org/tickets. Details on state championship game tickets are posted at: https://www.ohsaa.org/news-media/articles/ohsaa-announces-football-state-championships-schedule-and-tickets
BRACKETS AND INFO
Spectrum will announce its playoff game selections by noon on Mondays, followed by the NFHS Network game selections. If a game is selected by Spectrum or the NFHS Network, there are no other live video broadcasts permitted. The Spectrum game selections will be posted at: https://www.ohsaa.org/Sports-Tournaments/Football/Football-2024/2024-OHSAA-Football-on-Spectrum-News-1
All-Time Playoff History Database: https://ohsaaweb.blob.core.windows.net/files/Sports/Football/history/FootballParticipants.pdf
OHSAA football home: https://ohsaa.org/sports/football
MaxPreps Ohio Football Home (stats, scoreboard): https://www.maxpreps.com/state/football/ohio.htm
Ohio Prep Sports Media Association State Football Notebooks: https://www.ohsaa.org/News-Media/Ohio-Prep-Sports-Media-Association/OPSMA-Weekly-Football-Notebooks
OHSAA Football Regional Semifinal Playoff Pairings
Pairings shown with regional seed. All games on Friday, November 15, at 7 p.m.
Higher seeded team is the designated home team and listed first.
Division I
REGION 1
1. Mentor (12-0) vs. 5. Canton McKinley (8-4) at Medina High School Ken Dukes Stadium.
3. Perrysburg (10-2) vs. 7. Lakewood St. Edward (7-5) at Elyria High School Mercy Field at Ely Stadium.
REGION 2
vs. 5. Hilliard Davidson (8-4) vs. 8. Huber Heights Wayne (7-5) at Miami Trace High School Tony’s Welding and Fabrication Stadium.
2. Centerville (9-3) vs. 14. Dublin Coffman (4-8) at Springfield High School Wildcat Stadium.
REGION 3
1. Powell Olentangy Liberty (10-2) vs. 5. Upper Arlington (10-2) at Westerville Central High School.
6. Delaware Olentangy Berlin (10-2) vs. 7. Pickerington North (10-2) at Columbus St. Francis DeSales Alumni Stadium.
REGION 4
1. Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller (11-1) vs. 4. Cincinnati Princeton (10-2) at Mason High School Tri-Health/Beacon Stadium.
2. West Chester Lakota West (11-1) vs. 6. Cincinnati St. Xavier (9-3) at Cincinnati Princeton High School Jake Sweeney Automotive Stadium.
Division II
REGION 5
1. Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit (12-0) vs. 4. Austintown-Fitch (9-3) at Ravenna High School Portage Community Bank Stadium Harry Gilchrist Field.
