News Release – Ohio High School Athletic Association
Executive Director Doug Ute
For Immediate Release – November 23, 2025
OHSAA Sets Football State Semifinal Pairings and Sites
Neutral sites will host state semifinals on Friday at 7 p.m.; winners advance to state championships Dec. 4-6
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio High School Athletic Association has announced the pairings and host sites for the football state semifinals on Friday, November 28. All games kick off at 7 p.m. The state championship games will be hosted at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton December 4-6.
The regional playoffs followed bracket format before the OHSAA conducted rebracketing for the state semifinals, which are based on the geography of the schools involved. A team’s regional seed, state rank and won-lost record do not factor into the state semifinal bracket pairings.
Spectrum to Cover All State Semifinals: All 14 state semifinal games will be covered by Spectrum. Please see the press box priority seating scale linked below for details on media access.
Neutral Sites: Neutral sites receive a rental stipend from the OHSAA and also keep revenue from concessions, parking, 50-50 raffles and program sales. The OHSAA selects and pays for the officiating crews. Many factors go into determining locations for each game, and rarely can an available site be found that is exactly halftime between the two participating schools. Once a potential site is determined, the school must be available and willing to host a game on the requested night.
Media Notes:
OHSAA Football State Semifinal Playoff Pairings
All games on Friday, November 28, at 7 p.m.
Designated home team listed first.
Winner of first game listed in pairings will be designated home team in state championship game.
State championship games December 4-6 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Canton
Division I
Middletown (11-2) vs. Cincinnati St. Xavier (10-2) at Dayton Welcome Stadium
Lakewood St. Edward (11-2) vs. Lewis Center Olentangy Orange (13-0) at Mansfield Arlin Field
State Championship: Friday, December 5, 7:30 p.m.
Division II
Avon (12-1) vs. Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit (11-1) at University of Akron InfoCision Stadium
Cincinnati Anderson (13-0) vs. Sunbury Big Walnut (12-1) at Historic Crew Stadium, Columbus
State Championship: Thursday, December 4, 7 p.m.
Division III
Toledo Central Catholic (10-4) vs. Cuyahoga Falls CVCA (12-0) at Fostoria Memorial Stadium
Tipp City Tippecanoe (13-0) vs. Columbus Bishop Watterson (12-0) at Mason Tri-Health/Beacon Stadium
State Championship: Friday, December 5, 3 p.m.
Division IV
Gnadenhutten Indian Valley (12-0) vs. Cleveland Glenville (10-3) at Minerva High School
Shelby (13-0) vs. Cincinnati Indian Hill (13-0) at Sidney Memorial Stadium
State Championship: Friday, December 5, 10:30 a.m.
Division V
Wheelersburg (13-0) vs. Youngstown Cardinal Mooney (10-2) at Westerville Central High School
Liberty Center (13-0) vs. Lewistown Indian Lake (11-2) at Lima Spartan Stadium
State Championship: Saturday, December 6, 7:30 p.m.
Division VI
North Robinson Colonel Crawford (13-1) vs. Kirtland (13-0) at Parma Byers Field at Robert Boulton Stadium
Bascom Hopewell-Loudon (12-1) vs. Coldwater (10-4) at Wapakoneta Mercy Health Wapak VFW Field
State Championship: Saturday, December 6, 3 p.m.
Division VII
Columbus Grove (10-3) vs. St. Henry (12-1) at Troy Memorial Stadium
McDonald (13-0) vs. Jeromesville Hillsdale (12-1) at New Philadelphia Quaker Stadium
State Championship: Saturday, December 6, 10:30 a.m.
### OHSAA ###