CLEVELAND, Ohio — It is purely subjective until the calendar flips to December in Canton.
But a peek at the final state football rankings back up the notion on display Friday night.
No high school football playoff region in Ohio is tougher than the big school classification in Northeast Ohio.
Four of the top 10 teams in the final Associated Press state poll came from Division I, Region 1. If that is not enough of a gauge, the effort on display Friday at Parma’s Byers Field illustrated how little of a gap there is between a No. 2 seed and a No. 7 seed.
St. Edward, the seventh seeded, took down St. Ignatius for a 21-19 victory that sends it to Friday's regional semifinals vs. third-seeded Euclid.
St. Ignatius coach Chuck Kyle knows both teams well. His Wildcats beat both of them during the regular season. He concurred on the notion of Region 1 being the state’s toughest, which proved costly for his team.
“This is the equivalent of a regional final game,” he said Friday outside St. Ignatius’ locker room at Byers Field. “I think anybody in the state would say that, but that’s the way the computer works out.”
He called back-to-back matchups between the rivals “an odd situation.” It last happened in 2008, when the Wildcats took both games on their way to a state title.
St. Ignatius must watch the rest of this season. So will Solon, which has a defensive line filled with potential Division I college talent. The four teams still playing — Mentor, Canton McKinley, Euclid and the Eagles — all had that state top 10 billing for considerable portions this season.
In addition to that meatgrinder of a bracket, here is a look back at the first week of the OHSAA football playoffs and what it means for area teams.
Elyria Catholic 42, Anna 35: That showdown at Byers Field will be one to remember — at least for one side.
That stage is a familiar one to Elyria Catholic, too.
The Great Lakes Conference co-champions, who have three GLC rivals that call Byers home, got down and dirty Saturday with Anna for the Division V, Region 18 playoffs. EC emerged with the 42-35 win, an impressive feat considering Anna comes from the vaunted Midwest Athletic Conference that produced two state champions last year in Maria Stein Marion Local and Minster.
Anna even had a victory over powerhouse Coldwater this season, which caught the attention of Elyria Catholic senior running back Leighton Banjoff.
“We could tell that when they played Coldwater earlier in the season that got a big win, and they ran a lot,” he said. “For us to get big stops on the defense and make them pass, that was huge for our advantage.”
It nearly cost EC, which will face Genoa Area on Saturday.
Anna converted a fourth down, then scored on a halfback pass with 45 seconds left and took the lead on a two-point conversion.
Elyria Catholic answered with a quick, three-play drive to retake the lead and win it.
Leighton Banjoff, Elyria Catholic: The senior running back moved to quarterback for a jumbo set the Panthers call "Juggernaut."
On the first try, Banjoff rumbled 63 yards to score. He reached the end zone four times with his feet and a fifth time with his arm on a 70-yard touchdown pass.
Banjoff rushed 37 times for 263 yards and four touchdowns.
Donald Willis, Garfield Heights: The standout linebacker and Minnesota recruit was a one-man wrecking crew for the undefeated Bulldogs in their 42-25 win Friday at Warren Harding.
He finished with 16 tackles, including four tackles for loss and a sack. If that was not enough, Willis blocked a punt, recovered it and ran it back for a touchdown. He scored another TD on a pass from Marlon Jordan in Division II, Region 5.
Brayden DiSanza, Cuyahoga Heights: Similar to Banjoff, DiSanza ran wild on Saturday. The senior running back ran 37 times for 228 yards and two touchdowns, leading Cuyahoga Heights to a 42-13 win vs. Tuscarawas Central Catholic in the Division VII, Region 25 playoffs.
C.J. Charleston, Gilmour: These are becoming commonplace for the Lancers senior back. Charleston ran 33 times for 283 yards and five TDs in Gilmour's 43-21 victory against Columbiana Crestview in the Division V, Region 17 playoffs.
Charleston already exceeded 2,000 yards rushing.
