JACKSON TWP. — The Jackson High School football team hosts Brunswick tonight in an OHSAA first-round playoff game.

The two meet in the opening round of Division I, Region 1. Jackson is the seventh seed, while Brunswick is No. 10. They each enter with 5-5 records.

Return here throughout the night for our live updates, to see who advances to play the second-seeded Mentor Cardinals, who are unbeaten.

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Eli Nichols runs for a 10-yard touchdown right up the middle for Brunswick. The Blue Devils cut the Jackson lead to 17-10 with 4:07 to play in the third quarter.

Cooper Mizeur makes a 37-yard field goal to extend the Jackson lead. The Polar Bears are up 17-3 with 6:48 to play in the third quarter.

Pass interference on Brunswick. We have six ejections because of unsportsmanlike conduct. Brayden Miles, Landen Kirchner, Gavin Moore and Devan Horay are gone for Brunswick. Corey Jacobs and Evan Beard are ejected for Jackson. If the Jackson lead stands, Jacobs and Beard are ineligible to play next week. It’s actually a two-week ban according to the OHSAA officiating observer here in the booth. If the players play another sport, these disqualifications will carry over. The end result is Jackson will get the ball at the Brunswick 35-yard line. I didn’t get a great look at it because of all the oddness going on during the last sequence and only saw the aftermath. What a mess.

As I was trying to describe the last situation, Brunswick had a blatant pass interference on a Jackson receiver. The Blue Devils intercepted it and returned it to midfield. Brunswick fumbled and Jackson dove on it. Brunswick pushed the Jackson player off the pile and a bunch of pushing and shoving broke out. I didn’t get a good view of it but we are going to have ejections. That skirmish went on for a while.

Brunswick is forced to punt. Jackson calls for a fair catch and muffs it. We had an inadvertent whistle and an unsportsmanlike conduct call on Brunswick after the play. Because of the whistle, Brunswick has to punt again but is backed up half the distance to the goal line because of the penalty. Jackson fields the punt and returns it down to the Brunswick 38-yard line. The Polar Bears are called for a hold and they back it up to the Jackson 48-yard line. Jackson takes over from that spot with a 14-3 lead. We have 7:58 to play in the third quarter.

Brunswick just completed an 81-yard touchdown pass but a chop block at the line of scrimmage calls it back. Big turn of events. Jackson leads Brunswick 14-3 with 9:10 left in the third quarter.

Jackson goes three-and-out to start the third quarter. The Polar Bear punt is downed at the Brunswick 1-yard line. The Blue Devils start the second half with their back to the wall here on offense.

Jackson’s Rocco Norch returns the opening kickoff to the second half out to the 40-yard line. The Brunswick kicker rips the helmet off of Norch in the process of trying to tackle him. Every referee threw a flag on that play. The end result is Jackson will start the second half at the Brunswick 46-yard line. Jackson leads 14-3.

The second half is getting set to get underway. Jackson leads 14-3. The Polar Bears will receive the ball to start the third quarter.

Lucas Ecrement is leading the way for the Jackson offense. Ecrement is 11-of-16 passing for 90 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He has also run for 38 yards and recovered one fumble and returned it 1-yard for a touchdown. Corey Jacobs leads Jackson in rushing with 50 yards on eight carries. Anthony Gamboa leads the Brunswick offense with four catches for 27 yards. The Jackson defense limited the Blue Devils to just three yards rushing in the first half.

Jackson takes a knee to run out the clock in the first half. Jackson leads 14-3 and will get the ball to start the third quaarter.

Vinny DiTeodoro just absolutely crushed a 48-yard field goal with 28 seconds to play in the first half for Brunswick. That kick had some room to spare and was right down the middle. It is freezing out here and wind is a factor. All I can say is wow. Jackson leads Brunswick 14-3.

Reese Myers just got free and sacked Brunswick quarterback Sean Barnett for a 14-yard loss. Barnett tried to shake Myers off and drug him backwards losing some more yards in the process.

Brunswick gets a big play from defensive back Landen Kirchner. Kirchner intercepts the pass and returns it to the Jackson. Brunswick and Jackson are both called for penalties on the play. It backs Brunswick up to the Jackson 40-yard line after the change of possession with 2:23 to play in the half. Jackson leads 14-0.

The Polar Bear defense is playing extremely well. Jackson is stuffing the run and contesting every pass. Jackson returns the punt to its own 34-yard line. The Polar Bears are called for a 5-yard facemask backing it up to the 29-yard line. Jackson takes over with a 14-0 lead and 2:40 to play in the second quarter.

Geno Szymanski hauls in a 40-yard touchdown pass from Lucas Ecrement. Szymanski made a nice catch and put some moves on the defenders and did the rest of the work himself. The pass was well covered. A Brunswick defender went for the interception and it snuck just past him into the arms of Szymanski. A second defender tried a shoulder tackle that Szymanski shrugged off. A third defender tried to dive and wrap him up but Szymanski evaded his grasp and took it to the corner of the end zone. The extra point is good. Jackson leads 14-0 with 4:21 to go in the second quarter.

