There are six OHSAA football playoff games on the schedule Oct. 31 for Tuscarawas-area teams.
Defending Division IV state champion Indian Valley finished a 9-0 regular season and earned a first-round bye in the playoffs. They will host the winner of the Philo vs. Circleville game on Friday, Nov. 7.
The rest of the squads get started in Week 11. Here’s a look at Friday’s games (all 7 p.m. starts):
Division VII playoffs
Lucas (5-5) at Strasburg (7-3)
Strasburg will be making its second straight and sixth overall appearance in the postseason when the Tigers entertain Lucas in a Division 7 Region 25 playoff game at Ron Hurst Field.
It’s the first time the two schools have ever met on the football field.
“The Strasburg Tiger football team had a great season this year,” said head coach Jimm Morris. “We played disciplined football and as a team with different men stepping up during the season. The team worked very hard to improve on last year’s success and playoff game. They put in the work in the offseason and really have played together.”
The IVC North member Tigers are averaging 30.6 points-per-game while giving up 14.5 ppg.
After starting the season 2-5, Lucas enters the playoffs riding a three-game winning streak. The Cubs have beaten the Reynolds (Pa.) Rebels (22-15), Lutheran East (26-12) and Crestline (37-0) last week.
Lucas is scoring 24.9 points-per-game and yielding 17.1 ppg.
Bishop Rosecrans (6-4) at Conotton Valley (7-3)
Conotton Valley will host Zanesville Bishop Rosecrans in Division VII Region 27 postseason contest Friday night in Bowerston.
The Rockets, who finished seventh in Region 27, are making a sixth straight playoff appearance and third straight under third-year head coach Derek O’Hara.
“Our team has really grown up in the second half of the year,” said O’Hara. “Following last year’s playoff run, we had a lot of holes to fill. We have found a good balance offensively, and players are starting to settle into their roles on both sides of the ball.”
The Rockets are coming off a 66-35 road win over the Mathews Mustangs in Week 10.
Conotton Valley is led by junior quarterback Kaden Leggett, who has completed 190 of 323 passes this fall for 2,538 yards and 39 touchdowns. His top two receivers include senior Kamden Wright with 63 catches for 818 yards and 13 touchdowns and freshman RJ Higginbotham with 45 receptions for 651 yards and seven touchdowns.
The top rusher for the Rockets has been senior Gavin Haney with 752 yards and 11 touchdowns.
“Gavin Haney and Kam Wright have really stepped up for us this year,” O’Hara said. “Both athletes continue to make plays on both sides of the ball and have helped contribute to our 7-3 regular season.”
The Rockets and their explosive air game, enter the postseason averaging 40.8 points-per-contest, while their defense is allowing 27.6 ppg.
On defense, the Rockets are led by safety Haney with 10.4 tackles per-game and safety Garrett Reiter with 8.3 tackles per-contest.
The Bishops enter Week 11 averaging 32.0 points-per-game and giving up 31.3 ppg.
Conotton Valley and Bishop Rosecrans have played 17 times in their history, with the series tied at 8-8-1. The two teams haven’t played since the 2016 season.
“We are looking forward to another opportunity to play in front of Rocket Nation and hope to bring home another playoff win,” Morris said.
Ashtabula St. John (5-5) at Malvern (6-4)
Malvern, which has made the playoffs in each of the past seven seasons under head coach Matt Chiurco, will host a long-distance playoff opponent Friday night when St. John School from Ashtabula makes the long trek to Malvern.
The tradition-rich Hornets are making their 17th appearance in the postseason in school history.
“There is nothing better than playoff football,” said Chiurco. “I feel like we’re playing really well on defense, but our offense does need to perform better if we’re going to win some playoff games.”
Malvern is coming off a tough one-point (7-6) IVC North loss to fellow IVC North power East Canton.
Meanwhile, the Ashtabula St. John Heralds recorded a 48-0 shutout victory over winless Middlefield Cardinal in its Week 10 game last weekend.
Malvern’s offense is paced by junior quarterback Jaxon Jones who has completed 102-of-190 aerials for 1,066 yards and 10 touchdowns. His top receiving target is senior Roy Simmons with 57 catches for 500 yards and five touchdowns.
On defense, senior linebacker Aaron Gore leads the Hornets with 92 tackles, while senior defensive back Brodie Powers has 76 stops on the season.
Malvern enters the playoffs averaging 22.8 points-per-game and giving up 19.4 points-per-contest on the defensive side of the football.
