OHSAA regional semifinal playoff predictions for central Ohio high school football
With four weeks to go in the high school football playoffs, at least one central Ohio team remains alive in each of the seven divisions.
Two of those teams — Olentangy Berlin in Division I, Region 2 and Danville in Division VII, Region 25 — have been picked to win in this week's regional semifinals by every member of the Predictions Panel. Unanimous predictions have gone the other way several times this season, including last week, when Ready lost to Gnadenhutten Indian Valley 34-13 in a Division IV, Region 15 quarterfinal.
It should be noted, however, that the panel got seven unanimous picks correct last week, so there's probably no need for us to apologize in advance to Berlin and Danville or their opponents, Dublin Coffman and Lowellville.
We missed on our only Lone Wolf pick last week, dropping the staff to 7-34 for the season. Ryan Baker took the loss when Jackson fell to Bloom-Carroll 14-10.
We have three Lone Wolf picks this week, with Tom Wilson taking Upper Arlington over Gahanna Lincoln, Dave Purpura picking Hilliard Bradley over Pickerington North and Dave Weidig taking Beverly Fort Frye over West Jefferson.
SUBSCRIBE: Watch OHSAA football playoff games live on the NFHS Network
Thanks to a 13-2 performance last week, Kurt Snyder has moved into first place, one game ahead of defending champion Eric Frantz and Weidig. Snyder is three games ahead of Andy Resnik, four ahead of Lee Cochran, seven up on Frank DiRenna and eight up on Steve Blackledge and Wilson.
Enjoy the regional semifinals!
Division I, Region 2
1 Olentangy (11-1) vs. 12 Springfield (7-5) at Hilliard Darby
Olentangy Braves: Blackledge, Cochran, DiRenna, Purpura, Resnik, Weidig, Wilson
Springfield Wildcats: Baker, Frantz, Snyder
2 Olentangy Berlin (11-1) vs. 6 Dublin Coffman (9-3) at Westerville Central
Berlin Bears: Baker, Blackledge, Cochran, DiRenna, Frantz, Purpura, Resnik, Snyder, Weidig, Wilson
Coffman Shamrocks:
Division I, Region 3
1 Gahanna Lincoln (12-0) vs. 4 Upper Arlington (9-3) at Thomas Worthington
Gahanna Lions: Baker, Blackledge, Cochran, DiRenna, Frantz, Purpura, Resnik, Snyder, Weidig
UA Golden Bears: Wilson
2 Hilliard Bradley (11-1) vs. 3 Pickerington North (11-1) at DeSales
Bradley Jaguars: Purpura
North Panthers: Baker, Blackledge, Cochran, DiRenna, Frantz, Resnik, Snyder, Weidig, Wilson
Division II, Region 7
2 Canal Winchester (11-1) vs. 3 Uniontown Green (9-3) at Dover
Canal Winchester Indians: DiRenna, Frantz, Purpura
Green Bulldogs: Baker, Blackledge, Cochran, Resnik, Snyder, Weidig, Wilson
Division III, Region 11
1 Watterson (11-1) vs. 5 Bloom-Carroll (10-2) at Teays Valley
Watterson Eagles: Baker, Blackledge, DiRenna, Frantz, Purpura, Resnik, Snyder, Weidig
Bloom-Carroll Bulldogs: Cochran, Wilson
7 Bellefontaine (10-2) vs. 3 Granville (12-0) at London
Bellefontaine Chieftains: Baker, Blackledge, Wilson
Granville Blue Aces: Cochran, DiRenna, Frantz, Purpura, Resnik, Snyder, Weidig
Division IV, Region 15
2 Thornville Sheridan (11-1) vs. 3 Hartley (10-2) at Newark White Field
Sheridan Generals: Cochran, Snyder
Hartley Hawks: Baker, Blackledge, DiRenna, Frantz, Purpura, Resnik, Weidig, Wilson
Division V, Region 19
1 Ironton (11-1) vs. 4 Harvest Prep (10-1) at Athens
Ironton Fighting Tigers: Baker, Purpura, Resnik, Wilson
Harvest Prep Warriors: Blackledge, Cochran, DiRenna, Frantz, Snyder, Weidig
Division VI, Region 23
2 West Jefferson (11-1) vs. 3 Beverly Fort Frye (10-2) at Lancaster
West Jefferson Roughriders: Baker, Blackledge, Cochran, DiRenna, Frantz, Purpura, Resnik, Snyder, Wilson
Fort Frye Cadets: Weidig
Division VII, Region 25
2 Danville (12-0) vs. 6 Lowellville (11-1) at Massillon Perry
Danville Blue Devils: Baker, Blackledge, Cochran, DiRenna, Frantz, Purpura, Resnik, Snyder, Weidig, Wilson
Lowellville Rockets:
Standings after second round of playoffs
Kurt Snyder 13-2 last week; 137-55 overall
Eric Frantz 12-3; 136-56
Dave Weidig 13-2; 136-56
Andy Resnik 13-2; 134-58
Lee Cochran 13-2; 133-59
Frank DiRenna 9-6; 130-62
Steve Blackledge 11-4; 129-63
Tom Wilson 12-3; 129-63
Dave Purpura 10-5; 127-65
Ryan Baker 9-6; 126-66
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Third-round playoff picks for Columbus-area high school football
