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

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

Coldwater players prepare to take the field against Kirtland in OHSAA Division VI state final at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024 / Julie Vennitti Botos / 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 VI.

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 VI state championship game on Friday, Dec. 5 at 3:00 p.m.

OHSAA Football Playoffs - Division VI First Round Matchups and Predictions

Region 21 Bracket

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

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

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

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

No. 12 Cuyahoga Heights (7-2) at No. 5 Smithville (8-2)

No. 11 Columbiana (7-3) at No. 6 Dalton (7-3)

No. 10 Mineral Ridge (7-3) at No. 7 Sugarcreek Garaway (7-2)

No. 9 New Middletown Springfield (7-3) at No. 8 Wickliffe (8-2)

Predictions:

Smithville over Cuyahoga Heights
Dalton over Columbiana
Garaway over Mineral Ridge
Wickliffe over Springfield

Region 22 Bracket

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

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

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

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

No. 12 Defiance Tinora (5-5) at No. 5 Sherwood Fairview (9-1)

No. 11 Elmore Woodmore (7-3) at No. 6 Attica Seneca East (7-3)

No. 10 Collins Western Reserve (8-2) at No. 7 Bluffton (8-2)

No. 9 Carey (6-4) at No. 8 Hamler Patrick Henry (8-2)

Predictions:

Fairview over Tinora
Woodmore over Seneca East
Western Reserve over Bluffton
Patrick Henry over Carey

Region 23 Bracket

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

No. 2 Beverly Fort Frye (8-1), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 7 vs. No. 10

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

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

No. 12 Reedsville Eastern (7-3) at No. 5 North Robinson Colonel Crawford (9-1)

No. 11 Columbus Grandview Heights (7-3) at No. 6 Toronto (9-1)

No. 10 Caldwell (7-3) at No. 7 Grove City Christian (8-2)

No. 9 West Lafayette Ridgewood (8-2) at No. 8 Newcomerstown (7-3)

Predictions:

Colonel Crawford over Reedsville Eastern
Toronto over Grandview Heights
Caldwell over Grove City Christian
Newcomerstown over Ridgewood

Region 24 Bracket

No. 1 New Madison Tri-Village (10-0), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 8 vs. No. 9

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

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

No. 4 St. Bernard Elmwood Place (9-1), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 5 vs. No. 12

No. 12 Covington (5-5) at No. 5 Coldwater (6-4)

No. 11 Cincinnati Deer Park (5-5) at No. 6 Anna (7-3)

No. 10 Miamisburg Dayton Christian (6-4) at No. 7 Ironton Rock Hill (6-4)

No. 9 Portsmouth West (5-5) at No. 8 Cincinnati Summit Country Day (5-5)

Predictions:

Coldwater over Covingtion
Anna over Deer Park
Rock Hill over Dayton Christian
Portsmouth West over Summit Country Day

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