Sheridan will host Tri-Valley on Friday night in a first-round playoff rematch, after the Ohio High School Athletic Association released its official pairings on Sunday, October 25, setting the Muskingum Valley League’s five qualifying teams on their postseason paths.
In Division III, Region 11, Sheridan (8-2) earned the No. 6 seed and a home game after its Week 10 win. Its opponent is a familiar one: MVL rival Tri-Valley (7-3), the No. 11 seed, in the playoffs for the seventh straight year — and the team that handed the Generals a 38-21 defeat in Week 9. Kickoff Friday, October 30 is at 7 p.m., and the game is a preview matchup only; it has not been played.
The winner advances to play at No. 3 seed Columbus East (9-1). Beyond that in the bracket sit No. 2 Licking Valley (10-0) and the winner of No. 7 Granville (7-3) against No. 10 Plain City Jonathan Alder (7-3). The other half of Region 11 features No. 1 Steubenville (8-2) hosting the winner of Columbus Linden McKinley and Jackson, and No. 4 Athens (9-1) welcoming the winner of Dover and Columbus South.
Sheridan is in the postseason for the 25th time, and for the ninth time in 11 years under coach Paul Culver III, a run that included a regional runner-up finish in 2023. Tri-Valley has qualified 17 times, all since 2006, with a 19-17 playoff record and a state title game appearance in 2017. Austin Jones is the fourth coach to lead the Scotties to a playoff berth in that span.
Elsewhere in the MVL, New Lexington (9-1) took the No. 2 seed in Division IV, Region 15 and a first-round bye, and will host the winner of Fairfield Union against Heath. West Muskingum earned a home game against Philo, a team it beat 42-21 in a Week 5 crossover, and Ridgewood faces a long road trip to Proctorville Fairland in Division V, Region 19, with top-seeded Ironton waiting for the winner.
New Lexington coach Kevin Board welcomed the bye week after the Panthers’ Week 10 loss to Sheridan, saying it gives his team time to get healthy and clean things up before its first playoff game. The Panthers are in the playoffs for the fifth time in six years.
First-round winners move on to the regional quarterfinals on November 6. Home sites are used through the regional semifinals, and the state championships are scheduled for December 3 to 5 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton.