MACEDONIA – The Nordonia Knights will host rival Twinsburg in the first round of the Division II, Region 5 playoffs on Friday, Oct. 31 at Boliantz Stadium.
The Knights earned the No. 7 seed after finishing the regular season 7-3 overall and 3-3 in the Suburban League National Conference, while the Tigers come in as the No. 10 seed with a 6-4 record. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
Nordonia secured home-field advantage by finishing among the top eight seeds in the region. The top four seeds – Archbishop Hoban, Walsh Jesuit, Austintown-Fitch, and Lake – received first-round byes and will play the following week.
The Knights are led by quarterback Steven Fakult, who threw for 289 yards and three touchdowns in Friday’s 34-14 regular season-ending victory over Stow. Fakult has been one of the breakout players of the season, having thrown for a school-record 538 yards against North Royalton earlier this year.
Head coach Jeff Fox is guiding the Knights into their fourth consecutive playoff appearance. Nordonia has been one of the highest seeds in Region 5 in recent years under Fox’s leadership.
Twinsburg enters the playoffs after falling to Hudson 35-0 in their regular season finale. The Tigers also finished 3-3 in the Suburban League National Conference under head coach Charles Saulter, who was named District Coach of the Year in 2023.
The winner of Friday’s game will travel to face No. 2 seed Walsh Jesuit in the regional quarterfinals on Nov. 7.
Other first-round matchups in Region 5 include No. 12 Willoughby South at No. 5 Hudson, No. 11 Green at No. 6 Garfield Heights, and No. 9 Boardman at No. 8 Painesville Riverside.
The regional semifinals are scheduled for Nov. 14, regional finals on Nov. 21, and state semifinals on Nov. 28. The state championship games will be held Dec. 4-6 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton.
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