Ohio Playoffs 2nd Round Discussion/Predictions

[Coletrain06]

**All Games Neutral Location**

Region 1

#1 St. Ignatius (10-1) vs. #4 Euclid (9-2) - Iggy 42 Euclid 28

Iggy beat Perry last week 24-7. Perry actually led at halftime 7-3, before Iggy pulled away in the 2nd half. Perry rushed for over 300 yds on Iggy...this is mildly concerning for Iggy, as Moeller was also able to gash Iggy on the ground earlier in the year.

Euclid handled Jackson 49-29. Euclid scored 4 Td's on their first 4 offensive plays. Euclid has a very solid offense, but their defense gives up a lot of points.

This is a rematch from week 3 in which Iggy beat Euclid 34-20. Euclid hung well in that game, and since then have only lost to Mentor 61-59 on a last sec FG. Euclid's defense hasn't seemed to have improved, so they'll probably have to go score for score with Iggy. If Iggy come out a little flat on either side of the ball, or turn it over (which they've made a habit of doing), Euclid can take  advantage and win this game. If Iggy plays a good game, they should win this one.

#2 St. Edward (10-1) vs. #3 Mentor (10-1) - St. Edward 38 Mentor 35

St. Edward beat McKinley 37-21. Ed's was still without QB Kincaid and one or two of their WR's. QB Dzuro led the team to a 10-0 lead, but then McKinley answered with a TD, and then a fumble recovery for a TD to lead Ed's 14-10 at Half. McKinley has alot of athletes and Ed's struggled with their speed in the first half. Ed's came alive in the 2nd half and dominated. McKinley added another Defensive TD via pick 6. 

Mentor beat Stow 49-17. Mentor got out of the gates a little slow, but turned it on and never looked back. This Mentor team is really looking like some past Mentor offenses that beat Ed's and Iggy to get to the finals.

This is probably the most compelling game in the 2nd round IMO. In the past, even when Ed's or Iggy had some really good squads, Mentor was able to go score for score with them, and get a fair share of wins agains them too. Mentor has been absent as a contender the last few years, but they are back this year. Ed's cannot keep turning the ball over like they have been. Turnovers kept McKinley in the game and are responsible for the loss to Iggy........I think this game will be a score for score type game. Mentor's defense is awful, and Ed's should be able to score enough to get a few stops and win. 

Region 2

#1 Whitmer (11-0) vs. #5 Olentangy (8-3) - Whitmer 28 Olentangy 21

Whitmer escaped Lorain with a last second FG to win 31-28. It was a back and forth game, and after Lorain tied it up at 28 with a couple minutes left, Whitmer marched down the field to kick the game winning FG.

Olentangy had a great comeback to beat Dublin Coffman for the 2nd time this season, this time 28-24. Olentangy found themselves playing catchup with Coffman, after Coffman jumped out to a 10-0 lead early...later in the game Coffman extended their lead to 24-14 with ~ 6 min left. Olentangy scored once, and then scored another game winning TD with 27 secs left.

I'm really not sure what to make of this game. Olentangy has the players to beat Whitmer, and are certainly a tougher opponent than Lorain....I'll take Whitmer in a close game, but could see it going either way.

#3 Olentangy Liberty (9-2) vs. #6 Gahanna Lincoln (7-4) - Liberty 31 Lincoln 24

Olentangy Liberty handled Dublin Jerome without much problem, winning 35-0.

Gahanna Lincoln was in a back and forth game against Olentangy Orange, but pulled off the win in OT winning 38-37 when Orange's kicker missed an XP.

This is a pretty even matchup. Both teams gave Olentangy Orange their only losses, and both won by a single point. I'm not sure who wins this one, but I'll go with Liberty because of their playoff experience from last year.

Region 3 

#1 Centerville (10-1) vs. #5 Pickerington North (9-2) - Pick North 35 Centerville 31

Centerville took awhile to get going, but ended up beating Hilliard Darby 35-0. 

