COLUMBUS, Ohio – The 2015 OHSAA football playoffs have now reached the fourth round, with 28 teams remaining for this weekend’s state semifinals and the opportunity to play for a state championship. The fourth round also marks the regional finals for Division I, which has only two regions. Neutral sites were selected by the OHSAA on Sunday for the 14 games around the state this Friday and Saturday.
Playoff Format and Schedule
Unless otherwise noted, Divisions II, III, V and VII will play at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays during the playoffs, while Divisions I, IV and VI will play at 7 p.m. on Saturdays.
Inside the State Semifinal Matchups
See the full notes packet at: http://www.ohsaa.org/news/sports/2015FBRelease5.pdf
Ticket Information
Fans are encouraged to buy their playoff tickets in advance at the participating schools, which keep a percentage of the revenue. For state semifinal playoff games, tickets are $8 presale and $10 at the gate. All-session ticket books are currently on sale for the state championship games Dec. 3, 4 and 5 at http://go.osu.edu/OHSAAFB. All-session ticket books in the club level, which are the chair-back seats on the west side of the stadium, are $105 each (good for all seven games) and also permit indoor access in the Huntington Club before, during and after each game. All-session reserved ticket books on the east side of the stadium, which don’t include indoor access, are $84 each. Single game tickets will go on sale November 29 and cost $10 at the state finalist schools, or at the gate before each game for $15 (club level) and $12 (reserved).
Looking Ahead to the State Championships
The state championships are Dec. 3, 4 and 5 in Ohio Stadium in Columbus. Of the four divisions that play their playoff games on Friday nights (II, III, V and VII), one will be selected to play its state championship game on Thurs., Dec. 3. The other three will play their state championship games on Fri., Dec. 4. Divisions I, IV and VI will play their state championship games on Sat., Dec. 5. Specific game times will be announced on the OHSAA’s twitter account (www.Twitter.com/OHSAASports) the Friday and Saturday nights of the semifinals (around 10:45 PM).
Five Schools Make First “Final Four” Appearance
Five schools are making their first trip to the state semifinals, including Stow-Munroe Falls (Div. I), Perrysburg (Div. II), Milan Edison (Div. V), Grandview Heights (Div. VI) and Fort Recovery (Div. VII). Edison, in fact, hadn’t won a playoff game prior to this season. Fort Recovery had only one playoff win prior to this year, while Stow, Perrysburg and Grandview Heights all had just two playoff wins.
Schools Build on Impressive History
Several schools this weekend are adding another “final four” appearance to an already impressive resume. Chief among them are Mogadore (Div. VII), which is making its 17th appearance, and Steubenville (Div. IV), which is making its 16th appearance. Other semifinal regulars include Maria Stein Marion Local (Div. VI) making its 14th overall (fifth in a row and nine of last 10 years) and Coldwater (Div. V) making its 13th overall (seventh in a row). Trotwood-Madison (Div. III) is back for the sixth year in a row and Kirtland (Div. VI) is back for the fifth year in a row. Also noteworthy is Middletown Bishop Fenwick, which made eight semifinal appearances in the first 16 years of the playoffs (1972-1987), and is now back for the first time since then.
Compare and Contrast: Divisions II and IV
When the OHSAA expanded the football playoffs to seven divisions in 2013 and made Division I smaller (largest 72 schools in the state), one of the resulting effects was that many schools that used to be “small” Div. I schools were now in Div. II. That fact is evidenced again this year as the Div. II state semifinalists are all making their first or second appearance in the “final four.” Compare that to the semifinalists in Div. IV, which have combined to make 42 appearances.
Information on Neutral Sites
There are many factors that go into determining playoff sites, such as quality of field surface, seating capacity, quality of lighting, size of locker rooms and their distance from field, press box size, parking spaces available, and a separate locker room for officials. After all those factors are taken into consideration, it must be confirmed that the site is available and willing to host a playoff game on the date needed. Not all sites are available when requested by the OHSAA.
Related Information
Fourth-Round Playoff Notes Packet: http://www.ohsaa.org/news/sports/2015FBRelease5.pdf
Playoff Coverage Home: http://www.ohsaa.org/sports/ft/boys/2015/2015FTcoverage.htm
OHSAA Football Online Home (composite schedules, AP polls and notebooks, playoff information, etc.): http://www.ohsaa.org/sports/ft/boys/default.asp
2015 OHSAA Football Playoffs – Fourth Round Pairings
Home team listed first. Pairings are shown with seeds and overall records.
Game times subject to change. Brackets at OHSAA.org will show any changes.
Division I, State Semifinals/Regional Finals – Games at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 28
Home Team listed first.
Region 1
1 Lakewood St. Edward (12-1) vs. 2 Stow-Munroe Falls (12-0) at Parma Byers Field
Region 2
1 Cincinnati Colerain (12-1) vs. 3 Huber Heights Wayne (13-0) at Mason Dwire Field at Atrium Stadium
Division II State Semifinals – Games at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 27
Home Team listed first.
1 Massillon Perry (11-2) vs. 5 Hudson (11-2) at Solon Stewart Field
2 Perrysburg (13-0) vs. 1 Cincinnati La Salle (11-2) at Piqua Alexander Stadium, Purk Field
Division III, State Semifinals – Games at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 27
Home Team listed first.
1 Akron Archbishop Hoban (12-1) vs. 3 Zanesville (12-1) at Massillon Paul Brown Tiger Stadium
2 Toledo Central Catholic (11-2) vs. 3 Trotwood-Madison (10-3) at Sidney Memorial Stadium
Division IV, State Semifinals – Games at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 28
Home Team listed first.
1 Steubenville (12-0) vs. 5 Youngstown Ursuline (8-5) at Boardman New Spartan Stadium
1 Middletown Bishop Fenwick (13-0) vs. 1 Columbus Bishop Hartley (9-3) at Wilmington Alumni Field
Division V, State Semifinals – Games at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 27
Home Team listed first.
1 Milan Edison (12-1) vs. 3 Canton Central Catholic (9-3) at Wooster Triway Jack Miller Field
3 Coldwater (13-0) vs. 1 Wheelersburg (13-0) at Xenia Doug Adams Stadium
Division VI, State Semifinals – Games at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 28
Home Team listed first.
1 Kirtland (12-1) vs. 3 Grandview Heights (12-1) at Mansfield Madison Ram Field at StarTek Stadium
1 Maria Stein Marion Local (12-1) vs. 2 Defiance Tinora (11-1) at Wapakoneta Harmon Field
Division VII, State Semifinals – Games at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 27
Home Team listed first.
1 Danville (13-0) vs. 2 Mogadore (12-1) at Orrville Red Rider Stadium
3 Fort Recovery (11-2) vs. 1 McComb (12-1) at Lima Senior Spartan Stadium
