Withrow stays 13th, one spot from OHSAA playoff cutline

Withrow sits one spot outside the Division II, Region 8 playoff cutline after the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) released its Week 8 computer ratings Tuesday, Oct. 13.

The Tigers are 13th with a 5-3 record and an 8.2125 computer average. La Salle holds the 12th and final qualifying spot at 9.025, despite a 3-5 record. The gap between the two: 0.8125 rating points.

That gap shrank from Week 7, when Withrow sat at 13th with a 4-3 record and a 6.3 average. A Week 8 win over Aiken, which we reported Oct. 12, boosted the Tigers' average by about 2.7 full points. But the OHSAA computer formula rewards opponents' wins as well as a team's own, and La Salle's strength-of-schedule advantage has kept the Lancers ahead despite their losing record.

The Cincinnati Enquirer's analysis noted a large gap between the top 12 teams and everyone else in Region 8. The Enquirer also noted Withrow can take a big step by beating 8-0 Hughes in Week 9. That game is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 16, at Withrow. The Tigers close the regular season at Taft in Week 10, according to the Withrow athletics schedule.

Two wins would give Withrow a 7-3 record heading into the Oct. 25 cutoff, when the OHSAA announces final qualifiers. The top 12 teams in each region make the playoffs, and the top four receive a first-round bye. Regional first-round games are set for Friday, Oct. 30, according to the OHSAA football page.

Harrison leads Region 8 at 7-1 with a 20.55 average.

Purcell Marian slides further from cutline

Purcell Marian slid further from playoff contention. A Week 8 loss dropped the Cavaliers from 4-3 to 4-4, and their ranking fell from 14th in Division V, Region 20 to 19th. Their computer average dipped from 4.5714 to 4.25.

Carlisle holds the 13th spot in Region 20 at 6.85. Purcell Marian trails by nearly two full rating points, a deficit that would require significant movement over the final two weeks.