Fourteen Akron-area high school football teams are in the state playoffs, the Ohio High School Athletic Association confirmed Sunday, Oct. 25, when it released the official final computer ratings for the 2026 season. The top 12 teams in each region qualified, and the top four seeds in each region earned first-round byes.
Eight Akron-area teams will play in the first round on Friday, Oct. 30, with all games kicking off at 7 p.m. Six other area teams earned byes and will open their postseasons the following week against first-round winners.
In Division I, Region 1, Hudson (7-3) hosts Euclid (4-6). In Division II, Region 5, Wadsworth (8-2) hosts North Royalton (4-6), and Hoban (3-6) travels to Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph (8-2), while Highland (9-1), Walsh Jesuit (7-2) and Nordonia (9-1) hold the region’s top three seeds and first-round byes.
Division III, Region 10 sends Copley (6-4) in as a home team against Parma Padua Franciscan (4-6), with Revere (6-4) hosting Parma Heights Holy Name (5-4). Both winners advance to face one of the region’s bye teams in the second round.
Division IV, Region 13 is the busiest bracket for area fans: Woodridge (8-2) hosts Poland Seminary (6-4), Northwest (8-2) hosts Cleveland Central Catholic (6-4), and East (9-1) travels to Orrville (7-3). Streetsboro (8-2) and Norton (9-1) earned byes in that region. In Division VII, Region 25, Mogadore (8-2) also has a first-round bye.
The pairings cap a Week 10 that sorted out the final playoff field across all seven divisions. For the eight area teams playing Friday, the formula is simple: win and advance to a road or home date with a rested bye team; lose and the season ends.
Tickets and streaming information for first-round games are handled through the OHSAA and the host schools, and all of Friday’s first-round games across Ohio are scheduled for 7 p.m. kickoffs. Second-round games follow on Friday, Nov. 6, at the home fields of the higher remaining seeds.