TOLEDO — Toledo Central Catholic and Oregon Clay will sit out the opening week of the Division II, Region 6 football playoffs with first-round byes, while Fremont Ross, Findlay and Toledo Waite play on Friday night, October 30, according to the regional first-round pairings the Ohio High School Athletic Association released on Sunday, October 25. The OHSAA announced the final computer ratings, playoff qualifiers and pairings Sunday afternoon after the regular season concluded Saturday night, and all first-round games are set for 7 p.m. Friday unless otherwise noted.
In Region 6, Central Catholic (8-2) earned the No. 1 seed and Clay (8-2) the No. 4 seed, and both will host a regional quarterfinal on Friday, November 6, against the winner of a first-round game. Olmsted Falls (8-2) at No. 2 and Avon (8-2) at No. 3 are the region’s other bye teams. The top four seeds in each of the OHSAA’s 28 regions received a bye, while seeds 5 through 8 host seeds 9 through 12 in the first round.
Northwest Ohio’s busiest Region 6 opener is in Fremont, where No. 5 Fremont Ross (7-3) hosts No. 12 Sylvania Southview (5-5). The winner travels to Clay for the November 6 quarterfinal, which means the Eagles’ first playoff opponent will be a familiar Northwest Ohio program either way. In Findlay, the No. 7 Trojans (6-4) host No. 10 North Olmsted (5-5), with the winner advancing to play at Olmsted Falls.
Toledo Waite (6-4) drew the region’s No. 9 seed and the toughest assignment of the local group: a trip to No. 8 Avon Lake (5-5) on Friday night, with the winner earning the quarterfinal trip to top-seeded Central Catholic. The remaining Region 6 first-round game sends No. 11 Cleveland Rhodes (6-4) to No. 6 Lakewood (8-2), and that winner plays at Avon in the second round.
The format rewards the regular season the local bye teams put together. Central Catholic and Clay each finished 8-2, and the bye gives both a week to heal and scout while their quarterfinal opponents play an elimination game. The better-seeded team serves as host through the first three rounds, so a win on November 6 would also keep Central Catholic and Clay at home for the regional semifinals on November 13.
The road beyond Region 6 is set out in the OHSAA release. Regional finals will be played at neutral sites on Friday, November 20, the state semifinals follow on Friday, November 27, and the state championship games will be hosted at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton from December 3 through December 5.
For Northwest Ohio fans, Friday night still offers plenty to watch even with the region’s top two local seeds idle. Ross defends its home field in Fremont, Findlay hosts in Hancock County, and Waite tries to spring the region’s only local road upset of the round. Kickoff for all three games is 7 p.m. Friday, and the winners join Central Catholic and Clay in the Region 6 quarterfinal field on November 6.
Photo: Chris4rockets, CC BY-SA 4.0