Doug Ramsey looks at the two teams competing for the Division I state title and says the amazing thing is not their differences but how much they have in common.

“This is two fairly similar teams playing against each other,” Cincinnati Elder’s coach said, comparing his squad with Cleveland St. Ignatius. “Sure, the offenses are different. The defense are different. But both have similar kinds of players.”

It takes a certain kind of player to produce a combined 11 (nine by St. Ignatius, two for Elder) state playoff titles. Only a select few schools collect those types of players, hoard them, even. And several of those schools are back at the 37th annual football finals this Friday and Saturday in Stark County.

A common question for St. Ignatius coach Chuck Kyle is, how does this team compare with (fill in the blank) team that won a championship? Kyle refuses the invitation to step into that trap.

“The way I look at it, you have children. Your children are special, they’re unique,” Kyle said. “Every one of those teams was unique, with strengths and weaknesses and distinct personalities.”

The Elder-St. Ignatius game, to be played Saturday night at Canton Fawcett Stadium, is just one of an array of highly anticipated championship games alternating between Canton’s Fawcett Stadium and Massillon’s Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.

Things get under way on Friday morning with No. 11 Delphos St. John’s (12-2), which has won four state titles, going up against the No. 1 team in the final Associated Press regular-season poll, Bascom Hopewell-Loudon (14-0) for the Division VI crown.

Next, the Big Red of second-ranked Steubenville (14-0), who have captured three playoff titles, take on No. 5 Kettering Alter (12-2) to decide the top dogs in Division IV.

That game is a rematch of the Division III championship game two years ago between the two ultrasuccessful programs, won by Steubenville, 34-33.