Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

There’s some changes in field position before the high school football season ever gets underway.
The Ohio High School Athletic Association announce this fall’s playoff schedule and state championship site, but more importantly was the division and region assignments that will affect area teams.
The state finals will against be played in Canton. The playoffs begin on Friday, Nov. 2, with divisions I, II III and IV, and on Saturday, Nov. 3, for divisions IV, V and VII.
The state championship games will be played Nov. 29-30 and Dec. 1-2. A final schedule of which divisions play on certain days will be released at a later date.
As for regional and division assignments, there was plenty of moving in the Southeast area.
Fairland moves up to Div. IV while Ironton, Rock Hill, Chesapeake, South Point, Portsmouth, Minford, Portsmouth West, Wheelersburg, Oak Hill, Northwest, Wellston, Alexander and River Valley remain in Div. V.
Ironton, Rock Hill, Chesapeake and South Point will remain in Region 19 but the Scioto County teams of Portsmouth, Portsmouth West, Northwest, Wheelersburg and Minford will move west to Region 20.
The area teams in Div. VI are Coal Grove, Lucasville Valley, Beaver Eastern, Chillicothe Southeastern, Nelsonville-York, Paint Valley, Newark Catholic, Belpre and Federal Hocking.
Coal Grove stays in Region 23 along with the same teams as last season.
Symmes Valley, Green, Portsmouth Notre Dame, Sciotoville East, Trimble, Manchester, Reedsville East, South Gallia, Racine Southern, Miller, Waterford and Lancaster Fisher Catholic are all Div. VII.
Symmes Valley and Green will also remain steadfast in Region 27 along with the same teams as last season.
Fairland will play in Region 15 along with many Central Ohio teams as well as Gallipolis, Meigs, Chillicothe Unioto, Vinton County, Circleville, Fairfield Union, Circleville Logan Elm, Westfall and Zane Trace.