CANTON — Ohio high school football’s “Championship Weekend” is back at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium for a fifth straight year. Games kicked off Thursday evening with the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division II state title game won by Avon. Three championship games followed Friday and three more wrap things up Saturday.
This year’s field of finalists features six 14-0 teams and one 13-0 team. Three Mr. Football finalists will play in Canton this week. Avon became a back-to-back champ Thursday and Columbus Watterson did the same Friday. Five others are back in Stark County after finishing as a state runner-up a year ago.
Read on for your full guide to the finals. And return throughout the weekend for the latest scores, scoring summaries, photo galleries and links to further coverage:
Watch Ohio High School Football Live on the NFHS Network all season
- All games at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Canton
- Thursday, Dec. 4
- Division II – Avon 37, Cincinnati Anderson 20 | Story | Recap | Preview
- Friday, Dec. 5
- Division IV – Cleveland Glenville 45, Shelby 7 | Story | Recap | Preview
- Division III – Columbus Watterson 30, Toledo Central Catholic 0 | Recap | Preview
- Division I – Olentangy Orange 28, Cincinnati St. Xavier 14 | Story | Recap | Preview
- Saturday, Dec. 6
- Division VII – St. Henry 37, Hillsdale 3 | Story | Recap | Preview
- Division VI – Kirtland 14, Hopewell-Loudon 0, HALFTIME | Live updates | Preview
- Division V – Wheelersburg (14-0) vs. Liberty Center (14-0), 7:30 p.m. | Preview
| Teams | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | SCORE |
| Hopewell-Loudon (13-1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kirtland (14-0) | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
- Scoring summary
- Kirtland—John Silvestro 7 run (Xavier Lasecki kick), 7:37 Q1
- Kirtland—John Silvestro 4 run (Marko Valentic kick), 11:56 Q2
- Pregame notes
- The game kicked off at 3:08 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 6. … Kirtland is playing in its 14th championship game and it has won seven state titles, with the most recent coming in 2023. … Hopewell-Loudon is playing in its third championship game appearance. It has never won a state title.
| Teams | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | FINAL |
| Hillsdale (13-1) | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| St. Henry (13-1) | 8 | 22 | 7 | 0 | 37 |
- Scoring summary
- St. Henry—Will Speck 26 run (Charlie Werling run), 3:33 Q1
- Hillsdale—FG Brock Bower 23, 11:07 Q2
- St. Henry—Charlie Werling 70 run (Charlie Werling run), 10:50 Q2
- St. Henry—Charlie Werling 23 run (Owen Zimmerman kick), 6:23 Q2
- St. Henry—Will Speck 16 pass from Charlie Werling (Owen Zimmerman kick), 0:30 Q2
- St. Henry—Charlie Werling 1 run (Owen Zimmerman kick), 7:44 Q3
- Pregame notes
- The game started at 10:39 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 6. … St. Henry is playing in its ninth championship game and it has won six state titles, with the most recent coming in 2006. … Hillsdale is in its second championship game after making its first appearance a year ago, losing in the Division VII finals to Marion Local.
OHSAA Division V state final
Wheelersburg vs. Liberty Center football state championship score
| Teams | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | SCORE |
| Liberty Center (14-0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheelersburg(14-0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
- Pregame notes
- 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 6
- Wheelersburg is playing in its third championship game and it won titles in each of its previous trips, with the most recent coming in 2017. … Liberty Center is playing in its sixth championship game and it won a state title in 1997.
| Teams | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | FINAL |
| Orange (14-0) | 0 | 21 | 7 | 0 | 28 |
| St. X (11-2) | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
- Scoring summary
- Orange—Levi Davis 2 run (Tyler Gibson kick), 11:54 Q2
- St. X—Jake Britt 39 run (Cameron Taylor kick), 7:55 Q2
- Orange—MC Walker 4 pass from Levi Davis (Tyler Gibson kick), 5:35 Q2
- Orange—Lucas Fickel 15 pass from Levi Davis (Tyler Gibson kick), 0:13 Q2
- Orange—Lucas Fickel 4 run (Tyler Gibson kick), 6:11 Q3
- St. X—Aidan Newdigate 12 pass from Jackson Frey (Cameron Taylor kick), 5:03 Q4
- Pregame notes
- Kickoff was 7:30 p.m., Friday, Dec. 5. … St. Xavier is making its eighth championship game appearance and it has won four state titles, with its most recent being in 2020. … This is the first championship game appearance for Olentangy Orange.
