Week 11 H.S. football playoff preview: Games and players to watch

H.S. football Week 11

OHSAA playoffs, first round

Oct. 31 games

Div. I, Region 1

No. 11 Medina (3-7) at No. 6 Strongsville (8-2)

Last week: Medina 33, Lorain 30; Strongsville 24, Brunswick 7

Regular season: Strongsville 42, Medina 14. 

This week: Medina got the win it needed to eke out a spot in the playoffs and the help it needed elsewhere to keep from being the No. 12 seed. Against Lorain, the Bees turned an early 16-0 lead, which eventually stretched to 30-7, into enough to halt a five-game losing streak in their regular-season finale and their final game as a member of the Greater Cleveland Conference. Beckett Vogrin threw a pair of touchdown passes and Landon Kusick kicked a pair of field goals, including one early in the third quarter – Medina’s only second-half points – the ultimately provided the winning points. Lorain scored 22 second-quarter points and then added a touchdown with 5½ minutes left and had one final possession, though they didn’t threaten. In Medina’s first meeting with Strongsville the teams were tied 7-7 early in the second period when the Mustangs reeled off 35 consecutive points, scoring on four plays that averaged more than 70 yards, plus a short run. Strongsville got to Medina quarterbacks for nine sacks. The winner will play at No. 3 Canton McKinley (8-2)

Division II, Region 7

Mount Vernon (6-4) at Ashland (9-1)

Last week: Granville 35, Mount Vernon 13; Lexington 43, Ashland 35

This week: Mount Vernon will face an old foe when the football team travels to Ashland for its first playoff game since 1993. The Yellow Jackets and Arrows battled for several years in the Ohio Cardinal Conference before MV moved into the Licking County League in 2024. Their last meeting was a 31-14 victory for Ashland in the 2023 season. The Jackets head into the playoffs after suffering losses to LCL league champ Licking Valley and runner-up Granville in their final two games. MV has been led all season by quarterback Mason Richards, who rushed for 1,381 yards. He’s also completed 52 of 108 passes for another 750 yards. Sophomore Landon Dawson has emerged as his top receiver, pulling in 16 passes for 306 yards. MV’s defense has played well most of the season but will have its hands full with a potent Ashland offense. The Arrows scored 41 points per game, winning their first nine before a 43-35 setback to league champ Lexington in the season finale. The lowest point total of the season was a 34-7 victory over New Philadelphia. Quarterback Nathan Bernhard, an Appalachian State recruit, leads the way. The senior completed 24 of 50 passes for 364 yards and rushed for 83 yards and two scores in the loss to Lexington. He has been intercepted just once this season. Bernhard has plenty of weapons in Gabe Baith (8 receptions, 133 yards for Lex) and Dakota Kruty (4-90).

Division IV, Region 14

Cloverleaf (6-4) at Bay Village Bay (6-4)

Last week: Streetsboro 35, Cloverleaf 7; Rocky River 31, Bay 21

Last year: Bay 41, Cloverleaf 14, Region 14 first round.

This week: The Colts have limped into the postseason a bit, losing three of their final four contests. They are 1-4 against teams that wound up the year above .500, the one win coming against Keystone in Week 2. Against Streetsboro the Colts fell behind 14-0 four minutes into the second quarter, giving up a pair of touchdown passes. Ethan Gray’s TD run late in the second quarter made it a one-possession game but the Rockets were able to punch one in just before halftime, then returned a Cloverleaf fumble for a TD just seconds into the second half and just like that it was 28-7. The Colts had trouble moving the ball much, averaging less than 3 yards per offensive play. They turned the ball over three times and didn’t take advantage of three takeaways by the defense. Bay rolled the Colts a year ago in this round. The winner will play at No. 2 Galion (9-1) in a Nov. 7 regional quarterfinal.

