Twelve Akron-area teams are officially in the OHSAA football playoffs this week, all chasing that ultimate state title dream, but five of them already locked down a first-round bye. That means they don’t even have to lace ’em up until Week 12 on November 6, while the rest jump straight into the Oct. 30 madness.
The Bye Brigade: Waiting for Week 12
Yeah, you read that right. Five teams get to chill and watch the chaos unfold before they even hit the field. Talk about a strategic advantage, right? Leading the pack is **Highland (9-1)**, sitting pretty at No. 1 in Division II, Region 5. They’ll host either No. 8 Painesville Riverside (8-2) or No. 9 Brecksville (6-4) in their first playoff game. Then you’ve got **Walsh Jesuit (7-2)**, No. 2 in the same division and region, ready to face off against No. 7 Villa Angela-St. Joseph (8-2) or Hoban (3-6) at home. Rounding out the Division II, Region 5 byes is **Nordonia (9-1)** at No. 3, who will be hosting either No. 6 Eastlake North (9-1) or No. 11 Brush (6-4). Moving to Division IV, Region 13, **Norton (9-1)** grabbed the No. 4 seed and will play No. 5 West Geauga (8-2) or No. 12 Hubbard (5-5) at home. Finally, in Division VII, Region 25, **Mogadore (7-3)** snagged the No. 3 seed and will host either No. 6 Ashtabula St. John School (8-2) or No. 11 Vienna Mathews. These squads are rested and ready, watching their future opponents battle it out.
First-Round Frenzy: Who’s Kicking Off Early?
For the teams that didn’t get a bye, Oct. 30 is game day, and these matchups are packed with history and high stakes.
First up, in Division I, Region 1, the **No. 12 Euclid Panthers (4-6)** roll into **No. 5 Hudson (7-3)**. Hudson’s got the historical edge here, owning a 4-0 series lead, including a dominant 35-0 win back in 2022. The Explorers are playoff veterans, making their 19th appearance with three state semifinal runs from 2014-16 and a 26-18 postseason record. Euclid is also no stranger to the playoffs, this being their 22nd showing, but they’ve never reached the state semifinals and hold an 8-21 postseason record. This one’s a battle of seasoned teams with different playoff fortunes.
Over in Division II, Region 5, we’ve got two intense matchups. **No. 12 North Royalton (4-6)** heads to **No. 5 Wadsworth (8-2)**. Wadsworth holds a commanding 18-5 series lead, and they just shut out North Royalton 42-0 on September 18. This is Wadsworth’s 18th playoff appearance, but they’ve never made it to the state semifinals, sitting at 16-17 in the postseason. North Royalton is in their eighth playoff run, also without a state semifinal appearance, and a 4-7 postseason record…