COLUMBUS – Five teams from central Ohio will compete this weekend for spots in Ohio’s seven divisional high school championship football games, including the state’s defending Division I champ, Pickerington Central.
The No. 8 seed Tigers (11-2) earned a return trip state semifinal by holding off Hilliard Davidson 20-13 in a regional final Nov. 16. They will face top-seed Cincinnati Colerain (13-0) at Piqua Alexander Stadium Friday at 7:00 p.m.
Olentangy Liberty (9-4) also returns to the semifinals, as a fourth seed, where they will take on No 9 Lakewood St. Edward (9-3) at Mansfield Arlin Stadium. The Patriots were knocked out of the 2017 tournament by Mentor, which went on to lose to Pickerington Central in the title game
The winners of the semifinal games will advance to the state championship games at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton Nov. 29 – Dec. 1.
Division I, II, III and VI games are at 7:00 p.m. on Fridays. Division IV, V and VII games are on Saturdays.
In Division III, Eastmoor Academy (12-1) plays Chagrin Falls Kenston (12-1) at New Philadelphia Woody Hayes Quaker Stadium Friday night. The winner will play either Kettering Archbishop Alter or Norwalk.
Licking Valley (10-3) and Girard (12-1) play in Division IV semi at Dover Crater Stadium Saturday with the winner advancing to play either St. Marys Memorial or Cincinnati Wyoming.
Johnstown-Monroe (12-1) and 3 Wheelersburg (12-1) square off in a Division V game at Jackson Holzer Field at Alumni Stadium Saturday. The winner will play either Liberty Center or Orrville for the championship.
The Division II semifinals on Friday night include defending state champ Akron Archbishop Hoban playing Avon with last year’s runner-up, Cincinnati Winton Woods facing 3 Massillon Washington
In Division VI games on Friday night, Maria Stein Marion Local, making its 17th appearance in the final four faces Attica Seneca East. The Flyers have won 10 state championships, including five of the last six years, with the only loss coming in 2015 to top-seed Kirtland, which plays Beverly Fort Frye in the other semifinal.
In Division VII, 2017 runner-up Cuyahoga Heights plays Glouster Trimble while Fort Loramie plays McComb on Saturday.
The state championship games have yet to be scheduled but the Ohio High School Athletic Association says one game – in either Division I, II, III or VI – will be played on Thursday, Nov. 29, with the other three on Friday, Nov. 30 and the Division IV., V and VI games will be played on Dec. 1.