The upcoming High School Football season will bring another adjustment for the Wadsworth Grizzlies.
Enrollment changes at Wadsworth High School and at other High Schools in the state of Ohio has caused the Grizzlies to drop from Division One to Division Two in the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s Football playoff structure. Wadsworth will be in Division Two, Region Four in determining teams qualifying for the High School Football playoffs.
This change will be in effect for this coming season and the 2016 season. The OHSAA changes Division designations every two years.
Locally, Wadsworth saw the graduation of a very large senior class this year. The incoming freshman class is not as large. Instead of being one of the smallest schools in Division One for football, Wadsworth will now be one of the largest schools in Division Two. That means Wadsworth will not see the likes of St. Ignatius, St. Edward, Solon, Mentor or Austintown-Fitch in the football playoffs.
Going from Division One to Division Two for Wadsworth also has a downside. While nearly half of the teams in Division One make the OHSAA playoff every year, in Division Two, that number drops to about 25%. In Division One, Region One, the top 16 teams made the High School football playoffs. In Division Two, Region Four, the top 8 teams make the playoffs.
The other change for the Grizzlies this upcoming football season is in the Suburban League. Wadsworth is in the American Division of the Suburban League with Stow, Cuyahoga Falls, North Royalton, Hudson, Brecksville, Twinsburg and Nordonia. Gone are games against Highland, Copley, Tallmadge and Revere.
In case you’re wondering, Game One of the Wadsworth High School Football season is Friday August 28th at Art Wright Stadium against Ashland. Kickoff is at 7 o’clock.
