OHSAA releases new football assignments

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports editor

The Ohio High School Athletic Association has released new divisional and regional assignments for the upcoming high school football season. 

A number of teams from the Northwest Conference, Midwest Athletic Conference and Green Meadows Conference are switching divisions or regions, while just two Western Buckeye League schools will find themselves in a different spot this fall.

NWC

With the exception of Crestview, all Northwest Conference football teams are switching football regions this fall.

The Knights will remain in Division VII, Region 26 and will be joined by Ada. The Bulldogs were in Division VI, Region 23 last season.

Paulding is dropping from Division V, Region 18 to Division VI, Region 22, while Bluffton and Columbus Grove are moving from Region 23 to Region 22. The Bulldogs are expected to be a strong playoff contender in 2020.

The NWC’s remaining football schools – Allen East, Delphos Jefferson and Spencerville are moving from Division VI, Region 23. The Mustangs and Wildcats are going to Region 24, while the Bearcats are dropping down to Division VII, Region 28.

MAC

Eight of 10 Midwest Athletic Conference football schools are slated to switch divisions or regions in the fall.

St. Henry is going from Division VI, Region 23 to Division VII, Region 28. 

Parkway, Fort Recovery, Minster, Coldwater and defending Division VI state champion Anna are moving from Division VI, Region 23 to Region 24, while Delphos St. John’s will shift from Division VII, Region 28 to Region 26. 

The MAC’s lone Division V school, Versailles, is moving from Region 20 to Region 18.

Defending Division VII state champion Marion Local and New Bremen will remain in Region 28.

GMC

Four of the Green Meadow’s Conference’s seven football schools will move from Division VI, Region 23 to Region 22 – Wayne Trace, Hicksville, Fairview and Tinora.

Antwerp, Edgerton and Tinora will stay in Division VII, Region 26.

Holgate, who was voted out of the GMC earlier this year, will play in the Northern-8 Conference, Ohio’s first eight-man football conference, this fall and will eventually join the Buckeye Border Conference for all other sports. 

WBL

Just two Western Buckeye League school will make changes this fall.

Ottawa-Glandorf is leaving Division IV, Region 14 and will compete in Division V, Region 18, and Kenton will replace the Titans in Region 14. The Wildcats were in Region 16 in 2019.

The Van Wert Cougars will remain in Region 14, while Defiance will remain in Division III, Region 10. Celina, Elida, Shawnee, St. Marys Memorial and Wapakoneta will stay put in Division III, Region 12. 

Bath is staying in Division V, Region 18.

Lima Central Catholic, Lima Sr.

After competing in Division VI, Region 23 in 2019, Lima Central Catholic is dropping to Division VII, Region 28, while the area’s lone Division II school, Lima Sr., will remain in Region 7. 

Full statewide 2020 divisional and regional assignments can be found at https://www.ohsaa.org/Sports-Tournaments/Football/Football-2020.

The new season is currently scheduled to begin on August 28 and at the end of the regular season, the top eight schools from each regional will advance to the postseason, starting with the regional quarterfinals in Week No. 11.