Rick Haynes has been around high school football long enough to know that sometimes, it’s not who you beat that counts as much as who your opponent beats.

“I just want to thank (Northmont head coach) Lance Schneider for beating Wayne for us,” said Haynes, who directed Lakota East’s clutch late-season drive into the postseason.

“If they hadn’t won that (Week 10 game), we probably wouldn’t have been in (the playoffs). Good for them and good for us, too.”

East (7-3) joins Edgewood (7-3) as the only area teams to earn a postseason invite.

East is headed to unbeaten Springboro (10-0) in a Division I, Region 4 first-round matchup on Saturday. Edgewood opens at Winton Woods (7-3) in a D-II, Region 8 first-rounder on Friday.

There were 192 teams throughout Ohio that qualified for the state high school football playoffs. There are six divisions, with 32 teams in each division. Each division is made up of four regions of eight teams.

It takes five weeks to win a state title, culminating with championship weekend at Canton and Massillon on Nov. 30-Dec. 1.

Divisions II, IV and VI will play on Friday throughout the postseason. Divisions I, III and V will play on Saturday. This is the 41st year for playoffs in Ohio.

Qualifying is based on a computer point system that rewards teams for points earned for wins and second-level points for wins earn by beaten opponents. The top four seeds in each region host first-round games. All the following playoff games will be held at neutral sites.

The Ohio High School Athletic Association announced first-round matchups on Sunday afternoon.

East defeated Northmont 17-14 in Week 3, the Thunderhawks’ final non-conference game. The second-level points that East received from Northmont beating Wayne 14-11 last Friday was enough to secure the No. 7 seed, just ahead of St. Xavier.

None of that would have mattered had East not knocked off rival Lakota West 33-21 in last Friday’s regular-season finale. East hadn’t beat West since 2004.

“It’s good to get that monkey off of our back,” admitted Haynes.

It also left West (8-2) reeling with its second straight setback, including a Week 9 loss to unbeaten Colerain. Seemingly playoff bound, instead West must watch its rival’s season extend.

It’s the first D-I playoff invite for both Edgewood and Springboro.

“We’re excited,” Haynes said. “It’ll be fun.”

It didn’t take long for first-year Edgewood coach Scott Clemmons to return the Cougars to postseason contention. Edgewood handed Mount Healthy its only setback two weeks ago, 14-10, to get back into playoff contention after a midseason dip.

Edgewood was in the playoffs 10 times from 1997-2008 under former coach Steve Channell, now the head coach at Miamisburg. Clemmons was an assistant to Channell for most of those playoff teams.

“This is all about a community and a group of young men and their parents who bought into what we were doing as far as what it would take to get back into the playoffs and the commitment that it would take,” said Clemmons.

Edgewood has played Winton Woods twice, winning both in 2006-07 when they were Fort Ancient Valley Conference members.

“If you’re not playing to win a league championship or get to the state playoffs, you shouldn’t be coaching at all,” Clemmons said.

“That was our goal. Even though we don’t have a league title, the second part of that is still in place.”