2016 Ohio high school football playoff predictions: Who wins regional and state titles?

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Who do you favor for Ohio High School football regional titles? State championships? Here's who we think makes the Final Four and walks away with hardware.

Division I

Final Four
Region 1: Mentor
Region 2: Olentangy Liberty (Powell)
Region 3: Wayne (Huber Heights)
Region 4: Colerain (Cincinnati)

State champion pick: Colerain



Don't be surprised if…
A catholic school doesn't make the state final. St. Edward (Lakewood), Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati) and St. Xavier (Cincinnati) all lead the parochial charge, but Colerain, Wayne, Mentor and Liberty headline an extremely talented public school pool this season. Catholic schools have won five straight D-I state titles and 12 of the last 16. Hilliard Davidson (Hilliard) beat Glenville (Cleveland) in the 2009 final, which was the last time a private school didn't reach the state final and a public school won the title. Other public D-I winners since the turn of the century include: Davidson (2006), Colerain (2004) and Upper Arlington (Columbus) (2000).

Division II

Final Four
Region 5: Copley
Region 6: Midview (Grafton)
Region 7: Washington (Massillon)
Region 8: La Salle (Cincinnati)

State champion pick: LaSalle

Don't be surprised if…
La Salle doesn't win three straight state titles. It's been a historic ride for the Lancers recently but they are in a deep region that features plenty of hurdles, including Kings (Kings Mill), Loveland, Miamisburg, Winton Woods (Cincinnati) and Edgewood (Trenton).

Division III



Final Four
Region 9: Archbishop Hoban (Akron)
Region 10: Central Catholic (Toledo)
Region 11: St. Francis de Sales (Columbus)
Region 12: Trotwood-Madison

State champion pick: Hoban Don't be surprised if…
Toledo Central Catholic and Trotwood-Madison meet in the state playoffs for a fourth time in five years. The Irish beat the Rams in the 2012 D-II state final (16-12) and in the 2014 and 2015 D-III state semifinals (17-14 and 21-13, respectively).

Division IV

Final Four
Region 13: Woodridge (Peninsula)
Region 14: Bishop Hartley (Columbus)
Region 15: Steubenville
Region 16: Archbishop Alter (Kettering)

State champion pick: Hartley

Don't be surprised if…
Hartley or Alter wins the state title. The Hawks and Knights have combined to win half of the last eight D-IV titles. Each has two trophies during the span.

Division V



Final Four
Region 17: Canton Central Catholic
Region 18: Edison (Milan)
Region 19: Wheelersburg
Region 20: Coldwater

State champion pick: Coldwater

Don't be surprised if…
Coldwater and Canton Central Catholic meet for the third-straight season in the state final. Coldwater has won the previous two, 62-21 and 35-18.

Division VI

Final Four
Region 21: Kirtland
Region 22: Liberty Center
Region 23: Grandview Heights (Columbus)
Region 24: Marion Local (Maria Stein)

State champion pick: Marion Local Don't be surprised if…
Marion Local and Kirtland meet in the state final again. Last year the Hornets snapped the Flyers state record 24-game postseason win streak and denied them their fifth state title in a row with a 22-20 come-from-behind win. Kirtland has played in five straight state finals itself.

And don't be surprised if…
Mechanicsburg finally breaks through against the Midwest Athletic Conference (MAC). The Indians lost to eventual state champion Minster 42-41 in overtime in the 2014 regional quarterfinals. It lost to Marion Local 9-7 in last year's regional final.

Division VII

Final Four
Region 25: Mogadore
Region 26: McComb
Region 27: East (Sciotoville)
Region 28: Fort Recovery

State champion pick: Fort Recovery

Don't be surprised if…
The MAC continues its small-school dominance. The D-VII classification has crowned three state champions and all have been MAC members: Marion Local (2013, 2014) and Fort Recovery (2015).