An area record 21 high school football teams have qualified for the playoffs this season. In most cases, the area playoff teams will be facing brand-new foes. But in other cases, area teams will be squaring off against teams they faced and defeated earlier this season. The term “familiarity breeds contempt” suggest “knowing a person or situation so well that one loses respect or is careless when the person or situation arises.” In the cases of Mentor, Geneva and Berkshire, resting on laurels achieved earlier this season could mean an earlier-than-expected exit from postseason play, which begins this week. Mentor (10-0) hosts St. Ignatius (1-9) in a Division I, Region 1 opener on Nov. 1. The game is a rematch of the Cardinals’ 20-14 win over the Wildcats in Week 2 of the regular season. Geneva (9-1) hosts Madison (7-3) in a Division III, Region 9 opener on Nov. 1 in a rematch of the Eagles’ 21-14 win over the Blue Streaks in Week 9. Berkshire (7-3) hosts Chagrin Falls (6-4) in a Division V, Region 17 opener on Nov. 1. The scouting film for that game should be fresh, since the Badgers defeated the Tigers, 13-6, three days ago. “Familiarity is a positive and a negative,” said Berkshire coach Josh DeWeese. “Going in knowing what to expect is wonderful, but they’ve got the same thing going on knowing about us.” Geneva coach Don Shymske agreed. It was just two weeks ago that his Eagles got ramped up emotionally to play their biggest rival — the nextdoor neighbor Blue Streaks — and now they’ve got to do it all over again. “It’s nice that we know the schemes and players,” Shymske said, “but that was a real physical matchup. You spend all week caught up in the emotion of a rivalry game, then you’ve got to play them again. I don’t know how say this delicately, but it would have been nice to play someone else.” Mentor coach Matt Gray is likely feeling the same thing. Even though a few months have passed since his Cardinals defeated the Wildcats, the six-point margin was Mentor’s closest game of the season. “We played them twice in 2021 and last year too,” Gray said. “Seems like we’re destined to meet up again. We have a lot of respect for that team. They have a very good team and they play an incredibly difficult schedule. Their record is deceiving. “There are some things you can take from the first game way back in Week 2, but we both know that we’re both very different teams than we were nine weeks ago.” A fourth first-round game that is a rematch swings the other way in that Riverside (4-6) travels to Green (6-4) in a Division II, Region 5 opener. The teams met in Week 3 with Green posting a 17-10 win. “Funny thing is, I went 20-some years without a rematch and now we’ve got back-to-back,” said Riverside coach Jeremy Ishmael, noting last year’s double-dip with Maple Heights. “I don’t mind it, to be honest. Having a little familiarity is nice, having seen them and played them already. Some of the things you wish you would have done differently or better, you get an opportunity to do them.” Aside from the four area games that feature rematches, other first-round games are as follows. All games will be played on Friday, Nov. 1. • Mayfield (5-5) travels to Austintown Fitch (7-3) in a Division II, Region 5 opener. • South (3-7) travels to Walsh Jesuit (10-0) in a Division II, Region 5 opener. • Gilmour (9-1) hosts Akron East (6-4) in a Division III, Region 9 opener. • University (4-5) travels to CVCA (8-1) in a Division III, Region 9 opener. • Chardon (7-2) hosts Tallmadge (7-3) in a Division III, Region 9 opener. • Kenston (7-3) hosts Maple Heights (7-3) in a Division III, Region 9 opener. • Hawken (8-2) hosts VASJ (7-2) in a Division III, Region 9 opener. • Benedictine (8-2) hosts Tiffin Columbian (4-6) in a Division III, Region 10 opener in a game to be played at Brooklyn High School. • Lake Catholic (10-0) hosts Ravenna (4-6) in a Division IV, Region 13 opener in a game that will be played at North’s Nick Carter Stadium (since Mentor is playing at home that night, as well). • Perry (9-1) will host Akron Buchtel (4-6) in a Division IV, Region 13 opener. • NDCL (5-5) be the road team against Glenville (7-3) at Warrensville Heights in a Division IV, Region 13 opener. • Kirtland (10-0) will host Rootstown (4-6) in a Division VI, Region 21 opener. • Wickliffe (7-3) will travel to Toronto (7-3) for a Division VI, Region 21 opener. – Fairport (5-4) will travel to Jeromesville Hillsdale (9-1) in a Division VII, Region 25 opener. –