High School Football Playoffs: Division VI Region 22 Semifinal on Heart of Ohio Sports

Playoff Preview, Presented by Bascom Stumble Inn

The field in Division VI, Region 22 is down to four and the bracket finally looks like everyone expected back in August. On one side you have top seed Margaretta getting knocked off by a surging Carey Blue Devils team, who then has to turn around and hit the road to face off against an undefeated Paulding Panthers team fresh off their first playoff football win in school history. On the other side you get the heavyweight bout people circled the moment the 12-team bracket dropped: No. 2 Hopewell-Loudon vs No. 3 Archbold, with a trip to the regional final on the line.

Hopewell-Loudon rolled Western Reserve 42-6 last week to improve to 10-1, continuing a season where the Chieftains have outscored opponents 375-88 and allowed single-digits in eight of eleven games. Archbold answered with one of its most complete performances of the year, drilling Seneca East 44-12 behind a balanced, explosive offense that has been putting up 30+ points per game against a rugged NWOAL schedule.

Two of the top teams in Division VI collide Friday night at Chieftain Stadium in Bascom, with the winner moving on to face either No. 9 Carey or unbeaten No. 4 Paulding in next week’s regional final.

This Preview Is Presented by Bascom Stumble Inn

This week’s written preview and interview coverage are brought to you by Bascom Stumble Inn, owned by Brad and Aleigh Daniel. The Daniels have been backing Hopewell-Loudon for years and wanted to support both the Chieftains and what we do at Heart of Ohio Sports during this playoff run.

They have stepped up as the presenting partner for our online preview and the embedded interviews with both coaching staffs and players. If you appreciate businesses that aren't afraid to show their support for local kids, show them some love as they show their Chieftain Pride through their support of this article.

Adrenaline Stream Game of the Week

Division VI, Region 22 Semifinal

No. 2 Hopewell-Loudon (10-1) vs No. 3 Archbold (9-2)

Kickoff: Friday, November 14, 7:00 pm
Location: Chieftain Stadium, Bascom, Ohio
Watch: Live on our main YouTube channel, Facebook, Twitch, and HeartOfOhioSports.com with a full pregame show leading up to kickoff.

Matchup Snapshot

Hopewell-Loudon Chieftains

Hopewell-Loudon has looked the part of a top seed since Week 1. The Chieftains opened with a statement win over Carey, then stacked victories over Pleasant, Edison, Calvert, Gibsonburg, Lakota and more to race out to a 6-0 start. Their only blemish came in a three-point loss to top seed Margaretta, and they responded with three straight blowouts to close out the regular season, along with last week’s 42-6 dismantling of Western Reserve.

The numbers back up what your eyes already know if you have watched them all year. Hopewell-Loudon is allowing less than 8 points per game and has given up more than two touchdowns only twice all season. Offensively they have been efficient and balanced, comfortable grinding clock on the ground or spreading defenses out and attacking space.

Head coach Brian Colatruglio has leaned into this group’s versatility. Junior quarterback Jacoby Ellis has been incredibly efficient, completing around 70 percent of his passes for over 1,300 yards with a strong touchdown-to-interception ratio, while the Chieftains rotate weapons around him with weapons like Junior swiss-army-knife utility player Kellen Frankart who scored 3 first half touchdowns last week vs Western Reserve, and Brody Brickman who also racked up 3 touchdowns as well during the contest last week. If you focus too much on those three, you'll forget about seniors Jaysin Cramer and Jack Colatruglio, both of whom have over 7 touchdowns on the season. No matter how you slice it, this versatile attack keeps defenses off balance and has most teams guessing which way the ball is going as they watch someone run past the defense for 6.

Archbold Bluestreaks

Archbold arrives at 9-2 after running a gauntlet of one of the tougher small-school schedules in Northwest Ohio. The Bluestreaks opened with a road win at 10-1 Genoa, survived tight battles with Tinora, Delta and Patrick Henry, and then closed the regular season with a playoff bye locked up despite a setback vs Liberty Center.

If last week was any indication, they are peaking at the right time. In the 44-12 win over Seneca East, junior running back Ryder Ryan gashed the Tigers for 150 rushing yards and three touchdowns, while sophomore quarterback Maddox Pinter carved up the secondary with 221 passing yards and two scores. Receivers Collin Short and Aranjer Krieger both found the end zone, and the Bluestreaks defense forced the running clock in the third quarter.

Under head coach David Dominique, Archbold averages 35 points per game and leans on a physical offensive line, an athletic quarterback and a deep skill group that can stress you horizontally and vertically.

