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

The second round of the OHSAA football playoffs are set for Nov. 7, see matchups and predictions for Division IV

Glenville head coach Ted Ginn, Sr. looks on during the 2023 Division IV state championship game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium / Jeff Harwell, High School on SI

The first round of the Ohio high school football playoffs are in the books, and now the top four teams in each region come off their bye week as the second round takes place on Friday, Nov. 7.

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.

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

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 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 Second Round Matchups and Predictions

Region 13

No. 8 Chardon Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin (8-3) at No. 1 Perry (8-2)

No. 10 Salem (7-4) at No. 2 Cleveland Glenville (7-3)

No. 6 Streetsboro (9-2) at No. 3 Mentor Lake Catholic (8-2)

No. 5 Norton (10-1) at No. 4 Beloit West Branch (9-1)

Predictions:

• Perry over NDCL
  Glenville over Salem
  Lake Catholic over Streetsboro
  Norton over West Branch

Region 14

No. 9 Orrville (7-4) at No. 1 Shelby (10-0)

No. 10 Lodi Cloverleaf (7-4) at No. 2 Galion (9-1)

No. 6 Sandusky Perkins (8-3) at No. 3 Napoleon (8-2)

No. 5 Bellevue (8-3) at No. 4 Lima Bath (8-2)

Predictions:

• Shelby over Orrville
  Galion over Cloverleaf
  Perkins over Napoleon
  Lima Bath over Bellevue

Region 15

No. 8 Lancaster Fairfield Union (7-4) at No. 1 New Lexington (9-1)

No. 7 Circleville (8-3) at No. 2 Gnadenhutten Indian Valley (9-0)

No. 11 Johnstown (8-3) at No. 3 Plain City Jonathan Alder (9-1)

No. 5 Columbus East (10-1) at No. 4 Chillicothe Unioto (10-0)

Predictions:

• New Lexington over Fairfield Union
  Indian Valley over Circleville
  Jonathan Alder over Johnstown
  Unioto over Columbus East

Region 16

No. 8 Washington Court House Washington (6-5) at No. 1 Cincinnati Indian Hill (10-0)

No. 7 Cincinnati Wyoming (10-1) at No. 2 Germantown Valley View (9-1)

No. 6 Brookville (10-1) at No. 3 Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy (9-1)

No. 5 Clarksville Clinton-Massie (10-1) at No. 4 Cincinnati Taft (10-0)

Predictions:

• Indian Hill over Washington Court House
  Valley View over Wyoming
  Brookville over Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy
  Taft over Clinton-Massie

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