Football: Previewing the regional semifinal round of the playoffs

Sports High School Sports Top Stories Facebook X Pinterest WhatsApp Division III, Region 10: No. 4 Wapakoneta at No. 1 Celina Fantastic 50 projection: Celina wins by 3 Next round: the winner of No. 6 St. Marys vs No. 2 Ontario Wapakoneta (8-3) Last week: 14-12 win over No. 12 Padua Franciscan Key regular season wins: St Marys (9-3), Van Wert (5-6) Playoff wins: Padua Franciscan (5-7) Players to watch: QB/LB Daron Houser – 54/88 929 yards, 11 TDs, 3 INTs; 120 carries, 642 yards, 13 TDs; 55.5 tackles, 8 TFL, 4 sacks WBL Defensive Skill Player of the Year. RB/LB Channing Miller – 82 tackles, 11 TFL, 6 sacks. WR Blake Rogers – 918 all-purpose yards, 6 TDs Celina (10-1) Last week: 41-10 win over No. 8 Revere Key regular season wins: St Henry (9-3), Wapakoneta (8-3), St Marys (9-3) Playoff wins: Revere (7-5) Players to watch: QB Jett Warner – 90/138 1,321 yards, 22 TDs, 2 INTs; 91 carries, 669 yards, 9 TDs. OL Cash Patrick – Offense averages 195 rushing, 148 passing yards per game, WBL first team on offense and defense. TE/DL Caleb Schlater – Defense limits opponents to 102 rushing and 144 passing yards per game, WBL Defensive lineman of the Year. Outlook Celina gutted out a 7-6 win over Wapakoneta way back in Week 2, which was the first career start for sophomore quarterback Jett Warner. Although Celina mustered just 125 yards on offense, its defense held Wapakoneta to just 2.74 yards per carry and the Bulldogs sealed the game with a fourth-and-3 stop from defensive end Zane Boley, who denied Wapakoneta running back Gauge Vaughn. Since then, that theme of running the ball and playing tough defenses has carried both Celina and Wapakoneta through the season, as both finished in the top half of the Western Buckeye League in each of those categories. During their current seven-game winning streak, the Redskins have only allowed 11.2 points per game, while Celina has scored at least 20 points in every game this season aside from its match-up with Wapakoneta. Division III, Region 10: No. 6 St. Marys at No. 2 Ontario Fantastic 50 projection: Ontario wins by 11 Next round: the winner of No. 4 Wapakoneta vs No. 1 Celina St. Marys (9-3) Last week: 42-21 win over No. 3 Cloverleaf Key regular season wins: Galion (5-5), Van Wert (5-6) Playoff wins: Maumee (5-6), Cloverleaf (8-3) Players to watch: RB/LB Dyllan Fink – 185 carries, 1,453 yards, 12 TDs; 68 tackles, 2.5 TFL. RB Tyler Holsinger – 153 carries, 864 yards, 14 TDs. LB John Youngs – 64 tackles, 5 sacks, 5.5 TFL Ontario (10-1) Last week: 22-19 win over No. 7 Tiffin Columbian Key regular season wins: Columbian (8-4), Clear Fork (9-2), Galion (5-5) Playoff wins: Columbian (8-4) Players to watch: QB Sean Tanner – 73/120 1,347 yards, 15 TDs, 2 INTs. RB Max Ciroli – 133 carries, 1,027 yards, 10 TDs. DL Maddix Smith – 11 sacks Outlook Without attempting a single pass, St. Marys racked up nearly 500 rushing yards last week during a fast start against Cloverleaf, leaning on Tyler Holsinger for 167 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries and a career night from Adisen Cantor, who ran for 145 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. Ontario had five first team all-MOAC players this season with Cardae Brown, Dakota Yunker, Zane Curry, Gavin Miller and Maddix Smith. For the Warriors, it’s their fifth game this season against a team in Division III, Region 10, which began with wins over Lexington, Norwalk and Tiffin Columbian in the first three weeks of the season. Ontario’s lone loss came in Week 8 to Shelby (11-0). While the Roughriders favor the run, Ontario is a fairly balanced attack with 1,347 passing yards from quarterback Sean Tanner and 1,027 rushing yards from running back Max Circoli. Division IV, Region 14: No. 4 Clear Fork at No. 1 Ottawa-Glandorf Fantastic 50 projection: Ottawa-Glandorf wins by 2 Next round: the winner of No. 3 Perkins vs No. 2 Shelby Clear Fork (9-2) Last week: 35-0 win over Otsego Key