Jackson goes for it on a fourth-and-1. The Polar Bears fumble but Jackson recovers and advances it past the sticks for a first down. The ball is definitely bouncing Jackson’s way. Jackson has a new set of downs at its own 42-yard line with a 7-0 lead. 6:48 left in the second quarter.

Brunswick picks up a first down for the first time this evening but is forced to punt. The Blue Devils get off an incredible 72-yard punt that rolls down to the Jackson 2-yard line. Jackson leads 7-0 with 9:21 to go in the second quarter.

Jackson leads Brunswick 7-0 after the first quarter. The Blue Devils will have a second-and-11 from their own 19 yard line to start the second quarter.

A heads-up play by quarterback Lucas Ecrement results in a Jackson touchdown. The Polar Bear running back had the ball knocked out at the goal line by a Brunswick helmet and it shot back to Ecrement who picked it up and ran it in from 1-yard out for a Jackson touchdown. Polar Bears lead 7-0 after a successful extra point with just 23 seconds left in the first quarter.

Brunswick fumbles on the first play after the turnover on downs and the Polar Bears were able to recover at the Blue Devil 24-yard line. Jackson offense is back out on the field.

The Polar Bears strung together some first downs but Brunswick forces a turnover on downs at the Blue Devil 30-yard line with 2:19 to play in the first quarter. No score at Jackson.

Brunswick is forced to punt after a three-and-out. The Blue Devils initially kept the offense out to try and draw Jackson offsides and took a delay of game penalty. The punt is away and is downed at the 29. The Polar Bears are called for a personal foul on the play. That backs Jackson up to the 14-yard line. No score with 5:33 to play in the first quarter.

Jackson is punting the ball away. Brunswick calls for a fair catch at the Brunswick 30-yard line. Blue Devil offense takes over from that spot. No score with 6:51 left in the first quarter.

Max Cowles comes up with an interception on a fourth-and-3 play to give Jackson the ball at its own 26-yard line. Quarterback Lucas Ecrement and the Jackson offense are taking the field.

Brunswick opens with a quick series. Jackson fumbles the punt after a blocker ran into the return man when he wasn’t expecting it. Brunswick recovers on the Polar Bear 44 and will send the offense back out.

Brunswick returned the opening kickoff to its own 29-yard line. Week 11 is officially underway!

No.-seed 7 Jackson has won the coin toss and elected to defer. No. 10-seed Brunswick will receive the opening kickoff tonight. We are just over 20 minutes away from kickoff. The winner of this game will travel to No. 2-seed Mentor next week in Division I, Region 1.

I’m in place at Robert Fife Stadium where Jackson is getting set to host Brunswick in a playoff game. It is a chilly fall night and both teams are on the field warming up. Jackson will be wearing the all purple uniforms with a gold helmet tonight. Brunswick is going with all white pants, jerseys and helmets. Stay tuned for updates! I’ll have live updates once we get underway tonight.

Jackson Polar Bears football scores, schedule Fri., Aug. 22, Chardon | WIN 35-13 | Recap | StoryFri., Aug. 29, at Fitch | Loss 41-3 | RecapFri., Sept. 5, St. Francis (N.Y.) | Loss 42-35 | RecapFri., Sept. 12, Mayfield | WIN 33-6 | RecapFri., Sept. 19, Green | WIN 38-35 | RecapFri., Sept. 26, Perry  | Loss 21-19 | StoryFri., Oct. 3, at Lake | WIN 40-37 | StoryFri., Oct. 10, at GlenOak | WIN 21-10 | RecapFri., Oct. 17, McKinley | Loss 40-9 | StoryFri., Oct. 24, at Hoover | Loss 35-14 | StoryDIVISION I PLAYOFFSFri., Oct. 31, BrunswickOhio high school football playoffs | OHSAA bracket for Division I, Region 1No. 9 Cleveland Heights (5-5) at No. 8 Berea-Midpark (6-4)No. 1 St. Edward (8-2), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 8 vs. No. 9No. 10 Brunswick (5-5) at No. 7 Jackson (5-5)No. 2 Mentor (10-0), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 7 vs. No. 10No. 11 Medina (3-7) at No. 6 Strongsville (8-2)No. 3 Canton McKinley (8-2), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 6 vs. No. 11No. 12 St. Ignatius (1-9) at No. 5 Perrysburg (8-2)No. 4 Tol. Whitmer (8-2), first-round bye, hosts winner of No. 5 vs. No. 12

Reach Cliff at cliff.hickman@cantonrep.com

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The Canton Repository sports department can be contacted via email at sports@cantonrep.com.