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Contact – Tim Stried, Director of Communications, [email protected]

 

 

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Twenty-eight regional champions have now advanced to the state semifinals of the 2016 OHSAA football playoffs. Whether they are one of the four schools in the state semifinals for the first time, or the one school that is back for a state-record 25th time, they are all playing for a chance to compete for a state championship in Ohio Stadium next weekend.

 

Division I, II, IV and VI games are Friday at 7:30 p.m., and Division III, V and VII games are Saturday at 7 p.m. The OHSAA has selected neutral sites based on the best available sites after a number of factors have been evaluated (see later note).

 

 

Since 2013, the time slots for the state championship games are not announced until the week of the state semifinals. Some years, the championships schedule is announced mid-week, but the OHSAA can also wait until after the state semifinals are played. Of the divisions that play on Friday nights during the playoffs (I, II, IV and VI), one will be selected to play its state championship on Thursday, Dec. 1 at 7:30 p.m.

 

OHSAA Football Home: http://www.ohsaa.org/sports/football

 

 

Home Team Listed First

4 Cleveland St. Ignatius (12-1) vs. 1 Powell Olentangy Liberty (13-0) at Mansfield Arlin Stadium

 

3 Pickerington Central (12-1) vs. 5 Cincinnati St. Xavier (8-5) at Piqua Alexander Stadium, Purk Field

 

Home Team Listed First

1 Massillon Perry (11-2) vs. 4 Hudson (11-2) at Uniontown Lake Alumni Field

 

4 Whitehouse Anthony Wayne (10-3) vs. 3 Cincinnati La Salle (11-2) at Sidney Memorial Stadium

 

Home Team Listed First

1 Columbus St. Francis DeSales (13-0) vs. 2 Akron Archbishop Hoban (12-1) vs. at Mansfield Arlin Stadium

 

1 Toledo Central Catholic (13-0) vs. 7 Trotwood-Madison (11-2) at Lima Spartan Stadium

 

Home Team Listed First

2 Steubenville (12-1) vs. 1 Perry (13-0) at Youngstown Boardman New Spartan Stadium

 

3 Kettering Archbishop Alter (13-0) vs. 5 Columbus Bishop Hartley (10-2) at London Bowlus Field

 

Home Team Listed First

3 Milan Edison (12-1) vs. 3 Canton Central Catholic (9-3) at Strongsville Pat Catan Stadium

 

2 Coldwater (12-1) vs. 3 Coshocton (12-1) vs. at Lewis Center Olentangy Braves Stadium

 

Home Team Listed First

1 Cuyahoga Heights (13-0) vs. 5 Newark Catholic (9-4) at Orrville Red Rider Stadium

 

1 Hamler Patrick Henry (13-0) vs. 1 Maria Stein Marion Local (12-1) at Lima Spartan Stadium

 

Home Team Listed First

3 Warren John F. Kennedy (12-1) vs. 7 Canal Winchester Harvest Preparatory (10-3) at New Philadelphia Woody Hayes Quaker Stadium

 

3 Minster (9-4) vs. 1 McComb (12-1) vs. at Wapakoneta Harmon Field

 

 

 

Four schools are making their first appearance in the Final Four. They include Powell Olentangy Liberty (Div. I), Whitehouse Anthony Wayne (Div. II), Perry (Lake County, Div. IV) and Canal Winchester Harvest Prep (Div. VII).

 

Newark Catholic is making its state-record 25th appearance in the state semifinals. Newark Catholic also owns state records for most years in the playoffs (35) and most playoff wins (72). The list of top Final Four qualifiers includes:

     1. Newark Catholic, 25

  T-2. Mogadore, 17

  T-2. Youngstown Cardinal Mooney, 17

  T-4. Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller, 16

  T-4. Steubenville, 16

  T-6. Cleveland St. Ignatius, 15

  T-6. Maria Stein Marion Local, 15

     8. Coldwater, 14

     9. Delphos St. John’s, 13

   10. Versailles, 12

T-11. Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary, 11

T-11. Cleveland Benedictine, 11

T-11. Columbus St. Francis DeSales, 11

T-11. Ironton, 11

 

Only nine of the 28 No. 1 seeds won their region this past weekend. Last week, 15 of the 28 No. 1 seeds advanced to the regional final. The state semifinalists by regional seed include nine No. 1 seeds, three No. 2 seeds, six No. 3 seeds, four No. 4 seeds, four No. 5 seeds, and two No. 7 seeds (Trotwood-Madison in Div. III and Canal Winchester Harvest Prep in Div. VII).

 

In addition, 31 undefeated teams entered the playoffs.  Six now remain. The state semifinalists by record include:

13-0: 7 teams                        12-1: 10 teams

11-2: 4 teams                        10-3: 2 teams

10-2: 1 team                          9-4: 2 teams

9-3: 1 team                            8-5: 1 team           

 

Four defending state champions have advanced to the state semifinals, after all seven of them advanced to the regional finals last weekend. The four to advance include Cincinnati La Salle (Div. II), Akron Archbishop Hoban (Div. III), Columbus Bishop Hartley (Div. IV) and Coldwater (Div. V). Three defending state champions fell in the regional finals, including Lakewood St. Edward (Div. I), Kirtland (Div. VI) and Fort Recovery (Div. VII).

 

The playoff brackets posted at OHSAA.org include the contact information for media coordinators at each site. Media are to contact the host site media coordinators before 3 p.m. Tuesday, at which time the media coordinators will determine approved credentials using the OHSAA’s press box priority seating scale posted on the football page at OHSAA.org. Note that only Time Warner Cable SportsChannel can provide live video, and TWC has exclusivity of the games it selects (see later note). All other play-by-play video telecasts cannot begin until 11:30 p.m.