State finals start times adjusted

Start times for this weekend’s six high school football state championship games have been adjusted, the Ohio High School Athletic Association announced Nov. 18.

In order to assist with Gov. Mike DeWine’s 10 p.m. statewide curfew order, games this weekend at Fortress Obetz in Columbus on Nov. 20 and 21 will now kickoff at 1:15 and 6:15 p.m., instead of 2 and 7 p.m. as previously announced.

In the Division III state final, Chardon plays Columbus DeSales on Nov. 21 will now kick off at 6:15. In the afternoon game on Nov. 21, Kirtland plays Ironton starting at 1:15.

In addition, the games on Nov. 22 will kick off at 12:15 and 5:15 p.m. (instead of noon and 5 p.m.) so that all six games have a consistent pregame timing format.

That means the Nov. 22 Division IV state final between Lake Catholic and Van Wert kick offs at 12:15 p.m.

Teams and fans can still travel home after 10 p.m.. The OHSAA’s goal is that the stadium is closed each night by 10 p.m.

“We want to support the governor’s curfew order,” said OHSAA Executive Director Doug Ute said in a prepared statement. “Kicking off earlier will help ensure that everyone has left the stadium by 10 Friday and Saturday night. We’ll need a sense of urgency to leave the facility after those games, but we don’t want to take away from the postgame experience. We are so excited to host the football state championship games this weekend and complete the fall season, so we want to help with the curfew order to leave the stadium by 10.”

The OHSAA is aware that the Franklin County Department of Health has also issued an advisory beginning Nov. 20 at 6 p.m. asking residents to stay at home due to the rapid rise of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the city and county.

At this time, that advisory does not affect the status of the football state championship games.

Postgame media interviews will be permitted after each game, but the OHSAA asks that media leave the stadium to complete their work.

“We want to support the governor’s curfew order.”

— OHSAA Executive Director Doug Ute

Here are the state finals matchups and adjusted kickoff times:

Division VII

Nov. 20, 1:15 p.m.: New Bremen (9-2) vs. Warren John F. Kennedy (9-2)

Division II

Nov. 20, 6:15 p.m.: Massillon Washington (10-1) vs. Akron Archbishop Hoban (10-0)

Division V

Nov. 21, 1:15 p.m.: Kirtland (10-0) vs. Ironton (110)

Division III

Nov. 21, 6:15 p.m.: Columbus St. Francis DeSales (9-1) vs. Chardon (11-0)

Division IV

Nov. 22, 12:15 p.m.: Van Wert (10-1) vs. Lake Catholic (8-2)

Division VI

Nov. 22, 5:15 p.m.: New Middletown Springfield (11-0) vs. Coldwater (11-0)