Most area football teams drop a division
COLUMBUS – All but three area football teams will be dropping a division due to the Ohio High School Athletic Association adding a seventh tournament division.
East Palestine, United and Crestview will remain in Division V, according to the divisions approved by the OHSAA Board of Directors on Thursday.
They will still have to deal with perennial state power Youngstown Ursuline in their region. Youngstown Mooney will drop to Division IV.
The playoff schedule also was approved Thursday. This fall, Divisions II, III, IV and VI will play their regional and state semfinal games at 7:30 p.m. Fridays, while Divisions I, V and VII will play at 7 p.m. Saturdays.
The board also decided to make the starting date for football practice always on Aug. 1 beginning in 2014 (unless Aug. 1 is a Sunday, in which practice will start Aug. 2).
This fall, football practice will begin Aug. 5 for schools that begin classes after Aug. 16.
Here is the list which divisions area schools will compete in and their boys enrollment in grades 9-11 for the recently completed school year:
DIVISION IV (213-280)
West Branch267
Beaver Local261
East Liverpool260
Minerva256
Salem236
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DIVISION V (156-212)
East Palestine172
United167
Crestview162
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DIVISION VI (112-155)
South Range145
Columbiana125
Lisbon125
Springfield124
Southern Local121
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DIVISION VII (111 and under)
Leetonia109
Western Reserve101
Wellsville98
Sebring 69