regular season wins: Granville (8-4), Marion Harding (5-5), Galion (5-5) Playoff wins: Otsego (8-4) Players to watch: RB Marcus Hoeflinch – 121 carries, 849 yards, 8 TDs. DL Alex Schlosser – 9 sacks. DB Nash Evans – 2 INTs. Ottawa-Glandorf (11-0) Last week: 28-14 win over Buckeye Key regular season wins: Wapakoneta (8-3), St Marys (9-3), Celina (10-1) Playoff wins: Buckeye (6-6) Players to watch: QB Tanner Vogt – 142/209 1,784 yards, 17 TDs, 2 INTs; 595 rushing yards, 12 TDs Oscar Salsburey – 116 carries, 983 yards, 13 TDs. Jordan Schumaker – 6 INTs, WBL Defensive Player of the Year. Outlook Ottawa-Glandorf shook off a slow start to pull away in the second half against Buckeye in its first playoff game following the bye week, leaning on the ground game with quarterback Tanner Vogt and running back Oscar Salsburey. The Titans have now scored at least 23 points in every game this season and had the WBL’s top total defense, which has limited opponents to 96.9 rushing yards and 144 passing yards per game. Clear Fork enters Friday night on a four-game winning streak, which includes three straight shutouts against River Valley, Galion, and Otsego. Defense has been the calling card for the Colts this season, limiting opponents to 9 points per game, led by Alex Schlosser and Trey Sellers, who have combined for 16 sacks. Division VI, Region 22: No. 4 Columbus Grove at No. 1 Liberty Center Fantastic 50 projection: Liberty Center wins by 30 Next round: the winner of No. 7 Carey vs No. 11 Delta Columbus Grove (10-1) Last week: 22-0 win over No. 12 Patrick Henry Key regular season wins: Lima Central Catholic (10-1), Bluffton (9-3), Patrick Henry (8-4) Playoff wins: Patrick Henry (8-4) Players to watch: WR/DL Gavin Baxter – 23 receptions, 438 yards, 7 TDs; 51 carries, 703 yards, 13 TDs; 55 tackles, 11 sacks, 9 TFL, 29 quarterback pressures. TE/LB Brady Basinger – 98 tackles, 10 TFL, 4 INTs, 4 quarterback pressures, NWC Defensive Player of the Year. OL/DL Baylee Maag – 74 tackles, 12 TFL, 5 sacks, 12 quarterback pressures. Liberty Center (11-0) Last week: 45-10 win over No. 9 Paulding Key regular season wins: Eastwood (10-1), Archbold (10-1), Delta (9-3) Playoff wins: Paulding (9-3) Players to watch: RB/LB Garrison Kruse – 112 carries, 1,409 yards, 28 TDs; 68 tackles, 16 TFL, 4 sacks. WR/DB Ethan Gray – 18 receptions, 340 yards, 2 TDs; 42 carries, 359 yards, 4 TDs; 3 INTs. RB/LB Jaxton Lawniczak – 35 carries, 463 yards, 8 TDs Outlook Liberty Center enters Friday night as winners of 26 straight games, with its last loss coming to Ironton in the Division V state championship game on Dec. 7, 2024. This season, the Tigers are 11-for-11 at enforcing a running clock and have outscored opponents 572-84. Liberty Center has two Division I committs in offensive lineman Kellen Wymer (Ohio State) and linebacker Jaxton Lawniczak (Penn), with running back Garrison Kruse expected to be a finalist for Mr. Football. Columbus Grove is 0-3 all-time against Liberty Center in playoff matchups, with losses in 1992, 1999 and 2021. The Bulldogs enter Week 13 as winners of seven straight games and with an all-time record of 40-18 in the state playoffs. Division VII, Region 26: No. 5 Mohawk at No. 1 Leipsic Fantastic 50 projection: Leipsic wins by 16 Next round: the winner of No. 2 McComb vs No. 2 Hopewell-Loudon Mohawk (11-1) Last week: 54-20 win over No. 4 North Baltimore Key regular season wins: Carey (8-4), Upper Sandusky (6-5) Playoff wins: Wayne Trace (6-5), North Baltimore (9-2) Players to watch: QB Andon Clouse – 120/192 2,328 yards, 29 TDs, 5 INTs; 140 carries, 826 yards, 16 TDs. WR Levi Tiell – 54 receptions, 1,116 yards, 18 TDs; 4 INTs. DB Chance Collene – 4 INTs, 2 fumble recoveries Leipsic (11-0) Last week: 60-30 win over No. 9 Pandora-Gilboa Key regular season wins: McComb (10-1), Pandora-Gilboa (7-5), Waite (6-5) Playoff wins: Pandora-Gilboa (7-5) Players to watch: QB Marc Kirkendall – 154/210 2,303 yards, 32 TDs, 2 INTs; 42 carries, 285 yards, 2 TDs, BVC Player of