| Teams | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | FINAL |
| Tol. CC (11-4) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Watterson (13-0) | 14 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 30 |
- Scoring summary
- Watterson—Jack McCoy 1 run (Eli Eagan kick), 6:53 Q1
- Watterson—Joe Hayes 5 pass from Drew Bellisari (Eli Eagan kick), 3:43 Q1
- Watterson—FG Eli Eagan 28, 0:17 Q2
- Watterson—Jack McCoy 13 run (pass failed), 3:07 Q3
- Watterson—Carter Bellisari 35 interception return (Eli Eagan kick), 6:02 Q4
- Pregame notes
- Kickoff was 3 p.m., Friday, Dec. 5. … This is the third straight year these two teams have met in the Division III state championship. … TCC won 27-7 in 2023 and Watterson won 19-14 in 2024, part of the 29-game winning streak it brings to Canton for this year’s title game. … TCC is playing in its eighth championship game and it has won five state titles. … Watterson also is in its eighth championship game and it has won three state titles.
Teams
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
FINAL
Shelby (14-0)
0
7
0
0
7
Glenville (11-3)
7
17
7
14
45
- Scoring summary
- Glenville—Jaquan Gibson 92 punt return (Eniere Lemon kick), 1:19 Q1
- Shelby—Michael Shepherd 1 run (Everett Harris kick), 11:39 Q2
- Glenville—FG Eniere Lemon 34, 10:02 Q2
- Glenville—Chris Newell Jr. 14 run (kick failed), 5:36 Q2
- Glenville—Chris Newell Jr. 6 run (Joseph Saffold pass from Arvell Nelson), 0:57 Q2
- Glenville—Eniere Lemon 5 pass from Arvell Nelson (Eniere Lemon kick), 2:01 Q3
- Glenville—Joseph Saffold 31 pass from Arvell Nelson (Eniere Lemon kick), 8:48 Q4
- Glenville—Uriah Webber 14 run (Eniere Lemon kick), 2:01 Q4
- Pregame notes
- Kickoff was 10:30 a.m., Friday, Dec. 5. … Glenville is playing in its fifth championship game, having won back-to-back titles in Division IV in 2022 and 2023. … This is the first championship game appearance for Shelby.
| Teams | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | FINAL |
| Anderson (14-0) | 0 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 20 |
| Avon (13-1) | 14 | 13 | 7 | 3 | 37 |
- Scoring summary
- Avon—Fin Jerdonek 15 pass from Blake Elder (Jensen Petro kick), 7:16 Q1
- Avon—Caden Clapham 22 pass from Blake Elder (Jensen Petro kick), 2:39 Q1
- Avon—Caeden Bennett 7 pass from Blake Elder (Jensen Petro kick), 9:32 Q2
- Anderson—Owen Scalf 1 run (Maddux Snider kick), 5:18 Q2
- Avon—Grant Barr 37 pass from Blake Elder (run failed), 2:18 Q2
- Anderson—Brayden Moore 12 pass from Owen Scalf (kick blocked), 9:23 Q3
- Avon—Quiante’ Smith 6 run (Jensen Petro kick), 1:38 Q3
- Anderson—Tysin Weaver 7 pass from Owen Scalf (Maddux Snider kick), 11:55 Q4
- Avon—FG Jensen Petro 30, 7:16 Q3
- Pregame notes
- This is a rematch of last year’s Division II championship game, which Avon won 20-13. … Avon is making its third championship game appearance. Its lone state title was last year. … Anderson is making its fourth championship game appearance. Anderson won a state title in 2007, defeating Louisville in Division II.
