DIVISION V
Highland Fighting Scots face Tinora Rams
Highland finished 7-3 with a second-place finish in the MOAC and enters the OHSAA playoffs as the No.7 seed in Division V; Region 18.
The Fighting Scots will rely on their regular season formula for success. “We will prepare for the playoffs as we have all year, by putting in extra work, demanding more of our players, and working on schemes that will give us an opportunity to move forward,” Highland head coach Ty Stover said.
Highland hosts the No.10 seeded Tinora Rams on Friday, Oct. 28 at 7 p.m.
Tinora finished third in the Green Meadows Conference with a 7-3 record. In the Rams, the Fighting Scots find a similar team.
“Our opponent is a run-oriented team that believes that running the football and playing solid defense are key to success,” Stover said. They are a 7-3 team just as we are and bring a ton of physicality and aggression to the game.”
Highland's ground game is led by Ohio's No. 2 rusher, Dane Nauman, with 2278 yards and 28 touchdowns and their defense is anchored by Ladon Hayes -- 8 tackles per game, and Nauman -- 6.4 tackles per game. In the secondary, Zachary Church has five interceptions and Hayden Kline has four.
Following a tough loss against Clear Fork, in which the 9-1 Colts stopped Highalnd's vaunted running game cold to end the regular season, Highland looks to bounce back against a tested opponent.
“They, like us, have also had some adversity to face throughout the year and have done a great job of fighting through it,” Stover said. “ We will have our hands full once again on Friday night and hope to avenge a lackluster performance from last Friday.”
Fredericktown Freddies vs. Eastwood Eagles
Despite losing to KMAC champion Centerburg, 49-14 to end the regular season, Fredericktown won six games and earned the No.14 seed in Division V, Region 18 to gain a berth in the OHSAA playoffs.
The Freddies travel to Pemberville to face the No.3 seeded Eastwood Eagles, champions of the Northern Buckeye Conference.
The game will be played at Freedom Field at Jerry Rutherford Stadium on Friday, Oct. 28 at 7 p.m.
Fredericktown's offense is led by Teegan Ruhl, No. 9 in Ohio with 1739 yards rushing with 25 touchdowns, two-way player Kaid Carpenter, quarterback Ben Mast and on "D" by Mason Hoeflich, who has 83 tackles on 29 solos and 54 assists.
Fredericktown’s game preparation will not change for the playoffs. “We’re preparing for Eastwood as we would any week,” Fredericktown head football coach Will Hartley said. “We try to keep to the same routines as much as possible.”
The Eagles are a traditional Ohio football power and have Freddie’s respect.
“Eastwood is a solid 10-0 team,” Hartley said. They are a program that’s had a great deal of success over the years, it will be a big challenge for us.”
Centerburg Trojans against Columbus Academy Vikings
Centerburg who captured the KMAC championship with a perfect 7-0 mark in conference play is the No.4 seed in Division V, Region 19.
The 9-1 Trojans, who moved up a division this fall, host #13 seed Columbus Academy on Friday, Oct. 28 at 7 p.m.
Following a season-opening loss at Utica, the Trojans reeled off nine consecutive wins to end the regular season. The Trojans are led by Tyler Johnson at quarterback, with 1287 yards passing, 1501 yards rushing and an Ohio-leasing 36 touchdowns scored. Caylan LeMaster has 1184 yards rushing and Jesse Rings caught 33 passes for 422 yards and intercpted five passes.
The Vikings suffered a four-game losing streak against playoff teams before ending the regular season with three straight wins to finish at 4-5 and make the postseason.
Centerburg is familiar with the Viking program. “We've scrimmaged them for the last several years, so, we have a general idea of what they like to do on both sides of the ball,” Trojan head coach Andrew Colella said. “They're a traditional playoff-winning football program and are extremely well coached.”
Preparation for week one of the playoffs won’t look much different for the Trojans. “For us, it will be a normal week of preparation,” Colella said. “ With our game being on Friday, there's no need to change the typical routine we go through during the week.”
DIVISION VI
Mount Gilead Indians vs. Worthington Christian Warriors
“This is the first time in school history that Mount Gilead has made the playoffs and it is quite an exciting time for the players, the school, and the community,” Indians head football coach Mike Reid said.“
“After Consecutive 0-10 seasons, then a 4-6, then an 0-5 COVID year, a year in which the team could not field a competitive team for the playoffs due to COVID, not many people saw this coming,” Reid said.
