Here's a recap of the second round of the Ohio high school playoffs, focusing on the Northeast Ohio area:
Akron/Canton area
Division I
No. 2 Stow-Munroe Falls 24, No. 7 Solon 15 (Region 1)
Stow’s undefeated season continues after the Bulldogs earned a hard-fought victory over Solon on Saturday. But for one of the few times this season, Stow (12-0) wasn’t heavily dependent upon its running game — at least not early.
Running back Jayson Gobble had been the heart and soul of the Bulldogs' offense, rushing for 1,852 yards and 31 touchdowns through 11 games. On Saturday, he was held to 65 yards on 16 carries in the first half, as Solon focused its game plan on the star tailback.
The second half was a different tale, though, as Gobble gained 92 more yards in the second half and scored twice to power the Bulldogs to the third round in Division I, where they will face No. 3 Lewis Center Olentangy (11-1).
The two will kick off at 7 p.m. Saturday at Mansfield Senior High School.
Division II
No. 5 Hudson 35, No. 8 Macedonia Nordonia 14 (Region 3)
Junior Matt Restifo rushed for 110 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries, and teammate Roman Moreno toted the ball 12 times for 83 yards and three touchdowns as Hudson (10-2) continued its march toward Columbus.
The Nordonia Knights simply weren’t a match for the Explorers, who took a 21-7 lead in the middle of the second and kept on pushing forward.
Down three touchdowns in the third, Nordonia (8-4) cut the deficit to 14, but that was all the Knights could muster as their season came to an end on the turf at Bedford High School.
No. 1 Massillon Perry 40, No. 5 Dresden Tri-Valley 14 (Region 5)
Perry’s Keishaun Sims has already set the single-season rushing record for a Stark County running back. He went one step further on Friday, setting a school record with 349 yards on the ground in a blowout victory over Tri-Valley.
At 2,811 yards and 40 touchdowns, Sims is closing in on the unfathomable 3,000-yard mark. He’ll have a chance to reach it as the Panthers look to extend their season against No. 3 Worthington Kilbourne in the Region 5 final.
Division III
No. 1 Akron Archbishop Hoban 21, No. 5 Louisville 14 (Region 7)
Hoban continued to display the fortuitousness it’s needed to win three of its last four games, earning a trip to the regional finals with a one-score victory over a feisty and stubborn Louisville squad.
Knights junior running back and Ohio State recruit Todd Sibley rushed for 246 yards and a touchdown on 38 carries to power Hoban’s offense, while the Knights’ defense held a Leopards offense that averaged 39 points per game to just 14.
The Knights, slightly banged up due to three straight grueling contests, have a date for a rematch with rival St. Vincent-St. Mary, with a trip to the Divison III state final four on the line.
No. 2 Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary 42, No. 6 Chesterland West Geauga 0 (Region 7)
While Hoban continues to slog through closely contested playoffs games, the Irish only appear to be getting stronger as the season progresses. Fresh off a 49-28 first-round win over Canfield, the Irish shut out the Wolverines and dominated from start to finish.
Irish quarterback Dom Davis passed for 173 yards and rushed for 130 in just three quarters, retiring to the sideline for the evening at the end of the third with the game well in hand. St. V-M’s defense was just as dominant, forcing nine punts and recording 9 1/2 tackles for loss.
A video tweeted by a cleveland.com reporter showed the Irish crowding around a camera after the game with plenty of energy ready to be expended against the Knights in the regional finals. This will be one for the ages in the storied Akron parochial rivalry.
Division IV
No. 5 Youngstown Ursuline 27, No. 1 Peninsula Woodridge 20 (Region 11)
Woodridge’s historic season came to a heartbreaking end far earlier than the Bulldog faithful likely expected in a close defeat to the Irish of Youngstown Ursuline.
Missed tackles and missed opportunities sank any hopes of an appearance in the Region 11 final, as the Irish capitalized on missed tackles and stagnant possessions to edge Woodridge, which finishes its season with an 11-1 mark and plenty to look back on fondly.
Division VII
No. 2 Mogadore 28, No. 3 Norwalk St. Paul 0 (Region 23)
Perennial playoff contender Mogadore took care of the Flyers from Norwalk St. Paul on Friday, rushing for 270 total yards and shutting out an offense that’s topped 300 points in just the first half of games in 2015.
Running back Luke Cramer continued the tradition of a strong ground attack for Mogadore, leading the Bulldogs with 93 yards, while teammate Austin Williams added 56 yards and a score.
