Middletown Middies beat Lebanon to reach Princeton in Ohio playoffs

The Ohio high school football playoffs kicked off Friday night with a slate of first-round games. In the marquee matchup of the evening, the Middletown Middies took control of a Division I, Region 4 contest against Lebanon. Middletown won the game 33-15. The victory sends the Middies to face the undefeated Princeton team in the next round.

Other Division I results showed a mix of outcomes for regional teams. Winton Woods defeated Lakota East 21-3 to stay alive in the tournament. Senior running back Isaiah Garrett carried the ball 16 times for the Warriors, gaining 216 yards and scoring two touchdowns. Winton Woods, now 9-2, will host Moeller on Nov. 6 at Mount St. Joseph University. St. Xavier also advanced, shutting out Fairfield 42-0 to set up a trip to Lakota West.

Division II saw a dramatic finish in Talawanda, where the host team edged La Salle 35-34 in overtime. In another Division II game, Withrow beat Badin 21-13. The Goshen Eagles of Division III defeated Hughes 39-36. This win marks the first time the Goshen football team has reached 10 victories since 1990, a milestone confirmed by athletic director Greg Miller.

Across the state line in Indiana, the postseason schedule moved to the second round for some teams. In Class 3A, Lawrenceburg defeated Greensburg 57-23. The result gave coach Ryan Knigga his 150th career win. Lawrenceburg will face Batesville in the sectional championship next week after Batesville beat Franklin County 35-0. In Class 4A, East Central cruised past Jennings County 69-7 to secure a spot against Columbus East in the sectional title game.