Pigskin Pick’Em: Week No. 12

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports

Surprises were few and far between in the opening round of the playoffs. One of the surprises was Paulding’s late rally and win over Allen East. Otherwise, things pretty much went as expected. Perhaps the margins of some games were wider or closer than predicted but the end result was the one that was expected. While there are some interesting matchups on the schedule for Friday’s regional quarterfinals, look for more of the same – few surprises.

Last week, just 11 area games were on the Pigkskin Pick’Em slate. That was due to eight other teams enjoying a bye. While some of the area teams that played lost, there are a few more games on this week’s schedule. 15 area games to be exact. Last week I went 9-2, (81.8 percent), which takes my overall 2026 season record to 177-48 (78.6 percent). 80 percent for the season is still attainable. Best of luck to all area teams playing Friday night.

Games of the Week

Troy (9-2) at Lima Sr. (9-1)

Troy is the No. 5 seed, Lima Sr. the No. 4 seed. The Trojans are 9-0 vs. Division II schools this season. The only losses for Troy have come to 8-3 Pickington North (Division I) and 9-1 Tippecanoe (Division III). Lima Sr. has won eight straight entering Friday’s Division II Region 8 quarterfinal game. Strength of schedule goes to Troy (Miami Valley League) while the very creative offense award goes to Lima Sr. This could be an entertaining game and while I think the Spartans have a shot, I’ll say the visitors win a fairly close one.

The pick: Troy

Paulding (9-2) at Liberty Center (10-0)

Paulding, the No. 9 seed in Division VI Region 22, trailed No. 8 seed Allen East 14-0, then 17-14 after a Mustang field goal late in the game. An 82-yard kickoff return for a touchdown erased the deficit and gave the Panthers a stunning 21-17 win. The prize for that? Having to face the defending Division V state champion Tigers, a team that moved down to Division VI this year and went wire-to-wire at the Associated Press No. 1 team. Some prize. There’s no other way to put this – Paulding is considered a heavy underdog in this one. An upset would likely be considered the upset of the postseason, if not the entire season as a whole. Don’t get me wrong – Paulding is a very good team and has enjoyed a very nice season. With all due respect to all other teams, Liberty Center has long been considered the favorite to win the Division VI title. I’m predicting the Tigers will take another step toward it Friday night.

The pick: Liberty Center

Patrick Henry (8-3) at Columbus Grove (9-1)

Rematches can be tricky, especially in the playoffs. These two teams met in Week No. 3, with Columbus Grove winning a hard fought 21-14 game. Now they’ll meet again in the Division VI Region 22 quarterfinals. Patrick Henry isn’t your typical No. 12 seed. The Patriots, who defeated Western Reserve 40-32 in the opening round, have faced some stiff competition this year. Their losses have come to Columbus Grove, Liberty Center and Archbold, three teams with a combined record of 28-2. On the other hand, Columbus Grove has played a tough schedule as well, with the only loss coming to Division VII No. 2 Lima Central Catholic, 13-6. Columbus Grove/NWC statistician Ned Stechschulte has informed me that the Bulldogs are 16-1 in playoff games all time at Clymer Stadium. He also let me know this is the 13th meeting between the two schools. How close is the series? It doesn’t get any closer – each team has won six games. If this game was at a neutral site I might think differently but history says the Bulldogs will win at home, so I’ll defer to history.

The pick: Columbus Grove

St. Henry (8-3) at Tri-Village (10-0)

This is one of the more intriguing playoff matchups around. Tri-Village rolled to an undefeated season, the No. 1 seed in Division VI Region 24 and a No. 4 ranking in the final Associated Press poll of the season. The Patriots are the favorite, right? Maybe, maybe not. Defending Division VII state champion St. Henry got off to an 0-2 start and was 3-3 after six games. Of course, it has to be noted that the three losses came to 9-1 Celina, 9-1 Archbold and 10-0 Marion Local. The Redskins are the No. 9 seed and the underdog, right? Again, maybe, maybe not. Despite three losses, St. Henry finished No. 8 in the final AP poll. Let’s face it – the MAC is built differently that other conferences and leagues and it’s a playoff primer. Both teams are playing well right now and while I think this will be a fairly close game, it’s hard for me to see the Redskins losing this one.

The pick: St. Henry

St. Marys Memorial (8-3) at Cloverleaf (8-2)

Playing at home, the No. 6 seed Roughriders outscored Maumee 57-33 in the last Friday’s opening round. The prize for that is a long bus trip – somewhere between two hours and 30 minutes and two hours and 45 minutes to Medina County to face the third seeded Colts. At least the trip is all on major highways, so that’s plus. As far as the game itself, it should be a good one and if I’m correct, it’s the first time the two schools have met. Strength of schedule probably goes to the Roughriders but I’m a little concerned about St. Marys Memorial’s defense, which has surrendered a lot of points this season. The offense has been able to score even more points, which has helped them win five straight. I’m a little apprehensive about this pick, but I’ll go with the Roughriders. In reality, it’s probably a tossup.

The pick: St. Marys Memorial

Best of the Rest

Division III Region 10

Parma Padua Franciscan at Wapakoneta: Wapakoneta

Richfield Revere at Celina: Celina

Division IV Region 14

Medina Buckeye at Ottawa-Glandorf: Ottawa-Glandorf

Division V Region 18

Bluffton at Archbold: Archbold

Division VI Region 22

Carey at Lima Central Catholic: Lima Central Catholic

Division VI Region 24

St. Henry at Tri-Village: St. Henry

Versailles at Cincinnati College Prep: Versailles

Division VII Region 28

Fort Loramie at Marion Local: Marion Local

Fort Recovery at Minster: Minster

New Bremen at Ansonia: New Bremen