Four teams in contention for home playoff games

COLUMBUS — The Ohio High School Athletic Association released the fifth weekly football computer ratings on Tuesday. The weekly ratings report is released each Tuesday for the final five weeks of the season, leading up to the final report on Oct. 26. With one week left in the regular season, four area teams are trending toward potential first-round home games in the state playoffs. The top 12 in each region will qualify for the playoffs, with the top four seeds getting a first-round bye. The OHSAA weekly report lists the top 16 schools in each region. In June, the OHSAA announced that the number of playoff qualifiers in each region would be reduced from 16 to 12. The first three rounds of the playoffs will be hosted by the higher-seeded team in the matchup. The playoffs then shift to neutral sites for the regional championships and state semifinal rounds. The seven state championship games will again be played Dec. 4-6 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton. The 72 largest schools are in Division I, while the remaining schools are divided equally in Divisions II through VII (approximately 106 schools in each division). Below is a look at each team's playoff scenarios entering Friday: DIVISION V Edison (6-3) The Chargers rallied from 10 points down for a critical 24-21 win at Vermilion last week, keeping alive not only their SBC Bay Division title hopes but also the ability to play their first-round game at Freedom Field on Oct. 31. Edison has already officially clinched a playoff spot and is up one spot this week to No. 6 in Region 18. Edison is now firmly in play to remain among the top eight to remain at home with a win over rival Huron (3-6) at home this Friday. The Chargers can also earn at least a share of another Bay championship with a win. From a seeding standpoint, Drew Pasteur's fantastic50.net projects the Chargers to finish fifth with a win, noting they could finish anywhere from fourth to seventh. With a loss, the site projects Edison to finish ninth, and based on certain win/loss scenarios, it's not expected to fall below 10th. DIVISION VI W. Reserve (7-2) A home game is again on the table for the Roughriders after a loss elsewhere in Region 22. Western is officially the No. 10 team in the region this week. But with a win over New London, fantastic50.net projects the 'Riders to jump to the No. 8 spot to host a first-round game at Bachelder Field in Collins. The site also indicates the 'Riders can finish anywhere from seventh to 11th. With a loss, Western is projected to stay 10th and travel in the first round. Western is expected to finish no worse than 11th. Overall, Pasteur gives Western a 79 percent chance at a home game with a win over the Wildcats. It can also still share the Firelands Conference title with Monroeville with a win and a loss by the Eagles at St. Paul. DIVISION VII Monroeville (7-2) After a big win at Crestview last week, the Eagles are in prime position for a bye week in the first round. The Eagles enter Friday's game at St. Paul as the No. 4 seed in Region 25. Monroeville already has a share of the FC title and is assured to be at home in the first round if it were not to earn a bye. However, Pasteur's site projects the Eagles to still stay among the top four seeds, even with a loss to the Flyers in Norwalk. The site puts the Eagles' odds at a bye and a home game in the second round at 100 percent with a win and still 70 percent with a loss. St. Paul (5-4) The Flyers enter their rivalry game in the most tenuous position among area teams in line for the playoffs. St. Paul is currently holding the No. 8 and final spot for a potential home game in Region 25. Fantastic50.net projects the Flyers to finish No. 7 in the region with a win over the Eagles but stay at eighth with a loss. However, those projections can easily get distorted based on the teams behind St. Paul entering this week. With a loss, the potential game at Contractors Stadium dips from 100 percent to 63 percent, according to the website's models. St. Paul could also drop as far to No. 12 with a defeat. Lisbon David Anderson (6-3), the current No. 9 seed, has a home game this week against Div. VI Columbiana (5-3). It would certainly leapfrog a 5-5 St. Paul with a win. But the biggest wild card toward the bottom of the region is longtime power Warren JFK. After an 0-5 start, the Eagles have won four straight games to move into the 12th and final playoff position this week. JFK also heads to Div. III Cleveland Heights Lutheran East (4-5) this Friday, and a win could put it anywhere from the Nos. 7-to-10 seed range. DIVISION III Norwalk (3-6) The Truckers did their part with a 31-28 win over Sandusky last week, but Vermilion's 24-21 loss vs. Edison hurt their playoff standing. Norwalk beat the Sailors (5-4) in Week 6, while a Week 1 win over Toledo Start has also given it some key secondary points. As a result, the Truckers stayed No. 16 this week in Region 10, which would have qualified them in each of the previous two seasons. Instead, Norwalk needs a win at Div. IV Clyde (3-6) and a lot of help. The Sailors knocking off Bellevue (6-3) would be a first big step. But the Truckers may also need losses by Tiffin Columbian (5-4) vs. Perkins; Midview (4-5) at Amherst (4-5); Maumee (5-4) vs. Eastwood (7-2); and Defiance (4-5) at Celina (3-6).