Shaker Football Makes Playoffs
Raiders clinch 16th seed despite loss to Mayfield Heights Friday night
Junior Adin Leibovich holds a kick for the Raiders. Shaker finished the season 6-4.
Shaker football has made the playoffs for the first time since 2005, according to unofficial projections by players, a high school football blogger and Athletic Director Don Readance.
Readance wrote in an email to The Shakerite that, though it is not official, it appears the Raiders have made the playoffs. “The official notification will be tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. when the OHSAA will release the final computer rankings,” Readance wrote.
The Raiders could have clinched a playoff spot with a win against Mayfield Heights Friday night, but Shaker lost 32-26, putting their playoff chances out of their hands.
With that loss, the final playoff spot came down to two teams: Shaker and Jackson High School in Massillon.
The 16th seed came down to today’s matchup between two Akron-area, two-win teams: Kenmore High School and East High School.
According to a tweet this morning by Chris Easterling, sports editor of The Independent in Massillon, Ohio, “The 16th seed in D1 [Division I] R1 [Region I] gets decided by Kenmore-East today at noon. East wins, Jackson’s in. If not, Shaker Heights is. Either meets St. Eds.”
The computer system that determines the 16 playoff qualifiers considers both a team’s record and the difficulty of its schedule.
Because Jackson defeated East in its season opener, a loss by East would weaken Jackson’s strength of schedule.
Kenmore defeated East this afternoon 12-7. This loss, according to players’ speculation, gives Shaker its first playoff berth in eight years.
If the OHSAA confirms the Raiders have made the playoffs, Shaker would play top seeded St. Edwards at Lakewood Stadium Saturday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m.
