OHSAA playoff preview: Seven football teams start the postseason Friday
The OHSAA football postseason starts this week. Here's a look at Friday's games for the seven area teams in the playoffs:
(10) Fremont Ross (4-6) at (7) Avon Lake (6-4)
JD Moncrief had 215 yards and four touchdowns on 26 carries as Ross beat Bowling Green 40-14 last week for its second straight victory. He's on the verge of rushing for 1,000 yards this season. No back has reached that benchmark for coach Chad Long. Karson Kayden tossed two touchdown passes. When Ross avoids turnovers it's been very good. Avon Lake lost its last three games to teams above it in Division II Region 6. It fell 49-24 to five-seed Olmsted Falls, 23-17 to six-seed North Ridgeville and 45-0 to top seed Avon last week.
(12) Clyde (5-5) at (5) Rocky River (9-1)
Clark Norman rushed for two touchdowns in Clyde's 45-14 victory over Norwalk last week. Norman has 10 scores on the ground. The Fliers allowed 14 points or fewer in wins. Rocky River lost 59-0 to Perkins in Week 3. Clyde lost 31-7 to the Pirates. Rocky River scored at least 28 points in every game and allowed 23 or fewer seven times.
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(10) Napoleon at (7) Bellevue (5-5)
Bellevue won its last two games. Haydn Sartor blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown in a 20-0 shutout of Vermilion last week. Bellevue allowed 14 points or fewer five times and won each time it scored at least 20. Ashton Martin has seven scoring passes and seven touchdowns rushing. Grant Strock rushed for 91 yards and two scores on seven tries in Napoleon's 41-21 victory over Ross. Aaron Bostelman tossed two touchdowns to Tyler Bostelman and one to Logan Shepard. Blake Musshel had 19 carries. Napoleon won five straight before a 20-14 setback to Sylvania Southview last week.
(13) Otsego (4-6) at (4) Oak Harbor (10-0)
Ethan Stokes had 123 yards and two touchdowns on seven catches in Oak Harbor's 49-21 victory over Otsego in Week 7. LaLonde completed 22 of 30 passes for a season-high 260 yards and four touchdowns. Dalton Witter rushed for two scores and Hayward caught one touchdown and ran in for another. Witter has 706 yards and 14 touchdowns on 120 carries. Otsego had 18 yards rushing on 12 carries in the first matchup. Kaidyn Hutton had 252 yards and two touchdowns passing but Otsego was 1 for 11 on third down. Owen Atkinson and Jack Simpson combined for 10 catches and 176 yards. Simpson added an interception. Oak Harbor had 385 yards of offense in the first matchup. The Rockets are ranked fourth in the state in Division V.
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(9) Genoa (7-3) at (8) Huron (7-3)
Alex Spencer caught a 13-yard scoring pass from Aiden Brunkhorst late in the second quarter and Brunkhorst and Aidan Antry each rushed for a touchdown in the second half as Genoa erased a 20-point deficit for a 21-0 victory during the regular season. Spencer had 119 yards on nine receptions, Antry had 109 yards on 28 rushes and Brunkhorst 60 on 13 carries. Brunkhorst completed 17 of 19 passes for 163 yards with one interception. Genoa rushed 50 times for 177 yards and had 333 yards of offense overall. Antry has 1,192 yards and 11 touchdowns rushing on 187 tries and 307 yards and five scores on 15 receptions. That's 1,499 yards and 16 touchdowns. Brunkhorst has 1,724 yards and 20 touchdowns, completing 101 of 146 passes. Spencer has 588 yards and five touchdowns on 32 catches. Denver Stewart has 403 yards and nine scores on 22 receptions. Huron's Beau Harkelroad and Dawson Bowen each caught a touchdown pass from Cody Scroggins in the first matchup. Bowen had eight catches and Jackson McNulty was a threat deep. Cam Manner kicked two field goals. Paul Maloney intercepted a pass. Scroggins has 22 touchdowns passes and five rushing. Huron had 31 yards on 10 carries, 242 yards overall and 11 first downs.
(16) Lakota (5-5) at (1) Columbus Grove (8-2)
Lakota qualified for the postseason for the second time in program history without an automatic bid. Micah Williams had nine touchdowns on the ground this season and Jalen Wagner tossed 11 scoring passes. Chase Dussel caught five touchdowns. The Raiders allowed 13 points or fewer in wins. Columbus Grove is ranked ninth in the state. It lost 25-22 to Pandora-Gilboa in the first week and 40-28 to Patrick Henry in Week 3. Columbus Grove scored 28 points or more seven times and allowed 14 or fewer seven times. It beat fifth-ranked Bluffton 14-7 last week.
(11) Margaretta (6-4) at (6) Ottawa Hills (9-1)
Margaretta won its last three games. It allowed 12 or fewer points five times and scored 28 or more points five times. Jake Bouy took over at quarterback midway through the season and has seven touchdown passes and three scores on the ground. Julian Washington caught eight scoring passes and Kaine Smetzer has six touchdowns rushing. Ottawa Lake-Whiteford (Mich.) 26-21 in Week 4. Ottawa Hills scored at least 29 points in its other games and allowed no more than 16. It beat only Montpelier with a winning record. Margaretta topped Ottawa Hills 37-23 in the regular season last year.
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This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: OHSAA playoff preview: Matchups for Friday's postseason games
