ROMM PHOTOGRAPHY

Junior running back Ben Gedeon and the Hudson Explorers have advanced to the second round of the OHSAA Division I state playoffs. Hudson rallied for a thrilling 35-28 overtime victory over Findlay in its postseason opener.

Largely thanks to the league’s nonsensical scheduling format, only three Northeast Ohio Conference football teams made the OHSAA state playoffs.

All three of those squads, however, made the 18-team circuit look good by winning their first-round postseason games at home.

In Division I, Region 2, Hudson rallied late to steal a 35-28 overtime triumph over Findlay. The host Explorers forced OT with 51 seconds left in regulation on a 1-yard touchdown run by fullback Steve Nagy, then won it on a 20-yard TD pass from quarterback David Nelson to wide receiver Tim Kennedy.

Nelson's scoring toss came via a flea-flicker from running back Ben Gedeon -- on the opening play of OT -- and was followed by a critical extra point from Pierce Royster. Hudson's defense subsequently held Findlay without a first down on its possession, setting off a celebration at Dante Lavelli Stadium.

As a result, the third-seeded Explorers (10-1) will face their old rival in the Suburban League, seventh-seeded Wadsworth (10-1), at Fawcett Stadium in Canton. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Saturday.

In Division I, Region 1, Mentor crushed Cleveland John F. Kennedy 48-16, and Solon stomped Willoughby South 37-12.

Those results set the stage for an NOC rematch from Week 7 -- this time on a much bigger stage -- in the second round of the playoffs.

The top-seeded Cardinals (10-1) will battle the No. 5 seed Comets (10-1) at Byers Field in Parma. Kickoff also will take place at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Five weeks ago, Mentor quarterback Mitch Trubisky threw four touchdown passes and kicker Tomislav Derezic made a 50-yard field goal as the Cardinals rolled to a 44-20 victory over the Comets.

That marked the first loss of the season for Solon, which got three scores from quarterback Pat Kramer. The Comets had only allowed 35 total points in their first six contests.

2011 NORTHEAST OHIO CONFERENCE GAME-BY-GAME RESULTS

Valley Division champions: Mentor, Solon, Twinsburg

River Division champion: Hudson

Lake Division champions: Garfield Heights, Brush

VALLEY DIVISION

MENTOR (10-1, 4-1 / 474-188): Beat Euclid 49-21 ... Beat Youngstown Ursuline 38-27 ... Beat Cleveland St. Ignatius 38-24 ... Beat Mayfield 52-14 ... Beat Parma 49-0 ... Beat Brunswick 38-14 ... Beat Solon 44-20 ... Beat Medina 45-7 ... Beat Strongsville 38-7 ... Lost to Twinsburg 35-38 ... PLAYOFFS: Beat Cleveland John F. Kennedy 48-16

SOLON (10-1, 4-1 / 401-129): Beat Shaker Heights 34-13 ... Beat Worthington Kilbourne 34-0 ... Beat Akron Buchtel 28-2 ... Beat North Royalton 62-20 ... Beat Normandy 48-0 ... Beat Medina 17-0 ... Lost to Mentor 20-44 ... Beat Twinsburg 27-21 (OT) ... Beat Brunswick 56-3 ... Beat Strongsville 38-14 ... PLAYOFFS: Beat Willoughby South 37-12

Twinsburg (7-3, 4-1 / 325-206): Lost to Aurora 7-19 ... Beat Nordonia 38-7 ... Beat Lancaster 35-27 ... Lost to Stow 24-27 (2OT) ... Beat Brush 48-27 ... Beat Strongsville 35-9 ... Beat Brunswick 42-21 ... Lost to Solon 21-27 (OT) ... Beat Medina 37-7 ... Beat Mentor 38-35

Medina (4-6, 2-3 / 183-225): Lost to Mayfield 21-37 ... Beat Cloverleaf 43-6 ... Lost to Wadsworth 6-23 ... Beat Cuyahoga Falls 47-13 ... Lost to Lakewood 15-20 ... Lost to Solon 0-17 ... Beat Strongsville 30-27 (3OT) ... Lost to Mentor 7-45 ... Lost to Twinsburg 7-37 ... Beat Brunswick 7-0

Brunswick (6-4, 1-4 / 222-276): Beat Parma Padua 21-20 ... Beat Euclid 42-37 ... Beat Parma 24-0 ... Beat Hudson 31-28 ... Beat Garfield Heights 35-34 ... Lost to Mentor 14-38 ... Lost to Twinsburg 21-42 ... Beat Strongsville 31-14 ... Lost to Solon 3-56 ... Lost to Medina 0-7

Strongsville (1-9, 0-5 / 149-283): Lost to Mentor Lake Catholic 15-21 ... Lost to Gahanna Lincoln 0-31 ... Lost to Parma Padua 7-21 ... Lost to Elyria 21-38 ... Beat Valley Forge 35-0 ... Lost to Twinsburg 9-35 ... Lost to Medina 27-30 (3OT) ... Lost to Brunswick 14-31 ... Lost to Mentor 7-38 ... Lost to Solon 14-38

