Two SBC division champs in regional title games

COLUMBUS — Along with Reflector area school Edison, one other Sandusky Bay Conference teams are still competing in the regional championship round this week of the high school football state playoffs. Also in Week 14 games is SBC Lake Division champion Perkins in Division IV. The Pirates (12-1) — the No. 2-ranked team in the final Associated Press poll — will face AP No. 13 Ontario (12-1) at a familiar SBC Lake venue at Columbian's Frost-Kalnow Stadium in Tiffin at 7 p.m. Friday. The Chargers, who won the SBC Bay Division, gave Perkins its lone loss to date in a 15-14 win back in Week 7 on Oct. 4 in Milan. Meanwhile, Ontario is in the regional title game round for the first time in program history after a stunning win over Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference rival Shelby (12-1). The AP No. 6 Whippets had defeated the Warriors, 50-36, in Week 9 on Oct. 18 in Shelby. Last weekend, the Whippets were in control with a 48-26 lead through three quarters in the third-round rematch at Arlin Field in Mansfield. However, paced by Ohio State University commit Bodpegn Miller, Ontario scored 23 unanswered points — including the game-winner with 12 seconds left — for a stunning 49-48 win. Opposite of Miller this week is Perkins wide receiver Braylon Collier, who is a Michigan State University commit, giving both teams a Big Ten recruit on offense. In Div. V, AP No. 4 Edison (13-0) will face AP No. 2 Liberty Center (13-0) in the Region 18 title game between the top two seeds in the region. That game is at Lake Community Stadium in Millbury. SBC River Division champion Hopewell-Loudon lost to Patrick Henry in Div. VI last week. Six AP poll champs advance All but one of the final AP poll champions are one win away from reaching their respective state semifinal rounds. Only Mentor Lake Catholic in Div. IV — which lost to defending state champion Cleveland Glenville last week — has been eliminated from the playoffs. Still competing this week are AP poll champions Mentor (Div. I), Avon (Div. II), Columbus Watterson (Div. III), Ironton (Div. V), Kirtland (Div. VI) and Maria Stein Marion Local (Div. VII). All seven state champs also alive Meanwhile, all seven state champions from a year ago are also two wins away from returning to their respective title games, but that will change this week. Perry — located in Lake County to the east — topped Liberty Center, 21-14, in last season's Div. V state championship game. But the Pirates are now in Div. IV and will face defending state champion Cleveland Glenville this Friday at Macedonia Nordonia. Other remaining state champions from 2023 include Lakewood St. Ed's (Div. I), Massillon (Div. II), Toledo Central Catholic (Div. III), Glenville (Div. IV), Kirtland (Div. VI) and Marion Local (Div. VII). Sandusky to host Nearby Strobel Field in Sandusky will entertain a regional championship game in Div. III a 7 p.m. Friday. The home of the Blue Streaks has the matchup between defending state champion Toledo Central Catholic (12-1) and upstart Parma Padua Franciscan (8-5) in the Region 10 title game. The Fighting Irish are the top seed in the region, while the Bruins were the No. 7 seed with back-to-back wins over No. 2 seed Medina Buckeye (10-2) — which defeated Norwalk (2-9) in the first round — and No. 3 Cleveland Benedictine (10-3). Charmed lives Three teams have advanced to regional championship games that would not have made it under the previous format. In 2021, the OHSAA expanded the playoffs from eight to 16 teams per region, and added one extra week to the calendar as a result. It had previously expanded in 1999 from four to eight teams per region. None stands out more than well-accomplished Midwest Athletic Conference member Delphos St. John's in Div. VII Region 26. The Blue Jays went just 3-7 in the regular season, but a Week 1 win over Sidney Lehman