BIG RAPIDS, Mich. — Ashland awakened a sleeping giant. The 18th-ranked Eagles jumped to a first-quarter lead before top-ranked Ferris State roared to a 56-24 win in the second round of the NCAA Division II football playoffs at snowy Top Taggart Field. AU (10-3) built a 14-0 lead midway through the first quarter. Jamari Croom […]
playoffs
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It’s official: Shelby-Galion football rematch coming Friday at Arlin Field
Unbeaten Shelby (12-0) will play Galion (11-1) on Friday night at Mansfield’s Arlin Field in a Division IV regional title game
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Galion looks to extend historic football season Friday against Sandusky Perkins
GALION — Galion has knocked on the door for decades. This season, the Tigers finally broke it down. Galion will play in the regional semifinals for the first time in 40 years on Friday when Sandusky Perkins invades Unckrich Stadium. The second-seeded Tigers (10-1) punched their ticket to the Division IV, Region 14 semifinals with […]
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Rest vs. Rust: Higher seeds navigate bye week in new 12-team regional format
Depending on who you ask, the bye week was either a blessing or a curse. The top four teams in each region entered postseason play last Friday after sitting out the opening round of the Ohio high school football playoffs with a bye in the new 12-team regional format. Those teams were a combined 85-27 […]
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Lexington’s historic football season comes to a close
LEXINGTON — Nineteen of Lexington’s 20 seniors walked the length of the field arm-in-arm after Friday’s 49-18 loss to Toledo Central Catholic. The one missing man was the one on everyone’s mind. Avery Crawford suffered a grisly leg injury early in the first quarter of the Division III, Region 10 quarterfinal inside Whitney Stadium. He […]
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Area teams gearing up for opening round of new-look playoffs
North central Ohio will be well represented when the high school football playoffs kick off this week. Take a look at the stats.
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Streaking: Lucas brings three-game winning streak into opening round of playoffs
LUCAS — The Cubs circled the wagons and earned their 12th straight playoff berth. Lucas brings a three-game winning streak into the opening round of the Division VII, Region 27 playoffs. The 10th-seeded Cubs (5-5) will visit No. 7 Strasburg-Franklin (7-3) on Friday at 7 p.m. Lucas was 2-5 going into Week 8 before traveling […]
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North central Ohio football coaches have mixed emotions about new playoff format
MANSFIELD — It was only a matter of time before the Ohio High School Athletic Association downsized the football playoffs. At least that’s how new Mansfield Senior coach Antonio Fletcher sees it. The OHSAA announced on Thursday a new format for the upcoming 2025 postseason and the playoff landscape will look considerably different. Only the […]
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COMMENTARY: A change in format is due, especially in Division I
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is Part III in a 3-part series on Ohio high school football playoff expansion. Part I was published on Wednesday. Part II was published on Thursday. I covered my first high school football playoff game in the fall of 1996. Back then there were six divisions divided into four geographic regions. The top […]
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OPINION: Recent history littered with great playoff games
MANSFIELD — North central Ohio football fans were treated to two of the greatest high school football games in recent memory last week. Ontario rallied from a 22-point, fourth-quarter deficit for a jaw-dropping 49-48 win over Richland County rival Shelby in a Division IV, Region 14 semifinal game in front of 8,500-plus at Mansfield Senior’s […]