Several area high school football teams are preparing for the opening round of the OHSAA football playoffs, with Urbana and Mechanicsburg set to host first-round games and Graham and Riverside earning first-round byes.
The postseason features multiple local teams looking to make deep runs, including a pair of top-three seeds in Graham and Riverside.
Full first-round matchups across Ohio are available HERE and full brackets for all 28 regions are available HERE.
Division IV – Region 16
No. 12 Clinton-Massie (3-7) at No. 5 Urbana (7-3)
The Urbana Hillclimbers will host Clinton-Massie in the opening round of the Division IV, Region 16 playoffs.
Under first-year head coach Geron Stokes, Urbana enters the postseason with a 7-3 record. The Hillclimbers are led by quarterback Grady Lantz and Central Buckeye Conference leading tackler Justus Rose as they look to take advantage of home-field advantage and advance to the next round.
Division V – Region 20
No. 1 St. Paris Graham Local (9-1) earns first-round bye
The Graham Falcons secured the No. 1 seed in Division V, Region 20, earning a first-round bye and home-field advantage through the regional semifinal round.
Graham, the CBC Mad River Division champion, is coming off one of the best seasons in school history. After also receiving a first-round bye last season, the Falcons will look to make a run toward the state Final Four.
The Falcons are led by standout tailbacks Danny and Jakob Hoke, who anchor a powerful rushing attack, along with a physical style of play on both sides of the ball.
Graham will host the winner of the first-round matchup between No. 8 Arcanum (6-4) and No. 9 Dayton Christian (7-3).
Division VI – Region 24
No. 11 St. Bernard-Elmwood Place (7-2) at No. 6 Mechanicsburg (8-2)
The Mechanicsburg Indians will open the Division VI, Region 24 playoffs at home against St. Bernard-Elmwood Place.
Mechanicsburg enters the postseason with an 8-2 record, led by quarterback Matthew Davis, who has surpassed 1,500 passing yards and 1,100 rushing yards this season. The Indians also feature a physical defensive unit as they prepare for a familiar postseason opponent.
Mechanicsburg has faced the Titans twice in the playoffs this decade and won both first-round matchups. The Indians will look to continue that success and advance to the next round.
Division VII – Region 28
No. 3 De Graff Riverside (8-2) earns first-round bye
The Riverside Pirates earned the No. 3 seed in Division VII, Region 28, and will receive a first-round bye before hosting the winner of No. 6 Cincinnati Country Day (5-5) and No. 11 Upper Scioto Valley (5-5).
Riverside enters the postseason with an 8-2 record and will look to secure its first playoff victory since 2022.
The Pirates are led by their formidable Wing-T offense and two 1,000-yard rushers in Gunnar Carpenter and Dylan Trimble. Their rushing attack will be a key factor as Riverside looks to take advantage of its bye week and prepare for its regional playoff opener.
The Pirates will await the winner of the Cincinnati Country Day and Upper Scioto Valley matchup before beginning their postseason run.
