Parma, Ohio- Week 10 of the OHSAA Football season is here, and so is crunch time. Some teams already know their playoff fate, but the majority of the state can change their fate in a positive or negative way this weekend. The Parma Holy War, Padua Vs Holy Name, is no exception, as both teams still have to officially clinch a playoff berth.

Padua opens as 1-point favorites via Drew Pasteur’s fantastic 50 (Just as they did for the D3 Region 10 Championship in November 2022). The Bruins have a 97% chance to make the postseason and are currently projected to be the #9 seed. Just like their rivals, Holy Name also has a 97% chance to make it to the postseason, but also a 16% chance to host a playoff game for the 1st time since their magical 2022 Final Four run.

Excluding major upsets and unlikely scenarios, 5 teams are fighting for the final 4 spots in Region 10. Beyond the Parma Holy War teams, Maumee, Midview, and Shawnee are all in the mix as well. If every game goes the way it’s projected, 9-12 would be Padua, Maumee, Midview, and Holy Name. That leaves Shawnee, the team that knocked the Namers out a season ago, on the outskirts of the postseason.

The Indians hold the keys to this region’s shakeup; if they win, they will fall into the 6-11 range. The issue: Shawnee battles 9-0 Ottawa-Glandorf. While the Titans enter as 19-point favorites, the Indians won last year’s matchup.

As for the other fringe-playoff teams, Madison Comprehensive would need to beat 1-8 Mansfield Senior (21-point favorites), and get some help from Midview and the Middies’ opponents. Elyria Catholic would need to beat CVCA (12-point underdogs) and need help from a few teams in front. Akron Buchtel, despite vacating some wins, would need to upset Akron East (20-point underdogs) and outside help to make the postseason, but still has a chance. Finally, Toldeo Scott and Lutheran West would need to each earn 40+ point upset wins over Lima Senior (8-1) and Willoughby South (9-0) to even have an outside chance.

Taking a look at the favorites, Padua Franciscan sophomore quarterback Donavin Friscone leads the offense with 1231 yards, 11 TD’s, and 10 INT’s. The Bruins’ run game solely falls on sophomore Maks Karasek, who has 875 Yards on 145 attempts and 7 TDs. The next closest runner is Jacob O’Hara with 73 yards. In the air, Trey Gasparro leads the team with 373 yards and 2 TD’s. However, Jack Boswell’s 3 TD’s lead the way despite ranking 3rd in yards and 4th in receptions.

As for the defense, Nick Kelly continues to lead the unit with 61 total tackles and 11 TFL’s. Jack Misso leads the team with 4.5 sacks out of Padua’s 13 total. In the air, the Bruins have amassed 6 INT’s, led by Gasparro’s 2 (the only Bruin with more than 1). Boswell helps Gasparro man the skies with 4 PD’s (tied team-high) and 3 forced fumbles (team high). He also has the lone blocked punt.

Holy Name, just like Padua, has a new quarterback this season. Enter junior Luke Hudak. Wearing #20 in 2025, Hudak was a defensive standout in the secondary for the Green Wave, but has bid Coach Patton’s defense farewell. Colt Troy and Kayden Parker lead the ground attack for HN, with both runners having big games. This running back room is the definition of 1A and 1B. However, the best single-game performance for either back came against Elyria Catholic. In this game, Parker ran the ball 16 times, gaining 257 yds, and scoring 3 TD’s en route to a 33-14 win.

Eso Gonzalez has been Hudak’s favorite target this year, with Patrick Kelley and Tommy Rodriguez also getting more looks than a year ago. For the most part, the receiving core has been revamped from 2025, given the departures of Xavier Rodriguez (Capital), Nick Nemeth (Tri-C Baseball), Brendon Preisel (Miami OH, Non-Athlete), and Carter Varga (IR, Out for the Season).

However, the Namers’ leader has been Tommy Onkto. He has quickly become one of Hudak’s favorite targets and an all-around force for Holy Name. In a tough loss to NDCL, Ontko scored a touchdown on offense, defense, and special teams. Even that doesn’t tell the story of who he is as a captain. On October 2nd, the Namers’ game at CVCA was suspended for 30 minutes as an ambulance carted Ontko off.

However, he was able to play the next week after doctors cleared him. Most players would’ve stepped away, but that’s not who Tommy Onkto is. While he did leave the Lake Catholic game early in the 3rd quarter, his status for Week 10 hasn’t been confirmed. Even if he can’t go, Onkto proved why he was named a captain. It was never just about amazing performances; it was about being resilient. Following in the footsteps of his father, Kevin, and brother John, Tommy continues the Onkto family legacy, leaving his unique mark on Holy Name.

Now, the matchup itself. Padua leads the series 14-9 in the MaxPreps era (since 2004), but has lost 6 of the last 7. The only win during this stretch came back in 2023 at North Royalton HS, as the Bruins won 21-9 in Kevin Kubit’s 1st game as head coach. For fans of both offense and defense, this rivalry has featured both. The highest-scoring matchup came in 2012, as the Namers edged out a 43-42 win. Recently, defense has told the story. In 2024, Holy Name won 13-7 with a defensive stand on the final play to ensure the win. The 20 combined points rank is tied for the 2nd-lowest score since 2004. The lowest came last year: a 14-3 win for the Namers at Brooklyn Memorial Stadium.

The final wrinkle for this matchup is senior night for Padua. The class of 2027 will have an extra chip on their shoulder to beat their rivals for the 1st time at home since 2019. The senior night ceremony is scheduled to begin at 6:20 PM. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 PM at Padua Stadium on the campus of Padua Franciscan High School.

To watch the game, tune in on the SmeeSports YouTube Channel starting at 5:30 PM for the SmeeSports Pregame Show. We will go over the matchup, each team in depth, make predictions for local games, and give our keys to victory. Nathan Smee and Cameron Ragazzo will be on the call for their 4th Parma Holy War in football together. However, this will be Smee’s 6th, as he ran the Holy Name Broadcasting camera in 2021 and called the D3 Region 10 Championship with Damian Webb in 2022, also for Holy Name Broadcasting.

Broadcast Link: https://www.youtube.com/live/AZHn2ly3a5U?si=tnGI6hrYUrAsFvqx

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