Saturday’s Regional Semifinals: Final scores and what we learned

What We Learned...

1. There will be a new champion in D-I: So long for that St. Ignatius slump. A year after missing the playoffs for the first time in 22 years, St. Ignatius is back with a vengeance. The Wildcats beat archrival and defending state champion St. Edward 20-17 in a Region 1 semifinal. St. Ignatius, the only program in the state with double-digit state titles (10), also beat St. Ed in the regular season finale by the same score (20-17).

2. Three of the final eight D-VI teams are from the MAC: Again…I will take Delphos St. John’s, Minster and Marion Local and you can have the field. One of those three MAC schools is going to win the D-VI state title. Write it down. And memo to the OHSAA: Separate the Region 22 and 24 winners (let two MAC schools meet in the state finals)…Through six playoff games, Delphos St. John’s, Minster and Marion Local have outscored the opposition 262-34. No joke.

3. Central Ohio Showdown Pans Out: All year we’ve wanted to see Hilliard Davidson versus Pickerington Central and now we get to! The Wildcats and Tigers will meet in the Region 3 final and the winner has as good a shot as any at winning the D-I state title.

4. Toledo Whitmer is as good as advertised: Looking for a sleeper in D-I? Look no further than Toledo Whitmer. The Panthers, who beat Canton McKinley 37-6 in the Region 2 semifinals, might be the best D-I team in the state. One long time Toledo sportswriter called Whitmer the “best high school football team from the city” that he’d ever seen. And he’s seen a lot…
 
5. The Region 14 Final could be the D-IV State Final: No. 1 Kenton versus defending state champion Columbus Hartley…that’s what we have in the D-IV Region 14 final. The state’s top two D-IV teams? Arguably…For sure.  Region 14 was the by far the deepest in the state and the winner of it certainly has to be the D-IV favorite. The only other team that could challenge that – Dayton Chaminade-Julienne.

Regional Final Scores

DIVISION I

Cincinnati Moeller 42, Middletown 30

Cincinnati St. Xavier 28, Cincinnati Colerain 15

Cleveland St. Ignatius 20, Lakewood St. Edward 17

Hilliard Davidson 15, Columbus Upper Arlington 6

Mentor 42, Solon 40

Pickerington Central 41, Gahanna Lincoln 10

Toledo Whitmer 37, Canton McKinley 6

Wadsworth 42, Hudson 21

DIVISION IV

Clarksville Clinton-Massie 24, Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy 10

Columbus Hartley 21, Pemberville Eastwood 7

Coshocton 47, St. Clairsville 21

Creston Norwayne 34, Orrville 19

Dayton Chaminade-Julienne 30, Waynesville 17

Girard 56, Sullivan Black River 14

Johnstown-Monroe 34, Ironton 7

Kenton 32, Genoa Area 22

DIVISION VI

Beallsville 35, Willow Wood Symmes Valley 34

Berlin Center Western Reserve 29, Malvern 20

Delphos St. John's 35, Tiffin Calvert 0

Leipsic 34, McComb 28

Maria Stein Marion Local 41, Ada 14

Minster 30, Ft. Loramie 7

New Washington Buckeye Central 37, Zanesville Rosecrans 7

Shadyside 27, Youngstown Christian 24