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

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

New Bremen Cardinals vs Warren John F. Kennedy Eagles in the OHSAA Division VII State Championship football game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Saturday, December 03, 2022. / Julie Vennitti Botos / USA TODAY NETWORK

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 VII.

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

OHSAA Football Playoffs - Division VII First Round Matchups and Predictions

Region 25 Bracket

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

No. 2 Fairport Harbor Fairport Harding (10-0), hosts winner of No. 7 vs. No. 10

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

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

No. 12 Ashtabula St. John (5-5) at No. 5 Malvern (6-4)

No. 11 Berlin Center Western Reserve (4-6) at No. 6 East Palestine (7-3)

No. 10 Lisbon David Anderson (6-4) at No. 7 East Canton (8-2)

No. 9 Norwalk St. Paul (5-5) at No. 8 Warren JFK (5-5)

Predictions:

Malvern over St. John
East Palestine over Western Reserve
East Canton over David Anderson
St. Paul over JFK

Region 26 Bracket

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

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

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

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

No. 12 Morral Ridgedale (6-4) at No. 5 Gibsonburg (7-3)

No. 11 Montpelier (6-4) at No. 6 Sycamore Mohawk (8-2)

No. 10 Arlington (7-3) at No. 7 Pandora-Gilboa (7-3)

No. 9 Edgerton (6-4) at No. 8 Edon (8-2)

Predictions:

Gibsonburg over Ridgedale
Mohawk over Montpelier
Arlington over Pandora-Gilboa
Edon over Edgerton

Region 27 Bracket

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

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

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

No. 4 Willow Wood Symmes Valley (8-2), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 5 vs. No. 12

No. 12 Glouster Trimble (6-4) at No. 5 Crown City South Gallia (7-3)

No. 11 Danville (5-5) at No. 6 Steubenville Catholic Central (6-4)

No. 10 Lucas (5-5) at No. 7 Strasburg-Franklin (7-3)

No. 9 Zanesville Bishop Rosecrans (6-4) at No. 8 Bowerston Conotton Valley (7-3)

Predictions:

Trimble over South Gallia
Danville over Central Catholic
Strasburg-Franklin over Lucas
Conotton Valley over Rosecrans

Region 28 Bracket

No. 1 Maria Stein Marion Local (10-0), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 8 vs. No. 9

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

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

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

No. 12 Fort Recovery (5-5) at No. 5 Cincinnati College Prep (8-2)

No. 11 Cedarville (5-5) at No. 6 Portsmouth Notre Dame (8-2)

No. 10 New Bremen (6-4) at No. 7 Ansonia (8-2)

No. 9 Minster (6-4) at No. 8 Sidney Lehman Catholic (9-1)

Predictions:

Fort Recovery over College Prep
Notre Dame over Cedarville
New Bremen over Ansonia
Minster over Lehman Catholic

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