What To Watch For

• Elite defense vs explosive balance
  Hopewell-Loudon has been one of the stingiest defenses in the region, giving up 88 total points through eleven games and pitching multiple shutouts. Archbold brings a balanced attack that just dropped 44 in a regional quarterfinal and has hung big numbers on several winning teams this fall. Something has to give.
• First and second down efficiency
  Archbold wants to stay on schedule and get into second and short, where Ryan and the ground game can keep the full playbook open. If the Chieftains can win early downs and force third and long, that allows their pass rush and coverage depth to dictate the game.
• Turnovers and hidden yards
  Both teams have seen their seasons swing on short fields and big special teams plays. Hopewell-Loudon has repeatedly flipped games with interceptions and punt returns. Archbold has hurt people with momentum-swinging returns and sudden shot plays out of nowhere. Field position in November matters as much as anything.
• Handling the moment
  For Hopewell-Loudon, this is the last home game of the year and the final time this senior class will run out of the locker room at Chieftain Stadium. For Archbold, it's a long trip with a chance to knock off a higher seed and punch a ticket to the regional final. Whoever settles in first and plays their identity usually has the edge in games like this.

Players To Watch

Hopewell-Loudon

• QB Jacoby Ellis (Jr.)
  The numbers tell you he is accurate and efficient. The film shows a quarterback who understands where the ball needs to go and is comfortable trusting his playmakers. Ellis has been the steady hand all year and will be tested by an Archbold secondary that thrives on jumping routes.
• RB / WR / DB Brody Brickman (Jr.)
  Brickman has been one of the most complete two-way players in Region 22. He enters the semifinals with over 600 rushing yards and double-digit rushing touchdowns, 530+ receiving yards with another double-digit touchdown total, plus multiple interceptions on defense and two punt return scores. With 26 all-purpose touchdowns, he is lightning in a bottle. Every time he touches the ball, the game can tilt.
• RB / LB Kellen Frankart (Jr.)
  After missing time midseason, Frankart’s return has given the Chieftains another physical presence in the backfield and a tone-setter on defense. If Hopewell-Loudon can get him downhill and let him be the hammer between the tackles, it makes Ellis and the passing game that much tougher to handle. He was the Player of the Game last week, tallying over 100 rushing yards and 3 first half touchdowns against the Roughriders.
• DB / WR Luca SanGregory (Sr.)
  SanGregory is the senior defensive back you will hear from later on in this article. He is a leader on the back end of that Chieftain defense, comfortable in coverage and coming downhill in run support, and he has a knack for being around the ball in big moments. In our interview he talked about communication and discipline as the keys against an offense that loves to window-dress its looks. Look for that interview embedded below.

Archbold

• RB Ryder Ryan (Jr.)
  Ryan is the engine that makes the Bluestreaks offense go. The 150-yard, three-touchdown performance against Seneca East was not a fluke, it was a reflection of how hard he runs behind a physical line and how quickly he can turn a crease into a chunk play. If Hopewell-Loudon cannot limit him on early downs, it opens up everything else Archbold wants to do.
• QB Maddox Pinter (So.)
  Pinter has quietly put together a strong year, and his 221 yards and two touchdown passes in last week’s win highlight how far he has come in commanding this offense. He has shown he can push the ball downfield in the passing game and hurt you off play action when defenses overcommit to the run.
• WRs Collin Short (So.) and Aranjer Krieger (Jr.)
  Short and Krieger both caught touchdown passes in the quarterfinal and give Archbold multiple perimeter threats who can win matchups and finish in the red zone. Krieger has also been dangerous on special teams, where one big return could swing momentum.
• Archbold secondary and back seven
  Archbold’s defense has had nights where it completely suffocates opponents, with shutout wins over Evergreen, Swanton and Wauseon on the resume. Their ability to mix coverages and rally to the football will be tested against a Hopewell-Loudon offense that spreads touches around.

From The Coaches And Players

This week’s preview is not just written. You will see some key conversations embedded in this article:

• Hopewell-Loudon head coach Brian Colatruglio breaks down how the Chieftains handled last week’s quarterfinal, what he expects from Archbold’s balance on offense, and how his team is approaching what will be the final home game of the season in Bascom.
• Senior defensive back Luca SanGregory talks about leaving a legacy to the underclassmen, the mentality of this senior class, and what it means to defend Chieftain Stadium one more time in front of the home crowd.

• Archbold head coach David Dominique joins Connor Roush via Zoom once again to outline the Bluestreaks’ keys on the road, how their offense has evolved over the season, and what they have to do to handle Hopewell-Loudon’s physicality and team speed.

Also, please take a moment to watch this video about our spotlight sponsor for this preview article, The Bascom Stumble Inn:

Region 22 Bracket Picture

The winner of Hopewell-Loudon vs Archbold advances to the Division VI Region 22 final, where a matchup with either No. 9 Carey or No. 4 Paulding awaits. On the other side of the bracket, Carey is trying to ride a late-season surge after a road win at No. 1 Margaretta, while Paulding enters their matchup with the Blue Devils undefeated.

Four teams are left in Region 22. One will be holding a regional championship trophy in two weeks. Friday night in Bascom will go a long way toward deciding who that is.

How to watch: Head to HeartOfOhioSports.com, hit the “Watch Live” tab, and pull up the game for free, HD coverage of Hopewell-Loudon vs Archbold, make sure to stick around for our postgame coverage to see who takes home the Player of the Game and our Fan of the Game awards.