Friday night in Ohio isn't just about the game. It’s the smell of popcorn mixing with crisp autumn air, the blinding glow of stadium lights against a dark sky, and the deafening roar of a crowd when a local kid breaks a tackle. Honestly, if you live here, you know that keeping up with high school football scores Ohio is basically a full-time job from August to December.
The 2025 season just wrapped up, and man, it was a wild ride. We saw historic firsts, back-to-back dynasties, and enough late-game drama to make your head spin. People often get caught up in the big-name schools like St. Edward or Moeller, but this year proved that the real power in Ohio football is shifting in some surprising ways.
The Shockers and the Staples: 2025 State Champions
Forget what you thought you knew about the hierarchy. For a long time, the conversation around the top high school football scores Ohio started and ended with the private powerhouses in Cincinnati and Cleveland. While they’re still in the mix, the 2025 state finals in Canton showed us some new faces at the top of the mountain.
Let's talk about Olentangy Orange. Before this year, they had never even been to a state title game. They didn't just show up; they took down Cincinnati St. Xavier 28-14 to claim the Division I crown. Levi Davis—keep that name in mind because he’s headed to Ohio University—played like a man possessed. He threw for 177 yards and ran for nearly 100 more. It was a 15-0 season that basically put Lewis Center on the map as a legitimate football destination.
Meanwhile, in Division II, Avon is starting to look like an unstoppable machine. They beat Cincinnati Anderson 37-20 for their second straight title. Blake Elder tied a state record with four touchdown passes in that game. If you were tracking their scores all year, you saw a team that just didn't have a "down" week.
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Who Took Home the Hardware?
If you missed the final weekend at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, here is how the divisions shook out:
- Division I: Olentangy Orange (def. St. Xavier 28-14)
- Division II: Avon (def. Anderson 37-20)
- Division III: Bishop Watterson (def. Toledo Central Catholic 31-0)
- Division IV: Cleveland Glenville (def. Shelby 45-7)
- Division V: Liberty Center (def. Wheelersburg 35-3)
- Division VI: Kirtland (def. Hopewell-Loudon 41-6)
- Division VII: St. Henry (def. Hillsdale 37-3)
Why the Scoreboard Doesn't Tell the Whole Story
Kinda funny how a 31-0 score like Bishop Watterson’s win over Toledo Central Catholic looks like a blowout on paper, but it was actually a tactical masterclass. Watterson’s defense forced four turnovers. They turned a slugfest into a runaway.
Then you have Kirtland. Tiger LaVerde is basically a legend at this point. With their win over Hopewell-Loudon, he became only the third coach in Ohio history to win eight or more state titles. Watching Kirtland's scores throughout the season is almost boring because they win so consistently, but the discipline they play with is something you’ve gotta see to appreciate. John Silvestro ran for 255 yards and four scores in that final game. That’s not just a "good" game; that’s a legendary performance.
The Ironton Controversy
You can't talk about the 2025 season results without mentioning the elephant in the room. Ironton, a perennial powerhouse, was removed from the playoffs due to recruiting violations. It sent shockwaves through the state. It changed the entire bracket for their region and left a lot of fans wondering "what if." It’s a reminder that while we all love the high school football scores Ohio produces, the rules behind the scenes are just as impactful as a goal-line stand.
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How to Track Live Scores Without Going Crazy
Look, we’ve all been there. You’re trying to follow three different games at once while sitting in the stands of your own local rivalry. The "old school" way of waiting for the 11 o'clock news is dead.
Honestly, the most reliable way to get high school football scores Ohio in real-time is through a mix of sources.
- JoeEitel.com: It looks like a website from 1998, but it’s the gold standard. If Joe doesn't have the score, the game probably didn't happen. It’s also the place to go if you want to nerd out on Harbin Points and playoff projections.
- ScoreStream: This is great because it relies on fans at the game. You get photos and video clips alongside the score.
- The OHSAA App: They’ve gotten better about live updates during the postseason, though they can be a bit laggy during the regular season.
- Twitter (X) Local Tags: Most teams have a dedicated "sideline" account. If you follow the right hashtags, you'll know about a touchdown before the kicker even tees up the extra point.
The "Big School" vs. "Small School" Divide
Ohio is unique because the Division VI and VII schools often have more "heart" than the massive Division I programs. Take St. Henry's 37-3 win over Hillsdale. St. Henry comes from the Midwest Athletic Conference (MAC), which is arguably the toughest small-school conference in the country.
In the MAC, every week feels like a state championship. When you see a MAC team with three or four losses in the regular season, don't be fooled. They are battle-tested. Tracking their scores isn't about looking for a "0" in the loss column; it's about seeing who they played. A loss to Marion Local or Coldwater is better than a 40-point win against a weak non-conference opponent.
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Moving Forward: Preparing for the 2026 Season
The 2025 season might be over, but the work for next year has already started. If you want to stay ahead of the curve, there are a few things you should be doing right now.
- Audit the Rosters: Look at who is graduating. Olentangy Orange loses Levi Davis, which is a massive hole to fill. Can they repeat without their star?
- Watch the Transfer Portal (Yes, it’s a thing now): Even in high school, kids are moving around more than ever. A big-name quarterback moving districts can completely shift the projected scores for an entire region.
- Keep an Eye on the OHSAA Meetings: Every year, they tinker with the divisions based on school enrollment. Your favorite team might jump from Division III to Division II, making their path to Canton a lot steeper.
The best way to stay informed is to check the OHSAA's official computer ratings which usually start dropping around Week 4 of the season. These ratings determine who makes the playoffs and who stays home, and they are based on a complex formula that rewards you for playing (and beating) tough teams.
If you're a serious fan, start bookmarking the local papers like the Columbus Dispatch or Cleveland.com sports sections. They have reporters on the ground who see things the box scores miss. Ohio high school football isn't just a season; it's a culture, and the scoreboard is just the beginning of the story.
Check the final 2025 MaxPreps rankings to see where your team finished relative to the rest of the state. This will give you a baseline of expectation before the first summer scrimmages start in 2026.