Meanwhile, the Heralds are scoring 25.1 points-per-game and surrendering 18.2 ppg.
Division VI playoffs
Mineral Ridge (7-3) at Garaway (8-2)
Fresh off its best win of the season, Garaway will host the Mineral Ridge Rams on the Hill in Sugarcreek.
Garaway, which is making its seventh straight appearance in the postseason under Jason Wallick and 10th overall, shut down a dangerous Ridgewood offense in a 14-0 Week 10 IVC South win last Friday.
Garaway is on a three-game winning streak as it enters the playoffs. It should be noted that the Pirates’ two losses this season have come to a duo of teams in Girard and Indian Valley, which finished the regular season with records of 10-0 and 9-0, respectively.
Garaway, which returned many linemen from last season but was young at the skilled positions, has seen its talented, young skilled players mature and flourish as the season has progressed, as evidenced by its win over Ridgewood.
Garaway’s junior running back Matt Frey scored both touchdowns on short runs vs. Ridgewood, while the Pirates’ sophomore quarterback Grady Miller had a big game in the passing and rushing departments.
Garaway is averaging 32.4 points-per-game and its defense is allowing 15.8 ppg. The Pirates have held six of their 10 regular-season opponents to a touchdown or less. They have shut out three opponents in River View (46-0), Expression Prep (42-0) and Ridgewood (14-0).
Mineral Ridge, which competed in the Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference, is coming off a 20-16 league loss to unbeaten MVAC champion McDonald last Friday night. The Rams are coached by Andy Hake, a former head coach at Berlin Center Western Reserve and Youngstown Valley Christian where he enjoyed success at both schools. Hake is in his first year coaching at Mineral Ridge where he played his high school football.
The Rams are averaging 32.2 points-per-game, while surrendering 15.3 ppg. The Rams have recorded one shutout win this season with that occurring in a Week IV 27-0 blanking of Jackson-Milton.
Friday marks the first meeting between Garaway and Mineral Ridge.
Ridgewood (8-2) at Newcomerstown (7-3)
Newcomerstown, which won the Inter Valley Conference North Division title with a 5-0 league record, drew a tough opening playoff assignment.
Ridgewood finished third in the rugged IVC South Division to defending IVC South champion and defending Division IV state champion, Indian Valley, and divisional runner-up, Garaway.
“This week we are facing a really good football team in Ridgewood,” said Newcomerstown head coach Dirk Gadd, whose team is making its fourth consecutive appearance in the postseason.
Newcomerstown enters the playoffs on a five-game winning streak and is coming off a 50-6 romp over Buckeye Trail. In its past three games, the Trojans have outscored their opponents, 128-25.
“I believe that we are currently playing our best football,” Gadd said. “Our players are really starting to figure things out and playing with a lot of confidence.”
The Trojans enter the postseason averaging 36 points-per-game and giving up 19 ppg.
Ridgewood has been outstanding on both sides of the football but was held to just 110 yards of total offense by Garaway last week.
The Generals are averaging 31.5 points-per-game, while its strong defense is allowing just 9.0 points-per-contest, which is one of the best marks in the area.
“We will need to play our best game of the season in order to come out on top this Friday,” said Gadd. “The atmosphere in Newcomerstown should be electric. In order to get where we want to be as a football program, we need to win these types of games. We have tough kids that know what is at stake. I know that we will leave it all on the field.”
Division V playoffs
Claymont (6-4) at Youngstown Liberty (8-2)
It’s been a season to remember in Uhrichsville this fall as the Mustangs recorded their first winning season since the 2017 campaign and have earned their first playoff appearance in 33 years. The last time they competed in the postseason was in 1992 when they played Thornville Sheridan in a playoff game in Newark.
On Friday night, the Mustangs will hit the highway to Youngstown to play the Liberty Leopards.
Claymont (6-4) features a balanced offense. The Mustangs, under head coach Buddy White, are averaging 19.7 points-per-game on offense.
On defense, which has been a strength, the Mustangs are only allowing 16.7 ppg.
Liberty, which competes in the Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference, recorded a 55-20 MVAC triumph over Ravenna Southeast in its Week 10 regular-season game.
High-scoring Liberty is averaging 40.7 points-per-game and giving up 13.9 ppg.
Friday marks the first-ever meeting in football between Claymont and Liberty.
This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: What to watch as Tuscarawas-area football teams open the postseason
Reporting by Mike Brown / The Times-Reporter
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
