Forfeits bring some changes to area playoff matchups

For the most part, the final weekend of high school football went as expected, with the exception of a couple of mild upsets and the obligatory big city school forfeiting games to shake up the standings at the last minute.
   When the points were all tallied, three WBL teams and five MAC squads qualified for the postseason. The WBL finishes with three 9-1 teams, and all of them will be hosting their opening round game. This helps explain the reason why no one else from the conference qualified for the playoffs. The MAC also has three teams hosting playoff games, plus two others just missed the opportunity by finishing fifth in their regions and now must travel to their first postseason game.
   Ottawa-Glandorf had the big WBL win, as their road victory over St. Marys provided them with a top four seed in the region. St. Marys and Wapakoneta had already secured their hosting opportunities prior to last Friday's games.

Minster and St. Henry has the big MAC wins. The Wildcats moved up to third in their region after defeating Anna, while St. Henry has to settle for fifth place and a road trip next week after their win over Fort Recovery.
 
Region 12
1. 31.15 – Franklin (10-0)
2. 24.50 – Wapakoneta (9-1)
3. 24.35 – New Richmond (9-1)
4.  23.65 – St. Marys (9-1)
5. 20.30 – Dayton Belmont (7-2)
6. 19.40 – Cin. Mt. Healthy (8-2)
7. 19.15 – Trotwood-Madison (8-2)
8.  19.00 – Tipp City Tippecanoe (7-3)
17.  9.10 – Celina (5-5)
   Only one mild upset occurred in this region as Wilmington lost 26-23 to Chillicothe to drop out of the playoffs. However, the big shake-up came when Dayton Dunbar was forced to forfeit their last two wins of the season. Their Week Nine opponent, Dayton Belmont, was awarded a victory which jumped them up to fifth in this region.
   As the second seed, Wapakoneta knew it would be hosting a playoff game next weekend, but their opponent changed Saturday. After Clarkson Secondary School's Football North team from Mississauga (Ontario), which lost to Ottawa-Glandorf at the start of the season, defeated Silver Oak Academy of Maryland, it appeared the Redskins would host Tippecanoe. However, the ascension of Dayton Belmont after the forfeits by Dunbar dropped Trotwood-Madison into the seventh spot, thus providing Wapakoneta with a much tougher first round opponent. 
   St. Marys fell to fourth in the region after losing to Ottawa-Glandorf. The Roughriders still get to host their opening playoff game, and may be receiving a break as they play Belmont, a team that would not have qualified for the postseason without the benefit of a forfeit win.
 
Region 20
1.  28.20 – Cin. Hills Christian (10-0)
2. 24.90 – Coldwater (9-1)
3.  17.75 – Carlisle (8-2)
4.  15.55 – Milton-Union (7-3)
5.  14.22 – Cincinnati Aiken (7-3)
6.  12.65 – Jamestown Greeneview (8-2)
7.  12.10 – Brookville (5-5)
8. 11.80 – Blanchester (7-3)
12. 9.85 – Versailles (5-5)
13. 9.70 – Anna (5-5)
   Coldwater earns the second seed, as Anna's loss to Minster was the only mild upset in the region. The Cavaliers will host 5-5 Brookville, a team Coldwater defeated 31-13 last year in the regional finals
   Anna would have finished with 11.55 points and just missed the playoffs in ninth place if they had defeated Minster. Likewise, if Versailles had defeated Minster last week, they would also have finished ninth with 11.70 points.
 
Region 24
1. 22.40 – Marion Local (9-1)
2.  20.30 – Delphos Jefferson (9-1)
3. 20.05 – Mechanicsburg (10-0)
4.  14.40 – Spencerville (8-2)
5.  13.35 – St. Henry (7-3)
6.  11.80 – Miami East (7-3)
7.  11.70 – Summit Country Day (7-3)
8.  10.60 – West Liberty-Salem (6-4)
24. 1.05 – Parkway (1-9)

This region went almost exactly as expected. With the top seed, Marion Local gets to host West Liberty-Salem, a team they faced in last year's playoffs and handled easily 34-0.
   St. Henry will have to go on the road to face Spencerville in the first round. This will be the first time Spencerville has faced an MAC team in the postseason. A Redskin win will set-up a probable MAC rematch with Marion Local in the second round.
 
Region 28
1. 21.90 – Covington (10-0)
2. 17.49 – Troy Christian (9-1)
3. 15.15 – Minster (6-4)
4.  14.40 – Ada (7-3)
5. 11.90 – Fort Recovery (6-4)
6.  11.60 – Lehman (7-3)
7. 10.95 – Upper Scioto Valley (7-3)
8. 10.45 – Cincinnati Hillcrest (8-2)
18. 1.75 – New Bremen (2-8)
   Minster's win over Anna gave them enough points to pass Ada for third place. A secondary effect was that it also provided Fort Recovery with just enough points to pass Sidney Lehman for the fifth position.
   Minster's reward is to host their first round playoff game against Lehman, a team they defeated 42-21 in the second week of the season. Lehman defeated Minster 27-14 in their only previous postseason meeting, a regional final game in 2010. If the Wildcats win, 9-1 Troy Christian likely awaits in the second round.
   Fort Recovery's loss means they get to travel to face Ada next Saturday in a first time playoff matchup. The winner will probably face an undefeated Covington squad that defeated St. Henry back in the opening week of the season.
 
Other Regions of Interest

Ottawa-Glandorf's win over St. Marys catapulted them to the second seed in Region 14. They will host 7-3 Bellevue next week.
   Delphos St. John's loss to Coldwater dropped them out of the playoffs in Region 26.

Area playoff games:
Division III (Saturday at 7 p.m.)
Region 12

Tipp City Tippecanoe (7-3) at Franklin (10-0)

Trotwood-Madison (8-2) at Wapakoneta (9-1)

Mount Healthy (8-2) at New Richmond (9-1)

Dayton Belmont (7-2) at 4 St. Marys (9-1)

Division V (Saturday at 7 p.m.
Region 20

Blanchester (7-3) at CHCA (10-0)

Brookville (5-5) at Coldwater (9-1)

Greeneview (8-2) at Carlisle (8-2)

Cincinnati Aiken (7-3) at Milton-Union (7-3)

Division VI (Friday at 7:30 p.m.)
Region 24

West Liberty-Salem (6-4) at Marion Local (9-1)

Cincinnati Summit Country Day (7-3) at Delphos Jefferson (9-1)

Miami East (7-3) at Mechanicsburg (10-0)

St. Henry (7-3) at Spencerville (8-2)

Division VII (Saturday at 7 p.m.)
Region 28

Cin. Hillcrest (8-2) at Covington (10-0)

Upper Scioto Valley (7-3) at Troy Christian (9-1)

Lehman Catholic (7-3) at Minster (6-4)

Fort Recovery (6-4) at Ada (7-3)