Postseason odds for Portage County's football teams
Ohio high school football teams learn the official playoff pairings Sunday, the day after the 2022 OHSAA regular season ends.
But thanks to JoeEitel.com and fantastic50.net, teams have a pretty good idea on where they stand heading into Week 10. Entering this week, five of Portage County's 12 football teams have clinched playoff spots and six more are still alive.
Using JoeEitel.com and fantastic50.net as a guide, here's a look at where Portage County teams figure in the playoff picture:
Mogadore Wildcats (8-0)
Division VI, Region 21
Current Position: 2nd
Playoff Chances (per Drew Pasteur): 100%, home for the first two rounds
Outlook: Few teams have less suspense entering Week 10 than the Wildcats, per Drew Pasteur's Ohio Fantastic 50, as they are likely locked into the second seed, behind only perennial power Kirtland. Mogadore's most likely first-round foe is Crestview, out of the Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference. The Rebels have played one Portage County team this season, falling 62-22 to the Garfield G-Men.
Rootstown Rovers (7-2)
Division VI, Region 21
Current Position: 8th
Playoff Chances (per Drew Pasteur): 100%, 21% home
Outlook: The Rovers have already locked up a return to the postseason and could clinch a Week 11 game at Robert C. Dunn Field with a victory over the undefeated Wildcats, according to Drew Pasteur's Ohio Fantastic 50. While a win would put Rootstown in the 5-8 range and likely facing either Mineral Ridge or Cardinal, a loss would put them in the 7-11 range and likely facing either Canton Central Catholic or United.
Garfield G-Men (7-2)
Division V, Region 17
Current Position: 10th
Playoff Chances (per Drew Pasteur): 100%, 66% home
Outlook: While the G-Men's league title hopes were essentially ended last week, they still have a ton to play for in Week 10. Indeed, Garfield's Week 10 contest against Liberty could determine whether that is their last game at JAG Field or not. (A win gives the G-Men a 66 percent chance of a home game, according to Drew Pasteur's Ohio Fantastic 50, while a loss drops that chance to two percent.) Garfield is in a battle with Berkshire, Fairless and Conneaut for those final top-eight seeds, and is likely to play one of those three in the first round.
Aurora Greenmen (6-3)
Division III, Region 9
Current Position: 11th
Playoff Chances (per Drew Pasteur): 100%
Outlook: While back-to-back losses to Barberton and Highland didn't knock the Greenmen out of the postseason chase by any means, it essentially eliminated the possibility of a Week 11 game at Veterans Stadium. With a Week 10 win over Revere, Aurora would likely land a 8 to 14 seed.
Streetsboro Rockets (5-4)
Division IV, Region 13
Current Position: 13th
Playoff Chances (per Drew Pasteur): 100%, 3% home
Outlook: The Rockets are in the postseason, but seeding is still at stake, with a win putting them in the 8-13 conversation and a loss dropping them to the 12-16 range. Either way, Streetsboro could well be looking at a rematch in the postseason, with a win potentially setting up a contest against Struthers (which the Rockets edged 42-41 in Week 3) and a loss potentially setting up round two with Girard (which Streetsboro fell to in Week 1) or MAC rival Woodridge.
Southeast Pirates (4-4)
Division VI, Region 21
Current Position: 14th
Playoff Chances (per Drew Pasteur): 99%
Outlook: Even if the Pirates can't pull the upset at Warren JFK, they are still a near-lock to make the postseason, per Drew Pasteur's Ohio Fantastic 50. Southeast is likely to earn a 12-16 seed, potentially facing 7-2 Dalton, 9-0 Valley Christian or 8-0 Mogadore in the first round. The Pirates have had at least a 74 percent chance to make the postseason all year, helped by a 4-2 start.
Field Falcons (4-5)
Division IV, Region 13
Current Position: 16th
Playoff Chances (per Drew Pasteur): 97%
Outlook: A Week 10 upset of Woodridge would lock up a postseason berth, and provide a chance for Field to climb the computer ratings to as high as a 10th seed. Still, even with a loss to the Bulldogs, the Falcons should make it to Week 11 (96 percent odds per Drew Pasteur's Ohio Fantastic 50), although they would likely be traveling to top-seeded West Branch, which enters the final week of the regular season 8-1, with its lone blemish coming against powerful Canfield.
Windham Bombers (3-5)
Division VII, Region 25
Current Position: 16th
Playoff Chances (per Drew Pasteur): 86%
Outlook: A victory over North Baltimore in Week 10 would likely clinch a postseason berth for the Bombers, moving their chances to 99 percent, according to Drew Pasteur's Ohio Fantastic 50. The site has Windham, with a win, earning a seed somewhere in the 13 to 16 range and perhaps traveling to Danville. The Bombers' biggest win thus far came against Fairport Harding, with that Week 8 win raising their postseason chances from 47 percent to 90.
Ravenna Ravens (3-6)
Division IV, Region 13
Current Position: 17th
Playoff Chances (per Drew Pasteur): 2%
Outlook: The Ravens likely need a Week 10 upset of Norton to have a shot at the postseason. A win over the Panthers would give the Ravens a roughly 50 percent chance, potentially providing the 15th or 16th seed. Ravenna had 77 percent odds to make the postseason after its rivalry win over Roosevelt, but followed that Week 3 triumph with a four-game skid that drastically reduced its chances.
Crestwood Red Devils (4-5)
Division V, Region 17
Current Position: 20th
Playoff Chances (per Drew Pasteur): 2%
Outlook: If the Red Devils can pull off a big upset of Hawken at Jack Lambert Stadium, they'll likely make Week 11. (Crestwood's odds of making the postseason jump from 0 percent with a loss to 98 percent with a win, with the Red Devils potentially getting a 14th, 15th or 16th seed with a win and facing undefeated Garaway or South Range.)
Waterloo Vikings (3-6)
Division VI, Region 21
Current Position: 23rd
Playoff Chances (per Drew Pasteur): 2%
Outlook: An upset of 7-2 Mineral Ridge would give the Vikings a solid shot (41 percent) at Week 11. If Waterloo did qualify, it would likely find itself traveling to top-seeded Kirtland or second-seeded Mogadore.
Roosevelt Rough Riders (2-7)
Division III, Region 9
Current Position: 23rd
Playoff Chances (per Drew Pasteur): 0%
Outlook: Two straight losses to Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy (Week 2) and Ravenna (Week 3) were an early knockout blow, according to Drew Pasteur's Ohio Fantastic 50, with the Rough Riders' playoff odds never rising above one percent the rest of the year, according to the site.
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Postseason odds for Portage County's football teams
