Serving Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wood Counties
The Ohio High School Athletic Association has announced divisional assignments for football, girls volleyball, boys golf, girls golf, boys tennis, girls tennis, boys soccer, girls soccer, boys swimming and diving, girls swimming and diving, boys bowling, girls bowling, boys basketball and girls basketball. Wrestling divisions will be announced in the fall.
FOOTBALL
In football, eight schools statewide opted to move up to Division I competition for the 2026 postseason, which includes Austintown-Fitch, Cleveland Heights, Elyria, Euclid, and Hudson — all five of which will be in Region 1. The other three schools, which will be placed in Region 2, include Toledo St. John’s, Dublin Scioto, and Clayton Northmont.
All eight schools that opted up to Division I had been initially assigned to Division II. There are no changes to Divisions III through VII. The OHSAA does not move schools up a division to replace schools that opt up to Division I. The changes increase Division I to 80 schools (from 72), while decreasing Division II to 98 schools (from 106).
Among Press-area schools, Clay and Waite will both compete in Region 6 of Division II. Lake is the lone Division IV school after elevating from Division V, where they’ll be slotted in Region 14. Eastwood, Genoa, Northwood and Oak Harbor are all slated to be in Division V Region 18. Woodmore remains in Division VI, where they’ll be in Region 22. Gibsonburg also stays in Division VII, and they’re in Region 26. Stritch competes in eight-man football.
Perrysburg and Toledo Whitmer have been reassigned from Region 1 to Region 2. Lebanon, Middletown and Springboro have been reassigned from Region 3 to Region 4. Upper Arlington has been reassigned from Region 2 to Region 3.
Consolidations are anticipated this summer within the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and Youngstown City School District, which will result in some schools within those districts being reclassified into higher divisions. The OHSAA annually sets Sept. 10 as the date to collect enrollment data from new schools and schools that have consolidations.
The summer period for football runs through July 31, where 13 practices are permitted including five days for acclimation. Official practice begins Aug. 1 with regular season action beginning Aug. 21. Playoff qualifiers will be announced Oct. 25 with regional play beginning the ensuing Friday. Regional finals are slated for Nov. 20. The state championships will be Dec. 3-5 at Thom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton.
GOLF
All Press-area teams remained in the same division as last year except for Lake girls golf, which is now Division I instead of II, as well as Northwood boys golf, which is now Division II instead of III. Clay joins Lake as the area’s two Division I girls golf programs, while Eastwood, Genoa, Gibsonburg, Oak Harbor and Woodmore are all Division II. On the boys side, Clay is the lone Division I program. Eastwood, Genoa, Lake and Oak Harbor join Northwood in Division II action. Gibsonburg and Woodmore are the lone two Division III programs.
GIRLS SOCCER
Clay is the area’s largest in girls soccer as the lone Division II program. Waite, meanwhile, is the state’s 11th-biggest Division III school. Eastwood, Genoa and Lake will all remain in Division IV competition, while Oak Harbor drops from Division IV to V, where they are the state’s ninth-largest school in the division, and it’s a division where Northwood and Woodmore also compete.
BOYS SOCCER
Last year, Clay and Waite were the two Press-area programs in Division II. While the Eagles remain there, Waite now competes in Division III, where they are the state’s second-largest school. Eastwood, Lake and Oak Harbor remain in Division IV, while Genoa moves from Division IV to V, where they are the state’s largest school in the division. Northwood, which is the state’s ninth-largest program in the division, and Woodmore are the other two Press-area Division V programs.
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
Clay drops down to Division III from II this year, where they will be the third-largest program in the state. Waite joins them in that division, as well. Three other programs are also switching divisions as Eastwood moves from Division V to IV, Oak Harbor goes from Division IV to V and Gibsonburg goes from Division VI to VII. Lake remains in Division IV, while Genoa remains in Division V. Northwood and Woodmore are still in Division VI, while Stritch remains in Division VII.
SWIMMING AND DIVING
Oak Harbor is the lone Press-area school with both boys and girls swimming, where they are Division II in both. The Clay boys compete at the Division I level once again.
BOWLING
In both boys and girls bowling, Clay and Waite remain in Division I, while Eastwood is Division II.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Clay and Waite will reverse divisions this year, where the Eagles are going from Division III to II, while the Indians are now Division III, where they will be the sixth-largest program in the state. Lake is the lone Press-area program in Division IV, while Eastwood, Genoa, Northwood and Oak Harbor all remain in Division V. In fact, Eastwood will be the fifth-largest school in the division. Stritch and Gibsonburg are also moving divisions with the Cardinals now in Division VI instead of VII, while the Golden Bears are Division VII instead of VI. Woodmore remains in Division VI.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Clay remains in Division II, where they’re the 12th-smallest in the state, while Stritch remains in Division VII, where they are the second largest in the state. Genoa will be the sixth-smallest school in Division IV, where they’ll be joined by Lake and Eastwood, the latter of which is moving up from Division V. Waite remains the lone Press-area program in Division III, and Oak Harbor is doing the same in Division V. Northwood and Woodmore remain in Division VI, while Gibsonburg will compete in Division VII action, moving down from VI.
