Bellevue hits road to take on Bath

Bellevue hasn't won two playoff games in a season since 2020. That's what the fifth-seeded Redmen look to accomplish when they travel to Lima to take on fourth-seeded Bath in a Division IV Region 14 quarterfinal Friday. Bellevue enters at 8-3 while the Wildcats, coming off of a bye, are 8-2. The winner faces either No. 1 Shelby (10-0) or No. 9 Orrville (7-4). "They have great size across the board, including their quarterback," Bellevue coach Alex Shepherd said. "They do a variety of things offensively and have some good athletes." Since starting the season 3-3 that included consecutive losses to Perkins and Edison, the Redmen have won five straight games. That streak included a wild overtime win over Clyde in a Route 20 Rivalry classic. The two teams first met in 1897 and have played yearly since 1994, but it was the first time the two ever went to overtime. A six-yard score by Billy Sberna won it for Bellevue, but there wasn't much time to enjoy it before preparing for the Wildcats. "Just like any other week, no matter the result, you have to move on," Shepherd said. "We want to compete every week no matter the opponent, so our kids do a great job of on to the next one." Bath opened the season 3-0 before a 31-21 home loss to Lima Shawnee. The Wildcats then won their next five games to improve to 8-1 before a 61-34 Week 10 home loss to undefeated Wapakoneta. Bath is averaging 40.9 points per game, but also allow 27.3 points a contest. "Our team has played with a lot of effort throughout the season," Shepherd said. "We have to continue to play soundly on both sides of the ball and cannot forget about technique." For the Redmen, Ike Brown has completed 112 of 226 passes for 1,298 yards with 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions, including one in overtime last week. Nolan Hartman leads the ground game with 104 rushes for 490 yards and four touchdowns while Brown has added 81 attempts for 430 yards and six touchdowns. Caden Cramer has 40 catches for 594 yards and seven touchdowns while Owen Hancock has 20 receptions for 250 yards and a touchdown. Konner Dauch tops the defense with 93 defenses while Hartman has 91 tackles. Brown is the only defender with multiple interceptions with two picks. Bellevue has allowed a total of 15 points over its last three wins. "They do well offensively, so we have to do well offensively ourselves and maintain possession of the ball," Shepherd said. "Our defense has played well throughout the year. When we can get on the board soon, it gives us some breathing room." REGIONAL QUARTERFINALS Pairings shown with regional seeds. All games at 7 p.m. Friday. DIVISION I Region 1 No. 8 Berea-Midpark (7-4) at No. 1 Lakewood St. Edward (8-2) No. 7 Massillon Jackson (6-5) at No. 2 Mentor (10-0) No. 11 Medina (4-7) at No. 3 Canton McKinley (8-2) No. 5 Perrysburg (9-2) at No. 4 Toledo Whitmer (8-2) Region 2 No. 8 Lebanon (8-3) at No. 1 Middletown (8-2) No. 7 Hilliard Bradley (6-5) at No. 2 Troy (8-2) No. 6 Huber Heights Wayne (7-4) at No. 3 Findlay (6-4) No. 5 Springfield (7-4) at No. 4 Springboro (7-3) Region 3 No. 8 Delaware Olentangy Berlin (6-5) at No. 1 Lewis Center Olentangy Orange (10-0) No. 10 Groveport Madison (6-5) at No. 2 Pickerington Central (9-1) No. 6 Upper Arlington (9-2) at No. 3 Pickerington North (9-1) No. 5 Powell Olentangy Liberty (7-4) at No. 4 Lewis Center Olentangy (8-2) Region 4 No. 8 Fairfield (6-5) at No. 1 Cincinnati Elder (10-0) No. 7 West Chester Lakota West (7-4) at No. 2 Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller (7-3) No. 6 Liberty Township Lakota East (8-3) at No. 3 Cincinnati St. Xavier (7-2) No. 5 Cincinnati Winton Woods (9-2) at No. 4 Cincinnati Princeton (8-2) DIVISION II Region 5 No. 9 Youngstown Boardman (6-5) at No. 1 Akron Archbishop Hoban (8-1) No. 7 Macedonia Nordonia (8-3) at No. 2 Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit (8-1) No. 11 Uniontown Green (6-5) at No. 3 Austintown Fitch (8-1) No. 5 Hudson (9-2) at No. 4 Uniontown Lake (7-3) Region 6 No. 8 Brecksville-Broadview Heights (7-4) at No. 1 Medina Highland (10-0) No. 7 Toledo St. Francis de Sales (7-4) at No. 2 Wadsworth (10-0) No. 6 Olmsted Falls (7-4) at No. 3 Avon (9-1) No. 5 Whitehouse Anthony Wayne (7-4) at No. 4 North Ridgeville (9-1) Region 7 No. 8 Columbus Walnut Ridge (8-3) at No. 1 Sunbury Big Walnut (9-1) No. 7 Ashland (10-1) at No. 2 Columbus St. Francis DeSales (8-2) No. 6 North Canton Hoover (9-2) at No. 3 Massillon Washington (7-3) No. 5 Westerville South (9-2) at No. 4 Canal Winchester (9-1) Region 8 No. 8 Cincinnati Withrow (9-2) at No. 1 Cincinnati Anderson (10-0) No. 7 Harrison (8-3) at No. 2 Kings Mills Kings (9-1) No. 6 Lima Senior (9-2) at No. 3 Trotwood-Madison (6-3) No. 5 Cincinnati La Salle (8-3) at No. 4 Xenia (8-2) DIVISION III Region 9 No. 8 Chagrin Falls Kenston (7-4) at No. 1 Canfield (9-1) No. 10 Geneva (9-2) at No. 2 Cuyahoga Falls CVCA (9-0) No. 6 Akron East (9-2) at No. 3 Gates Mills Hawken (8-2) No. 12 Maple Heights (8-3) at No. 4 Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph (8-1) Region 10 No. 8 St. Marys Memorial (8-3) at No. 1 Medina Buckeye (10-0) No. 7 Lima Shawnee (8-3) at No. 2 Wapakoneta (10-0) No. 6 Toledo Central Catholic (7-4) at No. 3 Lexington (9-1) No. 5 Rocky River (9-2) at No. 4 Richfield Revere (8-2) Region 11 No. 8 Granville (8-3) at No. 1 Columbus Bishop Watterson (9-0) No. 7 Carroll Bloom-Carroll (8-3) at No. 2 Newark Licking Valley (10-0) No. 6 Delaware Buckeye Valley (9-2) at No. 3 Steubenville (7-2) No. 5 Columbus Hamilton Township (9-2) at No. 4 Dresden Tri-Valley (8-2) Region 12 No. 8 Cincinnati Archbishop McNicholas (7-4) at No. 1 London (10-0) No. 7 Oxford Talawanda (10-1) at No. 2 Tipp City Tippecanoe (10-0) No. 6 Kettering Archbishop Alter (8-3) at No. 3 Hamilton Badin (9-1) No. 5 Washington Court House Miami Trace (10-1) at No. 4 Jackson (8-2) DIVISION IV Region 13 No. 8 Chardon Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin (8-3) at No. 1 Perry (8-2) No. 10 Salem (7-4) at No. 2 Cleveland Glenville (7-3) No. 6 Streetsboro (9-2) at No. 3 Mentor Lake Catholic (8-2) No. 5 Norton (10-1) at No. 4 Beloit West Branch (9-1) Region 14 No. 9 Orrville (7-4) at No. 1 Shelby (10-0) No. 10 Lodi Cloverleaf (7-4) at No. 2 Galion (9-1) No. 6 Perkins (8-3) at No. 3 Napoleon (8-2) No. 5 Bellevue (8-3) at No. 4 Lima Bath (8-2) Region 15 No. 8 Lancaster Fairfield Union (7-4) at No. 1 New Lexington (9-1) No. 7 Circleville (8-3) at No. 2 Gnadenhutten Indian Valley (9-0) No. 11 Johnstown (8-3) at No. 3 Plain City Jonathan Alder (9-1) No. 5 Columbus East (10-1) at No. 4 Chillicothe Unioto (10-0) Region 16 No. 8 Washington