Kyre Williams, Akron East: Williams, who ran 22 times Friday for 117 yards and three TDs while completing 11-of-13 passes for 167 yards and two more scores. East beat Chardon on the road, 39-28.
“I told him, ‘You are going to have to play the best game of your life,’ and he did,” coach Marques Hayes said Friday. “I am proud of what he accomplished.”
Konner Riggs, Avon Lake: Another 200-yard game came from the Shoremen senior running back, who took 30 handoffs for 251 yards and three TDs in a 44-28 win vs. Olmsted Falls. More importantly, Avon Lake avenged its 34-31 upset loss from two weeks earlier.
The fourth-seeded Shoremen will now take on Division II, Region 6 top seed and undefeated Toledo Central Catholic.
Ethan Wright, Manchester: The junior rushed 16 times for 245 yards and three touchdowns in the first half of the Panthers' 35-0 win Saturday vs. Sandy Valley.
Jaylen Anderson, Perry: Bothered earlier this year by a torn meniscus, the sophomore running back put together one of his best games in a 48-34 win vs. Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy.
Maybe it had something to do with who stood on the other side for CVCA.
Tre Tucker ran 27 times for 146 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Royals. He also scored on a TD pass and reception.
Anderson, meanwhile, ran for 137 yards and two TDs.
"We're just starting to scratch the surface (with him) right now," Perry coach Matt Rosati said Saturday night. "We're hoping we can ride him here down the stretch."
Ian Kipp, Mentor: While Anderson was out earlier this year, Mentor sophomore quarterback Ian Kipp missed the last three weeks. He returned Friday and completed 15-of-21 passes for 252 yards and two TDs in the Cardinals' 38-7 win vs. Strongsville.
“My main goal was to come back and not skip a beat, and I feel like we’re close to that now,” Kipp said after the performance. “It’s basically starting a new season, and coming back in, you have to get your nerves back in shape and realize the atmosphere is going to be so much more different than the regular season.”
Joey Torok, Kirtland: Just about every week, Torok could win this award. The senior running back carried the football just six times and reached the end zone on three of those attempts. He finished with 132 yards rushing and scored four total TDs, adding one on a reception in Kirtland's 59-0 victory vs. Steubenville Catholic Central.
Rocky River 27, Clyde 17: Christian Dean played the hero for Rocky River. His interception that turned into a 79-yard touchdown return sealed the Pirates' upset as the No. 8 seed in Clyde.
"Christian's a playmaker and they had kind of kept him in check on the offensive side of the ball in the second half," Rocky River coach Josh Wells said after the victory. "Any time he's got the ball in his hands he's dynamic. He jumped the route and played the coverage perfectly."
Riverside 43, Nordonia 38: The sixth seed entered Macedonia with a Western Reserve Conference championship share. So should it be that much of an underdog?
Considering Nordonia's only previous loss came on the road against undefeated Wadsworth of the Suburban League, yes.
The Riverside trio of quarterback Andrew Keller, Danny Smith and Joseph Robinson each rushed for 100 yards, but in a high-scoring game it came down to a defensive play. The Beavers stopped Nordonia standout Nyles Beverly short on a fourth-down pass to seal their date this week with undefeated Maple Heights in Division II, Region 5.
Garfield Heights: Unimpressed by the Bulldogs' resume?
A chance at a top-three seed in Division II, Region 5 slipped from unbeaten Garfield Heights because its best two wins struggled at the end of the year. Back-to-back wins midway through the season against Padua and Valley Forge were the most impressive wins for coach Lance Reisland's Bulldogs.
That is, until they left Warren Harding with a 42-25 win.
“We didn’t feel we needed to vindicate ourselves; we just played really hard," coach Lance Reisland said Friday night. "We thought we were pretty good. To beat a team like Warren Harding at Warren Harding was pretty special for us."
Get updated playoff brackets for each region below.
Contact sports reporter Matt Goul on Twitter (@mgoul) or email ([email protected]). Or log in and leave a message below in the comments section.
Ad Choices