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Prep football playoff pairings released in Ohio

The path to an Ohio State Football Championship is officially set.

More than 600 schools across the Buckeye State, who opted into the OHSAA Football Tournament, learned the pairings and brackets for the seven-division tournament, which opens one week from today at the site of the higher seed.

All games in Division I, II, III and VII will be contested on Friday nights throughout the playoffs, while Divisions IV, V and VI will play on Saturday evenings. Kickoffs on both nights will occur at 7 p.m.

The highest seed will host through the regional semifinals, according to the OHSAA. The regional finals, state semifinals and state championship games will be held at neutral sites as has been the case in years past.

Division III

Steubenville, which is 3-1 entering tonight’s road trip to Austintown-Fitch, will open its postseason at home one week from tonight. Big Red was seeded seventh and will take on Youngstown East. If Big Red prevails, it will be at home again in Week 8 to take on the winner of Dover and Tallmadge.

Division IV

St. Clairsville, which sits at 5-0 and is ranked No. 1 in the latest Associated Press Poll, garnered the top seed in Region 15.

The Red Devils will have 15 days off after tonight’s game at Harrison Central. They’ll play the winner of River View and Sparta Highland, who are seeded 16 and 17, respectively.

Union Local, which is 1-4 entering tonight’s showdown with rival Barnesville, will play on the opening weekend. The Jets were seeded 21st and will make the nearly two-and-a-half hour trip to McArthur to take on Vinton Co.

Indian Creek, which won its first playoff game last season, is off to a 1-4 start. The Redskins were voted the 19th seed and will trek to Gnadenhutten to take on Indian Valley. These two had been scheduled to play in the regular season.

Cambridge, which is 3-2, pocketed the 10th seed and will host 23rd-seeded Linden McKinley from the Columbus City League.

Division V

Bellaire, which has been ranked as high as seventh in the AP Poll, is the highest-ranked area team in Region 17. The Big Reds are the fifth seed and will take the opening week off.

Though the division is scheduled to play at 7 p.m., since Nelson Field doesn’t have lights, the Big Reds are still permitted to host the game. They’ll welcome the winner of 12th-seeded Burton Berkshire and 21st-seeded Cleveland Heights Lutheran East for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff on Oct. 17.

Martins Ferry narrowly missed one of the byes, but the eighth-seeded Purple Riders could be at home for two rounds.

Ferry will host 25th-seeded and winless Jefferson Area on Oct. 10 at 7 p.m.

Harrison Central, which is also 3-2 for the season, was seeded 15th and will play host to 18th-seeded Rootstown at Wagner Field. The winner advances to take on second-seeded Canfield South Range.

Edison garnered the 16th seed and a home game. The Wildcats, who are 3-2, will take on 17th-seeded Akron Manchester. That winner must deal with defending state champion and top-seeded Kirtland.

Buckeye Local, which is coming off its first win last week against Monroe Central, was the 22nd seed and will trek to Ravenna to take on 11th-seeded Southeast.

Division VI

Fort Frye — which is currently undefeated entering tonight’s game at Wheeling Central — is the top seed in Region 23. The Cadets already know their opponent, too. Belpre will make the short jaunt to Beverly on Oct. 17. The Eagles advanced without playing because Newcomerstown must shut down for this week and next because of COVID-19 concerns.

Barnesville, which is currently 3-2, was voted the fifth seed and received a bye. The Shamrocks will take on the winner of Marion Elgin (12th seed) and Fredericktown (21st seed) on Oct. 17.

Shenandoah, which is also 3-2 for the season, was awarded the seventh seed and a bye. The Zeps will welcome the winner of 10th-seeded Dawson-Bryant and 23rd-seeded Grandview Heights.

Buckeye Trail, which is open this week because of Newcomerstown’s aforementioned COVID issues, will play on the opening weekend. The Warriors are the ninth seed and will take on Mt. Gilead.

Division VII

Four area teams earned an opening-round bye in Region 27.

River, which is 4-1, was the highest-seeded area squad. The Pilots are the third seed and will welcome the winner of Waterford and Corning Miller to Flannery Field on Oct. 17.

Shadyside, which is off to a 2-3 start, received a lot of respect from the voters as the seventh seed. The Tigers will host their first playoff game on their new turf on Oct. 17th against the winner of Frontier and Fairfield Christian. The Cougars are the 10th seed.

Caldwell was voted the sixth seed and will welcome the winner of Reedsville Eastern and Portsmouth Sciotoville Community School to the Noble Co. Fairgrounds.

Monroe Central had thought it had received a bye, but the Seminoles, who are seeded 16th, will take on 17th-seeded Strasburg on Saturday, Oct. 17. Many of Strasburg’s players were in quarantine after contact tracing, but it ends on Friday and the OHSAA — with Monroe’s agreement — allowed the game to be pushed back 24 hours.

Toronto, which is 2-3 on the season, earned a home game as the 15th seed. The Red Knights will welcome Tuscarawas Central Catholic, which is the 18th seed.

Conotton Valley will host its first playoff game on the artificial turf in Bowerstown. The Rockets are seeded 12th and are scheduled to play Portsmouth Notre Dame. The winner advances to face Newark Catholic.

PLAYOFF NOTES

∫ The attendance for playoff games remains at 15% of the capacity of the venue. No adjustment has been made to that edict, which was issued by Gov. Mike DeWine and the Ohio Department of Health in August.

∫ Similarly, only home-team marching bands will be participating in the playoff game, but both schools’ cheering squads will be permitted.

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