Olentangy Berlin opens its OHSAA Division I boys soccer tournament at home Wednesday, Oct. 21, against Westerville South.
Kickoff is 7 p.m. at Berlin High School, 3140 Berlin Station Road. The Bears are the No. 10 seed in the Division I Central 4 district semifinal, according to the OHSAA tournament bracket. Westerville South enters as the No. 18 seed.
Head coach Josh Diehl's Bears have won two straight heading into the postseason. Berlin beat Lincoln 4-1 on the road Oct. 13 and shut out Grandview Heights 2-0 at home Oct. 10, according to MaxPreps. The Bears' last loss came Oct. 6, a 3-1 defeat to crosstown rival Olentangy.
Berlin sits fifth in its conference with a 7-5-5 league record and 0-3-2 in conference play, per MaxPreps.
Westerville South brings a 9-6-2 record into the matchup. The Wildcats beat Bishop Ready 3-0 on Oct. 10, The Westerville News reported. That was the last result listed before tournament play.
The eight-seed gap between the two teams gives Berlin home-field advantage, but Westerville South's 9-6-2 mark shows a squad capable of winning tight games. The Wildcats posted six losses and two draws across 17 decisions.
The winner of Wednesday's match advances to the district championship at 7 p.m. Oct. 28. A location for that game has not been announced. The district champion would then travel to the Region 4 tournament, with a regional matchup set for Wednesday, Nov. 4, against the Central 3 district winner.
The full OHSAA postseason calendar, as reported by WHIZ News, runs sectionals Oct. 19-24, districts Oct. 26-31, regionals Nov. 3-8 and the state tournament Nov. 10-16.
Berlin's first postseason test kicks off at 7 p.m. Wednesday on Berlin Station Road.
