When the 2021 Ohio high school football regular season kicks off next week, the amount of towns celebrating its 10-week end will increase significantly. For the first time since 1999, the Ohio High School Athletic Association has increased the amount of teams that qualify for the postseason.
Instead of eight teams per region, starting this fall 16 teams per region will make the playoffs. That doubles the amount of teams to reach Week 11 from 224 to 448.
Last year there were 709 schools in Ohio that played 11-man football.
"Last fall we received overwhelmingly positive feedback when we allowed every team to enter the football playoffs due to the shortened season because of COVID-19," OHSAA Executive Director Doug Ute said. "We know there are some who want to keep the football postseason to a smaller number of schools, but the postseason tournament gives such a positive experience for our student-athletes, the schools and their communities that we felt strongly about giving that opportunity to more schools to make the playoffs. And football remains the OHSAA sport in which not every team automatically qualifies for the postseason."
The higher seeded team will host first and second round playoff games. Neutral sites will be used beginning with the regional semifinals.
Teams that win a state title will now play 16 games, instead of 15 as previously required.
Those that do hoist state title trophies December 2-4, will do so again at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton. The championship games return to Stark County after spending last season at Fortress Obetz in central Ohio. The OHSAA approved a three-year run at Tom Benson in June.
Defending Division I state champion St. Xavier, ranked No. 23 in the
Preseason MaxPreps Top 25, opens as a favorite to return to the title game and debuts at No. 1 in the preseason rankings. The Bombers return nine All-Greater Catholic League South Division performers, including eight first teamers. Senior headliners include quarterback
Brogan McCaughey, tight end
Max Klare (Duke commit), linebacker
Grant Lyons (Miami) and offensive linemen
Brian Parker II (Duke) and
Cameron Collins.
Pickerington Central, which lost to St. Xavier in last year’s state championship, is looking to reach its fourth state final in six years. The Tigers were state champions in 2017 and 2019. PC features an outstanding trio of senior defensive linemen in
C.J. Doggette (Cincinnati),
Tyler Gillison (Cincinnati) and
Dakari Frazier (Ball State).
Expectations are high in Springfield where the Wildcats are looking for their third straight regional title. Springfield, which fell 12-10 to St. Xavier in last year’s state semifinals, returns the Greater Western Ohio Conference offensive and defensive players of the year in seniors
Te'Sean Smoot (quarterback) and
Delian Bradley (defensive back). Both are currently uncommitted. The Wildcats return nine All-GWOC players.
Lakota West snapped Colerain’s 20-year stranglehold on the Great Miami Conference title last season and returns three of the state’s Top 15 prospects in seniors
Jyaire Brown (cornerback),
Tegra Tshabola (offensive tackle) and
Alex Afari (athlete). Brown and Tshabola are committed to Ohio State. Afari is a Kentucky commit. The Firebirds lost 10-7 to St. Xavier in last year’s regional final. Lakota West returns nine All-GMC performers, including seven first teamers.
As usual, the GCL South will again be one of the nation’s toughest affiliations. Elder returns four All-GCL players, including one of the conference tri-plyers of the year last season in senior receiver
Drew Ramsey. LaSalle, which has won four state titles in seven years, reached last year’s D-II state semis before being bounced by Washington (Massillon). The Lancers feature one of the state’s top prospects in senior running back
Gi'Bran Payne (Indiana). Payne is one of five All-GCL players that Lasalle returns. Moeller is looking for its second winning season in seven years.
See the complete Top 25 list below.
St. Xavier (Cincinnati) debuts at No. 1 in the Ohio Preseason MaxPreps Top 25.
By Tyler Hart
1.
St. Xavier (Cincinnati), 10-2 record in 2020
2.
Pickerington Central, 11-1
3.
Springfield, 8-2
4.
Lakota West (West Chester), 8-1
5.
St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio), 6-2
6.
Elder (Cincinnati), 5-4
7.
Wayne (Huber Heights), 5-3
8.
Mentor, 9-2
9.
Marysville, 6-2
10.
Medina, 6-4
11.
St. Ignatius (Cleveland), 3-4
12.
Olentangy Liberty (Powell), 8-2
13.
Archbishop Hoban (Akron), 11-0
14.
La Salle (Cincinnati), 8-3
15.
Colerain (Cincinnati), 6-3
16.
Princeton (Cincinnati), 6-2
17.
Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati), 3-6
18.
Centerville, 4-4
19.
Central Catholic (Toledo), 6-1
20.
Washington (Massillon), 10-2
21.
Westerville Central, 7-2
22.
Dublin Coffman, 8-1
23.
Archbishop Alter (Kettering), 8-3
24.
Bishop Hartley (Columbus), 6-4
25.
St. Francis DeSales (Columbus), 9-2
