Harvest Prep's game against Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary on Oct. 10 has been canceled by STVM, potentially affecting Harvest Prep's OHSAA playoff hopes.
The Harvest Prep football team’s scheduled Oct. 10 game against Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary has been canceled by STVM, citing a spate of injuries and skin infections within the program.
STVM, which is 0-6 this season, announced the cancellation Oct. 7 in a press release.
The move leaves Harvest Prep with eight scheduled games, the minimum required by the Ohio High School Athletic Association to compete in the playoffs.
The Warriors (2-4) currently are 14th in Division V, Region 19, two spots shy of the top-12 seeding needed to make the postseason.
“Very disappointed,” Harvest Prep coach Milan Smith said in a text message. He did not immediately respond to a follow-up text regarding a potential replacement game or the impact on the team’s playoff status.
The Warriors lost to Newmarket (Ontario) Huron Heights Secondary School 47-34 on Oct. 4, a game that does not count toward computer points per an OHSAA rule change from 2023. Harvest Prep’s record is listed as 2-3 in the official computer rankings released Oct. 7.
Harvest Prep’s remaining scheduled games are Oct. 17 at Westerville South (5-2) and Oct. 24 at home against KIPP Columbus (0-7).
The Warriors reached a Division V state semifinal in 2023 and a Region 19 semifinal last year, falling to eventual state champion Ironton.
If a team plays fewer than eight games, the divisor for end-of-season computer rankings will be eight, according to OHSAA rules.
STVM administrators said the team is unable to play this week given injuries and skin infections.
“Over the course of the season, several players on our varsity football team have endured injuries, some of which are season-ending,” the release said. “On top of that, we recently learned that additional players have been impacted by a bacterial skin infection. The combination of injuries and illness has affected our roster and our ability to safely compete, creating an evolving, ongoing health and well-being situation.”
STVM’s remaining games are both against teams that are currently 6-1, Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit and Cleveland Benedictine.
Contributing: Akron Beacon Journal
High school sports reporter Dave Purpura can be reached at [email protected] and at @dp_dispatch on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Akron STVM cancels Week 8 OHSAA football game against Harvest Prep
Category: General Sports
