COLUMBUS – There are no changes for the seven area football teams after the Ohio High School Athletic Association released the football region information on Tuesday.
Mount Vernon remains in Division II, Region 7; Highland is in Division IV, Region 15; Utica is in Division V, Region 19; Centerburg, Fredericktown, Mount Gilead and Northmor are in Division VI, Region 23; and Cardington, Danville and East Knox are in Division VII, Region 27.
The 10-week regular season begins the week of Aug. 16, and the top 16 in each region qualify for the playoffs, which begin Oct. 19. Playoff participation has doubled since 2019, when only eight teams qualified.
All teams participated in the football playoffs last year after the COVID-19 pandemic shortened the regular season. The regular season was played for six weeks before the start of the state tournament. Teams eliminated from the tournament were allowed to resume their regular season schedules up until Week 10.
Mount Vernon, seeded 16th in last year’s playoffs, lost to 17th-seeded Canal Winchester in the first round before closing out the regular season with wins over Delaware, Big Walnut and Newark to finish 5-4 overall.
Like Mount Vernon, Fredericktown and Utica each played three regular season games after being eliminated.
Cardington played two regular season games after it was eliminated by Danville in the first round.
Centerburg did not resume a regular season schedule after falling to Loudonville in its postseason opener. Likewise, East Knox did not resume a regular season schedule after falling to Shadyside in the second round.
The Blue Devils also fell in the second round and played one regular season game after being eliminated.
Highland beat River View in the first round before falling at top-seeded St. Clairsville the following week. The Scots played one regular season game against Galion following that loss.
Mount Gilead played only four games last season – losing all four – playing its final game in Week 6.
Like last season, coaches are permitted an unlimited number of days for strength and conditioning as well for instruction between June 1 and July 31. The first official day of practice is Aug. 1, and the regular season begins Aug. 16, with the first Friday on Aug. 20.
The first official computer ranking will be released on Sept. 14, and the regular season concludes on Oct. 23 with the final computer released the following day.
This season also marks the last season Highland will compete in the Knox Morrow Athletic Conference as it moves to the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference for the 2022 season. Loudonville joins the KMAC in 2022.
