The FINAL Countdown: Ohio H.S Football (Week 15) + OCC News

After 14 long Friday (and some Saturday) nights of high school football, the road to Stark County is now at an end as twelve Ohio high schools will play in the 39th Annual Ohio High School Athletic Association State Championship Games in Massillon (Paul Brown Tiger Stadium) and Canton (Fawcett Stadium) on Friday and Saturday. How did the final two in each Division get here?

STATE SEMI-FINALS SCORES:
(Division I)
Lakewood St. Edward (14-0) 23, Toledo Whitmer (12-2) 13
Huber Heights Wayne (11-3) 28, Hilliard Davidson (13-1) 14

(Division II)
Maple Heights (14-0) over Mentor Lake Catholic (12-2)
Trotwood-Madison (12-2) 34, Uniontown Lake (10-4) 27

(Division III)
Akron Buchtel (11-3) 52, Alliance Marlington (13-1) 8
Columbus Bishop Watterson (12-1) 20, Cincinnati Archbishop McNicholas (11-3) 7

(Division IV)
Chagrin Falls (13-1) 21, Orrville (10-4) 3
Columbus Bishop Hartley (12-2) 29, Kettering Archbishop Alter (11-3) 28

(Division V)
Youngstown Ursuline (14-0) 51, Lima Central Catholic (12-2) 36
Coldwater (11-3) 26, Fredericktown (13-1) 6

(Division VI)
Delphos St. John (14-0) 49, Sidney Lehman Catholic (12-2) 7
Shadyside (13-1) 28, Mogadore (13-1) 13



STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS:
DIVISION I- December 4, 2010 8PM at Canton Fawcett Stadium
Lakewood St. Edward Eagles (I.1.3; 14-0) vs. Huber Heights Wayne Warriors (I.4.8, 11-3)
There will be a new sheriff in Division I football as Huber Heights Wayne pulled off an upset over the defending state champs Hilliard Davidson 28-14 at Welcome Stadium on Saturday night. St. Ed continues its near-perfect run in the biggest stage in Ohio high school football. Can Wayne knock off another unbeaten in said stage?
Pick: Lakewood St. Edward (this is as close as Cuyahoga County will get to seeing a football championship at ANY level on a yearly basis)

DIVISION II- December 3, 2010 8PM at Massillon Paul Brown Tiger Stadium
Maple Heights Mustangs (II.6.2; 14-0) vs. Trotwood-Madison Rams (II.8.4, 12-2)
The Dayton area is represented in the two biggest State title games as Trotwood-Madison trotted to the Big Game by knocking off last year's D-II champs Cincinnati Winton Woods along the way. The Rams will butt horns with last year's runner-up Maple Heights, who is hungry for a State Title. Can the Mustangs get over the hump and gallop away with the trophy, or will they be the groomsman for the second year in a row?
Pick: Trotwood-Madison

DIVISION III- December 4, 2010 11AM at Canton Fawcett Stadium
Akron Buchtel Griffins (III.9.4, 11-3) vs. Columbus Bishop Watterson Golden Eagles (III.10.1, 12-1)
Akron Buchtel could be the story of the year up in Summit County if they knock off the largest Catholic school in Columbus in the state title game. Watterson has been this far before four times (1972, 1999, 2001, and 2002), winning the State Championship game in their most recent appearance (2002). The Eagles have soared over their competition to prove that they are Columbus's most competitive team. However, Buchtel knocked off last year's D-III champ Mooney and last week, routed the top D-III team, Alliance Marlington (by a mere 52-8). This will be a good old fashioned public (Buchtel) vs. parochial (Watterson) matchup.
Pick: Akron Buchtel (Upset Pick of the Week)

