COLUMBUS, Ohio (AVC News) — The Ohio High School Athletic Association announced its final football computer ratings and playoff pairings Sunday, setting the matchups for the first round of the state playoffs beginning Friday, Oct. 30.
Several teams across AVC News’ Southeast Ohio coverage area earned first-round byes, while others will begin postseason play on the road to the state championships Dec. 3-5 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton.
Among the area teams earning first-round byes are Steubenville, New Lexington, Barnesville, Fort Frye, River and Monroe Central.
Division III, Region 11
Steubenville finished 8-2 and earned the No. 1 seed in Region 11. The Big Red will have a first-round bye and host the winner of the matchup between No. 8 Columbus Linden McKinley (9-1) and No. 9 Jackson (7-3).
Dover (8-2), the No. 5 seed, will host No. 12 Columbus South (8-2). Sheridan (8-2), seeded sixth, will host No. 11 Dresden Tri-Valley (7-3).
Division IV, Region 15
New Lexington finished 9-1 and earned the No. 2 seed in Region 15. The Panthers will have a first-round bye and host the winner of No. 7 Lancaster Fairfield Union (8-2) and No. 10 Heath (7-3).
West Muskingum (8-2) earned the No. 8 seed and will host No. 9 Philo (7-3). Claymont (9-1), the No. 5 seed, will host No. 12 Beaver Local (6-4), while East Liverpool (8-2), seeded sixth, will host No. 11 Columbus Marion-Franklin (6-4).
Division V, Region 17
Barnesville finished the regular season 10-0 and earned the No. 2 seed in Region 17. The Shamrocks will receive a first-round bye and host the winner of No. 7 Martins Ferry (9-1) and No. 10 Bellaire (6-4).
Martins Ferry will host Bellaire in an all-Belmont County matchup Friday, Oct. 30.
Division V, Region 19
Fort Frye (9-1) earned the No. 2 seed in Region 19 and a first-round bye. The Cadets will host the winner of No. 7 Meigs (7-3) and No. 10 Piketon (6-4).
Meigs will host Piketon in the first round. Wheelersburg (7-3), seeded fifth, will host No. 12 Grove City Christian (5-5), while Fairland (7-3), the No. 8 seed, will host No. 9 Ridgewood (6-4).
Division VI, Region 23
River finished the regular season undefeated at 10-0 and earned the No. 1 seed in Region 23. The Pilots will receive a first-round bye and host the winner of No. 8 Fredericktown (8-2) and No. 9 Newark Catholic (7-3).
Monroe Central (7-3) earned the No. 4 seed and a first-round bye. The Seminoles will host the winner of No. 5 Newcomerstown (8-2) and No. 12 Centerburg (6-4).
Waterford (8-2), the No. 6 seed, will host No. 11 Berne Union (7-3), while Garaway (7-3), seeded seventh, will host No. 10 Marion Elgin (8-2).
Playoff Schedule
Unless otherwise noted, first-round games are scheduled for Friday, Oct. 30, with 7 p.m. kickoffs.
The top four seeds in each region receive first-round byes. In the opening round, No. 5 hosts No. 12, No. 6 hosts No. 11, No. 7 hosts No. 10 and No. 8 hosts No. 9.
Regional quarterfinals are scheduled for Nov. 6, followed by regional semifinals Nov. 13. Regional finals will be played at neutral sites Nov. 20, and state semifinals are scheduled for Nov. 27.
The state championship games will be held Dec. 3-5 in Canton.
Playoff tickets will be available Mondays through the OHSAA ticket website. Complete brackets, ratings and additional playoff information are available on the OHSAA football tournament coverage page.
Last Updated on October 26, 2026 by AVC News
