With nine weeks in the books, the high school football playoffs are within reach for most of the teams in the Chagrin Valley Conference.
If the season ended today, according to JoeEitel.com, 14 CVC teams would have locked up a playoff berth with another on the verge of earning its postseason bid.
As of 2021, the OHSAA expanded the playoff field to 16 teams in each region, up from eight in previous years. That change added more postseason opportunities for teams across the state.
Kirtland knocked off Edgewood on Friday to remain undefeated at 8-0 and the Hornets also extended their winning streak to 49 games, the longest active streak in the nation. If the playoffs started today, Kirtland would be the No. 1 seed in Division V, Region 17 and host Rootstown in a first-round matchup.
Seven other CVC teams would host a first-round game.
Cardinal (6-3), the seventh seed in Division VI, Region 21, would host Hanoverton United; Crestwood (5-3), the seventh seed in Division V, Region 17 would host Richmond Edison; Cuyahoga Heights the fifth seed in Division VII, Region 25, would host Toronto; Independence (7-2), the third seed in Division VII, Region 25, would host Mapleton; Lutheran West (8-1), the seventh seed in Division IV, Region 14, would host Clear Fork; Perry (7-2), the seventh seed in Division IV, Region 13, would host Beaver Local; and West Geauga (7-2), the eighth seed in Division III, Region 9, would host Streetsboro.
CVC teams who would travel in Week 11 include Berkshire, Brooklyn, Harvey, Hawken, Lakeside, and Trinity.
Berkshire (6-3), the ninth seed in Division V, Region 17, would play at Akron Manchester; Brooklyn (4-5), the 13th seed in Division V, Region 18, would travel to Indian Lake; Harvey (5-4), the 16th seed in Division III, Region 9, would try to knock off defending state champion Chardon on its home turf; Hawken (5-4), the 12th seed in Division IV, Region 13, would travel to neighborhood rival Gilmour Academy; Lakeside (4-4), the 15th seed in Division II, Region 5, is projected to play at reigning Division II state champion Archbishop Hoban; and Trinity (3-6), the 15th seed in Division VI, Region 21, would travel to 2020 state runner-up New Middletown Springfield.
As of today, Chagrin Falls (4-5) is on the outside looking in, but as the 17th team in the playoff rankings, the Tigers need a win over Geneva in Week 10 and some help to climb into the top 16.
Of course, with one week left in the regular season, the above projections can change dramatically.