Pickerington North jumped out to a big 20-0 lead on Wayne, but Wayne made a good comeback to make it 27-20 in the 3rd. That was it for Wayne though, as Pick North added 2 more scores to win 41-20. Pick North had ~450 yds while only giving up 121 yds.

This is another rematch from week 3. That was a game that Centerville won 27-26, but Pick North really felt like they choked and let it slip away from them. Both teams are playing really well, and both teams are a play or 2 away from being undefeated.  I like Pick North in this one, but this is probably a toss up.

#2 Hilliard Bradley (11-0) vs. #3 Pickerington Central (10-1) - Pick Central 28 Bradley 21

Hilliard Bradley dismantled Fairmont 49-14, and have really made Region 3 interesting. Bradley sits undefeated and has won all of their games by at least 2 scores. They haven't played a tough schedule at all, but beat Fairmont far easier than Centerville and Wayne. Hard to not take notice. 

Pick Central handled a very solid Northmont team 41-21. Pick Central is looking very good recently and looked poised to make a run at the title.

This has to be one of the most interesting games in a long time. I haven't seen Bradley yet this year, and figured they would be in a close game with Fairmont...but Bradley beat the hell out Fairmont.....Maybe Bradley is a legit contender. They'll get the chance to prove it this week. I am still not picking against Pick Central yet.

Region 4

#1 St. Xavier (10-1) vs. #4 Sycamore (9-2) - St. X 42 Sycamore 7

St. X handled Fairfield 40-12. It took them a bit to adjust the athleticism and speed that Fairfield brings along with their size on the lines....Fairfield took a 6-2 lead early, but that was the last time they had the lead.....Farifeld got burned on the last play before halftime again, when Chase Wolf threw a pass to the back of the endzone for a TD to give a 23-6 halftime lead. Wolf had a monster game throwing for ~374 and 4 TD's. The X defense played great too.

Sycamore found themselves in a battle with Milford. They ended up knocking off Milford 41-35 in 2OT. This was unexpected, as I figured Milford would be a sacrificial lamb in the playoffs.

Sycamore would like revenge against St. X for their Regional Final OT game last year that Sycamore lost after giving up a big lead late with some dumb decisions and very questionable officiating decisions.....However that's not going to happen. Sycamore doesn't have a Ra'von Bonner this year. St. X wins this one with ease.

#2 Colerain (9-2) vs. #3 Mason (9-2) - Colerain 28 Mason 10

Colerain destroyed Moeller 45-0 in a game that could have been much worse, as silly as it seems. The Colerain defense is just playing ridiculously good right now. Despite giving up an average of nearly 100 lbs on the Line, Colerain kept the Moeller running game in check, and the secondary just embarrassed Moe's passing game, with 3 INT's, one of them a pick 6 and the other two were very nearly pick 6's. I believe that makes it 7 pick 6's on the year. The Defense got Eric Phillips and Ivan Pace Jr. back and it makes such a huge difference for the pass rush. The unsung hero's are Ethan Stout and Brennan Hobbs, whom despite not being the big names on the defense, are probably the Defensive MVP's to this point, if it weren't for Dan Bolden......Dan Bolden is a 4 year starter at LB, and single handedly takes games over. He calls most of the defense, and against Moeller had 13 tackles, 1 sack, 2 INT's (1 for a TD), and a fumble recovery!......The Colerain offense is really looking great. Ivan Pace Jr at FB is still running over people, but has been attracting so much of the defense's attention, that the Colerain WB's have exploded the last handful of weeks, with speedster JJ Davis now averaging 12 yds per carry.

Mason handled West Clermont winning 26-0. This is the 4th consecutive shutout for Mason and 6th overall. Mason has a very good defense. Besides their fluke-rivalry loss to Sycamore, Mason's only loss is to Colerain

This is a rematch from week 6 that Colerain won 36-10. Mason has played Colerain tougher than the rest of the GMC over the last couple of years, and it's mostly because they've developed a very solid defensive team. Mason has one the best RB's in the city in Matt Sora, and they have good size on the line, but they don't have much outside of Sora.....Mason will not be able to win this game by running Sora alone, and if they turn to the pass, it will only decrease their odds, as Colerain's secondary has a far more likely chance of scoring. In the first meeting, Ivan Pace Jr. did not play, which could be a game changer this time around. Mason still doesn't back down or give up, but Colerain's history of performing far better in 2nd games against teams will probably be too much for Mason.

 

[prepsbill65]

Train'06.....Very impressive preview and agree 100% with your thought process.

I am not a person to look ahead because one needs to take care of this week's business.  That being said, next weeks Regional Finals could be as good as we have seen in years.  Possibility of:  St I's and St Eds,  Pick and Pick (take your pick here), and what surely could be one of the Top games in the country... Colerain and StX.  (I left out Region 2....nowhere as intriguing as the other three Regions. IMO).  

Again, hats off on a job well done.  Impressive.... 

[hardhit1]

11 minutes ago, prepsbill65 said:

Train'06.....Very impressive preview and agree 100% with your thought process.

I am not a person to look ahead because one needs to take care of this week's business.  That being said, next weeks Regional Finals could be as good as we have seen in years.  Possibility of:  St I's and St Eds,  Pick and Pick (take your pick here), and what surely could be one of the Top games in the country... Colerain and StX.  (I left out Region 2....nowhere as intriguing as the other three Regions. IMO).  

Again, hats off on a job well done.  Impressive.... 

We all hope those games happen

the northern Ohio weather about to turn for the worse so not sure who it favors but have to think defense along with eliminating turn overs

[OdbCle]

A lot of very intriguing matchups this round (outside of region 4 where X and Colerain are large favorites). I also took notice of Bradley's beatdown of a solid Fairmont team. No way I'm picking against Pick Central with the talent they have, but that game could be much better than anticipated. I'm with you on the Pick North/Centerville game and think North gets their revenge. Their QB Weirick is the type of guy you can ride to championship. 

[hardhit1]

Weirick is good but if they advance he goes down to PC if they beat Bradley which is expected 

[93CardinalsFan]

As always, fantastic review Coletrain06.  Looking forward to a hard fought victory tomorrow night at Princeton.  I have a feeling the game is going to be much closer than some think.  We'll see.

Also, in the next smallest division down, there is one other awesome game on Friday as Winton Woods battles Anderson.  The winner likely getting 3-time defending champ LaSalle in the D2 Regional final.

If you live within 50 miles of Cincinnati, wouldn't you drive to Cincy next Saturday to see a double-header of Winton Woods/LaSalle and Colerain/St. X?  WOW...that would be incredible.

-93CardinalsFan

[nptb17]

6 hours ago, 93CardinalsFan said:

As always, fantastic review Coletrain06.  Looking forward to a hard fought victory tomorrow night at Princeton.  I have a feeling the game is going to be much closer than some think.  We'll see.

Also, in the next smallest division down, there is one other awesome game on Friday as Winton Woods battles Anderson.  The winner likely getting 3-time defending champ LaSalle in the D2 Regional final.

If you live within 50 miles of Cincinnati, wouldn't you drive to Cincy next Saturday to see a double-header of Winton Woods/LaSalle and Colerain/St. X?  WOW...that would be incredible.

-93CardinalsFan

Depending on the weather and if the game is on the tube.

[hardhit1]

7 hours ago, 93CardinalsFan said:

As always, fantastic review Coletrain06.  Looking forward to a hard fought victory tomorrow night at Princeton.  I have a feeling the game is going to be much closer than some think.  We'll see.

Also, in the next smallest division down, there is one other awesome game on Friday as Winton Woods battles Anderson.  The winner likely getting 3-time defending champ LaSalle in the D2 Regional final.

If you live within 50 miles of Cincinnati, wouldn't you drive to Cincy next Saturday to see a double-header of Winton Woods/LaSalle and Colerain/St. X?  WOW...that would be incredible.

-93CardinalsFan

If you drove to Cincy next Saturday you would miss the games since all playoff games are played Friday nights😆

Thats what stinks since now you can only watch one

those would be some good games👍

[93CardinalsFan]

1 hour ago, hardhit1 said:

If you drove to Cincy next Saturday you would miss the games since all playoff games are played Friday nights😆

Thats what stinks since now you can only watch one

those would be some good games👍

Of course, games are slated to be on Friday.  However, since it would be a double-header, they'd have to petition the OHSAA to allow them to move it to Saturday.  GOD FORBID it conflict with Ohio State vs. Illinois!! 

-93CardinalsFan

[hardhit1]

1 minute ago, 93CardinalsFan said:

Of course, games are slated to be on Friday.  However, since it would be a double-header, they'd have to petition the OHSAA to allow them to move it to Saturday.  GOD FORBID it conflict with Ohio State vs. Illinois!! 

-93CardinalsFan

Unfortunately the petition would never be honored

anyways good luck 

[hardhit1]

Game time temps in NE Ohio to be 26 with wind chills making it 16

currently light lake effect snow flurries 😩

[Coletrain06]

Yep, looks like game time temps in the nati will be around high 20's.

[hardhit1]

Eds 10 Mentor 0

Eds down 3 starters and playing 2 soph

Iggy 3 Euclid 0

both in first

[Coletrain06]

Colerain 21

Mason 0

1 min til half

[nptb17]

Winton Woods would be a series problem for everyone in Ohio.  Best offense I've seen in Ohio this season.

[nptb17]

I'm going back and forward on all the Ohio games through spectrum.  Pickerington North just got a pick 6 to go up 14 to 0 over Centerville.

[Coletrain06]

3 minutes ago, nptb17 said:

Winton Woods would be a series problem for everyone in Ohio.  Best offense I've seen in Ohio this season.

Agreed. When they're not beating themselves, they are among the best in Ohio

[nptb17]

1 minute ago, Coletrain06 said:

Agreed. When they're not beating themselves, they are among the best in Ohio

They have way too much for Anderson.  Anderson has 3 really nice players in their defensive tackle who is legit and qb wr combo.

[Coletrain06]

Just now, nptb17 said:

They have way too much for Anderson.  Anderson has 3 really nice players in their defensive tackle who is legit and qb wr combo.

Yeah I didn't think Anderson would keep it close

[nptb17]

14 to 10 Mentor over St. Edward right now.  30 seconds til half.

[hardhit1]

Mentor 14 Eds 10

Iggy 10 Euclid 0

both halftime

Eds devastated by injuries, dropped passes and penalties- does not look good for them

[hardhit1]

Iggy 17-0 looking solid

[hardhit1]

PC 21 HB 17 starting 3rd

[93CardinalsFan]

Scores:

Division 1
Region 1
45 - #1 St. Ignatius
22 - #4 Euclid

13 - #2 St. Edward
21 - #3 Mentor

Region 2
32 - #1 Toledo Whitmer
29 - #5 Olentangy

17 - #2 Olentangy Liberty
14 - #6 Gahanna Lincoln

Region 3
12 - #1 Centerville
42 - #5 Pickerington North

31 - #2 Hilliard Bradley
42 - #3 Pickerington Central

Region 4
37 - #1 St. Xavier
7 - #4 Sycamore

49 - #2 Colerain
21 - #3 Mason

-93CardinalsFan

[Coletrain06]

Colerain overall didn't play a particularly great game, but still completely dominated Mason. Gunnar and Ivan Pace Jr. played incredible tonight...........Zebra's had a bad game

Ivan Pace Jr. with 224 yds and 4 TD's