CINCINNATI — The Ohio high school football postseason picture has been set in stone across seven divisions in Greater Cincinnati.
The regular season concluded Saturday night ahead of the OHSAA's playoff pairings announcement Sunday.
The top 12 teams in each region qualified for the playoffs. This season is the first time in OHSAA football playoff history that will see the implementation of 12 football playoff qualifiers in each region. The OHSAA had allowed 16 teams per region to qualify across seven tournament divisions since the 2021 season.
The only other time in the OHSAA football playoff era (since 1972) that there were opportunities for first-round byes was during the shortened 2020 season during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This season, regional quarterfinal games on Oct. 31 will include the No. 12 seed at the No. 5 seed, the No. 11 seed at the No. 6 seed, the No. 10 seed at the No. 7 seed and the No. 9 seed at the No. 8 seed. The top four seeds in each region will get a first-round bye.
In Division I, Region 2, Middletown (8-2) has captured the No. 1 seed and will have a bye Oct. 31. The Middies defeated host Princeton 14-6 Friday night for Middletown’s first win over the Vikings since 2015.
Middletown played a third-string quarterback, freshman kicker, freshman running back and didn’t have a left tackle or a punter against the Greater Miami Conference champion Vikings.
“We were united through all of the adversity,” Middletown coach Kali Jones said.
Lebanon (7-3) is No. 8 in Region 2 and will host No. 9 Kettering Fairmont (5-5) on Halloween.
In Division I, Region 4, Elder (10-0) captured the No. 1 seed and has a 10-0 record for the first time since 1991.
“It’s just been unbelievable,” Elder coach Doug Ramsey said of the regular season. “I love this team. These guys are about the team.”
Elder's best start is 10-0 in program history, according to Elder Media Production Coordinator Adam Duwel. The Panthers lost in the first round of the postseason in 1989 and 1991.
This is the fourth 10-0 start in program history, joining the 1954, 1989 and 1991 teams.
Moeller (7-3), the 2024 Division I state runner-up, is the No. 2 seed followed by No. 3 St. Xavier (7-2) and No. 4 Princeton (8-2).
Winton Woods (8-2), the No. 5 seed, will host No. 12 Little Miami (3-7) Oct. 31.
Lakota East (7-3), which earned its first win over Lakota West since 2018 on Friday night, will host Oak Hills (4-6). Lakota East senior running back Ryder Hooks rushed 28 times for 290 yards and four touchdowns in the win over West.
"These seniors said yes from day one when I took this job and they were just freshmen," Lakota East coach Jon Kitna said. "They have stuck it out when many of their classmates quit. There were 40-plus in that class of '26 and now we have 18. They believed the messaging and they built the culture from the ground up."
Lakota West (6-4) will play host to Hamilton (4-6). Fairfield (5-5) plays host to Mason (5-5).
In Division II, Region 8, Anderson (10-0) is the No. 1 seed and has a bye. The Raptors have won 32 consecutive games against Greater Cincinnati opponents. Anderson became the first Eastern Cincinnati Conference team to earn back-to-back outright conference championships since the ECC was formed in 2012.
Kings (9-1), Trotwood-Madison (6-3) and Xenia (8-2) have byes.
La Salle (7-3), Harrison (7-3) Withrow (8-2), Aiken (6-4) and Turpin (5-5) clinched playoff berths. La Salle, the No. 5 seed, plays host to No. 12 Turpin in a Greater Cincinnati matchup.
Aiken clinched a playoff berth Saturday afternoon with a 30-28 overtime win against Hughes at Stargel Stadium.
In Division III, Region 12, Badin (9-1) is No. 3 and will have a bye. Talawanda (9-1) is No. 7 and has its first 9-1 season since 1991, according to Talawanda coach Andy Stuckert.
McNicholas (6-4), which defeated host Badin Friday night, is No. 8. Goshen (7-3) is No. 10.
In Division IV, Region 16, Indian Hill (10-0) has clinched the No. 1 seed. The Braves earned their first 10-0 record since 2015.
Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy (9-1) is either No. 2. Taft (10-0), which has outscored opponents 350-0 since a seven-game shutout streak started Sept. 12, is the No. 4 seed. Taft completed a 10-0 regular season for the first time in program history.
Clinton-Massie (9-1), Wyoming (9-1), New Richmond (4-6), Roger Bacon (5-5), Fenwick (6-4) and Taylor (6-4) also clinched playoff spots.
In Division V, Region 20, Williamsburg (10-0) is the No. 1 seed. Williamsburg earned a 10-0 regular season for the first time in program history, according to Williamsburg coach Nick Ayers.
Other playoff spots include North College Hill (8-2) at No. 6 and Mariemont (6-4) at No. 11.
In Division VI, Region 24, St. Bernard-Elmwood Place (9-1) clinched a bye with the No. 4 seed.
