OHIO — The Ohio High School Athletic Association football playoffs begin on Friday, with everyone chasing the same goal: to be one of seven state champions left standing in early December.
Many of those postseason games mean regular season rematches, something Cleveland Heights has specialized in the last two years.
In 2023, the Tigers swept Euclid and Berea-Midpark, before losing to Medina in a Region 1 semifinal (in a game played at Strongsville).
Fast forward to this year, and Cleveland Heights (6-4) plays those Mustangs for a second time. It was Strongsville (6-4) that was a 28-6 winner back on Sept. 27, also played at Pat Catan Stadium.
That is the OHSAA Game of the Week for viewers in Northern Ohio.
Since that loss, though, the Tigers (ninth seed in Region 1) have won four straight, averaging over 45 points a game over that stretch. The Mustangs have also played well of late, winning five of their last six, with the only loss to undefeated Medina.
It’s been quite a turnaround in Strongsville (eighth seed), which went 3-8 each of the previous two seasons. First-year head coach Jason Trusnik is a former Browns player that is coaching football for the first time at the high school level. A graduate of Nordonia High School, and Ohio Northern University, he’s led the Mustangs to the school’s first winning record since 2018.
One player to watch for Strongsville is linebacker Storm Miller, a junior that being recruited by several major programs, including Clemson where his brother (Blake) is a starting offensive lineman.
On the other side of the ball, Heights’ running back Marquise Davis is one of the best in the state at that position. A Kentucky commit, Davis has accumulated nearly 1,700 yards and 23 touchdowns while missing four games. Two weeks ago, had a school record 465 yards and eight touchdowns in a win over Euclid. As a junior, he ran for over 2,200 yards and 35 touchdowns.
This marks the eighth all-time meeting between the schools, with Cleveland Heights holding a 4-3 advantage, including a 41-0 win last year.
In Central Ohio, it’s a Region 3 contest between 11th-seeded Grove City (7-3) and number six Olentangy Berlin (8-2).
The visiting Greyhounds were one of the area’s best teams through the first half of the season, starting out 5-0, before losing three of four, the defeats coming to New Albany, Pickerington North and Gahanna, all of which are playoff teams.
Grove City scored at least 34 points in all seven of its wins but totaled just 31 points combined in the three losses.
The Berlin Bears are battle tested, playing five opponents in the regular season that wound up with 8-2 records, including the three other Olentangy district schools, beating Olentangy and Olentangy Liberty, while falling to Olentangy Orange. The other loss was to 8-2 Upper Arlington.
This is the sixth straight playoffs for Berlin, which has won its opening round game all five of the previous seasons.
Grove City and Olentangy Berlin have never met before in football.
Neither have West Clermont and Lakota East, the OHSAA Game of the Week in Southwest Ohio.
The Wolves (7-3, ninth seed in Region 4) play in the Eastern Cincinnati Conference, which means playing Anderson (10-0), Kings (8-2) and Winton Woods (9-1). As you have probably figured out the only losses in that group was to Anderson, and that trio represents West Clermont’s only three defeats.
It’s the fifth straight, and sixth overall playoff appearance for the Wolves, who are still looking for the first postseason victory in school history. However, it should be noted that West Clermont opened in 2017, merging Amelia and Glen Este high schools.
The Thunderhawks (7-3, eighth in Region 4) enter the game winners in six of their last seven, with the only setback to rival Lakota West, the second seed in the region.
While it’s Lakota East’s sixth playoff appearance, too, it’s the first for the school since 2021.
Additionally, Spectrum News 1 will broadcast 15 games on www.SpectrumNews1.com, with the following matchups:
Westerville North vs. Pickerington North
Olentangy vs. Olentangy Orange
Westerville South vs. Canal Winchester
Previous games from the season are also available on demand through our website.
Stay with Spectrum News 1 and the Spectrum News App throughout the playoffs for live games, culminating in the state championships Dec. 5-Dec. 7 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton.