Region 11

16 Bishop Watterson (5-5) at 1 Granville (9-0)

Granville has been near perfect thus far this season constantly being ranked in the top 10 among teams not only in Division III, but in the area as well.

With an average point differential of 33 points per game, the Blue Aces will hope to push into the postseason with a great start against a mid-level Bishop Watterson.

The Eagles, on the other hand, come into the postseason off a 1-3 end to the season including a loss to Granville 32-10.

If they want any hope of pulling off the upset, Bishop Watterson will need to limit Granville's  offensive opportunities while scoring early and often.

15 South (7-3) at 2 Jackson (8-2)

South started off the season 3-0 and enjoyed much success until getting into conference play and failing to defeat City League teams like Eastmoor Academy and Africentric.

Nevertheless, the Bulldogs come into the playoffs eager to redeem those losses and possibly meet with those City League teams again in later rounds.

With Eastmoor in South's region, that possibility is likely to turn into a reality as long as the Bulldogs can make it past the first round.

14 Bellefontaine (6-4) at 3 Tri-Valley (8-1)

Starting off the season 4-0, the sky was the limit for Bellefontaine during the regular season.

However, a 2-4 finish would plague the Chieftains placing them toward the end of this region's seedings.

Bellefontaine will now be met by yet another competitive team in the form of Tir-Valley.

The Scotties have seen little resistance all year with respect to a loss to Jackson High school in September.

With that said, Tri-Valley has yet to lose at home this year, and this game will likely be more of the same.

13 Zanesville (6-3) at 4 London (8-2)

London started off the year with a slow 0-2 record but quickly regained its footing winning each of the next eight games and securing the fourth seed in this region.

The Red Raiders have only allowed 10 points per game on defense- a statistic that will prove important both in this round and beyond.

Zanesville has had a tough schedule this year losing to top teams like Big Walnut and Granville.

However, impressive blowout wins against Heath and Newark show that the Blue Devils can succeed on offense against good teams.  This is something they will need to do if they hope to pull off the upset this weekend.

12 Washington Court House Miami Trace (7-3) at 5 Columbus Bishop Hartley (8-2)

Bishop Hartley has made a living this year in rushing the ball effectively and scoring points of which they average 39 per game in the regular season.

The Hawks won the Catholic although the conference was heavily debilitated this year more than ever.

Past this first-round game against Miami Trace, there is potential for Bishop Hartley to go further into the playoffs behind its effective offense.

11 Beechcroft (7-3) at 6 Mount Orab Western Brown (8-2)

Beachcroft comes into the postseason riding the momentum of a 5-game winning season to end the regular season.

With that kind of energy, there is no telling how well the Cougars can play, and there is much evidence to say this momentum could propel them into the second round.

10 Jonathan Alder (6-4) at 7 Eastmoor Academy (6-3)

Eastmoor Academy did not have the same complete success they had during the 2020 season, yet they still managed to win the City League-South for the second year in a row.

The Warriors are also undefeated at home making them a clear favorite this weekend.

However, this does not count Jonathan Alder, who barely miss out on the CBC-Kenton Trail title out of an upset.

This game should be a competitive matchup between two teams eager to show that they can perform outside their respective leagues.

9 Thornville Sheridan (8-2) at 8 Columbus St. Francis DeSales (6-4)

This season has been one of rebuilding for St. Francis DeSales.

The usual powerhouse was instead held back by injuries early in the season and never seemed to recover falling toward the middle of the pack among central Ohio teams.

With that said, the Stallions come into the postseason riding a 4-game winning streak, so there is potential for them to get this first-round win likely meeting a tough Granville team in the second round.