Summit Country Day (5-5) is No. 8. Deer Park (5-5) is No. 11.
In Division VII, Cincinnati Country Day (9-1) has a bye as the No. 3 seed.
Cincinnati College Preparatory Academy (7-2) is No. 5 and will host No. 12 Fort Recovery (5-5) Oct. 31.
The 72 largest schools statewide are in Division I, while the remaining schools are divided equally in Divisions II through VII (approximately 106 schools in each division).
There are 708 schools with 11-person football in the OHSAA this season.
Ohio high school football
Regional first-round games
(All games Friday, Oct. 31 at 7 p.m. unless noted)
Division I, Region 2
No. 12 Marysville (5-5) at No. 5 Springfield (6-4)
No. 11 Westland (5-5) at No. 6 Huber Heights Wayne (6-4)
No. 10 Dublin Jerome (5-5) at No. 7 Hilliard Bradley (5-5)
No. 9 Kettering Fairmont (5-5) at No. 8 Lebanon (7-3)
First-round byes: 1. Middletown (8-2). 2. Troy (8-2). 3. Findlay (6-4). 4. Springboro (7-3).
Division I, Region 4
No. 12 Little Miami (3-7) at No. 5 Winton Woods (8-2)
No. 11 Oak Hills (4-6) at No. 6 Lakota East (7-3)
No. 10 Hamilton (4-6) at No. 7 Lakota West (6-4)
No. 9 Mason (5-5) at No. 8 Fairfield (5-5)
First-round byes: 1. Elder (10-0). 2. Moeller (7-3). 3. St. Xavier (7-2). 4. Princeton (8-2)
Division II, Region 8
No. 12 Turpin (5-5) at No. 5 La Salle (7-3)
No. 11 Aiken (6-4) at No. 6 Lima Senior (8-2)
No. 10 Vandalia Butler (6-4) at No. 7 Harrison (7-3)
No. 9 Piqua (6-4) at No. 8 Withrow (8-2)
First-round byes: 1. Anderson (10-0). 2. Kings (9-1). 3. Trotwood-Madison (6-3). 4. Xenia (8-2).
Division III, Region 12
No. 12 Hillsboro (5-5) at No. 5 Miami Trace (9-1)
No. 11 Bellbrook (6-4) at No. 6 Alter (7-3)
No. 10 Goshen (7-3) at No. 7 Talawanda (9-1)
No. 9 Chillicothe (6-4) at No. 8 McNicholas (6-4)
First-round byes: 1. London (10-0). 2. Tippecanoe (10-0). 3. Badin (9-1). 4. Jackson (8-2).
Division IV, Region 16
No. 12 Taylor (6-4) at No. 5 Clinton-Massie (9-1)
No. 11 Fenwick (6-4) at No. 6 Brookville (9-1)
No. 10 Roger Bacon (5-5) at No. 7 Wyoming (9-1)
No. 9 New Richmond (4-6) at No. 8 Washington Court House (5-5)
First-round byes: 1. Indian Hill (10-0). 2. Valley View (9-1), 3. CHCA (9-1). 4. Taft (10-0).
Division V, Region 20
No. 12 West Liberty-Salem (5-5) at No. 5 Carlisle (8-2)
No. 11 Mariemont (6-4) at No. 6 North College Hill (8-2)
No. 10 Arcanum (7-3) at No. 7 Preble Shawnee (9-1)
No. 9 Greeneview (7-3) at No. 8 North Union (6-4)
First-round byes: 1. Williamsburg (10-0). 2. Indian Lake (8-2). 3. Miami East (9-1). 4. St. Paris Graham (8-2).
Division VI, Region 24
No. 12 Covington (5-5) at No. 5. Coldwater (6-4)
No. 11 Deer Park (5-5) at No. 6 Anna (7-3)
No. 10 Dayton Christian (6-4) at No. 7 Rock Hill (6-4)
No. 9 Portsmouth West (5-5) at No. 8 Summit Country Day (5-5)
First-round byes: 1. Tri-Village (10-0). 2. Northeastern (9-1). 3. Mechanicsburg (8-2). 4. St. Bernard-Elmwood Place (9-1).
Division VII, Region 28
No. 12 Fort Recovery (5-5) at No. 5 Cincinnati College Prep (7-2), game at Finneytown
No. 11 Cedarville (5-5) at No. 6 Portsmouth Notre Dame (8-2)
No. 10 New Bremen (6-4) at No. 7 Ansonia (8-2)
No. 9 Minster (6-4) at No. 8 Sidney Lehman Catholic (9-1)
First-round byes: 1. Marion Local (10-0). 2. St. Henry (9-1). 3. Cincinnati Country Day (9-1). 4. Beaver Eastern (10-0).
