Ohio High School Football Playoffs 2025: Division I First Round Matchups, Predictions, Brackets

The OHSAA football playoffs begin Oct. 31, see matchups and predictions for Division I

Olentangy Liberty's Alex Leonard (6) makes a pass in the first half at Olentangy Liberty High School on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025 in Powell, Ohio. / Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Well, that was a quick 10 weeks of the Ohio high school football season, as the regular season has now concluded and the postseason is set to begin.

With that in mind, we at High School on SI Ohio have decided to post the matchups for each division in each round, while also making predictions for each and every game.

As a reminder, the OHSAA has once again changed the format for the playoffs.

The change that was made by the Ohio High School Athletic Association for the postseason this year is a reduction in teams making the playoffs and we posted a story at the midway point of the season as to what the playoffs would look like at that point in Division I.

Starting in 2021, the OHSAA went to a format that saw the top 16 teams in each region qualify for postseason play. But starting in 2025, only 12 will make the playoffs with the top four seeds in each region earning a bye in the first round.

Also, the first three rounds of the postseason will be hosted by the higher seeded team instead of the first two rounds. 

With the top four teams earning a bye, the first-round games will be the following:

No. 12 at No. 5
No. 11 at No. 6
No. 10 at No. 7
No. 9 at No. 8

In round two, the No. 1 seed will host the winner of No. 8 vs. No. 9, the No. 2 seed will host the winner of No. 7 vs. No. 10, the No. 3 seed will host the winner of No. 6 vs. No. 11, and the No. 4 seed will host the winner of No. 5 vs. No. 12. 

As has been the case over the last several years, all playoff games until the state championships will be played on Friday night.

The playoff qualifiers and first round matchups will be announced on Sunday, Oct. 26 with the first round being played on Friday, Oct. 31. The second round (or regional quarterfinals) will be played on Nov. 7, the regional semifinals on Nov. 14, the regional finals on Nov. 21 and the state semifinals on Nov. 28. The regional finals and state semifinals will all be held at neutral sites as determined by the OHSAA.

The state championship games will once again be at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton from Dec. 4-6, with the Division I state championship game on Friday, Dec. 5 at 7:30 p.m.

OHSAA Football Playoffs - Division I First Round Matchups and Predictions

Region 1 Bracket

No. 1 Lakewood St. Edward (8-2), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 8 vs. No. 9

No. 2 Mentor (10-0), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 7 vs. No. 10

No. 3 Canton McKinley (8-2), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 6 vs. No. 11

No. 4 Toledo Whitmer (8-2), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 5 vs. No. 12

No. 12 Cleveland St. Ignatius (1-9) at No. 5 Perrysburg (8-2)

No. 11 Medina (3-7) at No. 6 Strongsville (8-2)

No. 10 Brunswick (5-5) at No. 7 Massillon Jackson (5-5)

No. 9 Cleveland Heights (5-5) at No. 8 Berea-Midpark (6-4)

Predictions:

Perrysburg over St. Ignatius
Strongsville over Medina
Brunswick over Jackson
Berea-Midpark over Cleveland Heights

Region 2 Bracket

No. 1 Middletown (8-2), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 8 vs. No. 9

No. 2 Troy (8-2), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 7 vs. No. 10

No. 3 Findlay (6-4), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 6 vs. No. 11

No. 4 Springboro (7-3), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 5 vs. No. 12

No. 12 Marysville (5-5) at No. 5 Springfield (6-4)

No. 11 Galloway Westland (5-5) at No. 6 Huber Heights Wayne (6-4)

No. 10 Dublin Jerome (5-5) at No. 7 Hilliard Bradley (5-5)

No. 9 Kettering Fairmont (5-5) at No. 8 Lebanon (7-3)

Predictions:

Springfield over Marysville
Wayne over Westland
Dublin Jerome over Hilliard Bradley
Lebanon over Fairmont

Region 3 Bracket

No. 1 Lewis Center Olentangy Orange (10-0), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 8 vs. No. 9

No. 2 Pickerington Central (9-1), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 7 vs. No. 10

No. 3 Pickerington North (9-1), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 6 vs. No. 11

No. 4 Lewis Center Olentangy (8-2), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 5 vs. No. 12

No. 12 Newark (6-4) at No. 5 Powell Olentangy Liberty (6-4)

No. 11 Westerville Central (4-6) at No. 6 Upper Arlington (8-2)

No. 10 Groveport Madison (5-5) at No. 7 Gahanna Lincoln (7-3)

No. 9 Grove City (5-5) at No. 8 Delaware Olentangy Berlin (5-5)

Predictions:

Olentangy Liberty over Newark
Upper Arlington over Westerville Central
Lincoln over Madison
Grove City over Olentangy Berlin

Region 4 Bracket

No. 1 Cincinnati Elder (10-0), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 8 vs. No. 9

No. 2 Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller (7-3), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 7 vs. No. 10

No. 3 Cincinnati St. Xavier (7-2), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 6 vs. No. 11

No. 4 Cincinnati Princeton (8-2), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 5 vs. No. 12

No. 12 Morrow Little Miami (3-7) at No. 5 Cincinnati Winton Woods (8-2)

No. 11 Cincinnati Oak Hills (4-6) at No. 6 Liberty Township Lakota East (7-3)

No. 10 Hamilton (4-6) at No. 7 West Chester Lakota West (6-4)

No. 9 Mason (5-5) at No. 8 Fairfield (5-5)

Predictions:

Winton Woods over Little Miami
Lakota East over Oak Hills
Lakota West over Hamilton
Fairfield over Mason

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