Stark County’s high school football regular season is over, and the playoff picture is taking shape. Nine Stark County-area teams are unofficially headed to the Ohio High School Athletic Association playoffs, with five more area teams also playing into Week 11, according to unofficial computer ratings compiled by joeeitel.com as of Saturday night, Oct. 24.
The OHSAA will release its official final computer ratings for the 2026 season on Sunday, Oct. 25. The top 12 teams in each region qualify for the playoffs, and the top four seeds in each region earn a first-round bye. The first round is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 30, which gives qualifying teams a short week to prepare for win-or-go-home football.
Several Stark County powers are positioned for that bye. In Division I, Region 1, Jackson (8-2) is listed fourth and would sit out the first round, while Canton McKinley (7-3) is seventh and would host Brunswick (6-4). In Division II, Region 7, Massillon (9-1) is third and in line for a bye, and Louisville (8-2) is seventh, set to face Hoover (5-5).
Elsewhere in the unofficial pairings, Salem (8-2) is fourth in Division III, Region 9 and in line for a bye, with Warren Howland (8-2) seventh against Hawken (7-3). In Division IV, Region 13, West Branch (9-1) is third for a bye, Northwest (8-2) is seventh against Cleveland Central Catholic (6-4), and Orrville (7-3) is eighth against Akron East (9-1).
In Division V, Canton Central Catholic (6-4) is ninth in Region 17 and would travel to Youngstown Liberty (9-1), while Fairless (6-4) is 11th and would visit Youngstown Mooney (7-3). Triway (9-1) is second in Region 18 and in line for a bye. In Division VII, Region 25, East Canton (7-3) is fifth and would face St. Paul (5-4).
Coaches and fans should treat every pairing as unofficial until the OHSAA releases its final ratings on Sunday. Computer points can shift with the final accounting, and the association’s official bracket, sites and kickoff details are what schools will use to plan ticket sales, travel and practice for Week 11.
For Stark County, the stakes are familiar and high. Massillon, McKinley, Jackson and their neighbors carry some of Ohio’s deepest football traditions into the postseason, and a first-round bye can mean rest and recovery, while a home opener means one more Friday night in front of a home crowd. Either way, the road to the state championships now runs through the official bracket.
NewsForce247 will update this story once the OHSAA’s official final ratings and first-round pairings are confirmed. Teams that qualify will open the playoffs on Friday, Oct. 30, with winners advancing to the regional quarterfinals the following week.
Photo: Sean P Bender, CC BY-SA 3.0