Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller, St. Xavier set for huge state playoff rematch

There are few bigger rivalries in Ohio high school football than Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller and St. Xavier, and the latest edition will come in this week’s state playoffs.

The teams face off annually during the regular season, but the Region 4 rivals have met each of the past two years in the postseason as well.

Moeller has won five straight in the series, including a 45-37 thriller earlier this season in September. St. Xavier has put together its best regular season since 2021-22 this year, winning 10 games, and will be looking for revenge as it eyes a berth in the state semifinals.

On3 High School Snapshot
Rankings: St. Xavier (No. 120 NATL., No. 5 Ohio) vs. Archbishop Moeller (No. 48 NATL., No. 1 Ohio)
Date & Time: Friday, November 22 — 7pm CT
Watch Live: NFHS Network
Key St. Xavier Players to Watch: QB Chase Herbstreit, LB Kobe Clapper, DL Gordy Sulfsted
Key Moeller Players to Watch: QB Matt Ponatoski, TE Cooper McCutchan, EDGE Jonah Hayes
Massey Ratings Prediction: Archbishop Moeller 35, St. Xavier 21

The Bombers, who are in search of their first state title since 2020, are led by talented senior quarterback Chase Herbstreit, the son of former Ohio State quarterback and current football broadcaster Kirk Herbstreit. The game received national attention on Tuesday when Kirk posted a graphic of the game’s ticket allotment being sold out to his social media.

Chase, a 6-foot-2, 190-pounder, has had a strong senior campaign, throwing for more than 1,500 yards and 16 touchdowns while adding another 588 yards and eight scores on the ground. He’s flanked by 2026 athlete Daniel Vollmer, who has accounted for nearly 900 all-purpose yards and 16 touchdowns of his own as a running back and receiver.

St. X comes into the game as the No. 5 team in the Buckeye State, while Moller — who hasn’t won a state title since 2013, checks in as the state’s No. 1 team, according to the On3 Composite Ranking.

The On3 Composite High School Football Team Ranking is a proprietary algorithm that compiles rankings listed in the public domain by respected High School media and data companies. It includes Massey, Max Preps, Cal Preps, ESPN and SI, creating the industry’s most comprehensive and geographically balanced High School Team Ranking.

Moeller looking to finish off dream season with a state title

Despite being one of Ohio’s powerhouse programs, the Crusaders haven’t been able to get over the hump in the playoffs. Their last championship came more than a decade ago. And since then, they’ve been knocked out of the playoffs on multiple occasions by St. Xavier, Pickerington Central and three-time defending state champ Lakewood St. Edward.

They’ve been the most dominant team in the state this year though — losing only one game to North Carolina’s Mallard Creek — en route to a 12-1 record. They boast the state’s top offense, according to the On3 Massey Ratings. And they have also been as battle-tested as any team with a top-five strength of schedule.

And the aforementioned Ponatoski has been dynamite during his junior season, throwing for more than 3,400 yards and 48 touchdowns while completing better than 70 percent of his passes. He is one of the top quarterbacks nationally in the 2026 class, checking in as the No. 109 overall player and No. 8 QB in the 2026 On300 rankings.

With two high-flying offenses, a repeat of the early-season shootout between this teams could be in store again.