More central Ohio high school football Week 5 previews

(1-3) Buckeye Valley at (0-3) Bexley

The Barons ended a five-game losing streak dating to last season by defeating Ready 36-35 in two overtimes Sept. 9 when quarterback Nathan Huss scored on a 1-yard run and Mitchell Melfe added a conversion run.

Huss completed 25 of 37 passes for two touchdowns, and he also ran for 57 yards and two scores on 13 carries. Garrett Carey and Matt Hall both had six receptions for 101 yards and one score. The winless Lions lost to Beechcroft 21-0 on Sept. 8 despite running back Cliff Padmore rushing for 135 yards in 22 carries. Defensive backs Bennett Bloebaum and Jamel Thomas-Joyce both had an interception. Buckeye Valley won 34-7 last season for its second win in a row. The Lions last won 24-13 in 2019.

(2-2, 0-1) Canal Winchester at (0-4, 0-1) Franklin Heights

The Indians have a chance to right themselves when they visit the winless Falcons, who have been outscored 138-28 and shut out three times.

Another strong defensive effort for Canal Winchester ultimately was not enough Sept. 9 against Worthington Kilbourne, as the Wolves got a 4-yard touchdown run from Ben Bartram in the final minute to win 9-7. The Indians, who outside a lopsided loss at undefeated New Albany in Week 2 are giving up 6.7 points per game, got their only score on Karson Martino’s game-opening 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.

Corey Howard leads Canal Winchester’s rushing attack with 214 yards and a touchdown on 48 carries.

Franklin Heights was held to 25 yards on 58 plays in a 55-0 loss at Westerville North last week and has dropped 25 of its past 26 games. Quarterback Piercen Edwards leads an offense that also features Evan Estep (RB) and Shemar Westmoreland (RB/DB).

(2-2) Central Crossing at (2-2) Olentangy

Both Olentangy and Central Crossing, which meet for the first time, are looking to bounce back from blowout losses in rivalry games last week.

The Braves had a two-game winning streak snapped with a 47-17 loss at Olentangy Orange, as the Pioneers rushed for 351 of its 580 total yards. In their first three games, the Pioneers rushed for 125 total yards and scored only 32 points.

P.J. Harrison’s 1-yard run midway through the second quarter gave Olentangy a 10-7 lead. Ethan Grunkemeyer went 21 of 34 passing for 222 yards and Cole Kershner added a 1-yard touchdown run in the third quarter for the Braves.

Central Crossing was held to 78 yards of total offense in a 41-0 loss to Grove City. Abdul-Malik Kamara carried 15 times for 48 yards to lead the Comets.

(1-2) Columbus Academy at (1-2) Ready

The Silver Knights have won four of the previous seven contests in the series, although the Vikings won 28-14 last season.

For Academy, Jack Yeoman (QB/DB) has passed for 379 yards and four touchdowns, Jake Calodney (RB/LB) has rushed for 227 yards and two touchdowns and E.J. Jenkins (WR/DB/KR) has 102 yards receiving and one touchdown. Jenkins also leads the defense with 17 tackles. For Ready, Kaleb Schaffer (QB/LB) has passed for 256 yards and three touchdowns and Brian Fitzsimmons (RB/DB) has rushed for 365 yards and five touchdowns. Defensively, Kasen Abbott (LB) leads in tackles with 23.5.

(3-1) Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit at (2-2) DeSales

A 14-3 victory over defending Division IV state champion Clarksville Clinton-Massie on Sept. 9 helped get the Stallions back on track as they prepare to face the Warriors for the first time since winning 28-21 in 2000.

Junior quarterback Avery Garlock rushed for 71 yards and one touchdown and senior running back Gabe Caruso had 59 yards and one score for DeSales, which held the Falcons to 120 yards of offense. Walsh Jesuit built a 56-0 halftime lead and blew past Toledo Rogers 70-12 on Sept. 9 as Justin Bremner rushed for two touchdowns and Ruel Tomlinson threw for one touchdown and rushed for a 57-yard score.

(0-4, 0-1) Dublin Scioto at (2-2, 1-0) Worthington Kilbourne

The Wolves look to turn around history when they welcome the Irish in an OCC-Capital Division contest for the latest installment of the Battle of Hard Road.

The Irish have won six in a row in the series and 11 of the last 12 to take a 16-12 lead. Scioto won last year’s meeting 36-7 in its most lopsided win since 66-24 in the second meeting in 1996.

Kilbourne used a 15-play, 92-yard drive and almost 8 minutes off the fourth quarter clock, which was capped by a Ben Bartram 4-yard touchdown run with 38 seconds left to down Canal Winchester 9-7 to open league play last week.

Nash Biglin threw for 112 yards and added 95 yards on the ground and Payton Metzger and Connor Fulk each had interceptions for Kilbourne.

