DaytonDailyNews.com

For the first time all season, Wayne High School's Ryan Bitsko played in a football game this past Friday against Springfield.

His job was just to kneel down at the end of Wayne's win, which earned the Warriors a home date against Cincinnati Woodward this Saturday, Nov. 1. The quarterback who led Wayne to the playoffs as a sophomore and lost his job to Braxton Miller as a junior, hurt his Achilles' tendon this past summer.

The senior begged and pleaded with his doctor to play during Senior Night. He did, if only briefly. The Wayne crowd roared its approval.

"It was something I wasn't expecting," Bitsko said. "It was pretty awesome, especially not knowing what was going on. I didn't expect the crowd to be so excited. It was pretty cool."

As for playing in the playoff game, Bitsko said: "It's 50-50. It's up to my doctor. I feel like I can help the team."

Wayne is one of several area teams to officially make the playoffs when they are announced today by the OHSAA.

The following matchups (higher seeds are host teams) are only projections, culled from various Internet sources including joeeitel.com.

Division I, Region 3

Area story line: What could have been. Beavercreek (5-5) had the hot start, Springfield (4-6) upset Centerville, but neither sustained that momentum, so Region 3 has no area playoff team.

Projected matchups: No. 1 Hilliard Davidson (9-1) vs. No. 8 Grove City (6-4); No. 4 Brookhaven (9-1) vs. No. 5 Worthington Kilbourne (8-2); No. 3 Upper Arlington (9-1)/Pickerington Central vs. No. 6 Delaware Hayes (7-3); No. 2 Upper Arlington/Pick. Central vs. No. 7 Marysville (7-3).

Statistically speaking: Springfield's 10 foes were a combined 65-35.

Favorites: Pick one. The top five teams are so close, the Upper Arlington/Pickerington Central debate will be decided by third-level points.

Darkhorse: Brookhaven has one loss by three points on the road at Hilliard Davidson.

D-I, Region 4

Area story line: Four GWOC Central teams made the playoffs, two will host and at least one will make the regional semifinals. Just two GCL South teams are in.

Projected matchups: No. 1 Colerain (9-1) vs. No. 8 Moeller (6-4); No. 4 Wayne (7-3) vs. No. 5 Woodward (10-0); No. 3 Elder (9-1) vs. No. 6 Centerville (7-3); No. 2 Northmont (9-1) vs. No. 7 Fairmont (7-3).

Statistically speaking: Last year, Wayne was the No. 9 team in Region 4 with an 8-2 record. This year, the Warriors are 7-3 and will play host.

Favorites: Colerain, Xavier/Moeller, Elder and Northmont.

Darkhorse: If Centerville upsets Elder, the sky might be the limit.

D-II, Region 6

Area story line: Greenville and Piqua each lost two home games, ended 9th and 10th.

Projected matchups: No. 1 Toledo Central Catholic (10-0) vs. No. 8 Powell Olentangy Liberty (7-3); No. 4 Medina Highland (9-1) vs. No. 5 Avon Lake (8-2); No. 3 Lexington (10-0) vs. No. 6 Lodi Cloverleaf (8-2); No. 2 Sylvania Southview (10-0) vs. No. 7 Lewis Center Olentangy (7-3).

Statistically speaking: Greenville lost out on eighth place by .16 — done in by Trotwood's last-second win over Vandalia Butler.

Favorites: The top three seeds are 10-0.

Darkhorse: Highland's only loss was in double overtime to Cloverleaf.

D-II, Region 8

Area story line: Dunbar wobbled in Week 9 against Withrow but beat Meadowdale to make the playoffs.

Projected matchups: No. 1 Winton Woods (9-1) vs. No. 8 Dunbar (8-2); No. 4 Turpin (9-1) vs. No. 5 Kings (7-3); No. 3 Anderson (8-2) vs. No. 6 Edgewood (8-2); No. 2 Tecumseh (10-0) vs. No. 7 Mount Orab Western Brown (10-0).

