Lucas secured its 13th straight playoff berth when the Ohio High School Athletic Association released final computer ratings and first-round pairings on Sunday, according to Richland Source. The Cubs, now 5-5, are the No. 10 seed in Division VII, Region 27, and are scheduled to travel to No. 7 Beaver Eastern (7-3) on Friday, Oct. 30. The program is making its 15th playoff appearance overall; it clinched this berth with a 48-18 win at Wynford on Friday.
Richland County’s other three qualifiers — Ontario, Shelby and Clear Fork — all earned first-round byes. Ontario (9-1) is the No. 2 seed in Division III, Region 10 and will host a regional quarterfinal on Nov. 6 against the winner of No. 7 Tiffin Columbian and No. 10 Grafton Midview. Shelby (10-0) is No. 2 in Division IV, Region 14 and will meet the Firelands-Rossford winner. Clear Fork (8-2) is No. 4 in Region 14 and will host either No. 5 Otsego or No. 12 Van Wert.
The OHSAA selected the top 12 teams in each of 28 regions, with the top four earning byes. The state is split into seven enrollment-based divisions. As of the Oct. 26 draft date, the Lucas-Eastern game and other first-round matchups remained scheduled for Oct. 30.