Catholic helped power them to the No. 15 seed. The Jays (6-7) have since won three playoff games over No. 2 seed Upper Scioto Valley (9-2), No. 7 Tiffin Calvert (7-5) and No. 11 Leipsic (8-5). St. John's has top-seeded powerhouse Columbus Grove (13-0) in a regional title game this week. In Div. V Region 19, Wheelersburg (9-4) is still alive as the No. 14 seed and faces top-seed and AP No. 1 Ironton (12-1) this Friday. In Div. VII Region 25, No. 9 Cuyahoga Heights (8-4) — which opened the playoffs with a 37-20 win at St. Paul on Nov. 1 in Norwalk — faces No. 2 seed and AP No. 4 Hillsdale (12-1) this week. OHSAA football regional final playoff pairingsPairings shown with regional seed. All games at 7 p.m. on Nov. 22. Higher seeded team is the designated home team and listed first. DIVISION IRegion 11. Mentor (13-0) vs. 7. Lakewood St. Edward (8-5) at Bedford High School Bearcat StadiumRegion 22. Centerville (10-3) vs. 8. Huber Heights Wayne (8-5) at Dayton Welcome StadiumRegion 31. Powell Olentangy Liberty (11-2) vs. 7. Pickerington North (11-2) at Historic Crew StadiumRegion 41. Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller (12-1) vs. 6. Cincinnati St. Xavier (10-3) at Mason High School Tri-Health/Beacon Stadium DIVISION IIRegion 51. Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit (13-0) vs. 2. Akron Archbishop Hoban (11-2) at Twinsburg High School Tiger StadiumRegion 61. Avon (13-0) vs. 2. Medina Highland (13-0) at Elyria Charities Field at Ely StadiumRegion 71. Sunbury Big Walnut (12-1) vs. 3. Massillon Washington (10-2) at Mansfield Arlin Field Region 81. Cincinnati Anderson (13-0) vs. 2. Cincinnati La Salle (11-2) at Cincinnati Princeton High School Jake Sweeney Automotive Stadium DIVISION IIIRegion 91. Youngstown Ursuline (12-1) vs. 2. Gates Mills Gilmour Academy (12-1) at Ravenna High School Portage Community Bank Stadium Harry Gilchrist FieldRegion 101. Toledo Central Catholic (12-1) vs. 7. Parma Padua Franciscan (8-5) at Sandusky High School Foundation StadiumRegion 111. Columbus Bishop Watterson (13-0) vs. 2. Steubenville (12-0) at New Philadelphia High School Quaker StadiumRegion 124. London (13-0) vs. 3. Bellbrook (12-1) at Springfield High School Wildcat Stadium DIVISION IVRegion 132. Perry (12-1) vs. 5. Cleveland Glenville (10-3) at Macedonia Nordonia High School Boliantz StadiumRegion 141. Sandusky Perkins (12-1) vs. 3. Ontario (12-1) at Tiffin Columbian Frost-Kalnow StadiumRegion 151. St. Clairsville (13-0) vs. 2. Gnadenhutten Indian Valley (13-0) at Zanesville High School Sulsberger StadiumRegion 165. Cincinnati Taft (11-2) vs. 10. Kettering Archbishop Alter (8-5) at Monroe High School Hornet Stadium DIVISION VRegion 171. Canfield South Range (13-0) vs. 3. Poland Seminary (11-2) at Boardman High School Region 181. Milan Edison (13-0) vs. 2. Liberty Center (13-0) at Millbury Lake High School Community StadiumRegion 191. Ironton (12-1) vs. 14. Wheelersburg (9-4) at South Point High School Alumni Field Region 202. West Liberty-Salem (12-1) vs. 5. Lewistown Indian Lake (11-2) at Piqua High School Alexander Stadium DIVISION VIRegion 211. Kirtland (13-0) vs. 6. Dalton (10-3) at North Royalton High School Serpentini StadiumRegion 222. Bluffton (12-1) vs. 4. Hamler Patrick Henry (11-2) at Findlay Donnell StadiumRegion 231. Columbus Grandview Heights (12-0) vs. 2. Galion Northmor (13-0) at Westerville Central High SchoolRegion 241. Coldwater (12-1) vs. 3. Anna (10-3) at Sidney Memorial Stadium DIVISION VIIRegion 252. Jeromesville Hillsdale (12-1) vs. 9. Cuyahoga Heights (8-4) at Orrville Red Rider Stadium, Heartland FieldRegion 261. Columbus Grove (13-0) vs. 15. Delphos St. John's (6-7) at Lima Spartan StadiumRegion 271. Danville (11-2) vs. 2. Beaver Eastern (13-0) at Logan High School Chieftain StadiumRegion 281. Maria Stein Marion Local (13-0) vs. 2. Minster (11-2) at Wapakoneta High School Mercy Health Wapak VFW Field