Schedule Announced and Single-Game Tickets for 2016 State Finals Now On-Sale

OHSAA logoThe Ohio High School Athletic Association, in partnership with the Greater Columbus Sports Commission, announced the schedule for the state football championship games December 1, 2 and 3 at Ohio Stadium.

The season began in August with 716 teams suiting up for the 2016 football season. Now 14 teams remain in Week 15 as we have reached the state championships in Ohio Stadium. Thirteen of the 14 finalists have been to the title game at least once in their school’s history, while Cuyahoga Heights (Div. VI) is in the state championship game for the first time.

2016 OHSAA Football State Championships Schedule

Home Team Listed First. Pairings are shown with overall records.

Thursday, Dec. 1

7:30 PM — Div. II: Massillon Perry (13-1) vs. Cincinnati La Salle (12-2)

Friday, Dec. 2

10:00 AM — Div. VI: Cuyahoga Heights (14-0) vs. Maria Stein Marion Local (13-1)

3:00 PM — Div. IV: Columbus Bishop Hartley (12-2) vs. Steubenville (13-1)

8:00 PM — Div. I: Cincinnati St. Xavier (9-5) vs. Cleveland St. Ignatius (13-1)

Saturday, Dec. 3

10:00 AM — Div. VII: Minster (10-4) vs. Warren John F. Kennedy (13-1)

3:00 PM — Div. III: Trotwood-Madison (12-2) vs. Akron Arch. Hoban (13-1)

8:00 PM — Div. V: Canton Central Catholic (10-3) vs. Coldwater (13-1)

State Championships Notes Packet: http://www.ohsaa.org/Portals/0/Sports/Football/2016/2016FBRelease6.pdf

Media Credentials

Media must apply by noon on Tuesday, Nov. 29, for credentials using the OHSAA’s official credential application form. Please contact Tim Stried at tstried@ohsaa.org for details. Media credential information is posted at: http://www.ohsaa.org/news/credentials

Tickets

State championship single-game tickets are now on sale, in addition to all-session ticket books online athttp://go.osu.edu/OHSAAFBTix.  Tickets can also be purchased the day of the games at Gate 5 of Ohio Stadium or in advance by calling 1-800-GOBUCKS. All-session tickets in the club level, which are the chair-back seats on the west side of the stadium, are $105 each (includes all seven games) and also permit indoor access into the Huntington Club before, during and after each game. All-session reserved ticket books on the east side of the stadium, which don’t include indoor access, are $84 each (includes all seven games).

State Championship Story Lines and Fun Facts

  • Ohio Stadium is hosting the state championships for the third-straight year before the finals go back to Canton and the new Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium (formerly Fawcett Stadium) in 2017 and 2018. Note that all seven title games will be in Canton (see later note).
  • When Cleveland St. Ignatius and Cincinnati St. Xavier meet on Friday night, it will mark the first time that the Div. I state championship game hasn’t been on a Saturday since 1991 when it was played on Sunday, Dec. 1 at 2 p.m. (St. Ignatius beat Centerville).
  • The Division VI matchup is only state championship game featuring two No. 1 seeds. Three of the title games are rematches from the 2015 state championships (in Div. II, IV and V). Trotwood-Madison (Div. III) is attempting to become the third No. 7 seed to win a state title since the OHSAA expanded the playoff field to eight teams per region in 1999. Only one team that was ranked No. 1 in the final Associated Press polls has advanced to the state championship games (Maria Stein Marion Local in Div. VI). Coldwater (Div. V) is attempting to win its fifth-straight championship and 25th-consecutive playoff game, both of which would be state records.
  • The 2016 state championships include four of the state’s all-time playoff wins leaders, including No. 2 Cleveland Ignatius (70), No. 3 Coldwater (69), No. 4 Maria Stein Marion Local (66) and Steubenville (61). Newark Catholic leads the state with 72 playoff wins, but was knocked off in the state semifinals by Cuyahoga Heights, which is now in the state championship game for the first time in school history.
  • For the third-straight season, the Midwest Athletic Conference has sent three teams to the state championship games, including Coldwater in Div. V, Marion Local in Div. VI and Minster in Div. VII. Those three schools all won state titles in 2014, marking the first time a conference produced three state champions in the same season. A straight line spanning 19 miles could connect Minster, Marion Local and Coldwater high schools. Those three schools own a combined 16 state football championships.

