North Baltimore is the most feel-good, unlikely undefeated team in Ohio high school football

Take I-75 South from Toledo, get about two-thirds of the way to Findlay, and hop off the highway at Route 18.

That's where you'll find the most feel-good, unlikely undefeated team in Ohio high school football: the North Baltimore Tigers.

The village, with a population of less than 4,000, was named in 1874 when the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad was extended to this point.

Never before, in 151 years, have Friday nights felt like this in North Baltimore.

The Tigers dominated their 10-game regular season schedule, with an eight-point win in Week 1 followed by nine consecutive wins by 28 points or more.

They're led by head coach Greg Bishop and a host of talent. That includes the big three offensive firepower of QB Luke Long, RB Brody Walter and wideout Cooper Clark.

Long was the NWCC Offensive Player of the Year, thanks in part to first-team blockers Leland Rader, Eli Mockenstrum and Drew Meggitt.

Mockenstrum, Meggitt and Clark were all first-team all-defense choices in the conference, too, along with linebacker Emmitt Heldberg.

And they're doing something North Baltimore hardly ever does on the gridiron.

This is a team that hadn't won more than six games in a season in 30 years, according to Ohio Fantastic 50.

They've never hosted a playoff game. They've never won a playoff game.

And here they are, trying to continue shocking everyone.

MORE: Why Ironton is out of the OHSAA playoffs in 2025

It's a quiet Week 11, with the Tigers the No. 2 seed in Division VII Region 26 and earning a bye in the 12-team regional playoff field.

In Week 12, they'll host the winner of (7) Pandora-Gilboa and (10) Arlington.

If you want to summarize the unlikeliness of this season, based solely on history, North Baltimore's  record since 2008 is 62-115.

The Tigers went 4-6 in the regular season last year, snuck into the playoffs and lost in the first round.

This year has been different. Their offense has been high-powered, and they haven't been stopped yet.

The high school football analytics websites in Ohio expect the Week 12 matchup to feature the best opponent North Baltimore has played all year. But that's the kind of test you expect this time of year.

It's just that it hasn't been an expectation for North Baltimore to reach this point of the season.

Now, the Tigers have arrived. They're in the playoffs. They'll be at home a week from Friday. And they'll try to keep this magical ride going.

MORE: This LeBron James, Alex Ovechkin stat is absolutely mind boggling