Ohio is one week ahead of Pennsylvania for state championship games this season and the Buckeye State is already headed down to the final match-ups. For the last few years, the state championship games have been moved from their traditional home at Massillon Washington's Paul Brown Tiger Stadium to an even more storied venue in Ohio State's Horseshoe (or Ohio Stadium). There were some surprising results in the semifinals, but things largely shook out pretty well and there should be some great state championship games. I'll start with Division VII, the smallest classification in the state, and work my way to Division I, the largest. Pitt's commits are in Division IV and III.
Division VII - Minster vs John F. Kennedy Catholic - 10 AM, Saturday, December 3rd
Division VI - Marion Local vs Cuyahoga Heights - 10 AM, Friday, December 2nd
Division V - Canton Central Catholic vs Coldwater - 8 PM, Saturday, December 3rd
I'll run through all three of these briefly, just to give an overview of the games. They aren't pertinent to Pitt, so just skip on through this part if you're not interested in Ohio high school football at all. These are the small-school divisions of Ohio high school football, and much like Pennsylvania, they're dominated by some familiar faces.
Division VII's match-up features Minster and Warren's JFK Catholic. Minster was 2014's Division VI state champion and a Division VII quarterfinalist in 2015 that fell to eventual state champion Fort Recovery and standout QB Caleb Martin, a Toledo commit. John F. Kennedy was a quarterfinalist in 2015 that fell to the state runner-up, Mogadore. JFK hasn't had a close game in the playoffs yet this year, but Minster is a very experienced team. I doubt I'll watch, but it could be a shoot-out for those who are interested. There are no Pitt targets involved.
Division VI's match-up features Marion Local and Cuyahoga Heights. Cuyahoga Heights will be looking to build on last year's game, in which they fell to eventual state champion Kirtland 34-13 in the regional final. That same Kirtland team beat Marion Local 22-20 in last year's state championship. It was Marion Local's first year in Division VI after winning back-to-back Division VII state titles by a combined score of 74-0. They're among the state's most dominant programs.
Division V's match-up will be a rematch of the last two state championship games between Coldwater and Canton Central Catholic. Coldwater has captured four straight state championships and appeared in eight of the last nine state championship games, dating through Ohio's reclassification from six to seven divisions. Coldwater has beaten Canton Central for their past two titles and will hope to do so again on Saturday.
My picks here are Coldwater, Marion Local, and JFK Catholic. Amazingly and for the third year in a row, three of the six finalists hail from one of the small school conferences on the far borders of western Ohio, the MAC. They are Marion Local, Coldwater, and Minster.
Division IV - Steubenville vs Bishop Hartley - 3 PM, Friday, December 2nd
Steubenville, led by Pitt commit Charles Reeves at wide receiver and defensive end, has returned to the state finals to face Columbus-area private school Bishop Hartley. The Big Red fell to Hartley in last year's state championship 31-28. This will be Reeves' fourth and final chance to capture a state title ring after coming up just short in the first three tries. As a freshman, he fell in the semi-finals to the state runner-up, Youngstown's Cardinal Mooney. As a sophomore, he fell in the semi-finals again; this time it was to eventual state champion Benedictine and that year's Mr. Ohio, Jerome Baker. As a junior, it was the aforementioned heart-breaker to Bishop Hartley.
After three years of coming up just short, the proper way for this movie to end would be Reeves getting his state title ring and going out on top before enrolling at Pitt in June. Hartley has looked vulnerable, winning its final two games by 3 and 7 points. Steubenville has romped to a state title berth, winning by at least two touchdowns in every game, including a 24-point victory over Perry in the semi's. Reeves caught a big 13-yard touchdown through contact for the Big Red and has been a key part of their offense all season. He dealt with an injury, but returned to the game and looks fine to play on Friday. I think the Big Red get their revenge as Hartley will struggle to contain that offense.
Division III - Archbishop Hoban vs Trotwood Madison - 3 PM, Saturday, December 3rd
Todd Sibley has done it again. For the second straight year, Akron Archbishop Hoban's feature back, a Pitt commit, has led his team to a state championship game berth. Sibley ran all over a tough Columbus St. Francis DeSales defense, notching 187 yards and 2 TDs on 37 carries against a unit that hadn't allowed more than 21 points since September 16th. Sibley has now moved into the top five rushers in Ohio high school history and will have a chance to captured his second consecutive state championship on Saturday afternoon. Last year, Hoban took down Toledo Central Catholic in a 33-20 game that was closer than the score indicates. This year, they'll face the team that downed TCC in the semi-finals, Dayton-area powerhouse Trotwood-Madison.
I thought that the Rams were a damn good team this year and I thought they'd make a deep playoff run. What I absolutely didn't expect was for them to blow out an immensely talented Toledo Central Catholic squad 36-0 in a state semi-final game. The Irish had ended Trotwood's postseason in three of the past four years and good lord did the Rams get their revenge. Explosive 2018 slotback Raveion Hargrove accounted for 165 yards on 16 carries and the stifling Trotwood defense totally eliminated standout RB Michael Warren from the game.
