Ohio High School Athletic Association Commissioner Daniel B
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Ohio High School Athletic Association Commissioner Daniel B. Ross, Ph.D. Football Weekly Release November 23, 2014 4080 Roselea Place • Columbus, Ohio 43214 • 614-267-2502• Fax: 614-267-1677 • www.ohsaa.org Contact: Tim Stried, Director of Information Services, [email protected] qualifiers. Expansion occurred in 1980 to five divisions and two Welcome to the State Semifinals qualifiers per region, and then again in 1985 to four qualifiers per The state semifinals are next up in the OHSAA football playoffs, where 28 teams are now one step away from playing for a state region. In 1994, a sixth division was added, while in 1999, the num- championship in Ohio Stadium December 4, 5 and 6. ber of qualifiers per region increased to eight. OHSAA Football by the Numbers In Divisions II through VII, the regional championships last Friday and Saturday included a four-overtime game, five schools win- 723 – High schools in Ohio that played football in 2014 7 – Divisions for the playoffs ning their first regional title, one school winning its 15th, and one school winning its sixth in a row, which is the longest active streak 72 – Schools in Division I in Ohio (see later notes). Last week the OHSAA announced how 108 – Schools in Division II through VII, on average the regional champions in Divisions II through VII would be paired 32 – Playoff qualifiers per division in this week’s state semifinals. Bracket format was three rounds in 2 – Regions in Division I (16 playoff qualifiers per region) Divisions II through VII. 4 – Regions in Divisions II through VII (8 qualifiers per region) 224 – Total playoff qualifiers In Division I, the state semifinals this weekend are also the regional 31 – Percentage of football schools that qualify for the playoffs finals (trophies will be presented) since there are only two regions in Division I and bracket format lasts four rounds instead of three. In Division I, the ‘final four’ includes one school in for the first time, Twitter Bytes from @OHSAASports while another in for the 16th time. Follow the OHSAA’s Twitter account Friday and Saturday nights between 10:30 and 11:30 for general notes from that night’s games. All neutral sites are selected by the OHSAA. Note that “neutral site” does not mean that the stadium is located exactly halfway between Saturday, Nov. 22 #OHSAA FOOTBALL: Moeller is in state semifinals for 16th time, tying Mogadore for 3rd- the two teams. The best available site is selected based on the most in #OHSAA history (Newark Cath. 24, Mooney 17) requirements for all 14 games in the fourth round (see later note). #OHSAA FOOTBALL: Coldwater’s 6 consecutive trips to the state semifinals is longest active streak in Ohio. Trotwood is #2 with 5 straight Unless otherwise noted, Divisions II, III, IV and VI play at 7:30 p.m. #OHSAA FOOTBALL: Div. I State Semifinal Appearances - Hudson 1st vs. St. Edward 8th .. on Fridays during the playoffs, while Divisions I, V and VII play at 7 Wayne 3rd vs. Moeller 16th: http://bit.ly/1qc7oDr p.m. on Saturdays. #OHSAA FOOTBALL: Div. V State Semifinal Appearances- CantonCC 4th vs. Hartley 7th ... Coldwater 12th vs. CHCA 2nd: http://bit.ly/1qc7oDr Ticket Information #OHSAA FB: Div. VII State Semi Appearances- St. Paul 7th vs Trimble 2nd .. Columbus Fans are encouraged to buy their playoff tickets in advance at the Grove 4th vs Marion Local 13th http://bit.ly/1qc7oDr participating schools, which get to keep a percentage of the reve- Friday, Nov. 21 nue. For regional playoff games, tickets are $8 presale and $10 at #OHSAA FOOTBALL: Trotwood-Madison is 8th school in #OHSAA history to win 5 straight the gate. regional football titles. (Record is 9 by St. Ignatius & Newark Cath.) #OHSAA FOOTBALL: Div. IV State Semi Appearances- Benedictine 10th vs Steubenville In the Beginning… to Seven Divisions 15th .. Kenton 6th vs Alter 9th: http://bit.ly/1qc7oDr When the OHSAA created the football playoffs in 1972, there were #OHSAA FOOTBALL: Div. II State Semi Appearances - Mayfield 4th vs. Nordonia 3rd ... three divisions (called Class A, AA and AAA) and only one playoff Olentangy 1st vs. LaSalle 1st: http://bit.ly/1qc7oDr qualifier per region (12 total playoff qualifiers). Now in its 43rd #OHSAA FOOTBALL: Div. III State Semi Appearances- Akron SVSM 11th vs. Athens 1st .. year, the postseason includes seven divisions and 224 total playoff ToledoCC 4th vs. Trotwood 6th: http://bit.ly/1qc7oDr #OHSAA FOOTBALL: Div. VI State Semifinal Appearances - Kirtland 4th vs. Valley 1st ... Regions/ Qualifiers/ Qualifiers/ Total Playing Tinora 1st vs. Minster 3rd: