OHSAA Division I Playoff Preview: Region 2 (NE)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We're previewing each region of the OHSAA playoffs to give our readers the information they need to stay informed on what's going on in the playoff brackets across the state. In this article we'll preview the northeast Ohio region of Division I.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Favorite</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Saint Ignatius: Our preseason number 1 team in the state, the Wildcats have handled one of the toughest schedules in the state and have a ton of marquee wins. Their size with [player_tooltip player_id='1491436' first='Reece' last='Robinson'], [player_tooltip player_id='1426737' first='Samuel' last='Springer'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1432034' first='Damon' last='Friery'] gives them a huge edge against most teams in the paint. Combine that with their guard duo of [player_tooltip player_id='1491439' first='Quinn' last='Woidke'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1950566' first='Jack' last='Zapolnik'] and bench pieces like [player_tooltip player_id='1368787' first='Matt' last='Ellis'], the Wildcats have the roster to make it back to Dayton.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Contenders</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Louisville: One of the smallest schools in Division I, Louisville isn't afraid to take on some of the big boys in the state. They recently took down Lutheran East and their two losses came on the road to Saint Ignatius and Saint Ed's. [player_tooltip player_id='1462979' first='Hayden' last='Nigro'] is having a big senior season and a strong Junior core led by [player_tooltip player_id='1540137' first='Brayden' last='Gross'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1540136' first='Beau' last='Siegfried'] has the Leopards ready to compete in Division I.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Saint Edward: It's weird to call the Eagles a contender as 11th seed in the northeast region, but their experience and talent gives me confidence in their group. With a deep senior core with a bunch of different guys that make impacts, I think the Eagles win another district title but the potential battle with Brunswick should be a fantastic game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Sleepers</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Massillon Jackson: A team that feels a little under seeded, the Polar Bears haven't lost in over a month and join a district with conference rival Uniontown Green (the last team to beat them) plus Dover and Mentor, this district should be anybody's to take.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Canton McKinley: The federal league is always competitive from top to bottom and the Pups would likely meet city rival GlenOak in a district semifinal. With guys like [player_tooltip player_id='1497737' first='Reed' last='Sims Jr'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2028944' first='Je'Cis' last='Moody'] leading the way, McKinley could find their way to a district final.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>North Ridgeville: Very under seeded due to playing without [player_tooltip player_id='1819385' first='Griffin' last='Turay'] for an extended period of time, I think North Ridgeville could be a sleeper to make a district title. A wide open side of the district with Elyria, Walsh Jesuit, Stow, Austintown Fitch and Solon, any of these teams could make it out and get a likely battle with Saint Ignatius for a district title.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->