COLUMBUS — The Massillon Tigers — and the other 55 teams still alive in the Ohio High School Athletic Association football playoffs — now know their potential final path to a state title.
The OHSAA announced the bracket pairings on Thursday, Nov. 20 for all seven divisions for next week’s state semifinals. All of the state semifinals are Friday, Nov. 28, the day after Thanksgiving.
For Massillon, in Division II, the winner of its regional final vs. Sunbury Big Walnut advances to play the winner of the Cincinnati Anderson and Trotwood-Madison regional final.
Watch Ohio High School Football Live on the NFHS Network all season
The other half of the Division II bracket has a heavy Akron-area flavor, with the Hoban-Walsh Jesuit winner playing the Highland-Avon winner. A year ago, Avon beat Highland and then Hoban on its way to winning a Division II state championship inside a snow-covered Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton by defeating Anderson.
When Massillon won its Division II state championship in 2023, it routed Anderson 55-7 in a state semifinal before beating Hoban 7-2 in the state finals.
According to the OHSAA, the geography of the schools involved in each region is the primary factor in determining how the regional champions will be paired in the state semifinals. A team’s won-lost record, regional seed and state rank do not factor into the state semifinal bracket pairings.
Complete pairings for this Friday’s regional finals and next week’s state semifinals are included below. Locations for the state semifinals will be announced on Sunday, Nov. 23.
OHSAA Division I
OHSAA Division II regional finals
OHSAA Division III
OHSAA Division IV
OHSAA Division V
OHSAA Division VI
OHSAA Division VII
OHSAA football state championship games in Canton
A total of 56 teams remain alive in the postseason after 336 teams — the top 12 in each region— qualified for the playoffs, which began Oct. 31 and continue this month in pursuit of a trip to the OHSAA state championship games. The state finals are Dec. 4-6 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton — the fifth straight year all of the titles are being played there.
2025 OHSAA football state championships schedule
The Canton Repository sports department can be contacted via email at sports@cantonrep.com.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Ohio high school football playoffs, OHSAA releases 2025 state semifinal bracket pairings
Reporting by Chris Beaven, Canton Repository / The Repository
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