You were not alone this past weekend in feeling the seven high school state football title games resulted in lopsided scores and with fewer people in the stands.
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COMMENTARY: Falcons’ flight lifts north central Ohio fans to rare air
CANTON — Hillsdale’s remarkable high school football odyssey encompassed more than a season. The Falcons 2025 campaign ended with a Division VII state runner-up trophy, just like the 2024 season. This one came after Saturday’s 37-3 loss to St. Henry on Saturday before 3,912 fans at Canton’s Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Therein lies […]
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Hold your head high: Shelby fans celebrate Whippets’ historic run
SHELBY — The Shelby Whippets may not have won the state championship game Friday morning, but the team still returned to plenty of fanfare and hometown pride. After traveling to the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton earlier that morning, fans piled on to the bleachers of the high school gymnasium to cheer for […]
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Watterson overpowers Toledo Central Catholic for state title
CANTON – Columbus Bishop Watterson is a back-to-back state champion after defeating Toledo Central Catholic 30-0, in the Division III state championship game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Bishop Watterson (14-0) was making its third consecutive state championship appearance and its eighth overall appearance. The Eagles won state titles in 2024, 2010 and […]
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COMMENTARY: Shelby’s superb season creates lifetime memories
CANTON — Shelby’s memorable run to the Division IV state championship game can’t be summed up in one contest. The reason is Friday’s 45-7 loss to Cleveland Glenville was not indicative of the Whippets’ 2025 campaign. Indeed, Shelby nation expressed how proud it was of this season-long odyssey by showing out in strong numbers at […]
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Avon survives Cincinnati Anderson in Division II state title shootout
CANTON – Blake Elder completed 12 of 18 passes for 216 yards and four touchdowns and Quiante Smith ran 31 times for 180 yards and a score to lead Avon to a 37-20 win over Cincinnati Anderson and its second straight Division II state championship. Avon (14-1) is the first repeat Division II state champion […]
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Hillsdale smashes McDonald to reach 2nd straight state championship game
NEW PHILADELPHIA – Some folks were saying the McDonald football team had a bit of a Cinderella-story vibe to it entering Friday night’s Division VII state semifinal against Hillsdale. The No. 3-ranked Blue Devils were playing in their 100th season, had tied their program record for wins and featured one of the best senior classes […]
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Great Expectations: Added pressure hasn’t bothered Shelby, Hillsdale in pursuit of state titles
Winning a regional championship is tough enough. Winning a regional championship you are expected to win is an even bigger challenge. Both Shelby and Hillsdale carried the weight of impossible expectations into the season. The Whippets returned a wealth of talent from a team that reached the third round of the playoffs last year. The […]
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Col. Crawford hammers West Jefferson to pocket 1st regional championship
SPARTA — Colonel Crawford’s magical football season chalked up a school first on Friday night. The fifth-seeded Eagles soared over No. 3-seed West Jefferson 35-7 to collect a Division VI regional championship at Highland High School. C.C. (13-1) was fueled by the powerful legs of senior Connor McMichael. The 6-foot, 210-pound bulkhead muscled his way […]
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Nov. 21 Mansfield-area roundup: Shelby, Col. Crawford, Hillsdale win regional titles
Mansfield area Boys Football roundup from November 21, 2025