RIVER DIVISION

HUDSON (10-1, 5-0 / 296-144): Beat Chagrin Falls Kenston 35-0 ... Beat Uniontown Lake 14-6 ... Beat Brecksville 41-14 ... Lost to Brunswick 28-31 ... Beat Cuyahoga Falls 26-7 ... Beat Garfield Heights 34-6 ... Beat Stow 6-0 ... Beat Mayfield 19-14 ... Beat Elyria 27-21 ... Beat North Royalton 31-17 ... PLAYOFFS: Beat Findlay 35-28

Mayfield (6-4, 4-1 / 212-210): Beat Medina 37-21 ... Lost to Willoughby South 28-35 ... Lost to Olmsted Falls 0-14 ... Lost to Mentor 14-52 ... Beat Stow 14-7 ... Beat Brush 10-7 ... Beat North Royalton 21-20 ... Lost to Hudson 14-19 ... Beat Cuyahoga Falls 28-7 ... Beat Elyria 46-28

North Royalton (5-5, 3-2 / 224-229): Lost to Brecksville 26-31 ... Beat Revere 31-12 ... Lost to Highland 7-21 ... Lost to Solon 20-62 ... Beat Elyria 30-14 ... Beat Normandy 28-7 ... Lost to Mayfield 20-21 ... Beat Cuyahoga Falls 35-27 ... Beat Stow 10-3 ... Lost to Hudson 17-31

Elyria (7-3, 2-3 / 354-185): Beat Amherst Steele 55-0 ... Beat North Olmsted 48-0 ... Beat Elyria Catholic 37-14 ... Beat Strongsville 38-21 ... Lost to North Royalton 14-30 ... Beat Valley Forge 33-7 ... Beat Cuyahoga Falls 49-14 ... Beat Stow 31-26 ... Lost to Hudson 21-27 ... Lost to Mayfield 28-46

Stow (4-6, 1-4 / 198-201): Beat North Canton Hoover 27-17 ... Lost to Kent Roosevelt 28-55 ... Beat Akron Firestone 21-6 ... Beat Twinsburg 27-24 (2OT) ... Lost to Mayfield 7-14 ... Lost to Parma 17-31 ... Lost to Hudson 0-6 ... Lost to Elyria 26-31 ... Lost to North Royalton 3-10 ... Beat Cuyahoga Falls 42-7

Cuyahoga Falls (1-9, 0-5 / 157-368): Beat Barberton 44-27 ... Lost to Eastlake North 21-28 ... Lost to Kent Roosevelt 17-50 ... Lost to Medina 13-47 ... Lost to Hudson 7-26 ... Lost to Lakewood 0-36 ... Lost to Elyria 14-49 ... Lost to North Royalton 27-35 ... Lost to Mayfield 7-28 ... Lost to Stow 7-42

LAKE DIVISION

Garfield Heights (5-5, 4-1 / 239-265): Lost to East Cleveland Shaw 19-36 ... Beat Warrensville Heights 41-40 (OT) ... Lost to North Ridgeville 6-13 ... Lost to Normandy 13-27 ... Lost to Brunswick 34-35 ... Lost to Hudson 6-34 ... Beat Parma 19-14 ... Beat Valley Forge 32-13 ... Beat Lakewood 28-26 ... Beat Brush 41-27

Brush (4-6, 4-1 / 288-245): Lost to Eastlake North 20-51 ... Lost to Madison 35-42 ... Lost to Chagrin Falls Kenston 27-31 ... Beat Valley Forge 42-12 ... Lost to Twinsburg 27-48 ... Lost to Mayfield 7-10 ... Beat Normandy 34-0 ... Beat Lakewood 20-0 ... Beat Parma 49-10 ... Lost to Garfield Heights 27-41

Lakewood (6-4, 2-3 / 216-139): Beat Cleveland Lincoln-West 41-6 ... Lost to North Ridgeville 14-21 ... Beat North Olmsted 34-14 ... Lost to Parma 14-28 ... Beat Medina 20-15 ... Beat Cuyahoga Falls 36-0 ... Beat Valley Forge 17-0 ... Lost to Brush 0-20 ... Lost to Garfield Heights 26-28 ... Beat Normandy 14-7 (OT)

Parma (4-6, 2-3 / 148-242): Beat Middleburg Heights Midpark 13-7 ... Lost to Lorain 13-35 ... Lost to Brunswick 0-24 ... Beat Lakewood 28-14 ... Lost to Mentor 0-49 ... Beat Stow 31-17 ... Lost to Garfield Heights 14-19 ... Beat Normandy 27-7 ... Lost to Brush 10-49 ... Lost to Valley Forge 12-21

Normandy (3-7, 2-3 / 112-230): Lost to Kenmore 0-7 ... Beat Akron East 29-6 ... Lost to Berea 14-39 ... Beat Garfield Heights 27-13 ... Lost to Solon 0-48 ... Lost to North Royalton 7-28 ... Lost to Brush 0-34 ... Lost to Parma 7-27 ... Beat Valley Forge 21-14 ... Lost to Lakewood 7-14 (OT)

Valley Forge (1-9, 1-4 / 105-309): Lost to North Olmsted 0-27 ... Lost to Middleburg Heights Midpark 10-44 ... Lost to Parma Heights Holy Name 28-46 ... Lost to Brush 12-42 ... Lost to Strongsville 0-35 ... Lost to Elyria 7-33 ... Lost to Lakewood 0-17 ... Lost to Garfield Heights 13-32 ... Lost to Normandy 14-21 ... Beat Parma 21-12