The last time the DeSales High School football team was in the same playoff bracket with opponents from Northwest Ohio was 2004. Watterson ended up beating the Stallions 27-6 that year for the Region 10 championship.

The Stallions are the top seed this year, despite entering the Division III postseason with a 7-3 record. They'll play Bryan from the Northwest Ohio Athletic League for the first time Friday at home.

The teams would appear to be opposites in terms of pedigree. While the Stallions are making their 16th consecutive playoff appearance, the Golden Bears are in their first postseason after going 8-2.

DeSales played five Division I, two Division II and just three Division III teams, while Bryan faced four Division IV and five Division V schools and lost to its only Division III foe.

"This is their first trip to the playoffs, but they're 8-2, so they've obviously done well in their league," coach Ryan Wiggins said. "They lost a couple of close games this year, and they've played good football under their coach (Travis Cooper), who's only been the coach for two years."

What Wiggins saw watching Bryan on film was an offense that runs slightly more than it passes out of a base I-formation attack, with wing-T and misdirection packages.

Senior Levi Fisher (5-foot-10, 195 pounds) has rushed for 1,323 yards and 19 touchdowns and senior Colton Poncsak (5-10, 185) has 271 yards rushing.

Senior quarterback Cody Keil (5-9, 165) has rushed for 222 yards and five touchdowns and is 65-for-131 passing for 1,026 yards with 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions. The leading receiver is senior Alex Nossaman (6-2, 200), who has 29 catches for 494 yards and seven touchdowns.

DeSales' defense played its second consecutive game without senior lineman Travis Jackson, with sophomore Alex Washington and junior Tony Moore filling in.

Jackson likely won't play Friday as he continues to recover from a dislocated elbow, but he could return sometime during the playoffs.

The Stallions built a 31-10 lead by halftime and added two touchdowns in the fourth quarter last Friday in a 45-24 win over Cleveland Benedictine. The defense forced two turnovers and held the Bengals to 2.9 yards per carry.

Linebackers Malcolm Burrell (100 tackles), Evan Killilea (83.5 tackles) and Chi Chi Ariguzo (56 tackles), and linemen Chris Rock (6.5 sacks, five tackles for losses) and Alex Vance (three sacks, two tackles for losses) have led the defense all season.

"With the two wins we've gotten the last two weeks, we have a lot of momentum going into the playoffs," Killilea said. "Defensively, we need to step it up a little bit because in the playoffs, everyone is better. Travis is a huge part of our offense and defense, and without him we've had to have somebody else step up. Our front seven (on defense) has been great all year."

Fisher plays linebacker and leads Bryan in tackles. Poncsak has 10 sacks at defensive end and senior T.J. Losby (6-0, 175) has six sacks at end in a 5-2 set.

Last Friday, DeSales rushed for 243 yards, led by Adam Griffin (87 yards, two touchdowns) and Robert Perrine (76 yards, two touchdowns). Quarterback Nick Gentile was 6-for-7 passing for a season-high 181 yards with two touchdowns.

"(Bryan has) played good defense this year and they've sort of been on a roll with how they've played the last couple games," Wiggins said. "They play in a league that plays the same teams year in, year out, whereas we get to branch out. They're playing with a lot of confidence right now."

Next game

BRYAN at DeSALES

•When: 7:30 p.m. Friday

•Last meeting: First meeting

•Bryan (8-2) to date: Defeated Van Wert 35-7; def. Archbold 35-10; def. Delta 43-14; lost to Napoleon 28-21; def. Montpelier 49-6; def. Wauseon 35-0; lost to Hamler Patrick Henry 28-21; def. Liberty Center 21-20; def. Swanton 34-6; def. Metamora Evergreen 35-14

•DeSales (7-3) to date: Def. Gahanna 38-0; lost to Youngstown Mooney 21-14; def. New Albany 13-6; lost to Cincinnati Anderson 28-25; def. Findlay 56-23; def. St. Charles 10-0; def. Watterson 17-10; lost to Cincinnati Elder 34-24; def. Cincinnati La Salle 21-13; def. Cleveland Benedictine 45-24

•Top Golden Bears: Levi Fisher (RB/LB), Cody Keil (QB), T.J. Losby (DL), Tony Nededog (WR/DB), Alex Nossaman (WR/DB), Michael Pierce (OL/DL) and Colton Poncsak (RB/DL)

•Top Stallions: Chi Chi Ariguzo (LB), Nick Gentile (QB), Mitch Herbert (DB), Adam Griffin (RB/DB), Evan Killilea (LB), Chris Rock (DL) and Alex Vance (OL/DL)