After opening-round upsets knocked out two Central Ohio seeds, Galloway Westland and Hilliard Darby head north for Friday night regional quarterfinals against top-seeded powers.
Under OHSAA tournament rules, the top four seeds earned first-round byes, leaving seeds 5 through 12 to battle on Oct. 30. Central Ohio contenders split their openers in dramatic fashion.
While No. 8 Hilliard Darby rolled past Miamisburg 44-14 and No. 6 Galloway Westland held off Toledo St. John's Jesuit 16-10, two road underdogs scored upsets: No. 12 Beavercreek shocked No. 5 Hilliard Bradley 24-21, and No. 10 Kettering Fairmont ousted No. 7 Grove City 35-21.
Four regional quarterfinal games are scheduled for Friday, Nov. 6, at 7:00 p.m., with higher seeds serving as hosts through the first three rounds.
Both surviving Central Ohio programs face formidable road trips to Northern Ohio:
Winners will advance to the regional semifinals scheduled for Friday, Nov. 13.
The quarterfinal clash in Wood County pits two starkly contrasting 2026 campaign profiles against each other.
Coach Dirk Conner's Perrysburg Yellow Jackets (9-1) dismantled Northern Ohio opposition, compiling a 9-game winning streak and outscoring opponents 395 to 94 before dropping their regular-season finale 28-14 to top-seeded Toledo Whitmer on Oct. 23.
Coach Trent Williamson's Westland Cougars (8-3) navigated a grueling Franklin County schedule, winning five of their last six games. While their offense generated just 83 points over their past five outings, Westland's defense clamped down when it counted, limiting St. John's Jesuit to 10 points in the playoff opener.
Westland enters Steinecker Stadium at Perrysburg as an underdog in state rankings (ranked 224th by MaxPreps after knocking off No. 42 St. John's Jesuit).
Perrysburg features a potent attack led by receiver Ethan Devries, who tallied 107 receiving yards and a touchdown against Whitmer. Westland will look to lean on their battle-tested front to keep the game within reach and extend their postseason journey.