Four area teams remain unbeaten
The area’s undefeated high school football club lost three members Friday night: Centerville, Sidney and Clinton-Massie. That leaves a fabulous four in Belmont, Trotwood-Madison, Valley View and Marion Local. All are 8-0.
Sidney’s exit was the most profound, losing 48-21 to visiting Troy in a Greater Western Ohio Conference American North matchup. Centerville rallied but fell 21-14 at Northmont and Clinton-Massie dropped a 33-31 decision at unbeaten Goshen.
In Week 9 games this Friday, Valley View hosts Brookville (6-2) and Marion Local is at St. Henry (6-2). Trotwood has a Week 10 game against visiting Wayne (6-2).
Centerville hosts rival Fairmont (6-2) in Week 9. Massie will face visiting New Richmond (7-1). The good thing is all these teams are likely playoff bound.
■ Northmont (6-2) appears headed back to the playoffs for the first time since 2013. The Thunderbolts play Springboro (4-4) and Miamisburg (4-4) the next two weeks to decide the GWOC National West title.
Northmont’s upset of Centerville earned a ton of computer points and was easily the greatest moment in Thunderbolts coach Tony Broering’s three-season run.
“The boys who are seniors on this team, they started with me two years ago,” he said following a raucous on-field celebration. “We took some lumps, some beatings. But they hung in there, kept working, got in the weight room and they stuck with it. I’m very happy for them.”
■ Belmont’s incredible defensive run continued with a 63-0 defeat of Cincinnati Shroder. The Bison (8-0) have allowed nine points and one touchdown, when Hughes scored against backups in Week 6.
Belmont has outscored its opponents 364-9. The Bison finish their regular season by hosting Cincinnati Western Hills (3-5) on Saturday at Welcome Stadium. Despite playing just nine games, Belmont is a lock to qualify for the D-II, Region 8 playoffs. What isn’t certain is if the Bison will host a first-round game.
■ Reader Steve McAllister shared that Minster (4-4) of the Midwest Athletic Conference is a lock to make the D-VII, Region 28 playoffs even if the Wildcats lose their final two games. That projection is based on Drew Pasteur’s Ohio Fantastic 50 website.
Pasteur has devised multiple algorithms that calculate each team’s playoff projections, probabilities and even seeding. The probability of all these projections being correct is an estimated 98 percent. That’s because computer points are based on math calculations only. Upsets are the only factor to skew the projections.
■ Reader Dave Ross of Sidney reminded us that firstround host playoff teams are paid a rental fee by the Ohio High School Athletic Association. The only gate profit for both teams are pregame ticket sales, a portion of which is returned to the schools.
The significant money-making process for playoff openers is in parking fees, concessions and program sales. Those all depend on the size of a crowd.
The top four teams in each region host first-round games. The playoffs are held at neutral sites after that.
■ Eaton (3-5) is at Carlisle (5-3) in Thursday’s only game (ABC 22 / FOX 45, Ch. 45.2, Ch. 995, Spectrum, mytvdayton.com). Carlisle has lost successive games to Madison and Milton-Union and is on the bubble for D-V, Region 20 playoff contention.