Orrville (6-4) at Clear Fork (6-4)

Last week: Triway 27, Orrville 21; Galion 20, Clear Fork 7

This year: The Red Riders scored the final 14 points against rival Triway, but came up just short in a Week 10 loss. Senior quarterback Cameron Kraft threw scoring tosses to Breylon McDuffie and Case McDaniel. Sophomore Mark Lorson, who’s rotated in at quarterback off and on during the season, also threw a scoring pass to Tyson Woodruff. Kraft has passed for 1,426 yards and 15 TDs, while Lorson has added 429 yards and four scores through the air and rushed for 444 yards. The Riders’ run game sputtered against Orrville and they will look to get Parker Hostetler (162-1,153 yards, 15 TDs) back on track against Clear Fork. McDuffie has seven TD catches, while McDaniel has six and also leads the team with four interceptions. Hostetler leads the defense with 75 tackles, while Woodruff has logged 70. Clear Fork is also coming off of a Week 10 loss against 9-1 playoff qualifier Galion. Colts QB Marcus Hoeflich and WR Devin Oswalt are a good pass-and-catch combination, while Ben Campbell and Porter Schmidt are the leading rushers. The winner advances to play at No. 1 Shelby.

Division V, Region 18

Fredericktown (8-2) at Fairview (8-2)

Last week: Centerburg 34, Fredericktown 0; Fairview 56, Cobell Midland 41

This week: Fredericktown advanced to the playoffs for the 13th time despite a loss to Centerburg in the season-finale. The Freddies will travel to Cuyahoga County to take on Fairview, which has lost in the first round in all three of its playoff appearances (2024, 2020 and 2000). The Freddies battled injuries throughout the season but found its mojo late in the season with four straight wins before the finale. Quarterback Blake Sipes has led the way, passing for more than 700 yards and rushing for nearly 1,000. Gavin Toombs and Cirk Parker have filled in nicely at running back after injuries to two Freddie starters. The Fredericktown defense will have its hands full with the Warriors, winners of six games in a row. Fairview is averaging over 41 points per game, including a 56-41 victory over Cobell Midland (W.Va.) in the final game of the regular season. Quarterback Burke Lowry has thrown 30 touchdown passes on the season, including eight to wideout Will Allen. The Warriors are balanced offensively, though, as running back Lamarcus Clark has averaged more than 90 yards per game on the ground.

Division V, Region 17

Claymont (6-4) at Youngstown Liberty (8-2)

Last week: Indian Valley 42, Claymont 7; Liberty 55, Ravenna Southeast 20.

This week: Claymont was 1-9 in 2024 and did not make the playoffs. Liberty finished 5-6 overall, losing 49-14 to Akron Manchester in the first round of the playoffs. Claymont is making its first playoff appearance since 1992, when it lost to Thornville Sheridan in the first round A week ago, Claymont fell to Indian Valley for the eighth consecutive year, which gave the Braves a 19-18 series lead. Liberty comes in having won its last three games, scoring 118 points over the final two weeks. The Leopards’ two losses came by a 28-21 score against Columbiana Crestview, which finished 10-0, and 8-2 Garrettsville Garfield by a 35-34 count. The winner will play at No. 3 Poland Seminary (8-2) in a Nov. 7 regional quarterfinal.

Division V, Region 23

Ridgewood (8-2) at Newcomerstown (7-3)

Last week: Newcomerstown 50, Buckeye Trail 6; Garaway 14, Ridgewood 0.

Last year: Ridgewood 34, Newcomerstown 14, Division VI playoffs, second round.

This week: Newcomerstown qualified for the Division VI playoffs, winning a first-round game over Grove City Christian 23-14 before falling to Ridgewood. The Trojans started the season with seven consecutive wins before going 2-3 down the stretch. Ridgewood went on to fall to Northmor 21-7 a week after beating the Trojans. Ridgewood also won its first seven games before falling to eventual state champ Indian Valley. The two teams the Generals lost to a year ago finished a combined 30-1. The Trojans head into this game winners of their last five contests, averaging 48 points per contest over that stretch, three of the wins coming against teams that finished with winning records. The winner will play at No. 1 Centerburg (9-1) in a Nov. 7 regional quarterfinal.

