The first round, which saw seeds 5 through 12 compete, featured several hard-fought contests. Now, the top four seeds in each region—who earned a first-round bye—enter the fray, welcoming the winners to their home fields.
Division IV Highlight: Galion Hosts Cloverleaf in Region 14
One of the most compelling matchups of the weekend takes place in Division IV, Region 14, where the No. 2 Galion Tigers (9-1) will host the No. 10 Lodi Cloverleaf Colts (7-4).
Galion, boasting an impressive 9-1 record and a home-field advantage as the higher seed, is a major threat in the region. However, they face a Cloverleaf team that earned their spot by upsetting a higher seed on the road in the opening round, carrying a surge of momentum into Galion. This regional quarterfinal showdown is a classic test of a rested top seed against a team riding a playoff wave.
Division I Brackets Dominated by Top Seeds
In Division I, the state’s largest classification, four powerhouse matchups highlight the regional quarterfinals, all featuring a No. 1 seed hosting an 8-seed that survived the opening week:
* Region 1: No. 8 Berea-Midpark will travel to take on perennial contender No. 1 Lakewood St. Edward (8-2).
* Region 3: Undefeated No. 1 Lewis Center Olentangy Orange (10-0) will host No. 8 Olentangy Berlin, in a rivalry game with season-ending implications.
* Region 4: In Southwest Ohio, No. 1 Cincinnati Elder (10-0) faces No. 8 Fairfield. This region also features a highly-anticipated matchup between No. 2 Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller and No. 7 Lakota West.
Small School Giants Begin Title Defense
The smaller divisions also feature matchups with significant title implications, particularly in Division VII, home to some of the state’s most decorated programs.
* In Division VII, Region 28, perennial state championship contender No. 1 Maria Stein Marion Local (10-0) begins its playoff run against No. 8 Sidney Lehman Catholic.
* Division VI, Region 24 sees unbeaten No. 1 New Madison Tri-Village (10-0) host No. 9 Portsmouth West, while No. 4 St. Bernard-Elmwood Place will take on the winner of the No. 5 Coldwater contest, another traditional small-school power.
Game Day Details
All Regional Quarterfinal contests are scheduled for Friday, November 7, at 7:00 PM EST. Per OHSAA guidelines, the better-seeded team will host through the first three rounds of the playoffs. The winners of these games will advance to the Regional Semifinals next week.