CINCINNATI — The Ohio high school football postseason picture started to become clear late Saturday afternoon across seven divisions in Greater Cincinnati.
Computer points analyst Joe Eitel, who helps the Ohio High School Athletic Association with its weekly football computer points ratings during the season, updated the playoff projections Saturday morning as the final day of the regular season is played this afternoon and tonight.
Eitel's projections are considered unofficial until the Ohio High School Athletic Association posts its playoff qualifiers list Sunday.
The Ohio high school football playoffs begin Oct. 27.
All playoff rounds prior to the state finals will be held on Fridays for all seven divisions. The top eight seeds in each of the regions host first-round games.
Division I
Elder (6-4), a projected No. 6 seed, will unofficially play host to No. 11 Oak Hills in a first-round game Oct. 27. It would be just the second time that Elder and Oak Hills will meet in the postseason and the first playoff meeting since 1999.
Elder unofficially earned the No. 6 seed after Saints Neumann Goretti (Philadelphia) defeated Archbishop Carroll (Wayne, Pa.) 28-0 Saturday afternoon.
Hamilton (7-3), a No. 6 seed, is projected to play host to No. 10 Sycamore (5-5) Oct. 27.
Milford (10-0) unofficially clinched the No. 1 seed after the Eagles defeated visiting Turpin 42-21. Milford earned the Eastern Cincinnati Conference title outright and its first 10-0 record in program history. The Milford football program dates back to at least 1909.
"It means that Milford has a legit football program with all the qualities of championship teams," Milford coach Tom Grippa said.
"Championship-level defense, good special teams and a balanced offense who can win running the ball or throwing the ball. I'm also very proud of our toughness, determination and poise."
Milford, ranked No. 5 in the Associated Press Division I state poll, clinched its first outright league title since 1986. Friday's win was Grippa's 225th career victory and 50th win while at Milford.
Princeton (10-0) unofficially clinched the No. 2 seed after it defeated visiting Sycamore 42-7. The Vikings earned their first Greater Miami Conference outright title since 1993 and their first 10-0 record since 1991.
"I'm very, very proud of these young men," Princeton coach Andre Parker said. "I'm proud of the community, the administration."
Lakota West (8-2) is projected at No. 3 while St. Xavier (6-4) is No. 4. Moeller (6-4) is No. 5.
Lebanon (7-3) is No. 8 while Mason (5-5) is No. 9.
Sycamore (5-5) is No. 10 and Oak Hills (5-5) No. 11.
West Clermont (4-6) is No. 12, Springboro (2-8) No. 13, Western Hills (4-6) No. 14, Middletown (3-7) No. 15 and Fairfield (3-7) No. 16.
Division II
Anderson (9-1) is projected as the No. 1 seed. Troy (9-1) is No. 2 while Withrow (9-1) is No. 3 and Clayton Northmont (6-4) No. 4.
Harrison (7-3) is No. 5, while Winton Woods (7-3) is No. 6. Lima Senior (8-2) is seventh, Loveland (5-5) eighth and Kings (5-5) ninth.
Xenia (5-5) is No. 10 while La Salle (4-6) is No. 11.
La Salle earned the No. 11 seed late Saturday night after its Week 5 opponent, Canisius, lost its game to St. Francis 41-24 in New York Saturday night.
This will be the fourth consecutive season that La Salle will play Winton Woods in the postseason.
Sidney (5-5) is No. 12, while Fairborn (4-6) is No. 13. Edgewood (3-6) is No. 14. Stebbins (3-6) is No. 15 while Turpin (3-7) is No. 16.
Division III
Badin (10-0) defeated McNicholas and clinched the No. 1 seed. The Rams earned their fourth consecutive undefeated regular season.
Mount Healthy (8-2) is likely No. 7 while Wilmington (8-2) is No. 8 among Greater Cincinnati teams hosting first-round games.
New Richmond (5-5) is No. 12 and Western Brown (3-7) No. 15. Goshen (3-7) is likely No. 16.
Division IV
Clinton-Massie clinched the No. 1 seed unofficially. Taft (8-2) is projected at No. 3.
Indian Hill (8-2) defeated Taylor and the Braves are No. 5. Indian Hill clinched the Cincinnati Hills League title outright for the first time since 2015.
Wyoming (9-1) is projected to host a first-round game at No. 6.
McNicholas (5-5) is No. 9. Reading (7-3) is projected at No. 12. Roger Bacon (6-4) is No. 13.
Division V
Purcell Marian is likely No. 5. Bethel-Tate (6-4) is No. 8. Blanchester (7-3) is No. 9.
Madeira (5-5) is likely No. 12 while Middletown Madison (4-6) is No. 13.
Division VI
Williamsburg (9-1) is unofficially the No. 1 seed. Cincinnati Country Day (10-0) is No. 3. Deer Park (3-7) is No. 10.
Division VII
Cincinnati College Prep (7-2), the No. 4 seed, will host a first-round game against New Bremen (4-6).
St. Bernard-Elmwood Place (8-2) is No. 7 and will host No. 10 Mechanicsburg (6-4).
St. Bernard-Elmwood Place has its best win-loss record since 1970, according to coach Kyle Hogan.
Lockland (4-5) is No. 15.