- Rushing yards (Carries-Yards-TDs, avg)
- Quiante’ Smith, Avon 31-180-1, 5.8
- Charlie Werling, St. Henry 19-178-3, 9.4
- Romell Phillips, Glenville 14-133-0, 9.5
- Lucas Fickel, Orange 31-133-1, 4.3
- Levi Davis, Orange 14-93-1, 6.6
- Chris Newell Jr., Glenville 9-81-2, 9.0
- Passing yards (Comp-Att-INTs-Yards-TDs
- Owen Scalf, Anderson 32-47-1-376-2
- Drew Bellisari, Watterson 13-22-4-250-1
- Blake Elder, Avon 12-18-0-216-4
- Levi Davis, Orange 10-18-0-177-2
- Receiving yards (Catches-Yards-TDs)
- Tysin Weaver, Anderson 11-125-1
- MC Walker, Orange 5-123-1
- Cooper Kathman, Anderson 7-114-0
- Total tackles
- Kobe Clapper, St. Xavier 15
- Sam Gwirtz, Shelby 14
- Anderson Kramer, St. Henry 14
- Aden Reeder, St. Xavier 12
- Mark Madden, Anderson 11
- Connor Bareswilt, St. Xavier 10
- Brady Bowman, Shelby 10
- Owen Sloan, Hillsdale 10
- Sammy Ulery, Avon 10
- Tackles for loss
- Kaylon Bailey, Glenville 3.5
- Lance Dawson, Avon 2.5
- Brennan Kesler, Orange 2
- Brady Kuhn, Anderson 2
- Chase Martin, Orange 2
- Sacks
- Kaylon Bailey, Glenville 3
- Brennan Kesler, Orange 2
- Nolan Robke, Avon 1.5
- Interceptions
- Jermome Davis V, Toledo Central Catholic 2
- Blake Elder had a big night throwing the football, especially in the first half. The Avon quarterback tied the Division II record for most TD passes in a state final with four scoring passes, all in the first half when he threw for 176 yards. Elder’s final stats: 12-of-18 passing for 216 yards with no interceptions and no sacks.
- Here’s a look at the TD pass record for each division:
- Division I
- 4 Brogan McCaughey, Cincinnati St. Xavier vs. Pickerington Central at Massillon, 2020
- 4 Bart Tanski, Mentor vs. Hilliard Davidson at Canton, 2006
- Division II
- 4 Blake Elder, Avon vs. Cincinnati Anderson at Canton, 2025
- 4 Shane Hamm, Hoban vs. Cincinnati Winton Woods at Canton, 2017
- 4 Neal Seaman, Louisville vs. Cincinnati Anderson at Massillon, 2007
- Division III
- 6 Joe Burrow, The Plains Athens vs. Toledo Central Catholic at Columbus, 2014
- Division IV
- 5 Sam Schweinfurth, Sandusky Perkins vs. Indian Valley at Canton, 2024
- 5 Maty Mauk, Kenton vs. Norwayne at Massillon, 2011
- Division V
- 4 Tayden Carpenter, Ironton vs. South Range at Canton, 2022
- 4 Scott Farison, Marion Pleasant vs. Versailles at Massillon, 1996
- Division VI
- 6 Ryan Uhlenhake, St. Henry vs. Mogadore at Massillon, 1996
- Division VII
- 5 Caleb Martin, Fort Recovery vs. Mogadore at Columbus, 2015
Just two of the 13 Ohio high school football programs with six or more state championships in the playoff era are in Canton this weekend — Kirtland in Division VI and St. Henry in Division VII. Here’s a look at the all-time leaders:
- 15 – Marion Local
- 11 – St. Ignatius
- 9 – Cincinnati Moeller
- 8 – Coldwater, Newark Catholic, Youngstown Mooney
- 7 – Cleveland Benedictine, Kirtland, St. Edward, Versailles
- 6 – St. Vincent-St. Mary, Delphos St. John’s, St. Henry
- Teams in bold won titles in 2024.
- 9 – Ironton
- 7 – Coldwater, Newark Catholic
- 6 – Columbus DeSales, Kirtland, Massillon
- 5 – Cincinnati Moeller, Mogadore, Steubenville, Warren JFK
Twelve Ohio teams have gone 16-0 since 2021 when playoff expansion added an extra week to the postseason. Nine programs have achieved the feat, with Marion Local doing it four times. But with the introduction of a first-round bye to the playoffs this year, don’t expect the list to grow rapidly since most 10-0 teams will receive first-round byes going forward. Here’s a look at Ohio’s 16-0 teams, year by year:
- 2024: Avon, Columbus Watterson, Indian Valley, Marion Local
- 2023: Marion Local, Massillon, Perry
- 2022: Marion Local, South Range
- 2021: Chardon, Marion Local
Four coaches with more than 250 wins in their Ohio coaching career have guided their teams to the state finals. Here’s a look at the four:
- 277 – Greg Dempsey, Toledo Central Catholic (2000-24) 277-59
- 275 – Ted Ginn, Cleveland Glenville (1997-2024) 275-69
- 265 – Mike Elder, Avon (2007-24, 215-32), Perry (2002-06, 37-16), Indian Valley (2000-01, 13-7), Total: 265-55
- 258 – Tiger LaVerde, Kirtland (2006-2024) 258-21
Indian Valley running back-linebacker Grady Kinsey won Ohio’s 2025 Mr. Football Award and was recognized Thursday ahead of the first state championship game of the weekend. He rushed for more than 8,000 career yards, including leading the state the past two seasons. A year ago, his Braves won the Division IV state championship. This year, they lost to Glenville in the state semifinals.