http://bit.ly/1qc7oDr Years Divisions Division Region Division Qualifiers Schools* 1972-79 3 4 1 4 12 715 #OHSAA FOOTBALL: D3 Region 10, Wapakoneta vs. Trotwood-Madison is now in 4th OT. 1980-84 5 4 2 8 40 720 It’s just the 5th #OHSAA playoff game ever to reach 4 OT 1985-93 5 4 4 16 80 719 1994-98 6 4 4 16 96 703 1999-2012 6 4 8 32 192 709 2013- 7 2 Div. I 16 Div. I 32 224 714 4 Div. II-VII 8 Div. II-VII * Number at beginning of expansion Twitter.com/OHSAASports Facebook.com/OHSAA 1 OHSAA Weekly Football Release - November 23, 2014 Playoff Format and Schedule Championship Games Return to In Division I, where there are only two regions, the regional playoffs Ohio Stadium last four weeks, culminating with the regional finals Thanksgiving After hosting the OHSAA state weekend (Nov. 28-29). Those two Division I games also serve as the championship games in Co- Division I state semifinals. The winner of Region 1 (northern half lumbus throughout the 1980s, of the state) will face the winner of Region 2 (southern half of the natural grass was installed in state) in the Division I state championship game Dec. 6 (time TBA). Ohio Stadium in Columbus in the spring of 1990 and the OHSAA In Divisions II through VII, the regionals follow bracket format for was asked to move its football three weeks, followed by state semifinal pairings selected by the state championship games to OHSAA. Of the four divisions that play on their playoff games on another location. The OHSAA Friday nights, one will be selected to play its state championship found a home in Stark County, game on Thursday, Dec. 4. with Canton Fawcett Stadium and Massillon Paul Brown Tiger Note on Neutral Sites Stadium sharing the state cham- Neutral sites are selected by the OHSAA for the second, third and pionship games for the last 24 fourth rounds. There are many factors that go into determining years. playoff sites, such as quality of field surface, seating capacity, qual- ity of stadium lighting, size of locker rooms, press box size, parking The current four-year contract for the OHSAA football state cham- spaces available, and a separate locker room for officials. After all pionship games includes two years at Ohio Stadium in 2014 and those factors are taken into consideration, it must be confirmed 2015. The first two years of the contract (2012 and 2013) had the that the site is available and willing to host a playoff game on the games remain in Stark County (Canton and Massillon). Of note, date needed. the most recent bid by Columbus was the first that included all the games in Ohio Stadium. There is currently no contract in place for Setting Up the State Championships the football finals after 2015. In a new procedure started in 2013, the game time assignments for the state championship games will not be announced until after the Noting the Div. II Through VII Regional Champions state semifinals. This is due to one state championship game being Coldwater (Div. V) and Trotwood-Madison (Div. III) added to played on Thursday night, Dec. 4. Of the divisions that play on Fri- their successful history in the regional finals. Coldwater won its day nights during the playoffs (II, III, IV and VI), one will be selected sixth-straight regional title, while Trotwood won its fifth in-a-row. to play its state championship Dec. 4 at 7:30 p.m. The schedule for Coldwater’s streak is the longest active streak in Ohio. The state the state championship games is as follows: record for consecutive regional titles is nine set by Newark Catholic (1980-88) and Cleveland St. Ignatius (1991-99). Only four other Thursday, Dec. 4 schools have ever won five straight regional titles, including Cin- 7:30 p.m. – Either Div. II, III, IV or VI cinnati Archbishop Moeller (5), Mogadore (6), Steubenville (5) and Friday, Dec. 5 Versailles (5). 11 a.m. – Either Div. II, III, IV or VI 3 p.m. – Either Div. II, III, IV or VI Speaking of Trotwood, the Rams won their regional title over Wapa- 7 p.m. – Either Div. II, III, IV or VI koneta in four overtimes. Only four other OHSAA playoff games have ever gone to four overtimes. The record is a five overtime Saturday, Dec. 6 11 a.m. – Either Div. I, V or VII game in the 1997 Div. IV state championship game, which German- 3 p.m. – Either Div. I, V or VII town Valley View won over Akron Manchester, 31-24. 7 p.m. – Either Div. I, V or VII Five schools won their school’s first regional championship in foot- State Championships Tickets and Ohio Stadium Policies ball over the weekend, including Olentangy and LaSalle in Div. II, All-session ticket packages for the state championship games in Athens in Div. III and Lucasville Valley and Defiance Tinora in Div.