This should probably be the best of all of the state finals we see in the coming weekend. Trotwood and Hoban are two excellent teams led by two excellent running backs. Both teams feature stout defenses who can force turnovers and stifle opposing offenses. I think the difference here will be the quarterback play of Hoban's Danny Clark. Clark has the arm talent to hit any throw his team asks him to, but he can also be inconsistent. He's had a great playoff run and I think it results in Hoban getting back-to-back rings.
Division VII - Minster vs John F. Kennedy Catholic - 10 AM, Saturday, December 3rd
Division VI - Marion Local vs Cuyahoga Heights - 10 AM, Friday, December 2nd
Division V - Canton Central Catholic vs Coldwater - 8 PM, Saturday, December 3rd
I'll run through all three of these briefly, just to give an overview of the games. They aren't pertinent to Pitt, so just skip on through this part if you're not interested in Ohio high school football at all. These are the small-school divisions of Ohio high school football, and much like Pennsylvania, they're dominated by some familiar faces.
Division VII's match-up features Minster and Warren's JFK Catholic. Minster was 2014's Division VI state champion and a Division VII quarterfinalist in 2015 that fell to eventual state champion Fort Recovery and standout QB Caleb Martin, a Toledo commit. John F. Kennedy was a quarterfinalist in 2015 that fell to the state runner-up, Mogadore. JFK hasn't had a close game in the playoffs yet this year, but Minster is a very experienced team. I doubt I'll watch, but it could be a shoot-out for those who are interested. There are no Pitt targets involved.
Division VI's match-up features Marion Local and Cuyahoga Heights. Cuyahoga Heights will be looking to build on last year's game, in which they fell to eventual state champion Kirtland 34-13 in the regional final. That same Kirtland team beat Marion Local 22-20 in last year's state championship. It was Marion Local's first year in Division VI after winning back-to-back Division VII state titles by a combined score of 74-0. They're among the state's most dominant programs.
Division V's match-up will be a rematch of the last two state championship games between Coldwater and Canton Central Catholic. Coldwater has captured four straight state championships and appeared in eight of the last nine state championship games, dating through Ohio's reclassification from six to seven divisions. Coldwater has beaten Canton Central for their past two titles and will hope to do so again on Saturday.
My picks here are Coldwater, Marion Local, and JFK Catholic. Amazingly and for the third year in a row, three of the six finalists hail from one of the small school conferences on the far borders of western Ohio, the MAC. They are Marion Local, Coldwater, and Minster.
Division IV - Steubenville vs Bishop Hartley - 3 PM, Friday, December 2nd
Steubenville, led by Pitt commit Charles Reeves at wide receiver and defensive end, has returned to the state finals to face Columbus-area private school Bishop Hartley. The Big Red fell to Hartley in last year's state championship 31-28. This will be Reeves' fourth and final chance to capture a state title ring after coming up just short in the first three tries. As a freshman, he fell in the semi-finals to the state runner-up, Youngstown's Cardinal Mooney. As a sophomore, he fell in the semi-finals again; this time it was to eventual state champion Benedictine and that year's Mr. Ohio, Jerome Baker. As a junior, it was the aforementioned heart-breaker to Bishop Hartley.
After three years of coming up just short, the proper way for this movie to end would be Reeves getting his state title ring and going out on top before enrolling at Pitt in June. Hartley has looked vulnerable, winning its final two games by 3 and 7 points. Steubenville has romped to a state title berth, winning by at least two touchdowns in every game, including a 24-point victory over Perry in the semi's. Reeves caught a big 13-yard touchdown through contact for the Big Red and has been a key part of their offense all season. He dealt with an injury, but returned to the game and looks fine to play on Friday. I think the Big Red get their revenge as Hartley will struggle to contain that offense.
Division III - Archbishop Hoban vs Trotwood Madison - 3 PM, Saturday, December 3rd
Todd Sibley has done it again. For the second straight year, Akron Archbishop Hoban's feature back, a Pitt commit, has led his team to a state championship game berth. Sibley ran all over a tough Columbus St. Francis DeSales defense, notching 187 yards and 2 TDs on 37 carries against a unit that hadn't allowed more than 21 points since September 16th. Sibley has now moved into the top five rushers in Ohio high school history and will have a chance to captured his second consecutive state championship on Saturday afternoon. Last year, Hoban took down Toledo Central Catholic in a 33-20 game that was closer than the score indicates. This year, they'll face the team that downed TCC in the semi-finals, Dayton-area powerhouse Trotwood-Madison.
I thought that the Rams were a damn good team this year and I thought they'd make a deep playoff run. What I absolutely didn't expect was for them to blow out an immensely talented Toledo Central Catholic squad 36-0 in a state semi-final game. The Irish had ended Trotwood's postseason in three of the past four years and good lord did the Rams get their revenge. Explosive 2018 slotback Raveion Hargrove accounted for 165 yards on 16 carries and the stifling Trotwood defense totally eliminated standout RB Michael Warren from the game.
This should probably be the best of all of the state finals we see in the coming weekend. Trotwood and Hoban are two excellent teams led by two excellent running backs. Both teams feature stout defenses who can force turnovers and stifle opposing offenses. I think the difference here will be the quarterback play of Hoban's Danny Clark. Clark has the arm talent to hit any throw his team asks him to, but he can also be inconsistent. He's had a great playoff run and I think it results in Hoban getting back-to-back rings.
