You know how everyone always says high school football in Ohio is basically a religion? Well, if that’s true, the 2024 Ohio high school football playoffs were the kind of revival that leaves you a little bit breathless and a whole lot of surprised. For years, we’ve watched the same handful of powerhouses—the private school giants and the massive public programs—steamroll their way to Canton. But 2024 felt different. It felt like the year the "little guys" and the first-timers decided they’d had enough of the old script.
The energy at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium was electric, even when the thermometer dropped. Honestly, seeing Powell Olentangy Liberty lift the Division I trophy was the kind of thing that makes you remember why we sit in freezing bleachers on Friday nights. They didn't just win; they dismantled the established order.
The Night the Hierarchy Flipped
When people look back at the 2024 Ohio high school football playoffs, the conversation starts and ends with Division I. For the longest time, the "Big Three" or "Big Four" dominated the conversation. If you weren't Lakewood St. Edward or a GCL South team, you were basically just a footnote.
But Powell Olentangy Liberty changed that.
Think about the road they took. To even get to the final, they had to go through the three-time defending champ, Lakewood St. Edward. They didn't just squeak by, either; they won 21-7 in the semifinals. Then they had to face Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller in the title game. Moeller is a name that carries weight—nine state titles' worth of weight.
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What did Liberty do? They held Moeller to 14 points. Christian Moulton turned into a human highlight reel with three touchdown catches. Jake Struck was everywhere, racking up 197 all-purpose yards. When the clock hit zero and the scoreboard read 28-14, it wasn't just a win for a school from Powell. It was a signal that the gap at the top is closing.
Division II: A Snow-Covered Grudge Match
If Division I was about the new guard, Division II was about a heavyweight rematch that lived up to every bit of the hype. Avon and Cincinnati Anderson. Again.
Last year was a nail-biter in the snow. This time around, the elements were still a factor, but Avon’s Nolan Good was the real storm. He’s the kind of player who makes opposing coaches lose sleep. He ran for 190 yards and passed for another 143. It’s hard enough to stop a guy who can throw, but when he’s chewing up nearly 200 yards on the ground in a state final? Good luck.
Anderson kept it close for a while. Justice Burnam found Aiden McClanahan for a score to tie it up in the first half, but Avon’s defense is a different breed of disciplined. They broke up a desperation heave into the end zone as time expired to secure a 20-13 win. It’s their first state title in program history under Mike Elder, and it felt like a decade of "almosts" finally being washed away.
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Chaos in the Mid-Divisions
The 2024 Ohio high school football playoffs weren't just about the biggest schools. Some of the most "wait, did that really happen?" moments came from the middle of the pack.
Take Division IV, for example. Gnadenhutten Indian Valley and Sandusky Perkins put on a clinic. A 37-36 final score is the kind of game that takes years off a fan's life. One point. That was the difference between a state title and a long, quiet bus ride home. Indian Valley grabbed their first championship in a game that felt like a track meet where everyone was wearing pads.
Then there’s Columbus Bishop Watterson in Division III. They’ve been knocking on the door for three years straight. After falling short in 2023, they came back with a vengeance. They faced Toledo Central Catholic—another powerhouse—and just suffocated them. Drew Bellisari and Jack McCoy led an offense that was efficient, but it was the defense that told the story. They allowed zero points in the second half. A 19-14 win sounds close, but if you watched that game, you saw a team that refused to let history repeat itself.
The Small Town Giants
We can't talk about Ohio football without mentioning the MAC (Mid-American Conference). It’s basically the SEC of small-school football.
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- Maria Stein Marion Local: They didn't just win Division VII; they conducted a masterclass. A 74-0 win over Jeromesville Hillsdale. That’s not a typo. 74-0. It was their 61st consecutive win. At this point, they aren't just playing high schoolers; they're chasing immortality.
- Coldwater: They took down a very good Kirtland team 31-7 in Division VI. These two teams meeting in the playoffs is as traditional as apple pie, but Coldwater’s dominance this year was something to behold.
- Ironton: After a few years of heartbreak in the finals, the Fighting Tigers finally got back to the top of the mountain in Division V, beating Liberty Center 28-17.
What We Learned from the 2024 Postseason
If you spent any time on the sidelines this year, you noticed a few things. The talent is getting spread out. You've got kids in smaller districts or newer suburban schools who are just as polished as the recruits coming out of the traditional powerhouses.
The weather in Canton is always a factor, but the teams that won in 2024 were the ones that didn't rely on one trick. Olentangy Liberty won with defense and balance. Avon won with a dual-threat quarterback who could handle the slush. Marion Local won because they're basically a professional organization at this point.
Key Takeaways for Next Season
- Defense still wins championships: Look at the scores. Most of the winners held their opponents well below their season averages. Liberty’s "14 or fewer" defensive run is legendary.
- The "Transfer" Narrative is Shifting: While people love to complain about players moving around, the teams that won this year largely felt like homegrown units that had played together since middle school.
- Regional Rivalries Matter: The OHSAA’s move to expand the playoffs a few years ago is still controversial, but it’s creating some incredible regional final matchups that feel like mini-state championships.
The 2024 Ohio high school football playoffs proved that the old guard can be toppled. It showed that a team from Powell can stand toe-to-toe with the legends of Cincinnati and Cleveland and come out on top. It’s a reminder that on any given Friday (or Thursday, or Saturday), the jersey doesn't win the game—the kids inside them do.
If you're looking to get ahead for next year, start watching the juniors from this year's regional finalists. The landscape is shifting, and the 2025 season is already looking like it’ll be another year where the "experts" get a lot of their predictions wrong. Keep an eye on the OHSAA's summer meetings for any potential changes to the computer points system, as that’s usually where the drama for the next season actually begins.