Unofficial playoff pairings
Ohio high school football
(All games Friday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. unless noted)
Regional first-round games
Division I, Region 4
No. 16 Fairfield (3-7) at No. 1 Milford (10-0)
No. 15 Middletown (3-7) at No. 2 Princeton (10-0)
No. 14 Western Hills (4-6) at No. 3 Lakota West (8-2)
No. 13 Springboro (2-8) at No. 4 St. Xavier (6-4)
No. 12 West Clermont (4-6) at No. 5 Moeller (6-4)
No. 11 Oak Hills (5-5) at No. 6 Elder (6-4)
No. 10 Sycamore (5-5) at No. 7 Hamilton (7-3)
No. 9 Mason (5-5) at No. 8 Lebanon (7-3)
Division II, Region 8
No. 16 Turpin (3-7) at No. 1 Anderson (9-1)
No. 15 Stebbins (4-6) at No. 2 Troy (9-1)
No. 14 Edgewood (4-6) at No. 3 Withrow (9-1)
No. 13 Fairborn (4-6) at No. 4 Clayton Northmont (6-4)
No. 12 Sidney (5-5) at No. 5 Harrison (7-3)
No. 11 La Salle (4-6) at No. 6 Winton Woods (7-3)
No. 10 Xenia (5-5) at No. 7 Lima Senior (8-2)
No. 9 Kings (5-5) at No. 8 Loveland (5-5)
Division III, Region 12
No. 16 Goshen (3-7) at No. 1 Badin (10-0)
No. 15 Western Brown (3-7) at No. 2 Tippecanoe (8-2)
No. 14 Dayton Oakwood (4-6) at No. 3 Trotwood-Madison (8-2)
No. 13 Elida (5-5) at No. 4 Vandalia Butler (8-2)
No. 12 New Richmond (5-5) at No. 5 Wapakoneta (8-2)
No. 11 Hillsboro (5-5) at No. 6 Celina (8-2)
No. 10 Chaminade Julienne (6-4) at No. 7 Mount Healthy (8-2)
No. 9 Bellbrook (7-3) at No. 8 Wilmington (8-2)
Division IV, Region 16
No. 16 Dayton Dunbar (6-3) at No. 1 Clinton-Massie (10-0)
No. 15 Urbana (7-3) at No. 2 Chillicothe Unioto (9-1)
No. 14 Greenfield McClain (6-4) at No. 3 Taft (8-2)
No. 13 Roger Bacon (6-4) at No. 4 Alter (7-3)
No. 12 Reading (7-3) at No. 5 Indian Hill (8-2)
No. 11 Washington Court House (5-5) at No. 6 Wyoming (9-1)
No. 10 Waverly (6-4) at No. 7 Springfield Shawnee (9-1)
No. 9 McNicholas (5-5) at No. 8 Eaton (8-2)
Division V, Region 20
No. 16 Williamsport Westfall (6-4) at No. 1 Germantown Valley View (9-1)
No. 15 Carlisle (3-7) at No. 2 Waynesville (8-2)
No. 14 Miami East (6-4) at No. 3 Brookville (8-2)
No. 13 Middletown Madison (4-6) at No. 4 Chillicothe Zane Trace (7-3)
No. 12 Madeira (5-5) at No. 5 Purcell Marian (8-2)
No. 11 Preble Shawnee (7-3) at No. 6 Milton-Union (7-3)
No. 10 Jamestown Greeneview (7-3) at No. 7 Springfield Northeastern (7-3)
No. 9 Blanchester (7-3) at No. 8 Bethel-Tate (6-4)
Division VI, Region 24
No. 16 New Lebanon Dixie (3-7) at No. 1 Williamsburg (9-1)
No. 15 Troy Christian (3-7) at No. 2 Versailles (8-2)
No. 14 Dayton Christian (2-7) at No. 3 Cincinnati Country Day (10-0)
No. 13 Lucasville Valley (3-7) at No. 4 West Liberty-Salem (9-1)
No. 12 National Trail (4-6) at No. 5 Tri-Village (9-1)
No. 11 Rockford Parkway (2-8) at No. 6 Paint Valley (7-3)
No. 10 Deer Park (3-7) at No. 7 Twin Valley South (6-4)
No. 9 Allen East (4-6) at No. 8 Anna (5-5)
Division VII, Region 28
No. 16 Tri-County North (4-6) at No. 1 Marion Local (10-0)
No. 15 Lockland (4-5) at No. 2 Ansonia (10-0)
No. 14 St. Henry (3-7) at No. 3 De Graff Riverside (9-1)
No. 13 New Bremen (4-6) No. 4 Cincinnati College Prep (7-2)
No. 12 Bradford (4-4) at No. 5 Minster (8-2)
No. 11 Fort Loramie (5-5) at No. 6 Southeastern Local (7-3)
No. 10 Mechanicsburg (6-4) at No. 7 St. Bernard-Elmwood Place (7-2)
No. 9 Lehman Catholic (7-3) at No. 8 Cedarville (7-3)
How it works
Each region will qualify 16 teams to the playoffs for a total of 448 teams or 64 teams per division.
The regional semifinals, regional finals and state semifinals will be held at neutral locations.
The state finals are Nov. 30 to Dec. 2 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton. The divisions and times will be announced later. This is the third year of a three-year contract between the OHSAA and Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The OHSAA is on record of saying it wants to continue the state football finals in Canton beyond this season.
Regional playoff game tickets
Tickets for regional playoff games (first four rounds) will go on sale every Monday with staggered start times. Division I and II go on sale at 10 a.m., Division III and IV go on sale at 11 a.m., and Division V, VI and VII go on sale at noon. All tickets are purchased at www.OHSAA.org/tickets.