Three-Part Geography Lesson

  • A straight line could connect Minster, Marion Local and Coldwater high schools and it would span only 19 miles. Those three schools own a combined total of 16 state titles. All three schools have advanced to the state championships, which they also did in 2014 when they made the Midwest Athletic Conference the first league to win three state football titles in the same season.
  • Just five miles separates La Salle and St. Xavier along North Bend Road in Cincinnati. La Salle is in Green Township (Cincinnati’s West Side) and St. Xavier is considered Springfield Township (more central part of city). Courtesy Mike Dyer, WCPO-TV
  • Canton Central Catholic and Massillon Perry have different street addresses, but both of their football stadiums sit on 13th Street and are located 1.9 miles apart.

Defending State Champions

Four defending state champions are back in Ohio Stadium seeking to defend their titles, including Cincinnati La Salle (Div. II), Akron Archbishop Hoban (Div. III), Columbus Bishop Hartley (Div. IV) and Coldwater (Div. V). All seven state champions advanced to the regional finals.

Most OHSAA State Championship Game Appearances

(Updated Nov. 27, 2016)

1. Newark Catholic, 14

T-2. Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller, 13

T-2. Cleveland St. Ignatius, 13

T-4. Coldwater, 12

T-4. Youngstown Cardinal Mooney, 12

6. Maria Stein Marion Local, 11

7. Versailles, 9

OHSAA FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

1. Cleveland St. Ignatius, 11

2. Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller, 9

T-3. Maria Stein Marion Local, 8

T-3. Newark Catholic, 8

T-3. Youngstown Cardinal Mooney, 8

6. Cleveland Benedictine, 7

T-7. Coldwater, 6

T-7. Delphos St. John’s, 6

T-7. St. Henry, 6

T-7. Versailles, 6

T-7. Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary, 6

Rematches in Division II, IV and V

The Division II, IV and V state championship games are all rematches from 2015. Last year in Div. II, Cincinnati La Salle beat Massillon Perry 42-0. In Div. IV, Columbus Bishop Hartley beat Steubenville 31-28. And in Div. V, Coldwater beat Canton Central Catholic 35-18. Coldwater and CCC have met in the Div. V state championship game the last three years.

Consecutive Playoff Wins

Last, year, Maria Stein Marion Local reached the state championship game for the fifth-straight year and set a new OHSAA record for consecutive playoff victories with 24 before falling to Kirtland in the Div. VI state championship game. Now, fellow-MAC member and four-time defending state champion Coldwater has tied that record with 24 straight playoff wins entering the state championship game against Canton Central Catholic.

No.          School Years

* denotes streak is still active. Updated Nov. 27, 2016

24           Maria Stein Marion Local 2011‐12‐13‐14-15

*24         Coldwater 2012‐13‐14-15-16

23           Cleveland St. Ignatius 1991‐92‐93‐94‐95‐96

17           Youngstown Ursuline 2008‐09‐10‐12

17           Newark Catholic 84‐85‐86‐87‐88

16           Delphos St. John’s 1997‐98‐99‐2000

15           Versailles 1993‐94‐95‐96

13           Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller 1975‐76‐77‐79‐80‐81

State Championships Notes Packet: http://www.ohsaa.org/Portals/0/Sports/Football/2016/2016FBRelease6.pdf

Media Coverage

Time Warner Cable SportsChannel will televise the seven state championship games live, and live streaming for TWC subscribers will be available at www.TWCSportsChannel.com. In addition, the OHSAA Radio Network will broadcast all seven games. More information is posted at: http://www.ohsaa.org/news/radio. Media credential information is posted at: http://www.ohsaa.org/news/credentials

About the State Championships

The 2014, 2015 and 2016 OHSAA football state championship games have been hosted by the Greater Columbus Sports Commission and The Ohio State University Department of Athletics. The football state championship games return to Canton at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in 2017 and 2018.