Blade prep sports coverage: 11/10

Perrysburg girls set for state soccer final; Bedford wins Michigan regional volleyball title; second round football playoff previews

Perrysburg lifts the regional championship trophy last Saturday.

The Blade/Lori King
Buy This Image

Perrysburg lifts the regional championship trophy last Saturday.

Girls Soccer

Perrysburg back in the state title game

The last time the Perrysburg girls soccer team played in Columbus for a state title, the current group of Yellow Jackets roamed the halls of the junior high school with dreams of being on the same big stage.

Some of the current players that will contend for the 2017 state championship Friday were ball girls for the 2012 Perrysburg team that won it all. Others sat in the stands at what then was Columbus Crew Stadium cheering on their heroes. FULL STORY ■ SPOTLIGHT ATHLETE: Kristina DeMarco ■ VIDEO

Bedford's Katrina Reynolds, left, and Breeanna Long go for the ball during Thursday's regional championship match against Livonia Churchill.

Volleyball

Bedford reaches state quarterfinals

MONROE — Bedford slipped up late in the second set, but the Kicking Mules regrouped impressively to take a 25-18, 25-27, 25-16, 25-14 victory against Livonia Churchill in a Michigan Class A regional volleyball final played Thursday at Monroe High School.

Senior Heidi Fausze led the Mules’ attack with 21 kills, sophomore Alyssa Griner had 19 kills, and senior Mackenzie Fuleky added 14 for Bedford (62-6-2).

Kicking Mules junior setter Levi Lennard contributed 52 assists and 23 digs, and junior libero Breeanna Long led Bedford in digs with 30. FULL STORY/PHOTO GALLERY ■ VIDEO

Jasean Rader and his Whitmer teammates face Lewis Center Olentangy in a regional semifinal Friday.

Football

Rematches abound in high school football playoffs

Rematch is the theme in northwest Ohio as the second round of the state football playoffs kicks off Friday night.

Whitmer (11-0) looks to avoid some déjà vu from two years ago, when the second-ranked Panthers face Lewis Center Olentangy (8-3) at Frost-Kalnow Stadium in Tiffin.

On that same field on Nov. 14, 2015, the Braves tied Whitmer, 21-21, with a fourth-quarter touchdown, stopped the Panthers from scoring three times from the 1-yard line, then drove 64 yards to set up Jacob Bell’s game-winning 52-yard field goal as time expired. FULL STORY ■ PLAYOFF CAPSULES ■ VIDEOS: Whitmer preview ■ Central Catholic preview ■ Whiteford preview

Cross Country

SPOTLIGHT ATHLETE: Zach Applegate, Bowling Green