OHSAA sets football regions for ’17

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports editor

COLUMBUS – Several big changes will be evident, when the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s 2017 high school football playoffs kickoff in November.

Along with new competitive balance rules, Friday-only playoff games (see related story), and state championship games returning to Stark County, a number regions will have a distinctly different look.

One of those is Division IV, Region 14. The Van Wert Cougars remain in the region, but 14 different teams, including the Cleveland suburb of Chagrin Falls are now in the region. Four other Cleveland-area schools are new to the region, along with four more from neighboring Lorain County. That means driving time for certain first round playoff games could exceed three hours.

“Some regions are always large, to have an equal number of teams in each region of that division,” OHSAA Director of Communications Tim Stried explained.

Also new to Region 14 – Western Buckeye League foe and perenial power St. Marys Memorial. Another WBL team, Ottawa-Glandorf dropped to Division V, and will compete in Region 18.

Two other WBL teams are moving to different regions: Elida and Shawnee (Division III, Region 10 to Division III Region 12).

Another notable change has the Crestview Knights moving from Division VII, Region 26 to Region 28.

“I haven’t really studied it yet, but I do know we would possibly be going south instead of north,” Crestview head coach Jared Owens said. “I think that the challenge it will present if we are fortunate enough to win games needed to make the playoffs is the lack of familiarity with many of the teams down there.”

“None of the teams that are on our regular season schedule are in our region this year,” Owens added.

Delphos St. John’s will make the same switch from Division VII, Region 26 to Region 28, while Wayne Trace will drop from Division VI, Region 22 to Division VII, Region 26.