Playoff Football: Five MVP teams vying for state finals
2009 OHSAA Football Tournaments – State Semifinal Pairings
Division I Semifinals
7:00 p.m. Saturday, November 28
Region 1 vs. Region 2
5 Cleveland Glenville (12-1) vs. 3 Massillon Washington (10-3), Summa Field at InfoCision Stadium (University of Akron): All Massillon has to do to earn its fourth trip to the state championship game is get past Glenville. Good luck. Of course the Tarblooders needed a little luck themselves to get by Solon. A blocked PAT and missed Solon field goal in the fourth quarter helped Glenville reach its second state semifinal in history.
Region 3 vs. Region 4
2 Hilliard Davidson (11-1) vs. 4 Cincinnati Elder (10-2), Dayton Welcome Stadium: Davidson and Elder have combined to win three of the last six D-I state titles and Elder was in the state final last year. Both teams avenged regular season losses to get here (Davidson beat Dublin Coffman in the regional final, while Elder ousted St. Xaver in the regional semifinals).
Division II Semifinals
7:30 p.m. Friday, November 27
Region 5 vs. Region 6
1 Mentor Lake Catholic (12-1) vs. 6 Maple Heights (11-2), Bedford Bearcat Stadium: Maple Heights might be the surprise team of the state tournament – all divisions. The Mustangs have beaten three higher seeded teams (Toledo Rogers, Toledo Central Catholic and Toledo St. Francis) to get to this point. Mentor Lake Catholic is looking to make its fourth state championship and first since 2001. The Cougars are 3-0 in their prior state finals.
Region 7 vs. Region 8
8 Columbus Marion-Franklin (11-2) vs. 2 Cincinnati Winton Woods (11-2), Centerville Stadium: There will be some speed on the field when these two teams meet. Both teams are also making their first appearances in the state semifinals.
Division III Semifinals
7:30 p.m. Friday, November 27
Region 9 vs. Region 11
1 Youngstown Cardinal Mooney (13-0) vs. 1 Steubenville (12-1), Canton Fawcett Stadium: For the third year in a row these two powers meet in the postseason. This is the rubber match.
Region 10 vs. Region 12
1 Columbus St. Francis DeSales (10-3) vs. 2 Cincinnati Wyoming (13-0), Dayton Welcome Stadium: Wyoming is in the state semifinals for the first time since 1998, while DeSales is celebrating its eighth regional title. Both teams are former state champions.
Division IV Semifinals
7:00 p.m. Saturday, November 28
Region 13 vs. Region 14
1 Chagrin Falls (13-0) vs. 5 Ottawa-Glandorf (11-2), Fremont Ross Harmon Stadium: O-G won a state basketball title two years ago and now is two wins away fro doing the same in football. The Titans edged Orrville (thanks to a blocked PAT) to win the school’s first ever football regional title. Chagrin Falls finds itself in the state semifinals after dropping down to D-IV from D-III this season.
Region 15 vs Region 16
5 Coshocton (11-2) vs. 2 Alter (13-0), Columbus Hamilton Township Hamilton Field: The last two weeks Coshocton has dispatched Amanda-Clearcreek and Ironton. Now the Redskins try to beat a third straight former state champion. Alter, the defending D-IV state champ, finally allowed a point in the postseason when it gave up a TD to Clinton-Massie on the Falcons first possession of the regional final. The Knights responded with 32 straight points of their own.
Division V Semifinal
7:30 p.m. Friday, November 27
Region 17 vs. Region 19
3 Youngstown Ursuline (9-3) vs. 6 West Lafayette Ridgewood (13-0), Canton Central Catholic Lowell Klinefelter Field: Ridgewood, despite being undefeated, will have its hands full against the Irish who are looking to defend their D-V state title.
Region 18 vs. Region 20
1 Hamler Patrick Henry (13-0) vs. 2 Coldwater (12-1), Findlay Donnell Stadium: This game should be a great one. Patrick Henry finished the season ranked No. 1 in the D-V JJHuddle Power Poll, while Coldwater spent some time in the top spot as well before a loss to Delphos St. John’s. The Cavs have come up big with back-to-back OT wins, while the Patriots survived Defiance Tinora 28-21 last week.
Division VI Semifinals
7:00 p.m. Saturday, November 28
Region 21 vs. Region 23
2 Norwalk St. Paul (13-0) vs. 6 Grove City Christian (12-1), Ashland Community Stadium: St. Paul is the team that survived rugged Region 21, so for that you have to make them the favorites in this game. GCC is looking to go to the state title game in its first trip to the postseason. The Eagles no doubt have been aided by the addition of some former South-Western City Schools (Grove City, Central Crossing, Franklin Heights and Westland high school) students.
Region 22 vs. Region 24
1 Delphos St. John’s (13-0) vs. 5 Maria Stein Marion Local (8-5), Wapakoneta Harmon Field: This game is a rematch of a 35-14 DSJ win in Week 6. Up until that game, DSJ’s seniors had never beaten Marion Local. Now they may do it twice in the same season. Since being 3-5 after Week 8, the Flyers have won five straight. These two teams have combined for seven regional and four state titles in the last five years.
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