Three of the Ohio Mr. Football finalists — two gamebreaking quarterbacks and an Ohio State-bound linebacker — will be playing in Canton over the next three days.
Here’s a look at each of the three.
A dynamic dual-threat weapon, Davis has been the chief catalyst for second-ranked Orange’s winningest season in history. Entering a state semifinal, Davis had completed 134 of 198 passes (67.7%) for 2,016 yards with 15 TDs and 7 interceptions and had rushed for 935 yards on 126 carries (7.4 average) with 15 TDs. A four-year starter and Ohio University football commit, Davis has passed for 7,006 yards and 51 TDs while rushing for 2,631 yards and 37 TDs in his career. Davis made second-team All-Ohio in 2024. Davis also was starting point guard for the state championship basketball team last March (and for the regional runner-up in 2023 and 2024) and in track last spring was regional champion in the long jump (23 feet, 1 1/4 inches) and runner-up in the high jump (6-6), earning All-Ohio in the latter.
United States Air Force Academy commit led the Whippets to back-to-back undefeated regular seasons and the No. 1 ranking in the final Associated Press poll in 2025. In 12 games, DeVito entered the regional championship on Nov. 21 with 2,783 yards and 35 touchdowns to just three interceptions on 165-of-221 passing (75%). He had also run 106 times for 1,009 yards and 24 TDs on the ground. DeVito had 54 total TDs in just 31 quarters of action. For his career, entering Week 14, DeVito is 700-of-1,060 passing (66 percent) for 12,440 yards (unofficially No. 4 in OHSAA history) with 120 TDs (13th in OHSAA history) and has rushed 516 times for 4,294 yards and 71 TDs with a career total of 196 TDs. On track to become a three-time All-Ohio first team selection, DeVito was also All-Ohio first team in basketball and was a state-placer in track as the first three-sport all-state player in school history.
Johnson is the Northeast Lakes District Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season. Johnson, a four-star prospect according to most recruiting services, is committed to Ohio State. He led Glenville with 112 tackles, 21 TFL and 8.5 sacks during the season. The Tarblooders played a tough schedule that included defending Division II state champ Avon, Massillon, Olentangy Liberty, St. Edward and Hoban. Johnson started as a sophomore middle linebacker on Glenville’s 2023 state championship team and led the Tarblooders back to last year’s state semifinals.
Spectrum News 1 will televise all seven championship games live on channel 1. The Spectrum broadcasts are also available to stream on the Spectrum News App or via OHSAA.tv.
Are the OHSAA football championship games on the radio?
OHSAA Radio Network will broadcast all seven title games. The audio version can be found here, while the video version will be posted to YouTube.
- All games at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Canton
- Thursday
- Division II – Avon 20, Cincinnati Anderson 13 | Recap | Story
- Friday
- Division VII – Maria Stein Marion Local 74, Hillsdale 0 | Recap | Story
- Division III – Columbus Watterson 19, Toledo Central Catholic 14 | Recap | Story
- Division I – Powell Olentangy Liberty 28, Cincinnati Moeller 14 | Recap | Story
- Saturday
- Division VI – Coldwater 31, Kirtland 7 | Recap | Story
- Division V – Ironton 28, Liberty Center 17 | Recap | Story
- Division IV – Indian Valley 37, Sandusky Perkins 36 | Recap | Story
- All games at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Canton
- Thursday, Nov. 30
- Division II – Massillon 7, Hoban 2
- Friday, Dec. 1
- Division VI – Kirtland 32, Versailles 15
- Division III – Tol. Central Catholic 27, Col. Watterson 7
- Division I – St. Edward 31, Springfield 21
- Saturday, Dec. 2
- Division VII – Marion Local 38, Dalton 0
- Division V – Lake County Perry 21, Liberty Center 14
- Division IV – Glenville 38, Kettering Alter 3
