Tnl-News.com - OHSAA announces football divisions

The OHSAA reassigns schools to divisions every other year, and changes in football resulted in 117 schools (16.3 percent) making divisional changes for 2009 and 2010 from the last two years. The changes were approved by the OHSAA's Board of Directors at their May meeting.

In the Northeastern Buckeye Conference, Alliance moves down from Division II to Division III.

Minerva remains in Division III - Region 11.

Teams leaving Region 11 are (asterisk indicates 2008 playoff team) West Branch, New Philadelphia*, Poland Seminary*, Struthers, Vincent Warren and Youngstown Rayen. Teams added include Alliance, New Lexington, Pataskala Licking Heights, Steubenville*, Thornsville Sheridan* and Zanesville Maysville.

Minerva's non-league schedule saw United Local drop from Division IV to Division V. Fairless (Division III) is replacing Ravenna Southeast (Division III).

No teams changed divisions in the Inter-Valley Conference.

Malvern will remain in Division VI - Region 23.

Teams leaving Region 23 are Caldwell*, Lucas, Plymouth and Sugar Grove Berne Union. Teams added include Columbiana*, Leetonia*, Salineville Southern, Wellsville, Canal Winchester Harvest Preparatory and Grove City Christian.

Malvern's non-league schedule got a bit tougher as Waterloo moves up from Division V to Division IV and East Canton moves up from Division VI to Division V.

Thirty-four (17.8 percent) schools that are changing divisions qualified for the football tournaments last year, including defending Division II state champion Sylvania Southview (moves up to Division I); defending Division III state champion Aurora (moves up to Division II); 2007 Division II state champion and defending Division II state runner-up Cincinnati Anderson (moves up to Division I); and defending Division IV state runner-up Steubenville (moves up to Division III).

Other notable schools changing divisions are 2004 Division II state champion Columbus Brookhaven (moves back down to Division II from Division I); 2007 Division III state champion Sunbury Big Walnut (moves up to Division II); three-time state champion Columbus St. Francis DeSales (moves down to Division III); and two-time state champion Coldwater (moves down to Division V).

All of the divisional changes are as follows (asterisk indicates 2008 playoff team):

Moved from Division II to I (12 schools) - Cincinnati Anderson*, Cincinnati Withrow, Columbus Northland, Columbus West, East Cleveland Shaw, Franklin Heights, Mayfield*, Oregon Clay, Powell Olentangy Liberty*, Sylvania Southview*, Toledo Waite, Whitehouse Anthony Wayne.

Moved from Division I to II (seven schools) - Akron Garfield, Batavia Amelia, Bedford, Columbus Brookhaven*, Harrison, Lorain Southview, Mansfield Senior.

Moved from Division III to II (17 schools) - Aurora*, Avon*, Canal Winchester*, Canton South*, Chesterland West Geauga, Columbus Mifflin, Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit*, Lewis Center Olentangy Orange, Mentor Lake Catholic, New Philadelphia*, Norwalk, Painesville Harvey, The Plains Athens, Ravenna, Rocky River, Sunbury Big Walnut*, Vincent Warren.

Moved from Division II to III (13 schools) - Akron Archbishop Hoban*, Akron Buchtel, Akron Springfield, Alliance, Bellbrook, Celina, Cleveland East Technical, Columbus Bishop Watterson*, Columbus St. Francis DeSales*, Dayton Dunbar*, Jackson, Parma Padua Franciscan*, Toledo Libbey.

Moved from Division IV to III (15 schools) - Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary, Bellefontaine Benjamin Logan, Bethel-Tate, Cincinnati Wyoming, Dayton Oakwood, Gallipolis Gallia Academy, New Lexington, North Bend Taylor, Oak Harbor, Pataskala Licking Heights, St. Bernard Roger Bacon, Steubenville*, Waverly, Youngstown Cardinal Mooney*, Zanesville Maysville.

Moved from Division II to IV (two schools) - Cincinnati Taft, Dayton Thurgood Marshall.

Moved from Division III to IV (10 schools) - Cortland Lakeview, Fairview Park Fairview, Youngstown Liberty*, Chagrin Falls*, Rossford, Van Wert, Kenton, Lancaster Fairfield Union, Germantown Valley View*, Lewistown Indian Lake.

Moved from Division V to IV (11 schools) - Johnstown-Monroe*, Heath, Creston Norwayne*, Andover Pymatuning Valley, Atwater Waterloo, Cleveland Central Catholic, Portsmouth West*, Reading, Waynesville*, Cincinnati Purcell Marian, Cincinnati Shroder.

Moved from Division IV to V (eight schools) - Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph, Burton Berkshire, Hanoverton United, Coldwater*, Delta, Hamilton Badin*, Jamestown Greeneview, Cincinnati Mariemont.

Moved from Division VI to V (12 schools) - Sugar Grove Berne Union, Columbus Africentric Early College, Caldwell*, New Middletown Springfield, East Canton*, Harrod Allen East, Haviland Wayne Trace, Plymouth, Mt. Blanchard Riverdale*, Manchester, Mechanicsburg*, Cincinnati Summit Country Day.

Moved from Division V to VI (10 schools) - Morral Ridgedale, Bedford St. Peter Chanel, Rittman, Vienna Mathews, Sycamore Mohawk, Maria Stein Marion Local*, Toledo Ottawa Hills, Bucyrus Wynford*, New Paris National Trail, Arcanum.