Div. VI, Region 21

Cuyahoga Heights (7-2) at Smithville (8-2)

Last week: Cuyahoga Heights 39, Brooklyn 6; Smithville 38, Chippewa 0

This year: Smithville will look to capture its first home playoff victory since 2002 — not counting the 2020 season when every team qualified for the postseason. In last week’s 38-0 win over Chippewa, Smithies' standout Mason Haines became the program’s all-time leading rusher, surpassing Chandler Keener. Haines enters the playoffs with 3,857 career rushing yards, including 1,150 this season and 13 TDs. Sophomore QB Brady Sidle has done a solid job, passing for 570 yards and six TDs, while rushing for 254 and four more scores. Isaiah Lee leads the team with 29 catches for 500 yards and three TDs, while also rushing for three scores. Under fifth-year head coach Phil Olsen, this year’s squad is the first Smithville team to record eight wins in a season since 2011. Longtime Cuyahoga Heights coach Al Martin’s squad has seven wins, but hasn’t beaten anyone that finished with more than four wins. The team formerly known as the Redskins is now the Red Wolves, and will have a big size advantage on the line. Martin, in his 29th year as coach, led his team to state runner-up finishes in 2016-17. Cuyahoga Heights has plenty of experience with third-year starting QB Zach Shafer. The winner will advance to play at No. 4 Hanoverton United Local.

Columbiana (7-3) at Dalton (7-3)

Last week: Columbiana 52, Lisbon 35; Dalton 56, Waynedale 32

This year: First-year Dalton coach Reid Geibel’s team has won four of its last five games and will have the home-field advantage when it hosts Columbiana at McFarren Field. Dalton QB Carter Hignight is one of the area’s top performers with more than 2,000 yards total offense. Bob Spaite is in his 32nd year leading the Columbiana Clippers. QB Hayes McCoy and RB Jensen Nordquist are players to watch for Columbiana. The winner advances to play at No. 3 Columbia.

Mineral Ridge (7-3 at Garaway (8-2)

Last week: McDonald 20, Mineral Ridge 14; Garaway 14, Ridgewood 0

This week: The Rams of Mineral Ridge will make their way from Trumbull County to Sugarcreek having lost 2 of their last 3, but both close games against playoff teams, including last Friday’s one-score loss to unbeaten McDonald. Garaway catapulted itself into the postseason with an impressive shutout of Ridgewood. Matthew Frey rushed for 91 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries to lead the Pirates, while QB Grady Miller completed 10-of-15 passes for 121 yards and added 51 yards rushing. Trey Miller led the receivers with three catches for 62 yards while Micah Yoder caught four for 22. Thomas Grimm paced the stellar defense with two sacks and two tackles for loss. Wyatt Miller and Yoder added four tackles each.

Div. VII, Region 25

Ashtabula St. John (5-5) at Malvern (6-4)

Last week: St. John 48, Cardinal 0; East Canton 7, Malvern 6

This week: Talk about polar opposites. Malvern is in the playoffs for the seventh consecutive year. Last year was the Hornets’ deepest foray into the postseason as they dropped a 50-48 heartbreaker in the regional semifinal to eventual state runner-up Hillsdale. This season, points have been hard to come by at times, but Malvern’s defense has stepped up; the Hornets are 5-1 when limiting opponents to 16 points or less. St. John, on the other hand, is making its first appearance in the postseason since 2018, the last year Malvern failed to make the playoffs. Since then the team has been in the wilderness and even endured two winless seasons before climbing into the 12th and final spot in the playoffs this year. Malvern cannot take the Fighting Heralds lightly as the team is hitting its stride as of late; after a 1-4 start, St. John has won four of five, and the one loss was a hard-fought 21-12 defeat to No. 2 seed Fairport Harding.