DIVISION IV- December 3, 2010 11AM at Massillon Paul Brown Tiger Stadium
Chagrin Falls Tigers (IV.13.2, 13-1) vs. Columbus Bishop Hartley Hawks (IV.15.3, 12-2)
The Tigers were here last year, losing to Kettering Alter. The Knights of the Dayton-area Catholic mini-power thought that they would face the Tigers in another rematch, but the Hartley Hawks had other plans as Hartley back Noah Key ran for a few scores, and the game-winning two-point try in a 29-28 Hartley win over Alter in Piqua last Friday night. The Hawks have been here before, but not since winning it all in 1986. The Hawks deep playoff run, fueled by wins over Heath, and rematch wins over Amanda-Clearcreek and top-seeded Ironton, sparked a revival of the Hartley football Hawks of old.
Pick: Hartley (this may be as close as Columbus gets to a State football title)

DIVISION V- December 4, 2010 3:30PM at Massillon Paul Brown Tiger Stadium
Youngstown Ursuline Fighting Irish (V.17.1, 14-0) vs. Coldwater Cavaliers (V.20.3, 11-3)
...And so they meet again. Division V has a case of deja vu as Ursuline and Coldwater face off for the second straight year in the Division V state finals, which wasn't even close. This could be another case of deja vu.
Pick: Youngstown Ursuline

DIVISION VI- December 3, 2010 3:30PM at Canton Fawcett Stadium
Delphos St. John's Blue Jays (VI.22.1, 14-0) vs. Shadyside Tigers (VI.23.1, 13-1)
The Central Catholic League isn't the only league to have TWO State Finalists (Watterson and Hartley), as the Midwestern Athletic Conference also has 2 (Coldwater and Delphos St. John's). Can the Blue Jays be stopped? No.
Pick: Delphos St. John's


In other non-playoff news, the Ohio Capital Conference recently announced re-alignment of the divisions, based on school size and geographic proximity, effective in the 2012-13 school year.

CURRENT OCC DIVISIONS:
(Capital)
Big Walnut Golden Eagles
Columbus Franklin Heights Falcons
Delaware Hayes Pacers
Hilliard Bradley Jaguars
Mount Vernon Rams
New Albany Eagles
Olentangy Orange Pioneers
Watkins Memorial Warriors

(Cardinal)
Dublin Jerome Celtics
Dublin Scioto Irish
Marysville Monarchs
Olentangy Braves
Olentangy Liberty Patriots
Westerville Central Warhawks
Westerville North Warriors
Westerville South Wildcats

(Central)
Dublin Coffman Shamrocks
Galloway Westland Cougars
Grove City Central Crossing Comets
Hilliard Darby Panthers
Hilliard Davidson Wildcats
Thomas Worthington Cardinals
Upper Arlington Golden Bears
Worthington Kilbourne Wolves

(Ohio)
Gahanna Lincoln Lions
Grove City Greyhounds
Groveport Madison Cruisers
Lancaster Golden Gales
Newark Wildcats
Pickerington Central Tigers
Pickerington North Panthers
Reynoldsburg Raiders

2012-13 RE-ALIGNMENTS:
(Ohio)
Stays the same...
Gahanna Lincoln Lions
Grove City Greyhounds
Groveport Madison Cruisers
Lancaster Golden Gales
Newark Wildcats
Pickerington Central Tigers
Pickerington North Panthers
Reynoldsburg Raiders

(Central)
Central Crossing Comets
Dublin Coffman Shamrocks
Galloway Westland Cougars
Hilliard Davidson Wildcats
Marysville Monarchs
Powell Olentangy Liberty Patriots
Thomas Worthington Cardinals
Upper Arlington Golden Bears

(Cardinal)
Dublin Jerome Celtics
Dublin Scioto Irish
Hilliard Bradley Jaguars
Hilliard Darby Panthers
Westerville Central Warhawks
Westerville North Warriors
Westerville South Wildcats
Worthington Kilbourne Wolves

(Capital)
Big Walnut Golden Eagles
Columbus Franklin Heights Falcons
Delaware Hayes Pacers
Mount Vernon Rams
New Albany Eagles
Olentangy Braves
Olentangy Orange Pioneers
Watkins Memorial Warriors