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

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

Norton’s Trey Kersten with a carry, Streetsboro’s Ayden Knuebell and Kyle Giacomo on defense on Sept. 26, 2025. / Lisa Scalfaro / 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 IV.

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 IV state championship game on Friday, Dec. 5 at 10:30 a.m.

OHSAA Football Playoffs - Division IV First Round Matchups and Predictions

Region 13 Bracket

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

No. 2 Cleveland Glenville (7-3), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 7 vs. No. 10

No. 3 Mentor Lake Catholic (8-2), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 6 vs. No. 11

No. 4 Beloit West Branch (9-1), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 5 vs. No. 12

No. 12 Ashtabula Edgewood (6-4) at No. 5 Norton (9-1)

No. 11 Chesterland West Geauga (6-4) at No. 6 Streetsboro (8-2)

No. 10 Salem (6-4) at No. 7 Canal Fulton Northwest (6-4)

No. 9 Hubbard (7-3) at No. 8 Chardon Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin (7-3)

Predictions:

Norton over Edgewood
Streetsboro over West Geauga
Salem over Northwest
Hubbard over Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin

Region 14 Bracket

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

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

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

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

No. 12 Clyde (4-6) at No. 5 Bellevue (7-3)

No. 11 Lorain Clearview (5-5) at No. 6 Sandusky Perkins (7-3)

No. 10 Lodi Cloverleaf (6-4) at No. 7 Bay Village Bay (6-4)

No. 9 Orrville (6-4) at No. 8 Bellville Clear Fork (6-4)

Predictions:

Bellevue over Clyde
Perkins over Clearview
Bay over Cloverleaf
Orrville over Clear Fork

Region 15 Bracket

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

No. 2 Gnadenhutten Indian Valley (9-0), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 7 vs. No. 10

No. 3 Plain City Jonathan Alder (9-1), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 6 vs. No. 11

No. 4 Chillicothe Unioto (10-0), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 5 vs. No. 12

No. 12 Canton South (5-5) at No. 5 Columbus East (9-1)

No. 11 Johnstown (7-3) at No. 6 Wintersville Indian Creek (9-1)

No. 10 Duncan Falls Philo (6-4) at No. 7 Circleville (7-3)

No. 9 Heath (6-4) at No. 8 Lancaster Fairfield Union (6-4)

Predictions:

Columbus East over Canton South
Indian Creek over Johnstown
Philo over Circleville
Fairfield Union over Heath

Region 16 Bracket

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

No. 2 Germantown Valley View (9-1), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 7 vs. No. 10

No. 3 Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy (9-1), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 6 vs. No. 11

No. 4 Cincinnati Taft (10-0), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 5 vs. No. 12

No. 12 Cleves Taylor (6-4) at No. 5 Clarksville Clinton-Massie (9-1)

No. 11 Middletown Bishop Fenwick (6-4) at No. 6 Brookville (9-1)

No. 10 Cincinnati Roger Bacon (5-5) at No. 7 Cincinnati Wyoming (9-1)

No. 9 New Richmond (4-6) at No. 8 Washington Court House Washington (5-5)

Predictions:

Clinton-Massie over Taylor
Brookville over Bishop Fenwick
Wyoming over Roger Bacon
Washington over New Richmond

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