Breaking down the first week of the high school football playoffs for Chillicothe area teams
CHILLICOTHE − Friday rings in the first week of the high school football playoffs, and five teams from around the Chillicothe area are gearing up to make their mark on the postseason.
Unioto, Waverly, Zane Trace, Westfall and Paint Valley have all secured their spots in Week 11, and only Westfall and Waverly will have to travel for their matchups. In essence, the postseason has become a new season. Each week might spell the end for any given team's season. There's little margin for error and the competition will only ramp up as the week progresses.
As Week 11 rears its head, here's a breakdown of the five local playoff matchups to keep an eye on this week, and how each team stacks up:
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Division IV, Region 16: No. 2 Unioto Shermans (9-1, 7-0 Scioto Valley Conference) vs. No. 15 Urbana Hillclimbers (7-3, 2-3 Central Buckeye Conference - Kenton Trail Division)
The Shermans earned the luck of the draw after topping out at the No. 2 seed in Region 19, and as such get to take on the Hillclimbers on their own turf. Will it be easy? Well, the seeding doesn't show everything.
Urbana is still 7-3 and averages over 39 points per game. Yet those wins have come against teams that have struggled this year. No team that Urbana has beaten this season finished the year out with more than four wins, and five of those teams had two or fewer wins on the year. Plus it only beat North Union by three points, and Zane Trace defeated North Union way back in Week Three.
Also, the Hillclimbers have given up 40 points or more in all three of their losses this season − losses to Johnathan Alder, Bellefontaine and London respectively. If the Shermans can get their passing game off the ground early, and the running game led by Connor Dollison and Ethan Summar isn't slowed down, they won't have much trouble running past the Hillclimbers.
Division IV, Region 16: No. 10 Waverly Tigers (6-4, 4-2 Southern Ohio Conference) at No. 7 Shawnee Braves (9-1, 5-0 Central Buckeye Conference - Mad River Division)
The Tigers have their own CBC opponent to take on in Week 11, but there's come in the form of Mad River Division champion Shawnee. The Braves haven't given up more than 26 points in a game all year, and the only game in which they allowed more than 14 points was during their lone loss to London back in Week Four.
That defense will be hard for the Tigers to crack. They've struggled with opposing defenses before in their losses to Wheelersburg and Mt. Healthy. Still, they have a chance to keep on an even keel if Jase Hurd finds a rhythm, and Mason Kelly can work his way around the Braves' pass defense. Plus, the defense will need another big outing. The Braves average 32.4 points per game against conference opponents.
Division V, Region 20: No. 4 Zane Trace Pioneers (7-3, 6-1 SVC) vs. No. 13 Madison Mohawks (4-6, 0-6 Southwestern Buckeye League - Buckeye Division)
Zane Trace's 4-1 record at home might come in handy against Madison this week. Albeit being 4-6, Madison has seen much more success against nonconference opponents. It shut down Preeble Shawnee in Week One, and it even matched blows with a tough Brookville team back in Week Five. Still, it's riding a six-game losing streak into Friday.
On the other hand, the Pioneers have a bit of momentum on their side. Their win over Paint Valley gave their offense a good boost in Week 10, and they've been able to cut their teeth on a tough non-conference schedule in conjunction with matchups with both Paint Valley and Unioto through the last two weeks of the regular season.
Of course, it might depend on how well their running game responds to the call. Blake Phillips and Carter Langley have both delivered in the red zone this season, and Riley Hartsaugh has broken out for some big runs as well. Their offensive line is hard to crack, which will pay dividends come Friday.
Division V, Region 20: No. 16 Westfall Mustangs (6-4, 4-3 SVC) at No. 1 Valley View Spartans (9-1, 5-1 Southwestern Buckeye League - Buckeye Division)
Westfall secured its spot in the playoffs after shooting it out with Piketon last week, but it faces a massive challenge in the first round. Valley View has torn through its regular season schedule, and its only loss came to eventual SBL-Buckeye champion Waynesville last week. It only lost by nine points, and its offense hasn't scored less than 35 points in a game all year.
Still, the Mustangs have a chance. They've shown that they can go toe-to-toe with the heavyweights of the SVC like Unioto and Paint Valley, and it has won its last three games in convincing fashion. Those wins came against Adena, Huntington and Piketon, but those wins are bound to stack up against a 9-1 juggernaut like Valley View.
Division VI, Region 24: No. 6 Paint Valley Bearcats (7-3, 5-2 SVC) vs. No. 11 Parkway Panthers (2-8, 1-8 Midwest Athletic Conference)
On paper, the Bearcats won't have much trouble rolling past the Panthers at George Knisley Memorial Stadium on Friday. Still, the Panthers can't be taken lightly. They've taken on teams like Versailles and Coldwater, as well as nonconference opponents like Crestview and North Central.
Still, the Bearcats have plenty of weapons at their disposal. Carson Free, Braylon Robertson and Preston Fauber all come to mind. Having one of the most effective rushing attacks in the SVC ought to swing favor the Bearcats' way, and an offense that averages over 37 points per game doesn't hurt either.
Paint Valley also has the tenacity to get one over on the Panthers. It scored 18 unanswered points against Zane Trace last week, and a comeback win over Piketon all but showed how effective it can be when it is in a hole. Even if the Panthers find a lead, the Bearcats aren't going to back down.
This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Breaking down the first week of playoffs for Chillicothe area football teams
