SHELBY — Lima Bath coach Frank Russell challenged his Wildcats when the 2025 season began.
Continue to climb.
That was the mantra proffered by the third-year coach, according to a preseason story in the Lima News, focused on improving after going 6-6 last year (including a playoff win) and registering a 4-7 mark in 2023.
Mission accomplished thus far — but with a mountain looming on Friday at 7 p.m.
That’s when fourth-seeded Bath (9-2) travels across U.S. 30 to take on unbeaten, No.-1 ranked and No. 1-seeded Shelby (11-0) in a Division IV, Region 14 regional semifinal football game at the Whippet Athletic Complex.
The winner will take on either Galion (10-1) or Sandusky Perkins (9-3). Those two meet in the other Region 14 semifinal at Galion on Friday night.
The Ohio High School Athletic Association officially announced the third round of playoff games on Sunday afternoon.
The Wildcats, a member of the Western Buckeye League since 1965, know the challenge posed by the Whippets, led by All-Ohio quarterback Brayden DeVito. The senior last week moved into fourth on Ohio high school football’s all-time career passing yards list with 12,201 yards.
But Russell, a long-time assistant coach at both Franklin (as a defensive coordinator) and Colerain High Schools (last season), says his team will be ready. It’s just another climb for the Wildcats, who went 0-10 in 2022, the year before the coach arrived.
Armed with 19 returning lettermen coming into this season, including 14 seniors, Russell knew his team had a chance at a special year.
“It’s been a while here at Bath. We’re going to show up … Friday. We’re going to do everything we can to prepare. They (Shelby Whippets) are a really good football team, and we’ll be ready next Friday,” he told the Lima News after Bath knocked off Bellevue, 21-0, in the second round.
Shelby knocked off that same Bellevue team, 49-6, back in Week Three of the regular season. The Whippets blanked Orrville, 42-0, last Friday after earning a bye in the first round.
The Wildcats were battle-tested in the WBL playing the likes of Wapakoneta (11-0), Lima Shawnee (8-4) and St. Marys Memorial (8-4) as four league members qualified for the postseason in 2025.
It’s also a school with traditions of its own, opening in 1908, and operating at its current campus since the 1950s with about 430 students. This is the 14th time Bath has qualified for the football postseason, reaching the state semifinals in 1992 and 1989.
Like Shelby, Bath is led by a dual-threat quarterback in senior Zach Welsch (6-foot, 185 pounds), the triggerman for the best offense in the WBL, averaging 483 yards and 40.5 points per game during the regular season.
A four-year starter, Welsch completed 210-of-299 passes for 2,776 yards with 20 TDs and three interceptions. He also rushed 147 times for 926 yards and 18 more touchdowns.
“We’re going to loosen you up with the pass,” Russell told the Lima News before the season started.
“A lot of teams want to run to try to pass. We want to pass, then we’re going to run when you give it to us. We want to try to get as many guys as we can out of the box, and then take advantage of the numbers.”
Two Crawford County teams in regional semifinals
Galion, whose only loss was a narrow 45-34 decision against Shelby in Week Four, faces a Sandusky Perkins team that is once again on a roll.
The Pirates started the season 1-3, but have reeled off eight wins in a row, including playoff wins against Lorain Clearview (51-7) and Napoleon (31-0).
Postseason success is nothing new to Perkins, a member of the Sandusky Bay Conference. The Pirates went 14-2 a year ago, losing in the Division IV state title game to Indian Valley, 37-36.
The sixth-seeded Pirates returned a lot of talent from the state runner-up team, including quarterback Sam Schweinfurth, linebacker Braxden Martin and lineman Eli Sanchez, a UNLV college recruit.
The Tigers, which earned the No. 2 seed, had a bye in the first round and then knocked off Lodi Cloverleaf, 41-10, in Week Two of the playoffs.
Galion, which has wins against five playoff teams in 2025, was led by Braxton Stuckman against Cloverleaf, scoring three TDs in the playoff game at Heise Park.
Also on Friday at 7 p.m., Colonel Crawford (11-1) travels to Centerburg (10-1) in a Division VI, Region 23 semifinal.
The fifth-seeded Eagles, whose only loss came against Carey in Week Eight, have posted two convincing playoff wins already this season — taking out Beaver Eastern (35-7) at home and then going on the road to dispatch Mount Gilead (42-8).
The region’s top seed, Centerburg had a bye in the first round and then eliminated Ridgewood, 28-14, last week. The Trojans’ only loss this year was against Division IV Johnstown in Week Two, 42-14.
The winner of the Colonel Crawford-Centerburg game will take on either Beverly Fort Frye (9-1) or West Jefferson (10-1) in the regional title game.
OHSAA Football Regional Semifinal Playoff Pairings
Pairings shown with regional seed. All games on Friday, November 14, at 7 p.m., unless indicated otherwise.
Division I
Region 1
No. 4 Toledo Whitmer (9-2) at No. 1 Lakewood St. Edward (9-2)
No. 3 Canton McKinley (9-2) at No. 2 Mentor (11-0)
Region 2
No. 5 Springfield (8-4) at No. 1 Middletown (9-2)
No. 6 Huber Heights Wayne (8-4) at No. 2 Troy (9-2)
Region 3
No. 5 Powell Olentangy Liberty (8-4) at No. 1 Lewis Center Olentangy Orange (11-0)
No. 6 Upper Arlington (10-2) at No. 2 Pickerington Central (10-1)
Region 4
No. 4 Cincinnati Princeton (9-2) at No. 1 Cincinnati Elder (11-0)
No. 3 Cincinnati St. Xavier (8-2) at No. 2 Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller (8-3)
Division II
Region 5
No. 5 Hudson (10-2) at No. 1 Akron Archbishop Hoban (9-1)
No. 3 Austintown Fitch (9-1) at No. 2 Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit (9-1)
Region 6
No. 4 North Ridgeville (10-1) at No. 1 Medina Highland (11-0)
No. 3 Avon (10-1) at No. 2 Wadsworth (11-0)
Region 7
No. 4 Canal Winchester (10-1) at No. 1 Sunbury Big Walnut (10-1)
No. 3 Massillon Washington (8-3) at No. 2 Columbus St. Francis DeSales (9-2)
Region 8
No. 5 Cincinnati La Salle (9-3) at No. 1 Cincinnati Anderson (11-0)
No. 7 Harrison (9-3) at No. 3 Trotwood-Madison (7-3)
Division III
Region 9
No. 4 Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph (9-1) at No. 1 Canfield (10-1)
No. 6 Akron East (10-2) at No. 2 Cuyahoga Falls CVCA (10-0)
Region 10
No. 5 Rocky River (10-2) at No. 1 Medina Buckeye (11-0)
No. 6 Toledo Central Catholic (8-4) at No. 2 Wapakoneta (11-0)
Region 11
No. 4 Dresden Tri-Valley (9-2) at No. 1 Columbus Bishop Watterson (10-0)
No. 3 Steubenville (8-2) at No. 2 Newark Licking Valley (11-0)
Region 12
No. 4 Jackson (9-2) at No. 1 London (11-0)
No. 3 Hamilton Badin (10-1) at No. 2 Tipp City Tippecanoe (11-0)
Division IV
Region 13
No. 4 Beloit West Branch (10-1) at No. 1 Perry (9-2)
No. 3 Mentor Lake Catholic (9-2) at No. 2 Cleveland Glenville (8-3)
Region 14
No. 4 Lima Bath (9-2) at No. 1 Shelby (11-0)
No. 6 Sandusky Perkins (9-3) at No. 2 Galion (10-1)
Region 15
No. 4 Chillicothe Unioto (11-0) at No. 1 New Lexington (10-1)
No. 3 Plain City Jonathan Alder (10-1) at No. 2 Gnadenhutten Indian Valley (10-0)
Region 16
No. 4 Cincinnati Taft (11-0) at No. 1 Cincinnati Indian Hill (11-0)
No. 3 Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy (10-1) at No. 2 Germantown Valley View (10-1)
Division V
Region 17
No. 4 Garrettsville Garfield (9-2) at No. 1 Youngstown Cardinal Mooney (8-2)
No. 3 Poland Seminary (9-2) at No. 2 Girard (11-0)
Region 18
No. 5 Findlay Liberty-Benton (12-0) at No. 1 Liberty Center (11-0)
No. 3 Genoa Area (10-1) at No. 2 Wooster Triway (10-1)
Region 19
No. 4 Barnesville (9-2) at No. 1 Wheelersburg (11-0)
No. 3 Nelsonville-York (11-0) at No. 2 Gahanna Columbus Academy (9-2)
Region 20
No. 8 Richwood North Union (8-4) at No. 5 Carlisle (10-2)
No. 11 Cincinnati Mariemont (8-4) at No. 2 Lewistown Indian Lake (9-2)
Division VI
Region 21
No. 5 Smithville (10-2) at No. 1 Kirtland (11-0)
No. 7 Sugarcreek Garaway (9-2) at No. 6 Dalton (9-3)
Region 22
No. 9 Carey (8-4) at No. 4 Paulding (11-0)
No. 3 Archbold (9-2)at No. 2 Bascom Hopewell-Loudon (10-1)
Region 23
No. 5 North Robinson Colonel Crawford (11-1) at No. 1 Centerburg (10-1)
No. 3 West Jefferson (10-1) at No. 2 Beverly Fort Frye (9-1)
Region 24
No. 5 Coldwater (8-4) at No. 1 New Madison Tri-Village (11-0)
No. 6 Anna (9-3) at No. 2 Springfield Northeastern (10-1)
Division VII
Region 25
No. 4 Monroeville (9-2) at No. 1 McDonald (11-0)
No. 7 East Canton (10-2) at No. 3 Mogadore (10-1)
Region 26
No. 4 Columbus Grove (8-3) at No. 1 Lima Central Catholic (10-1)
No. 7 Pandora-Gilboa (9-3) at No. 3 Leipsic (10-1)
Region 27
No. 4 Willow Wood Symmes Valley (9-2) at No. 1 Jeromesville Hillsdale (10-1)
No. 11 Danville (7-5) at No. 2 Waterford (9-2)
Region 28
No. 12 Fort Recovery (7-5) at No. 1 Maria Stein Marion Local (11-0)
No. 11 Cedarville (7-5) at No. 2 St. Henry (10-1)