Four Ohio High School football matchups to watch in the first round of the playoffs

COLUMBUS – Week One of the OHSAA state playoffs start this week. Hundreds of teams in Ohio are set to begin their pursuit of an OHSAA State Championship.

Lettermen Row has found a few matchups to watch in Week One of the OHSAA state playoffs. Here are the four matchups that Ohio high school football fans should be watching on Friday.

Cleveland St. Ignatius at No. 14 Mentor

Cleveland (Ohio) St. Ignatius at Mentor (Ohio) is perhaps the best 16 seed v. 1 seed matchup in the state. 

St. Ignatius might be 1-9 this season but the Wildcats’ roster is riddled with Division I prospects including 2025 Ohio State safety commit Cody Haddad. The future Buckeye returned to the field a few weeks ago after dealing with an injury for most of the season. As for Mentor, the Cardinals had their best regular season in recent history behind a high-powered offense. 2025 West Virginia quarterback commit Scotty Fox is under center with 2026 three-star wide receiver Justen Hodge out wide. The combination has combined for 741 yards and seven touchdowns in ten games. Mentor also has a strong offensive line led by 2026 offensive tackle Landry Brede at left tackle.

The two teams faced off in Week Two and Mentor won 20-14. St. Ignatius has the talent to pull off the upset.

Olentangy at Olentangy Orange

Another Division I matchup worth watching is Lewis Center (Ohio) Olentangy at crosstown rival Olentangy (Ohio) Orange.

Orange is led by 2026 three-star quarterback Levi Davis and an explosive offense. The Pioneers are averaging X points per game this season. Olentangy, on the other hand, is led by a stout, star-studded defense. The Braves have a Division I prospect at all three levels including 2026 Ohio State targets CJ Sanna at linebacker and Kaden Gebhardt at safety. It is a true strength on strength matchup with a trip to the second round of the OHSAA Division I state playoffs on the line.

These are the only two Olentangy schools that did not play in the regular season.

Toledo St. Francis DeSales at Avon Lake

At the Division II level, Toledo (Ohio) St. Francis DeSales at Avon Lake (Ohio) should be a good game.

Avon Lake ran into a buzz saw last week in the form of their crosstown rival Avon, the No. 1 seed in this region. The Shoremen are still more than capable of making a run in the playoffs, however. Avon Lake has a potent offense with 2026 Ohio State IOL target Max Riley paving the way. St. Francis Desales has a strong offense as well and have put up points under first-year head coach Josh Lindke. The Knights also have a strong defensive line that should challenge Riley and the rest of the Shoremen offensive line.

Avon Lake is the higher seed and favored to win but St. Francis Desales has hung tight with some of the top teams in Northwest Ohio this season.

Villa Angela-St. Joseph at Hawken

Cleveland (Ohio) Villa Angela-St. Joseph at Gates Mills (Ohio) Hawken is one of the better 8-9 matchups in the first round of the playoffs.

Villa Angela-St. Joseph’s got off to a hot start this season before 2025 Ohio State running back commit Bo Jackson went down with an injury in Week 4. Losing Jackson has slowed down the Vikings offense but they still have two Power Four tight ends including 2027 Ohio State target D’Angelo White. Across the field, Hawken has a strong offense of their own. 2026 quarterback Donovan Moorhead, the son of Akron head coach Joe Moorhead, is calling the shots. 

Overall, both teams have a shot at winning this game. Hawken has had a strong season but Villa Angela-St. Joseph’s had an impressive 48-14 win over Cleveland (Ohio) Gilmour Academy last week. The Lancers are the 3 seed in that region while the Vikings are the 9 seed.