Upper Arlington will sit out the first round of the OHSAA football playoffs and wait for an opponent to come to them.
The Golden Bears landed the No. 2 seed in Division I, Region 3, the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) announced Oct. 25. The No. 2 seed gives UA a first-round bye and home games in the regional quarterfinals and, with a win, the regional semifinals.
UA (8-2) closed the regular season with a 31-7 win over Hilliard Davidson on Friday, Oct. 23.
The Bears will host the winner of No. 7 Pickerington Central (7-3) vs. No. 10 Reynoldsburg (6-4) in the regional quarterfinals on Friday, Nov. 6. Those two teams meet at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, at Pickerington Central.
Region 3 is loaded.
No. 1 seed Gahanna Lincoln (10-0) sits atop the bracket with a bye, followed by UA, No. 3 Worthington Kilbourne (9-1) and No. 4 Olentangy Liberty (6-4). The top four seeds in each region earned byes, according to the OHSAA. Seeds five through eight host seeds nine through 12 in the first round.
Cleveland.com's Division I playoff preview listed UA among the Region 3 favorites. The preview noted the Golden Bears "established themselves as a contender" with a 43-22 win over two-time defending Division II state champion Avon earlier in the season. UA's two losses came in close games against New Albany and Olentangy Liberty, according to the preview. Cleveland.com picked UA as the Region 3 champion. Coach Justin Buttermore's squad opens its postseason Nov. 6.
Grandview Heights, meanwhile, saw its season end without a playoff berth. The Bobcats finished 4-6 and ranked 19th in Division VI, Region 23, according to Ohio Sports Rankings data. Only the top 12 teams in each region qualify. Grandview Heights closed with a 57-12 win over Mifflin on Oct. 23.
First-round games are scheduled for 7 p.m. Oct. 30, unless otherwise noted by OHSAA. Tickets will be available at ohsaa.org/tickets, according to the OHSAA. Regional semifinals are set for Friday, Nov. 13, with regional finals at neutral sites on Friday, Nov. 20. State championship games run Dec. 3-5 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton.
