Ironton Fighting Tigers’ linebacker Cameron Deere reaches to bring down Cincinnati Sycamore Aviators’ running back Cairo Ford (12) during last Friday’s game. Ironton won 33-11 and has a bye for the opening week of the postseason playoffs. Ironton is the Region 19 Division 5 top-seeded team and will host the winner of New Lexington and Westfall on Saturday, Oct. 17. (Tony Shotsky/Southern Ohio Sports Photos)
Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com
Come one, come all.
The Ohio High School Athletic Association opened the postseason football playoffs to all schools this year due to the COVID-19 situation and most teams took advantage of the opportunity to join the postseason party.
By entering the playoffs, area teams added another year to their program’s playoff history.
In Division 5, the Ironton Fighting Tigers, Chesapeake Panthers and South Point Pointers will be in the postseason brackets.
This marks the 36th playoff appearance for Ironton — tied with Cincinnati Moeller for second on the all-time Ohio playoff list. Newark Catholic leads the state with 37 postseason trips.
Ironton has a 49-33 record overall in the postseason to go with two state titles (1979, 1989), seven runners-up and 12 state semi-finalists.
Chesapeake will now play in the postseason for the 12th time. The Panthers had a 3-10 record overall.
South Point had made the playoffs just once in 1991.
In Division 6, the Fairland Dragons, Coal Grove Hornets, Rock Hill Redmen and Symmes Valley Vikings are all slated for Saturday’s first-round playoff games.
Fairland — which drew a first-round bye — is making its first playoff appearance and will be looking for its first postseason win next week at home when they host the Rock Hill-Crooksville winner.
Coal Grove is making its 12th and has a 7-11 record with two state semi-final appearances in 1983 and 1990.
Rock Hill now has six playoff appearances with a 1-5 postseason record. This marks the first playoff home game for the Redmen.
Symmes Valley is making its 13th postseason trip and sports a 3-12 record.
Portsmouth West is 7-10 in 10 playoff trips, Westfall is 5-10 in 10 appearances, New Lexington is 5-8 in eight appearances, Wellston is 0-3 in the playoffs, Columbus Grandview Heights is 6-7 in seven trips, Crooksville is 7-13 in 14 postseason appearances and Chillicothe Southeastern is 1-2 in two trips.
This week’s schedule has Chesapeake at Portsmouth West, South Point at Wellston, Granview Heights at Coal Grove, Crooksville at Rock Hill and Chillicothe Southeastern at Symmes Valley.
All games start at 7 p.m.
OHSAA Football Playoffs
Division 5 Region 19
Saturday, Oct. 10
All Games 7 p.m.
Ironton (6-0)
At Portsmouth 50-9
Gallipolis 55-7
Coal Grove 71-0
At Rock Hill 41-0
At Chesapeake 58-10
Cin. Sycamore 33-11
Chesapeake (2-4)
At Fairland 13-28
At Rock Hill 10-14
At South Point 42-0
Gallipolis canceled
Portsmouth 49-38
Ironton 58-10
Coal Grove 35-42
South Point (0-5)
At Gallipolis 0-41
Portsmouth 14-31
Chesapeake 0-42
At Fairland 7-47
Rock Hill 26-34
At Ironton canceled
Portsmouth West (3-2)
Prts. Notre Dame 28-7
At Waverly 13-49
At Minford 14-35
Lucasville Valley 28-14
At Oak Hill 21-14
Wheelersburg 0-28
Westfall (3-2)
At Southeastern 20-0
Zane Trace 36-21
At Adena 0-43
Huntington Ross 36-0
At Piketon canceled
Unioto 30-41
New Lexington (3-3)
At Sheridan 18-55
West Muskingum 40-14
Meadowbrook 8-49
At Morgan 53-41
Crooksville 28-0
At Coshocton 34-42
Wellston (4-2)
At River Valley 41-6
Nelsonville-York 24-12
Alexander 40-0
Gallipolis 14-19
Fort Frye 6-28
Vinton County 33-12
Division 6 Region 23
Fairland (5-1)
Chesapeake 28-13
Coal Grove 27-21
At Portsmouth 34-6
South Point 47-7
At Gallipolis 43-47
At Rock Hill 42-6
Coal Grove (3-2)
Rock Hill 20-6
At Fairland 21-27
At Ironton 0-71
Gallipolis canceled
Portsmouth 66-63
At Chesapeake 42-35
Rock Hill (2-4)
At Coal Grove 6-20
Chesapeake 14-10
At Gallipolis 6-47
Ironton 0-41
At South Point 34-26
Fairland 6-42
Symmes Valley (4-2)
South Gallia 44-6
At Green 51-0
Beaver Eastern 22-50
At Sciotoville East 34-6
At Prts. Notre Dame 24-16
Northwest 8-10
Crooksville Ceramics (2-4)
Maysville 0-20
At Meadowbrook 0-51
At Coshocton 21-49
West Muskingum 47-6
At New Lexington 0-28
Morgan 20-14
Grandview Heights (0-6)
At Northmor 0-34
Whitehall-Yearling 14-22
Harvest Prep 13-64
At Liberty Union 6-77
At Buckeye Valley 7-50
Col. Academy 0-49
Southeastern (1-5)
Westfall 0-20
At Huntington Ross 44-28
Piketon 16-46
At Zane Trace 22-36
At Unioto 6-36
Paint Valley 0-40
