Sometimes, the two best teams in the state meet before the championship game.
That looks to be the case in OHSAA's Division II, when Avon and Walsh Jesuit will clash in a state semifinal on Friday night at the University of Akron.
In fact, these aren't just the two best teams in D-II.
Drew Pasteur's Fantastic 50 ranks Avon and Walsh as the Nos. 1 and 2 teams in the state for any division (for reference, D-III Toledo Central Catholic is No. 3, followed by D-I's St. Edwards at No. 4).
It's a matchup with great narratives, too.
Avon is the defending Division II state champion. They made school history last December on a snowy day in Canton.
Walsh hadn't been here in a while. They couldn't get past crosstown rival Archbishop Hoban.
Hoban ended Walsh's season each of the last two years. But this time around, Walsh beat Hoban in the regional final to move on.
This will be Walsh's first appearance in the state semifinal round since the 1999 season, when the Warriors went all the way and won a state title.
There's simply no better game on the slate in Ohio on Friday night.
The other D-II semifinal pits Anderson against Big Walnut. One of them will reach the state final, too.
But the numbers say the state champion will emerge from Avon against Walsh. It doesn't get much better than this.
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