The 9-1 Wildcats, the top seed in Division I, Region 1, will face the 9-1 Perry Panthers on the gridiron for the first time.
As one of the top four teams in Region 1, Coach Chuck Kyle's record 11-time state champion Wildcats are awarded a home game. They will host Perry Friday night at 7:30 on Byers Field in Parma's Robert M. Boulton Stadium.
The other half of the Wildcats' bracket has Euclid (8-2) playing Massillon Jackson (8-2).
Second-seeded St. Edward (9-1), coming off its 17-10 loss to Saint Ignatius, takes on the McKinley Bulldogs (8-2) Friday night in Lakewood Stadium and Mentor (9-1) hosts Stow (9-1).
The Perry Panthers were back-to-back Division II state runners-up in 2015 and 2016 before moving up to Division I this season.
All OHSAA postseason games are scheduled for Friday nights.
As always, the corner will be previewing Massillon Perry this coming week.
HOW ELDER MISSED THE PLAYOFFS. FROM THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER:
The Panthers learned early Sunday morning as the OHSAA's final computer ratings were released that they had missed the playoffs as the No. 9 seed in Division I, Region 4, when a little more than 24 hours earlier the Panthers were projected to be a playoff team at No. 7.
Elder finished with 17.3395 playoff points. Fairfield had 17.35 and Moeller 17.45.
So what exactly transpired that allowed Moeller (4-6) to slide into the seventh seed, while Fairfield (6-4) edged out Elder (6-4) for the eighth and final spot?
First and foremost, Elder lost Friday night at La Salle, and a win on North Bend Road makes this explanation unnecessary.
On top of that, West Clermont, in its first season as a high school, went on the road and beat Milford to steal one of the remaining spots, but the backbreaker came Saturday night when Cleveland St. Ignatius defeated Lakewood St. Edward, 17-10.
Because Moeller beat St. Ignatius, the Crusaders got a bump in level-two playoff points to pass the Panthers, a team Moeller lost to 42-14 earlier this month.
Elder also lost another opportunity to pick up some points when the International School of Broward (Fla.), a team Elder beat convincingly last week, had its Saturday night game against Goleman postponed to Monday due to a tropical storm warning, meaning the game will likely be treated as a no-contest by the OHSAA and the result will not factor into Elder's final point total. Even so, Broward would have needed to win, something they've only done once this season.