🏈 OHSAA Playoffs- Go Hornets! Beat Indians!
🏈 OHSAA Division VII Region 25
#12 Southern Local (8-2) At #5 Malvern (9-1)
🎟️ Tickets Can Be Purchased online in advance or at the Gate- Tickets at the Gate are $15- Prices Set By OHSAA.
What to watch: Malvern can add to a big year by reaching the 10-win level for the first time since 2012. … The Hornets beefed up their early schedule with playoff readiness in mind, beating two teams that wound up 8-2, Berlin Center Western Reserve and Harrison Central. Now they must beat an 8-2 Salineville Southern team whose head coach, Rich Wright, is 52-14 across the last six seasons. … "We've known that whoever we play Week 11 is going to be a good team," said Malvern head coach Matt Chiurco, whose Hornets are 33-8 across four seasons. "Our region as a whole is a gauntlet. We'll have to bring our A game." … The Hornets are acquainted with Southern from the teams meeting in offseason passing scrimmages at Carrollton. Malvern High School Principal Tim Babiczuk is a former head coach at Southern. … Run-oriented Southern's best player is Ryan Exline, who converted to running back in 2023 after starting at quarterback in 2022. … Malvern's defense has had a good year partly because Dante Passio and Charles Motz developed at linebacker behind a line on which Kyle Bossart (6-3, 255) was a known force. … The Hornets will lean on a passing game that has ranged from dangerous to explosive. ... The Malvern-Southern winner will face the Toronto-Norwalk St. Paul winner in Round 2.