Div. VII, Region 27

Lucas (5-5) at Strasburg-Franklin (7-3)

Last week: Lucas 37, Crestline 0; Strasburg 51, TCC 0

This week: After reeling of five consecutive wins to begin the season, the Tigers went through a rough patch, including back-to-back low-scoring losses to Div. VII, Region 25 teams Malvern and East Canton to go alongside a 38-7 loss to Newcomerstown. All three of the teams to defeat the Tigers are in the playoffs. Strasburg also owns quality road wins over postseason participants Steubenville Catholic Central and Conotton Valley. Meanwhile, the Cubs, who have won three in a row to power into the playoffs, are playing their best football of the year. They secured their spot and booted Crestline from postseason contention with a dominating 37-0 shutout at home in Week 10. The Cubs, a perennial playoff participant, perform better at home as the team is just 1-4 on the road.

Rosecrans (6-4) at Conotton Valley (7-3)

Last week: Bishop Rosecrans 42, Berne Union 28; Conotton Valley 66, Mathews 35

This week: For the sixth straight year, the Conotton Valley Rockets are lined up to compete in week 11 postseason play. For a program that has been playing football since 1959 and only has seven playoff appearances to its name (1986 the other), this qualifies as a big deal. Not only has third-year head coach Derek O’Hara led the green and gold into the Div. VII bracket in all three of his seasons at the helm, he has also guided the Rockets to the school’s only two postseason victories, both last season. Entering the 2025 bracket as an eight seed, O’Hara will lead his high-octane offense from the friendly confines of his home field against the 9-seed Bishop Rosecrans Bishops Friday night. Even though the Bishops have not beat a team with a winning record this season, (closest thing a Week 6 39-28 victory over 5-5 Fairfield Christian Academy) Rosecrans may not be an easy out for the Rockets. The Bishops will bring an experienced roster to Carroll County, as the 24-man roster that has been to the playoffs four of the last five years has 10 senior names on it. Look for Rockets senior Gavin Haney to lead the way, he’s averaging 213 all-purpose yards per game. Of note, he’s only played in eight games and has 1,707 total yards on the year. If the Bishops stop Haney, fellow senior Kamden Wright is primed to take center stage. Wright has racked up 1,279 all-purpose yards in nine games. The two have combined for an impressive 42 touchdowns this season. The winner travels to No. 1 seed Hillsdale (9-1).

Danville (5-5) at Steubenville Catholic Central (6-4)

Last week: Danville 52, East Knox 12; Steubenville C.C. 37, East Tech 6

This week: Danville returns to its second home, the state playoffs, after a victory over East Knox in the annual Devil-Dog game. The Blue Devils are in the playoffs for the 24th time, including the last six in a row. This season has seen its ups and downs, but the Devils know how to turn up the intensity in week 11. Running back Cyren Wallace cracked the 1,000-yard barrier for the second straight season after a 153-yard night against the Bulldogs. He has also scored 13 TDs. Freshman quarterback Parker Proper has thrown for 760 yards after taking over starter duties midway through the season. The Crusaders are also well-versed in the playoff atmosphere, having made 17 playoff appearances, including four in a row. They are coming off a 37-6 victory over East Tech. Quarterback Matthew Sprochi leads the way on offense, as he rushed for 61 yards and threw for another 98 in the victory. Matty Jones is his favorite receiver, while Ryan Holzworth and Daveon Thorn give the Crusaders a lot of help at running back.

Teams with Oct. 31 byes hosting Nov. 7 games

Div. II Reg. 5 — No. 4 Lake (7-3), hosts Willoughby South-Hudson winner

Div. II, Reg. 6 — No. 1 Highland (10-0), hosts Oregon Clay- Brecksville-Broadview Heights winner

Div. III, Reg. 10 — No. 1 Buckeye (10-0) hosts Copley-St. Marys Memorial winner

Div. IV, Reg. 15 — No. 2 Indian Valley (9-0), hosts Philo-Circleville winner

Div. V, Reg. 18 — No. 2 Triway (9-1), hosts Fredericktown-Fairview winner.

Div. V, Reg. 18 — No. 4 Norwayne (8-2), hosts Delta-Liberty-Benton winner

Div. VII, Region 27 — No. 1 Hillsdale (9-1), hosts Rosecrans-Conotton Valley winner

Compiled by Ray Sarvis, Todd Stumpf, Fred Main, D. J. Watson, Aaron Dorksen and Mike Plant.