Mount Gilead makes its first OHSAA football playoff appearance following a 6-4 regular season and a third-place finish in the KMAC. They are led on offense by twin 1000-yard rushers, quarterback Matthew Bland, with 1309 yards.and Garrett George 1185 yards. Bland has also thrown for 1027 yards and has picked off four intercrptions on defense. Owen High has gained 554 yards receiving and Logan High has earned 226 yards receiving. On defense, Judah Reid has made 75 tackles with 15.5 sacks and 19 tackles for loss.
The Indians, the No.11 seed in Division 6, Region 23, travel to Columbus to face the No. 6 seed, Worthington Christian on Friday, Oct. 28 at 7 p.m.
The Indians won’t argue with success when it comes to playoff preparation. “We are keeping our normal schedule of preparation,” Reid said. “ We treat each opponent the same. We do not fear anybody but we respect the heck out of everybody.”
Both teams suffered losses at the hands of two common opponents -- Danville and Centerburg.
Worthington Christian, who finished the season 7-3 and went undefeated in the Mid-State Cardinal Division, is making its fourth consecutive playoff appearance. The Warriors feature an explosive offense and don’t make mistakes.
“They have several players who can blow a game open on any given play,” Reid said. “They very good skill players and do a solid job up front.”
Reid sees a very solid, well-coached opponent. "They are very disciplined and assignment-oriented,” Reid said. “They are a very good team and this should be a very exciting game..
Northmor Golden Knights face Bellaire Big Reds
The Northmor Golden Knights survived a rugged season-ending stretch to finish as the No.14 seed in Division VI, Region 23, and earn a spot in the OHSAA football playoffs.
Despite three consecutive losses to end the season Northmor finished 5-5 and travels to No.3 seed Bellaire to face the Big Reds who finished with a 6-4 record in the Buckeye 8 Conference.
The game will be played on Saturday, Oct. 29 at 1:30 p.m. in Bellaire.
Northmor was paced this season by the KMAC's top passer, AJ Bower, with 1902 yards, and his favorite target, Hunter Fulk, 45 receptions for 625 yards. Fulk also has four interceptions and the "D" was anchored by Charles Naylor, who has seven sacks.
The Golden Knights continue to grow as a team in preparation for the postseason.
“We prepare for week 11 like any other week of the season,” Northmor head coach Scott Armrose said. “We look forward to the opportunity to extend our season and keep competing together.”
Northmor respects its opponent’s current success and the program they have built.
“Bellaire has a lot of tradition and a long history of winning,” Armrose said. “They do not have lights in a very nice stadium because they love the tradition of playing on Saturday afternoons. They won 10 games, including a playoff game, last season in Division V and will be a tough opponent.”
DIVISION VII
Danville Blue Devils take on Windham Bombers
Danville begins its playoff run as the No.3 seed in Division VII, Region 25. The Blue Devils finished the regular season 8-2, good enough for second place in the KMAC. They host No.14-seeded Windham on Friday, Oct. 28 at 7 p.m.
Head coach Matt Blum continues to focus on what made the Blue Devils successful all season. “We are preparing for the playoffs like any other game week,” Blum said. “We will keep our practice schedule as similar as possible to keep our kids in the same routines that have been successful all season.”
Danville saw solid season-long performances by Walker Weckesser with 1004 yards passing, Max Payne with 995 yards rushing and Kaiden Colopy, with 30 receptions for 340 yards and five interceptions. Danville’s Levi Lyons was No. 2 in KMAC with 103 tackles (57 solos and 46 assists) and Ryan Lucas had 85 tackles and was No.1 (KMAC) in tackles for loss with 13.
The Bombers, who finished third in the Northeastern Athletic Conference with a 4-5 regular season record, are athletic on both sides of the ball. “They have an explosive quarterback who is a really good playmaker, runs the ball, and throws a nice deep ball,” Blum said. “He has some really good athletes on the edges as well and they do a nice job getting the ball to their athletes in space.”
Blum sees a key to the game as neutralizing Windham's containment. “Defensively, they have two really good defensive ends who are very aggressive and play with great effort,” Blum said. “Their defensive scheme does a nice job keeping everything in front of them coverage-wise.”
