Special Weather Statement issued March 19 at 4:28AM EDT by NWS Wilmington OH (details ...)
Gusty winds from 35 to 40 mph this afternoon could blow around unsecured items. Use extra caution when driving, especially if operating a high profile vehicle. Secure outdoor items.
Today 53° Today 53° 32° 32° Tomorrow 41° Tomorrow 41° 21° 21°
Saturday, October 30th, 2010

Five MAC, three WBL teams qualify for playoffs

By Bruce Monnin
It was a great night for the Midwest Athletic Conference as results around the state allowed five of its 10 teams to advance into the playoffs for the second year in a row.
Delphos St. John's and Marion Local were already assured of their playoff invitations before this weekend. Anna and Coldwater earned their way in with victories on Friday night, while Minster watched the scoreboard until learning that enough of its competitors for the final playoff spot in Region 24 lost to give the Wildcats their first postseason berth since 2001.
Three Western Buckeye League teams (Elida, Kenton and Ottawa-Glandorf) will reach the playoffs this year. Wapakoneta almost made it a fourth team for the WBL, but its loss to Elida left the Redskins in ninth place in Region 8, just a few points short.
Here is how all the local (and some of the other WBL and MAC) teams stand as far as playoff contention at the moment.

Region 8:
Wapakoneta's loss to Elida (8-2) cost them the chance to be guaranteed a spot in the playoffs. The Redskins just missed out on the playoffs, finishing in ninth place in the region, 0.50 points behind Dayton Carroll (7-3).

Region 10:
Elida's win over Wapakoneta put the Bulldogs in the playoffs as a #5 seed. Elida will travel to play Tipp City Tippecanoe (9-1) next week.
Celina's loss to Ottawa-Glandorf (8-2) cost the Bulldogs a postseason bid, finishing 13th in the standings. A win would have left the Bulldogs in the eighth position in the rankings with a chance to play Columbus Bishop Watterson in the playoffs.

Region 14:
Ottawa-Glandorf is in the playoffs but its first-round opponent is still to be determined. If Orrville (6-3) defeated Wooster (7-2), then Ottawa-Glandorf will finish fifth and travel to play Genoa Area. If Wooster won, then the Titans will finish fourth and host Orrville next week.

Region 16:
Kenton's win over St. Marys left the Wildcats just short of hosting a home playoff game despite a 9-1 record. Kenton will finish fifth in this region and travel to play Carlisle (10-0) or North College Hill (10-0) next week.

Region 20:
Anna will be hosting a home game in this region. In the event New Bremen pulls off the huge upset against Delphos St. John's on Saturday night, Anna could become the #3 seed, but most likely the Rockets will be the fourth-seeded team.
That will allow the Rockets to host Coldwater, which is the #5 seed in the region. Anna won this game 38-28 in week three of the regular season, in a game also played at Anna.
It turns out the Cavaliers would have made the playoffs even if they had lost to Minster on Friday night, but would have fallen to the sixth or seventh seed.
Versailles (6-4) ended up in 12th place in this region, only rising two positions after defeating St. Henry.

Region 22:
Delphos St. John's had the #1 seed in this region locked up before this week's games. They will be hosting Edgerton (7-3) next week.

Region 24:
Marion Local will finish either fourth or fifth in the region and will be playing Fort Loramie next week, though it is still to be determined which team will get to host the game. Rough calculations show the game will probably be at Fort Loramie.
Minster finishes 5-5 and earns the eighth seed, meaning the Wildcats will travel to play Springfield Catholic Central (9-1), a team Minster has defeated each of the last two seasons. Minster almost missed the playoffs, getting in only after Tipp City Bethel came from behind to knock Bradford out of playoff contention in a wild 48-44 contest. Bethel scored the game-winning touchdown with 11 seconds remaining to the relief of Wildcat fans.
Additional online stories on this date
Seven children at Celina home when deaths occurred
CELINA - An estranged wife and husband are dead in the wake of an alleged murder-suicide on Friday afternoon at the home where the woman was caring for seven children. [More]
MENDON - The crackle of falling leaves brushing against the metal Palmer Road bridge lends little to the spooky legend surrounding it.
But it's mid-afternoon and darkness is still hours away. It's much too early for the ghosts and high-pitched screams that haunt the infamous Crybaby Bridge. [More]
Subscriber and paid stories on this date
GRAND LAKE - Signs posted around Grand Lake warning people to avoid the water due to toxic blue-green algae were removed Friday afternoon.
The state has lifted the algae toxin advisory for the lake but is still advising against eating its fish.
CELINA - U.S. Congressman John Boehner, R-West Chester, met with local Republican supporters at Candlelight Inn on Friday afternoon. He told them things will change quickly if Republicans take the House in next week's election.
FORT RECOVERY - The number one reason people don't donate blood is because no one asks them, says Fort Recovery Elementary School Principal Shelly Vaughn.
ST. MARYS - Surrounded by her friends at Curves fitness center in St. Marys, Helen Heckman of Celina had her head shaved to raise money for the American Cancer Society in honor of her grandson Dylan.
COLDWATER - Two teams met at Coldwater on Friday night, both needing a win to enhance their hopes of qualifying for the postseason.
As it turns ou
OTTAWA - Celina and Ottawa-Glandorf both needed to win one more game to earn a berth into the football playoffs, so their matchup to cap the regular season was almost like a postseason matchup.
ROCKFORD - The Anna Rockets got a final tuneup for the postseason by scoring 28 points in the opening quarter en route to a 49-14 win over Parkway in the regular-season finale at Panther Stadium on Friday night.
VERSAILLES - Part of the post-game ceremonies on Friday night at H.B. Hole Field included a hot air balloon ascension as part of a booster club fundraiser.
Compiled by Gary R. Rasberry
Maty Mauk threw for six touchdowns and rushed for another as Kenton sewed up the Western Buckeye League title outright with a 54-14 win over St. Marys on Friday night at Skip Baughman Stadium in St. Marys.
Compiled by Gary R. Rasberry
Marion Local locked itself into a playoff spot, picking up its eighth win of the season in beating Fort Recovery 47-7 in the regular-season final at Barrenbrugge Park in Fort Recovery.