Statistically speaking: The region's two undefeated teams match up right away.

Favorites: Winton Woods, Tecumseh, Anderson.

Darkhorse: Western Brown's schedule not the best, but there's no losses yet.

D-III, Region 10

Area story line: Tippecanoe and St. Marys Memorial likely will lock horns in first round.

Projected matchups: No. 1 Avon (10-0) vs. No. 8 Defiance (8-2)/Urbana (9-1); No. 4 Bellevue (8-2) vs. No. 5 Tiffin Columbian (8-2); No. 3 Tippecanoe (9-1) vs. No. 6 St. Marys Memorial (8-2); No. 2 Clyde (9-1) vs. No. 7 Sunbury Big Walnut (8-2).

Statistically speaking: Urbana could be aced out of the No. 8 spot on a tie-breaker of third-level points.

Favorites: Avon, Clyde, Tippecanoe

Darkhorse: Memorial has a history of playing well in the playoffs.

D-III, Region 12

Area story line: Valley View, on a two-game slide, faces a road game while Franklin makes postseason.

Projected matchups: No. 1 Thornville Sheridan (10-0) vs. No. 8 Franklin (6-4); No. 4 Col. Eastmoor Academy (9-1) vs. No. 5 Valley View (7-3)/Canal Winchester (9-1); No. 3 Chillicothe (7-3) vs. No. 6 Valley View/Canal Winchester; No. 2 Circleville Logan Elm (10-0) vs. No. 7 Columbus Bexley (7-3).

Statistically speaking: The fifth and sixth seeds will be determined by third-level points; the lower-seeded team heads to Chillicothe.

Favorites: Sheridan, Logan Elm

Darkhorse: Eastmoor Academy's only loss is to a Marion Franklin, a 9-1 D-II team.

D-IV, Region 16

Area story line: Five area teams in one of Ohio's most loaded regions.

Projected matchups: No. 1 Coldwater (10-0) vs. No. 8 North College Hill (7-3); No. 4 Plain City Jonathan Alder (8-2) vs. No. 5 Oakwood (7-3); No. 3 Brookville (10-0) vs. No. 6 Alter (8-2); No. 2 Clinton-Massie (10-0) vs. No. 7 Hamilton Badin (7-3).

Statistically speaking: In the past six games, Coldwater has outscored its foes 232-20.

Favorites: Coldwater, Alter

Darkhorses: In any other region undefeated second- and third-seeded teams like Clinton-Massie and Brookville would be favorites. Not here.

D-V, Region 20

Area story line: Anna and Marion Local: Same time, same place — a Week 11 rematch from Week 10.

Projected matchups: No. 1 Cin. Hills Christian Academy (10-0) vs. No. 8 East Clinton (7-3); No. 4 West Jefferson (8-2) vs. No. 5 Miami East (9-1); No. 3 Waynesville (8-2) vs. No. 6 West Liberty-Salem (9-1); No. 2 Anna (9-1) vs. No. 7 Marion Local (8-2).

Statistically speaking: Anna averaged 37 points in five home games, even including a 23-0 loss to Coldwater.

Favorites: CHCA, Anna, Marion Local

Darkhorse: West Jefferson lost to unbeaten Mechanicsburg by six in Week 1.

D-VI, Region 24

Area story line: Two Cross County Conference teams make regional quarterfinals.

Projected matchups: No. 1 Mechanicsburg (10-0) vs. No. 8 New Miami (7-3); No. 4 Covington (8-2) vs. No. 5 Lockland (7-3); No. 3 Portsmouth Sciotoville (9-1) vs. No. 6 Springfield Catholic Central (7-3); No. 2 Lehman Catholic (8-1) vs. No. 7 Ansonia (7-3).

Statistically speaking: Some Saturday night results may have jumbled the 2-5 spots.

Favorites: Mechanicsburg, Lehman

Darkhorse: Sciotoville's lone loss was to an unbeaten West Virginia school.