2. Akron Archbishop Hoban (10-2) vs. 3. Macedonia Nordonia (10-2) at Barberton High School Sharkey Stadium.
REGION 6
1. Avon (12-0) vs. 5. Wadsworth (11-1) at Strongsville High School Pat Catan Stadium.
2. Medina Highland (12-0) vs. 3. Whitehouse Anthony Wayne (12-0) at Bellevue High School First National Bank Field.
REGION 7
1. Sunbury Big Walnut (11-1) vs. 4. Ashland (12-0) at Marion Harding High School Ohio Health Field at Harding Stadium.
3. Massillon Washington (9-2) vs. 7. Ashville Teays Valley (8-4) at Zanesville High School Sulsberger Stadium.
REGION 8
1. Cincinnati Anderson (12-0) vs. 5. Cincinnati Mount Healthy (9-2) at Lakota East High School.
2. Cincinnati La Salle (10-2) vs. 6. Harrison (10-2) at Hamilton Ross High School.
Division III
REGION 9
1. Youngstown Ursuline (11-1) vs. 4. Aurora (11-1) at North Canton Hoover High School Memorial Stadium.
2. Gates Mills Gilmour Academy (11-1) vs. 3. Cuyahoga Falls CVCA (10-2) at Twinsburg High School Tiger Stadium.
REGION 10
1. Toledo Central Catholic (11-1) vs. 12. Lexington (7-5) at Tiffin Columbian Frost-Kalnow Stadium.
3. Cleveland Benedictine (10-2) vs. 7. Parma Padua Franciscan (7-5) at North Royalton High School Serpentini Stadium.
REGION 11
1. Columbus Bishop Watterson (12-0) vs. 4. Newark Licking Valley (11-1) at Licking Heights High School Hornet Stadium.
2. Steubenville (11-0) vs. 11. Dover (9-3) at Carrollton High School Warrior Stadium.
REGION 12
4. London (12-0) vs. 8. St. Marys Memorial (10-2) at Piqua High School Alexander Stadium.
2. Wapakoneta (12-0) vs. 3. Bellbrook (11-1) at Troy High School Memorial Stadium.
Division IV
REGION 13
1. Mentor Lake Catholic (12-0) vs. 5. Cleveland Glenville (9-3) at Painesville Riverside High School.
2. Perry (11-1) vs. 3. Streetsboro (12-0) at Burton Berkshire High School Great Lakes Cheese Stadium
REGION 14
1. Sandusky Perkins (11-1) vs. 13. Napolean (7-5) at Milbury Lake High School Community Stadium.
2. Shelby (12-0) vs. 3. Ontario (11-1) at Mansfield Arlin Field.
REGION 15
1. St. Clairsville (12-0) vs. 13. Millersburg West Holmes (7-5) at New Philadelphia High School Quaker Stadium.
2. Gnadenhutten Indian Valley (12-0) vs. 3. New Lexington (11-1) at Coshocton High School Stewart Field.
REGION 16
5. Cincinnati Taft (10-2) vs. 9. Cincinnati Indian Hill (9-3) at Milford High School Eagle Stadium Powered by Cullen Electric.
6. Cleves Taylor (10-2) vs. 10. Kettering Archbishop Alter (7-5) at Fairfield High School Christy Rose Dennis Stadium.
Division V
REGION 17
1. Canfield South Range (12-0) vs. 5. Sugarcreek Garaway (10-2) at Minerva High School Dr. Robert Hines Stadium.
2. Akron Manchester (11-1) vs. 3. Poland Seminary (10-2) at Louisville High School Leopard Stadium.
REGION 18
1. Milan Edison (12-0) vs. 5. Pemberville Eastwood (11-1) at Clyde High School Robert J. Bishop Jr. Stadium.
2. Liberty Center (12-0) vs. 3. Oak Harbor (12-0) at TBA.
REGION 19
1. Ironton (11-1) vs. 4. Canal Winchester Harvest Prep (9-2) at Waverly High School Raidiger Field.
7. Zanesville West Muskingum (9-2) vs. 14. Wheelersburg (8-4) at Athens Joe Burrow Stadium.
REGION 20
1. Jamestown Greeneview (12-0) vs. 5. Lewistown Indian Lake (10-2) at Fairborn High School Skyhawk Stadium.
2. West Liberty-Salem (11-1) vs. 3. Waynesville (9-3) at Dayton Welcome Stadium.
Division VI
REGION 21
1. Kirtland (12-0) vs. 4. Columbia Station Columbia (10-2) at Brooklyn High School Coach Jerry Younger Field.
2. New Middletown Springfield (10-2) vs. 6. Dalton (9-3) at Alliance Marlington High School.
REGION 22
1. Bascom Hopewell-Loudon (11-0) vs. 4. Hamler Patrick Henry (10-2) at Findlay Donnell Stadium.
2. Bluffton (11-1) vs. 3. Toledo Ottawa Hills (10-1) at Defiance High School Fred Brown Athletic Complex.
REGION 23
1. Columbus Grandview Heights (11-0) vs. 4. Beverly Fort Frye (9-3) at Logan High School Chieftain Stadium.
2. Galion Northmor (12-0) vs. 3. West Lafayette Ridgewood (11-1) at Newark White Field.
REGION 24
1. Coldwater (11-1) vs. 5. St. Bernard Elmwood Place (10-2) at Trotwood-Madison High School Miami Valley Hospital SportsPlex.
2. Cincinnati Country Day (11-1) vs. 3. Anna (9-3) at Monroe High School Hornet Stadium.
Division VII
REGION 25
5. Warren John F. Kennedy (10-2) vs. 9. Cuyahoga Heights (7-4) at Orwell Grand Valley High School.
2. Jeromesville Hillsdale (11-1) vs. 3. Malvern (11-1) at Massillon Perry High School Wakefield Stadium.
REGION 26
1. Columbus Grove (12-0) vs. 4. Sycamore Mohawk (10-2) at Fostoria High School Memorial Stadium.
11. Leipsic (8-4) vs. 15. Delphos St. John’s (5-7) at Ottawa-Glandorf High School Titan Stadium.
REGION 27
1. Danville (10-2) vs. 5. Corning Miller (10-2) at Thornville Sheridan High School Paul Culver Jr. Stadium.
2. Beaver Eastern (12-0) vs. 3. Bowerston Conotton Valley (9-3) at Heath High School Swank Field.
REGION 28
1. Maria Stein Marion Local (12-0) vs. 4. Ansonia (11-1) at Lima Spartan Stadium.
2. Minster (10-2) vs. 3. Cincinnati College Prep (9-2) at Sidney High School Memorial Stadium.