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

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

Hoover’s Jack Andes breaks a long run for a touchdown giving Hoover a lead 35-14 over Jackson with 3:28 to go in the game Friday, Oct. 24 2025. Bob Rossiter / Special To The Canton Repository / Bob Rossiter / Special To The Canton Repository / 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 II.

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 II state championship game on Thursday, Dec. 4 at 7:00 p.m.

OHSAA Football Playoffs - Division II First Round Matchups and Predictions

Region 5 Bracket

No. 1 Akron Archbishop Hoban (8-1), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 8 vs. No. 9

No. 2 Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit (8-1), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 7 vs. No. 10

No. 3 Austintown Fitch (8-1), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 6 vs. No. 11

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

No. 12 Willoughby South (5-5) at No. 5 Hudson (8-2)

No. 11 Uniontown Green (5-5) at No. 6 Garfield Heights (9-1)

No. 10 Twinsburg (6-4) at No. 7 Macedonia Nordonia (7-3)

No. 9 Youngstown Boardman (5-5) at No. 8 Painesville Riverside (7-3)

Predictions:

Hudson over Willoughby South
Garfield Heights over Green
Nordonia over Twinsburg
Riverside over Boardman

Region 6 Bracket

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

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

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

No. 4 North Ridgeville (9-1), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 5 vs. No. 12

No. 12 Toledo Start (6-4) at No. 5 Whitehouse Anthony Wayne (6-4)

No. 11 Fremont Ross (6-4) at No. 6 Olmsted Falls (6-4)

No. 10 Parma Heights Valley Forge (5-5) at No. 7 Toledo St. Francis de Sales (6-4)

No. 9 Oregon Clay (6-4) at No. 8 Brecksville-Broadview Heights (6-4)

Predictions:

Anthony Wayne over Start
Olmsted Falls over Ross
St. Francis de Sales over Valley Forge
Clay over Brecksville

Region 7 Bracket

No. 1 Sunbury Big Walnut (9-1), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 8 vs. No. 9

No. 2 Columbus St. Francis DeSales (8-2), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 7 vs. No. 10

No. 3 Massillon Washington (7-3), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 6 vs. No. 11

No. 4 Canal Winchester (9-1), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 5 vs. No. 12

No. 12 Louisville (6-4) at No. 5 Westerville South (8-2)

No. 11 Columbus Northland (7-3) at No. 6 North Canton Hoover (8-2)

No. 10 Mount Vernon (6-4) at No. 7 Ashland (9-1)

No. 9 Worthington Kilbourne (7-3) at No. 8 Columbus Walnut Ridge (7-3)

Predictions:

Westerville South over Louisville
Hoover over Northland
Ashland over Mount Vernon
Walnut Ridge over Kilbourne

Region 8 Bracket

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

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

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

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

No. 12 Cincinnati Turpin (5-5) at No. 5 Cincinnati La Salle (7-3)

No. 11 Cincinnati Aiken (6-4) at No. 6 Lima Senior (8-2)

No. 10 Vandalia Butler (6-4) at No. 7 Harrison (7-3)

No. 9 Piqua (6-4) at No. 8 Cincinnati Withrow (8-2)

Predictions:

La Salle over Turpin
Lima Senior over Aiken
Butler over Harrison
Withrow over Piqua

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