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

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

Manchester’s Tyler Pappas scores a touchdown against Canton South on Friday, Sept. 12, 2025. / 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 V.

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 V state championship game on Saturday, Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m.

NOTE: Defending Division V state champion Ironton was ruled ineligible for the postseason on Friday, Oct. 24 due to recruiting violations, according to the OHSAA. The Tigers would have been the No. 3 seed in Region 19.

OHSAA Football Playoffs - Division V First Round Matchups and Predictions

Region 17 Bracket

No. 1 Youngstown Cardinal Mooney (7-2), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 8 vs. No. 9

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

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

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

No. 12 Andover Pymatuning Valley (7-3) at No. 5 St. Clairsville (7-3)

No. 11 Urichsville Claymont (6-4) at No. 6 Youngstown Liberty (8-2)

No. 10 Richmond Edison (6-4) at No. 7 Akron Manchester (7-3)

No. 9 Burton Berkshire (6-4) at No. 8 Canfield South Range (6-4)

Predictions:

Pymatuning Valley over St. Clairsville
Liberty over Claymont
Manchester over Edison
South Range over Berkshire

Region 18 Bracket

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

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

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

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

No. 12 Delta (6-4) at No. 5 Findlay Liberty-Benton (10-0)

No. 11 Port Clinton (6-4) at No. 6 Milan Edison (7-3)

No. 10 Fredericktown (8-2) at No. 7 Fairview Park Fairview (8-2)

No. 9 Oak Harbor (8-2) at No. 8 Pemberville Eastwood (8-2)

Predictions:

Liberty-Benton over Delta
Edison over Port Clinton
Fredericktown over Fairview
Oak Harbor over Eastwood

Region 19 Bracket

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

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

No. 3 Nelsonville-York (10-0), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 6 vs. No. 11

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

No. 12 Amanda-Clearcreek (5-5) at No. 5 Portsmouth (7-3)

No. 11 Belmont Union Local (7-3) at No. 6 Columbus Africentric (7-3)

No. 10 Chillicothe Zane Trace (8-2) at No. 7 Lucasville Valley (8-2)

No. 9 McConnelsville Morgan (7-3) at No. 8 Coal Grove Dawson-Bryant (8-2)

Predictions:

Portsmouth over Amanda-Clearcreek
Union Local over Africentric
Zane Trace over Lucasville Valley
Dawson-Bryant over Morgan

Region 20 Bracket

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

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

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

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

No. 12 West Liberty-Salem (5-5) at No. 5 Carlisle (8-2)

No. 11 Cincinnati Mariemont (6-4) at No. 6 Cincinnati North College Hill (8-2)

No. 10 Arcanum (7-3) at No. 7 Camden Preble Shawnee (9-1)

No. 9 Jamestown Greeneview (7-3) at No. 8 Richwood North Union (6-4)

Predictions:

Carlisle over Liberty-Salem
Mariemont over College Hill
Preble Shawnee over Arcanum
Greeneview over North Union  

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