Sixth-ranked Pleasant plays No. 1 Eastwood for a Division V regional championship Friday at Lima's Spartan Stadium.
Eastwood is 12-0 for the first time in school history and ranked No. 1 in the last state poll.
Pleasant is 10-1 and ranked No. 6 in the final AP state poll.
The two teams played last year in the regional opener and Eastwood won 35-28.
MARION - In a season full of big games, this is the biggest. Against a bunch of outstanding teams on the schedule, this is the best.
"Eastwood is as good as it gets," Pleasant coach Aaron Cook said. "They are a state championship caliber team, no doubt about it. They are the number-one team in the state of Ohio for most of the season for a reason."
The sixth-ranked Spartans (10-1) get top-ranked Eastwood (12-0) in a Division V regional championship football game at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Lima Senior's Spartan Stadium.
"They are fundamentally sound. They are big and fast and quick and deep. There’s a reason they’re at the top of Division V right now. We are well aware of what they have coming back," Cook said.
Historically, Pleasant has had the Eagles' number, winning playoff games in 2007, 2008 and 2014. But last year, Eastwood controlled the tempo most of the game, then held off a late Pleasant charge to win 35-28 in a regional opener.
"I don’t remember much of them last year because I’ve tried to forget it right after it happened," junior quarterback and safety Ethan Warner said. "I remember last year that they had the freshman running back who was really good."
Eastwood sophomore Jaden Rayford didn't get worse in his second season. He's run for 1,724 yards and 29 touchdowns for an offense that averaged 368 yards with 329 coming on the ground.
"Jaden is a great player and as good a back as you’re going to see in high school football in any division,"' Cook said. "He’s the real deal. For a sophomore, he’s special. He plays the game the way it’s supposed to be."
Like Pleasant, the Eagles don't throw it much in the wing-T, but when they do, Jake Pickerel is effective. Eight of his 22 completions have gone for TDs.
Also like the Spartans, Eastwood features a dominate run-stopping defense. They've allowed 1,564 yards in 12 games with an average of just 40 yards coming on the ground.
"I knew when I walked off the field last year that that was going to be one heck of a team the following year and the front-runner to go win this thing. They are every bit of that," Cook said.
Eastwood has never been 12-0 in school history and has yet to win a football regional championship.
Jerry Rutherford, who coached the Eagles for 35 years and went 227-140 with 10 playoff appearances since 2002, retired in the offseason, giving control to his son Craig, 29.
"Our guys know that they have a chance to do something that is special; something that has never been done in school history," Rutherford said. "So that might sharpen things up a little bit, but the excitement is definitely still there."
Note: Jack Carle contributed to this story.
Region 17 at Canal Fulton: No. 1 Canfield South Range (12-0) vs. No. 3 Sullivan Black River (11-1).
Region 18 at Lima Senior's Spartan Stadium: No. 1 Eastwood (12-0) vs. No. 2 Pleasant (10-1).
Region 19 at Chillicothe: No. 1 Wheelersburg (12-0) vs. No. 3 Johnstown (10-2).
Region 20 at Beavercreek: No. 2 Middletown Madison (10-2) vs. No. 5 West Jefferson (12-0).
State semifinals: Friday, Nov. 24, at 7:30 p.m., sites to be determined. Region 17 vs. Region 18; Region 19 vs. Region 20.