Court House Washington (6-5) at No. 1 Cincinnati Indian Hill (10-0) No. 7 Cincinnati Wyoming (10-1) at No. 2 Germantown Valley View (9-1) No. 6 Brookville (10-1) at No. 3 Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy (9-1) No. 5 Clarksville Clinton-Massie (10-1) at No. 4 Cincinnati Taft (10-0) DIVISION V Region 17 No. 8 Canfield South Range (7-4) at No. 1 Youngstown Cardinal Mooney (7-2) No. 7 Akron Manchester (8-3) at No. 2 Girard (10-0) No. 6 Youngstown Liberty (9-2) at No. 3 Poland Seminary (8-2) No. 5 St. Clairsville (8-3) at No. 4 Garrettsville Garfield (8-2) Region 18 No. 9 Oak Harbor (9-2) at No. 1 Liberty Center (10-0) No. 7 Fairview Park Fairview (9-2) at No. 2 Wooster Triway (9-1) No. 11 Port Clinton (7-4) at No. 3 Genoa Area (9-1) No. 5 Findlay Liberty-Benton (11-0) at No. 4 Creston Norwayne (8-2) Region 19 No. 9 McConnelsville Morgan (8-3) at No. 1 Wheelersburg (10-0) No. 10 Chillicothe Zane Trace (9-2) at No. 2 Gahanna Columbus Academy (8-2) No. 11 Belmont Union Local (8-3) at No. 3 Nelsonville-York (10-0) No. 5 Portsmouth (8-3) at No. 4 Barnesville (8-2) Region 20 No. 8 Richwood North Union (7-4) at No. 1 Williamsburg (10-0) No. 7 Camden Preble Shawnee (10-1) at No. 2 Lewistown Indian Lake (8-2) No. 11 Cincinnati Mariemont (7-4) at No. 3 Casstown Miami East (9-1) No. 5 Carlisle (9-2) at No. 4 St. Paris Graham (8-2) DIVISION VI Region 21 No. 8 Wickliffe (9-2) at No. 1 Kirtland (10-0) No. 7 Sugarcreek Garaway (8-2) at No. 2 Columbiana Crestview (10-0) No. 6 Dalton (8-3) at No. 3 Columbia Station Columbia (9-1) No. 5 Smithville (9-2) at No. 4 Hanoverton United (9-1) Region 22 No. 9 Carey (7-4) at No. 1 Margaretta (9-1) No. 10 Western Reserve (9-2) at No. 2 Hopewell-Loudon (9-1) No. 6 Attica Seneca East (8-3) at No. 3 Archbold (8-2) No. 5 Sherwood Fairview (10-1) at No. 4 Paulding (10-0) Region 23 No. 9 West Lafayette Ridgewood (9-2) at No. 1 Centerburg (9-1) No. 10 Caldwell (8-3) at No. 2 Beverly Fort Frye (8-1) No. 6 Toronto (10-1) at No. 3 West Jefferson (9-1) No. 5 North Robinson Colonel Crawford (10-1) at No. 4 Mount Gilead (9-1) Region 24 No. 9 Portsmouth West (6-5) at No. 1 New Madison Tri-Village (10-0) No. 7 Ironton Rock Hill (7-4) at No. 2 Springfield Northeastern (9-1) No. 6 Anna (8-3) at No. 3 Mechanicsburg (8-2) No. 5 Coldwater (7-4) at No. 4 St. Bernard Elmwood Place (9-1) DIVISION VII Region 25 No. 8 Warren JFK (6-5) at No. 1 McDonald (10-0) No. 7 East Canton (9-2) at No. 2 Fairport Harbor Fairport Harding (10-0) No. 6 East Palestine (8-3) at No. 3 Mogadore (9-1) No. 5 Malvern (7-4) at No. 4 Monroeville (8-2) Region 26 No. 8 Edon (9-2) at No. 1 Lima Central Catholic (9-1) No. 7 Pandora-Gilboa (8-3) at No. 2 North Baltimore (10-0) No. 6 Sycamore Mohawk (9-2) at No. 3 Leipsic (9-1) No. 5 Gibsonburg (8-3) at No. 4 Columbus Grove (7-3) Region 27 No. 8 Bowerston Conotton Valley (8-3) at No. 1 Jeromesville Hillsdale (9-1) No. 7 Strasburg-Franklin (8-3) at No. 2 Waterford (8-2) No. 11 Danville (6-5) at No. 3 Lancaster Fisher Catholic (8-2) No. 12 Glouster Trimble (7-4) at No. 4 Willow Wood Symmes Valley (8-2) Region 28 No. 8 Sidney Lehman Catholic (10-1) at No. 1 Maria Stein Marion Local (10-0) No. 10 New Bremen (7-4) at No. 2 St. Henry (9-1) No. 11 Cedarville (6-5) at No. 3 Cincinnati Country Day (9-1) No. 12 Fort Recovery (6-5) at No. 4 Beaver Eastern (10-0)