Central Ohio high school football: 5 things to watch in the OHSAA regional finals
Seven central Ohio football teams will play for regional championships Nov. 18, and the only downside is at least two are assured to finish as runners-up.
Division I, Region 3 and Division III, Region 11 feature all-area finals: Top-seeded Gahanna Lincoln faces longtime rival and third-seeded New Albany in the large-school division at Historic Crew Stadium and two programs with less familiarity in third-seeded Watterson and fifth-seeded Bloom-Carroll meet at DeSales.
This weekend is largely on par with recent seasons when it comes to area teams still being alive. Eight advanced to this stage a year ago, and of them only Bloom-Carroll, Harvest Prep and Newark Catholic have returned.
Last week: 5 things we learned in the regional semifinals
Staff picks: Regional final playoff predictions
Seven teams played for regional championships in 2020, a year after the recent high-water mark of 11. That season, there were four regional finals pitting two area teams.
Here are five things to watch in the regional finals:
1. The passing game might play a huge role when Gahanna faces New Albany.
Don’t misunderstand — effective rushing attacks have played large parts in getting the Lions and Eagles to the Region 3 final. Gahanna’s Diore Hubbard, the district’s Offensive Player of the Year, has rushed for 2,143 yards and 24 touchdowns, and New Albany’s Christian Manville has rivaled those totals with 1,714 yards and 27 scores.
Both backs also play important roles in their teams’ passing games. Hubbard has caught 22 passes for 287 yards and four scores, and Manville has 10 catches for 221 yards and three touchdowns. New Albany quarterback Luka Garver also targets wingback Joseph Flauto, who has 12 catches for 183 yards and three scores.
In a game that pits two teams with similar paths to success, whichever team utilizes the extra layer of a strong passing game could be the winner. Gahanna won their OCC-Ohio Division meeting 38-24 on Sept. 30.
Division I, Region 3: Gahanna Lincoln, New Albany prepare for rematch
2. Old-school might be Olentangy Liberty’s key to pulling an upset.
The eighth-seeded Patriots seemingly have done everything right in advancing to the Division I, Region 2 final, but the hurdle they face against second-seeded Springfield at London is their highest yet by a considerable margin.
The Wildcats are outscoring their opponents by an average of 37.1-11.3 thanks to a potent, quick-strike spread offense. Quarterback Bryce Schondelmyer has thrown for 3,842 yards and 31 touchdowns, with most of that production split between Anthony Brown (61 catches, 1,341 yards, 17 TDs) and Daylen Bradley (75 catches, 1,112 yards, 12 TDs).
Three more receivers have at least 20 catches and 278 yards.
So how to slow this down? Lengthy, productive drives might be Liberty’s best option. Done right, spread offenses are every bit as capable of time-chewing possessions as those that depend primarily on the run.
Division I, Region 2: Upstart Olentangy Liberty to battle seasoned Springfield
3. A change in divisions has not hampered Bloom-Carroll.
The Bulldogs lost their coach when Wade Bartholomew left for Olentangy and went up a classification from Division IV, in which they reached state semifinals the past two years, to Division III. Not only has Bloom-Carroll not lost a beat, it might be even better.
A team that boasts both the district’s offensive and defensive players of the year in Dylan Armentrout and Andrew Marshall, respectively, and massive lines awaits Watterson in the Region 11 final.
The Eagles are no strangers to success, but this is their first regional final in 12 years. They are 4-1 in games decided by one score or less, including a 24-22 win over second-seeded Jackson last week.
Division III, Region 11: First meeting between Watterson, Bloom-Carroll to decide regional title
4. The entire season has led up to the clash between Harvest Prep and Ironton.
One of eight finals pitting the top two seeds in their region, the second-seeded Warriors travel to Waverly to face the top-seeded Fighting Tigers in Division V, Region 19.
While the matchups in the larger divisions might pull more attention, these teams seemingly have been on a collision course all year. Both are 13-0 and barely have played any close games, although Harvest Prep had to overcome five turnovers last week to edge sixth-seeded Wheelersburg 25-21. It was only their second game decided by one score all season, during which the Warriors have won their games by an average of 29.5 points.
Ironton boasts an even bigger point differential at 30.4.
And in terms of computer points, these teams would have been the second and third seeds in both regions 1 and 3 and also would have ranked in the top five in regions 2 and 4.
Division V, Region 19: Harvest Prep, Ironton face off in battle of unbeatens
5. The Division VII, Region 27 final also is no surprise.
Another of the No. 1 against No. 2 regional finals pits Newark Catholic against Hannibal River at Cambridge, and that is not where the similarities between this and Region 19 end.
The Green Wave has not had a game decided by fewer than 10 points all season and is averaging 41.1 points during its current eight-game winning streak. The Pilots are averaging 46.0 points, powered by quarterback Kabel Isaly and wide receivers Brady Lollathin and River Thompson. They are as adept at power ball as the spread, giving Newark Catholic its stiffest test to date.
dpurpura@thisweeknews.com
@ThisWeekDave
This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Ohio high school football playoff games to watch in Columbus
