Both the Division I and II Ohio High School Athletic Association football state championships had a Cincinnati team playing in the title games and St. Xavier in Division I and Anderson in Division II both fell short of winning it all. The losses extended Greater Cincinnati's OHSAA football state championship drought which has existed since Winton Woods and Clinton-Massie won championships in 2021.
Anderson's Division II loss to Avon was its second straight in the Division II finals. St. Xavier beat an undefeated Elder team in the regional finals then knocked off Middletown in the state semifinals to reach the championship.
Entering the 2026 season, here are the top 10 teams in Divisions I and II, potentially featuring the team that can break Cincinnati's
stretch without a championship.
1. Anderson Raptors
Anderson has been to the Division II finals the last two seasons and has been a runner-up both times. Quarterback Griffin Scalf is back after throwing for almost 5,000 yards and over 40 touchdowns last season. Top receiver Tysin Weaver returns as does Kentucky commit Antwoine Higgins and Notre Dame commit Ace Alston on defense.
The Raptors have won 26-straight regular season games, but will be tested in Week 1 with Louisville Trinity visiting and Anderson head coach Evan Dreyer is suspended for the contest.
2. Elder Panthers
Elder had a dream season in 2025, going 10-0 in the regular season for the first time since 1991 before an all-time classic comeback win against Princeton in the postseason. The Panthers' season ended in the regional finals at Paycor Stadium to Greater Catholic League-South rival St. Xavier.
The Panthers have seven home games at The Pit, starting with state semifinalist Middletown in Week 1. All-Ohio quarterback Kaden Estep is back for his senior season as a three-year starter and head coach Doug Ramsey can get the most out of him for Ramsey's 30th season.
3. Princeton Vikings
The Vikings seemed like they would be the first team to ever beat Elder in a playoff game at The Pit before falling 32-30 in a classic the ended Princeton's season in the regional semifinals.
Princeton has reloaded heavily coming into 2026, getting transfers Monsanna Torbert Jr., a Michigan commit, and Lorenzo McMullen Jr., a five-star junior, and Sean Torbert from Taft. Wide receiver Josiah Gault is also over from Wyoming and Kentucky commit Jaylen Mercer is in from Winton Woods.
The Vikings proved their abilities early, beating Moeller at Paycor Stadium 31-24 on Aug. 20. It was Princeton's first win over Moeller since 1991.
4. Moeller Crusaders
Mr. Football Matt Ponatoski is at Kentucky now gearing up for his first season with the Wildcats, but whoever takes over as Crusaders quarterback will be protected well. Tackle Kal-El Johnson is a Georgia Tech commit and Patrick O'Brien will head to Purdue.
5. Lakota West Firebirds
A 7-5 record and three Greater Miami Conference losses is not the type of season that a Tom Bolden-led team usually has. In 2026, Bolden has the team to make a quick reset at Lakota West.
Offensively, experienced quarterback Jackson Smith is back for his fourth varsity season and Northwestern commit Kenyon Norman is one of the best running backs in the state. The Firebirds open the season at home against St. Xavier and Lakota East, two teams that beat Lakota West last season.
6. St. Xavier Bombers
Nearly every GCL-South honored player from St. Xavier's Division I state runner-up team from a year ago has graduated, but needing a deep rebuild is not something programs like St. Xavier have to face. Aidan Newdigate will take over as quarterback with receivers like Ethan Cole and Logan Von Holle returning.
7. Middletown Middies
Middletown won Region 2 and reached the state semifinals where the Middies fell to St. Xavier. To get back to the state tournament, the Middies will have some deeper competition. Middletown, along with Lebanon and Springboro, was moved to Region 4 from Region 2 to adjust regions after smaller programs opted up to Division I.
8. Winton Woods Warriors
A 23-22 loss in the second round of the postseason ended Winton Woods' season with a 9-3 record.
Junior Jayden McKinney is Ohio's No. 11 player in his class and the defensive lineman should be a strong leader on a stout defense. Big players up front on the offensive line as well should help Winton Woods to another run in the region. The Warriors lost by two points at Kings, seven points to Anderson and one point to Princeton last season. The Warriors could turn those scores around and threaten for a state tournament trip.
9. La Salle Lancers
The Lancers have gone 1-8 in the Greater Catholic League-South over the last three seasons and the ultra-competitive conference will challenge the Lancers again. La Salle doesn't worry about them in the postseason, though, and reached the Division II regional semifinals last year in a nine-win season.
Replacing quarterback Avier Carter will be necessary for La Salle which opens at Colerain and faces Badin and Withrow in the regular season.
10. Badin Rams
Badin has been a competitor in Division III in recent seasons, but is in Division II for 2026. The Rams are one of the area's top teams and have won at least eight games in eight-straight seasons. They graduated a lot after another 10-win season, but the talent pipeline is strong and the Rams should be taken seriously in Division II.
Badin was also moved up to Division II for a season in 2024. The Rams went 9-3 and lost in the second round to Mount Healthy.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Top 10 Cincinnati high school football teams in Divisions I and II
