Week 8: A look at tonight's postseason matchups

What would be Week 8 of most regular seasons will this year be the second round of the OHSAA playoffs. Division I, II, III and VII teams will kick it off on Friday; Division IV, V and VI teams take to the gridiron on Saturday. Here's a rundown of matchups involving area teams. DIVISION VII FRIDAY'S PLAYOFF GAMES No. 9 Mohawk (5-2) at No. 8 Pandora-Gilboa (3-3) Both teams head into the second round coming off overwhelming victories. Mohawk pummeled Ridgedale 67-0 in a first-round Region 26 game. P-G was to host Cory-Rawson in its Region 26 opener, but when the Hornets opted out of that game the Rockets were able to pick up Minster and whipped the Wildcats 42-0. P-G features a strong passing game with Silas Schmenk (950 yards, 10 TDs passing) throwing to 2019 all-Ohioan Bryce Basinger (36 recps., 441 yards, 5 TDs), Aiden Morris (19, 246, 1) and Bryan Pugh (10, 160, 2). Senior Gavin Biery, a first-team all-BVC pick on offense and defense, anchors the lines. Quarterback Landen Snyder is a dual-threat (884 yards, 13 TDs passing; 435 yards, 2 TDs rushing) in a Mohawk program that traditionally is built around a strong running game and a stout defense. Jesse Leeth (400 yards, 3 TDs) and Mason Danner (441 yards, 9 TDs) will set up alongside Snyder in the Mohawk backfield. Collin Barth (57 tackles, 8 tfl), Danner (33 tackles, 12 tfl) and Leeth (39 tackles) had up the defense. UP NEXT: The winner advances to the regional quarterfinals on Oct. 23 where they will likely run into No. 1–seeded Lima Central Catholic, a heavy favorite this week against 16th-seeded Delphos St. John's. No. 12 McComb (3-4) at No. 5 Spencerville (3-3) McComb ended the six-game regular season with four straight losses but opened the playoffs with a resounding 41-0 win over Upper Scioto Valley. Receiver/defensive back Ka'Von Bailey caught a touchdown pass and returned an interception for a score for the Panthers, who have had to battle youthful inexperience and some key injuries this season. Spencerville received a first-round bye but was able to fill that Week 7 open date by scheduling a game with Leipsic. Leipsic won that game 35-28, handing the Bearcats a third straight loss. Traditionally one of the stronger teams in the Northwest Conference thanks to a powerful running game – Gunner Grigsby, Dale Smith and DJ Bowers combined for over 1,100 yards and 11 rushing TDs in six games – Spencerville also fielded the league's top defense, allowing the fewest yards (127) and points (17.2) of any team in the league. UP NEXT: Winner plays either No. 4-seed Tiffin Calvert or No. 13 Convoy Crestview Friday, Oct. 23. No. 18 Edon (5-2) at No. 2 Arlington (4-2) It will be a homecoming of sorts for Bob Olwin, but it's doubtful the Red Devils will want to make it a welcoming one for Olwin's Edon Bombers. Olwin went 1-9 as Arlington's head coach in 1991, and has amassed 217 career wins at several Northwest Ohio schools. Olwin favors a wide open attack and has coached some of the most prolific passing quarterbacks in Ohio prep history. But the Bombers displayed both offensive firepower and stingy defense a week ago, racing to a 34-0 lead and rolling to a 34-7 win over Arcadia in a round one matchup. For the second straight week, Olwin and the Bombers will be face a run-heavy offense. First-team all-BVC running backs Noah Thibaut (670 yards, 89 TDs) and Connor Foust (370 yards, 5 TDs) and second-team all-league athlete Bryce Gast (149 yards rushing, 168 receiving, 5 TDs) are the key weapons in Arlington's wishbone attack that averaged 250 yards a game on the ground. UP NEXT: Winner plays either No. 7-seed Leipsic or No. 23 Antwerp, Friday, Oct. 23. No. 23 Antwerp (1-6) at No. 7 Leipsic (4-3) Antwerp entered the Region 26 playoffs 0-6 and seeded 23rd but knocked off 10th-seeded and 4-1 Waynesfield-Goshen team 20-17 in the first round. Leipsic was seeded seventh and earned a first-round bye, despite shutout losses to Arlington (43-0) and Lima Central Catholic (51-0) in Weeks 4 and 5. But the Vikings rebounded and beat McComb 43-25 in Week 6, then scheduled Spencerville for a bye-week matchup and beat the Bearcats 35-28. Lorenzo Walther, who stepped up big in Leipsic's run to the Region 26 finals a year ago, seemed in top playoff form again with 153 yards rushing, 62 receiving and four touchdowns in the win over Spencerville. Junior quarterback Dillan Niese had 110 yards rushing and 171 passing. UP NEXT: Winner plays either No. 18 Edon or No. 2 Arlington Friday, Oct. 23. No. 11 Patrick Henry (3-4) at No. 6 Hopewell-Loudon (5-0) Two teams with impressive playoff history square off when Patrick Henry, state champion in 2005, faces Hopewell-Loudon, state runner-up in 2006 and 2007. PH is in the playoffs for the 19th time in school history; H-L is making its 11th trip to post-season play. Patrick Henry ended a four-game skid with a 51-12 win over Vanlue in its Region 26 opener. Hopewell-Loudon, which got a first-round bye, capped the six-week regular season with by handing Tiffin Calvert, 5-1 the No. 4-seeded team in Region 26, its only loss of the season, 35-10. UP NEXT: Winner plays either No. 3 Lima Perry or No. 14 –seed Edgerton Friday, Oct. 23.