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 […]
playoffs
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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 […]
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Gallery: Lexington falls to Toledo Central Catholic in regional semifinals, 35-7
(Photos from Lexington’s 35-7 loss on Friday night to Toledo Central Catholic in a Division III regional semifinal football game in Tiffin’s Frost-Kalnow Stadium. The gallery includes the Lexington Band of Gold’s halftime performance. Lexington finished its season with a 7-6 record, winning seven of its last 10 games. TCC, the defending state champion, advances […]
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Feeling groovy: Ontario’s Bodpegn Miller back in top form in playoff rout of Clyde
ONTARIO — Ontario’s Bodpegn Miller felt amazing Friday night. The Clyde Fliers …. well, not so much. Slowed the last few weeks by a balky knee, the 6-foot-4, 190-pound senior quarterback passed for two TDs and ran for two more in the Warriors’ overwhelming, 38-7 beating of Clyde in a Division IV, Region 14 quarterfinal […]
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Gallery: Ontario hammers Clyde in second round of football playoffs, 38-7
(Photos from Ontario’s 38-7 win over Clyde at Niss Stadium on Friday night in a Division IV regional quarterfinal. The win sets up a rematch between the Warriors (11-1) and Shelby (12-0) in the regional semifinals on Nov. 15 at a neutral site that will be announced by the OHSAA on Sunday. Shelby defeated Ontario, […]
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Gallery: Ontario tops Clear Fork in opening round of football playoffs
(Photos from Ontario’s 24-2 win at Niss Stadium on Friday over Clear Fork in a Division IV, Region 14 playoff football game. The Warriors (10-1) advance to play in the regional quarterfinals at home on Nov. 8 against Clyde. Clear Fork ends its season with a 4-7 record. The gallery includes photos of the marching […]
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Road Warriors: Lexington among 4 county schools to open playoffs on road
LEXINGTON — The Minutemen hope to spring another upset. Lexington will head to Toledo on Friday to tangle with Maumee in a Division III, Region 10 first-round playoff game. Lex hasn’t won a postseason game since 2018. That year, seventh-seeded Lexington stunned No. 2 Tiffin Columbian behind Mr. Football Cade Stover, now with the Houston […]
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Rematch: Clear Fork visits Ontario for 1st-round playoff game
ONTARIO — The rematch is set and the stakes couldn’t be higher. The Ohio High School Athletic Association released its final computer ratings and first-round playoff pairings Sunday. Ontario (9-1) earned the No. 3 seed in Region 14 of Division IV and will host No. 14 Clear Fork (4-6) on Friday at Copeland Field. The […]