Central Ohio high school football: 5 things to watch in Week 2
One of the most impressive things to watch during the unpredictability of the past two school years was the ability of prep athletes and coaches to adjust at a moment's notice.
We’re seeing it again with the Columbus City Schools teaches strike, causing the cancellation of Week 2 football games involving City League programs.
With the possibility looming a few days before the strike was announced, teams such as Delaware Hayes and St. Charles began talking about a potential matchup if the Pacers’ game against Marion-Franklin and the Cardinals’ game against Beechcroft were postponed.
Once that became official, Delaware and St. Charles agreed to play Aug. 26, with Hamilton Township against Bexley and Whitehall-Yearling against Dayton Dunbar also being set up for that night after their original opponents were forced to cancel.
The Delaware-St. Charles matchup could have long-term implications regarding playoff positioning since both teams won their openers.
For City programs, they can only hope things are settled before too much time is lost. They must play eight games to be eligible for the playoffs.
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Here are five things to watch in Week 2 :
1. New Albany and Canal Winchester enter their matchup looking to build on Week 1 wins.
One of the biggest eye-openers of Week 1 was the margin of New Albany's 35-0 victory at Marysville.
The Eagles have a new coach in Brian Finn and a new quarterback in Luka Garver but looked like the same powerhouse as a season ago when they went 12-1, outgaining the Monarchs 307-115 as Christian Manville rushed for three touchdowns and Garver threw for two scores.
Their next task Aug. 26 at home is typically tough Canal Winchester, which defeated Groveport Madison 14-0 in its opener as it forced three turnovers.
The biggest question will be whether the Indians can improve offensively after accumulating fewer than 200 yards.
2. CCL powers DeSales, Hartley set for Week 2 challenges.
DeSales opened with a 28-0 win over Dresden Tri-Valley, which went 8-2 last season, and travels Aug. 26 to Hamilton Badin for what promises to be a much tougher matchup.
Coming off a Division III state runner-up finish, Badin opened with a 34-3 win over Cleveland Villa-Angela St. Joseph. The Rams feature Cincinnati recruit Braedyn Moore at wide receiver and defensive back.
Hartley left its opener, a 35-7 loss to Big Walnut, believing its struggles in many cases were correctable. The Hawks travel Aug. 26 to Harvest Prep, which lost to Hartley 21-14 last year but opened this season by beating Bloom-Carroll, a Division IV state semifinalist a year ago, 20-7.
More:Nate Severs welcomes new Big Walnut stadium with 4 TD night in win over Hartley
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3. Buckle up for what could be an entertaining game between Olentangy programs Berlin and Orange.
Orange was the heartbreak kid last year, losing two games in overtime and being generally competitive in almost every game while going 1-9.
Naturally, the Pioneers hope their opening 22-21 win over Hilliard Darby was a sign of things to come. Jakivion Calip rushed for a 6-yard touchdown in the final minute and ran for the winning two-point conversion.
Berlin, which plays host to Orange on Aug. 26, was on the other side in its opener as quarterback Harrison Brewster and running back Mason Ziegler both rushed for more than 100 yards in a 31-28 loss to Hilliard Bradley.
The Bears beat Orange 31-24 in overtime last season.
4. Westerville, Worthington, Hilliard sister-school matchups provide early season intrigue.
After Westerville Central beat Westerville North 23-20 on a hook-and-lateral play, the Warhawks will look to strike again when they visit Westerville South on Aug. 26 for the first game on the Wildcats’ new field. The Wildcats opened with an impressive 30-7 win over Olentangy.
Another meeting of 1-0 teams will take place when Worthington Kilbourne plays host to Thomas Worthington. The Wolves defeated Watkins Memorial 32-21 while the Cardinals blew out Beechcroft 44-6.
In Hilliard, Bradley will look to avenge a 21-13 loss to Darby from last season when it plays host to the Panthers.
5. Pickerington Central, Pickerington North should be tested during road trips.
Two of the area’s top Division I teams, Pickerington Central and North, will go on the road after dominating Olentangy Liberty (42-0) and Lancaster (53-0), respectively.
The Tigers will make their first trip to what is known as “The Pit,” the stadium that is home to Cincinnati Elder. Central beat Elder 21-14 in the 2019 Division I state title game and is 3-1 against the Panthers under coach Jay Sharrett.
North will travel more than three hours to face Gibsonia (Pennsylvania) Pine-Richland, which is playing its opener after a Class 6A state runner-up finish last fall.
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This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Columbus high school football: What do we expect in Week 2?