Scioto rallied for a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns, but fell short in a comeback bid against Westerville South and fell 28-21 in its league opener. Jerijah Moore caught five passes for 131 yards and two touchdowns on offense and had 10 tackles, including two tackles for loss on defense. Dayo Olobatuyi had 16 tackles, including four tackles for loss and Jackson Waldrum had 10.5 tackles for Scioto.

(1-2, 0-1) Eastmoor Academy at (2-1, 1-0) Independence

The Warriors will try to get untracked offensively after losing 22-0 to Marion-Franklin on Sept. 9 in their City League-South Division opener when they travel Sept. 15 to face a 76ers team they’ve beaten 15 consecutive times.

Eastmoor, which defeated Independence 47-16 last season, got its only touchdown in a 43-6 loss Sept. 2 to Harvest Prep by senior running back Marvais Hampton. Independence has been led by senior running back Davaughn Bufford and senior quarterback Antonio Harris. The 76ers bounced back from a 30-20 loss Sept. 2 to St. Clairsville with a 64-8 win over Columbus West on Sept. 8 in their league opener.

(0-4, 0-1) Fisher Catholic at (2-2, 1-0) Worthington Christian

With a 65-6 victory over Corning Miller in its MSL-Cardinal Division opener Sept. 9, Worthington Christian scored the second-most points in a game in program history. Quarterback Hobie Raikes threw for 125 yards and two touchdowns, Gabriel Long rushed for 88 yards and two scores and Ethan Albert had 61 yards and one touchdown rushing along with a kickoff return for a score for the Warriors, who are 6-2 all-time against the Irish including having won 31-17 last season.

Fisher Catholic is coming off a 70-31 loss to Grove City Christian as quarterback Grant Keefer threw for 224 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions and Hyde O’Rielley had 10 catches for 186 yards and three scores.

(3-1, 1-0) Grove City Christian at (0-4, 0-1) Fairfield Christian

Grove City Christian will look to avenge a 49-38 loss last season when the Knights snapped a four-game losing streak in the series, which the Eagles lead 9-6.

Grove City Christian has won back-to-back games under first-year coach Ben Schall, collecting 132 points in the two wins. Braydan Taylor (QB/DB) has passed for 767 yards and 11 touchdowns, Cayden Carroll (RB/DB) has rushed for 498 yards and five touchdowns and Chad Blunt (WR/LB) has 233 yards receiving and two scores.

For Fairfield Christian, Sam Rauch (RB/LB) has 184 yards receiving and two touchdowns and Danny Blair (RB/LB) has rushed for 148 yards and two scores.

(1-3) Hartley at (2-2) Lima Central Catholic

The Hawks avoided what would have been their first 0-4 start under 15th-year coach Brad Burchfield when they won 40-31 on Sept. 9 over Cincinnati McNicholas, which was a Division IV regional runner-up last season.

Senior running back DeAunte’ Hubbard, who rushed for 261 yards and three touchdowns and added a touchdown pass, will try to lead Hartley past another regional runner-up from last season in Lima Central Catholic. The Thunderbirds, who reside in Division VII, Region 26 and are coming off a 38-14 loss to Huron, lost 56-0 to Hartley in 2016 during the last meeting between the programs. Junior Carson Parker is a 6-foot-3, 190-pound dual-threat quarterback who leads Lima Central Catholic.

(4-0, 1-0) Harvest Prep at (2-2, 0-1) Grandview Heights

The Warriors play on the road for the third consecutive week.

However, that hasn't slowed the Warriors, who beat Columbus Academy 38-15 in their MSL-Ohio opener Sept. 9. Quarterback E.J. Pierce rushed 24 times for 254 yards and four touchdowns, and he also threw for 43 yards and a 2-point conversion as Harvest Prep totaled 479 yards, 411 on the ground. Marchello Cox Jr. added 182 yards in 22 carries.

Pierce replaced Aidan Rogers, who was "banged up" and didn't play against Academy but is expected to be full-go for the second half of the season, according to coach Milan Smith. The Warriors are 19-5 since Rogers took over at quarterback during his sophomore season.

The Bobcats dropped their league opener to Whitehall 49-14 on Sept. 9. Running back Maddux Baker has rushed for 271 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries in four games, and wide receiver Tristin Pierce has 13 receptions for 282 yards and five scores. The teams didn’t play last season because of positive COVID-19 tests, but the Warriors won their third consecutive meeting with a 64-13 decision in 2020. The Bobcats last won 40-21 in 2011.

(2-2) Hilliard Darby at (0-4) Lancaster

The Panthers look to build on the momentum of having won two in a row, including a 10-7 victory over Hilliard Davidson on Sept. 9.

The Golden Gales lead the series 5-4, but Darby has won the last four, including 21-7 in 2019. Lancaster hasn’t won since 2006 when the two were a part of the OCC-Ohio Division.

Darby and Davidson combined for just 214 yards of total offense between them. Parker Schwandt’s 95-yard scoop-and-score with 2:47 remaining provided the winning points. It was one of two fumble recoveries for the junior defensive back. Brayden Kohl had 18 tackles and a fumble recovery and Ben Marsh had 17 tackles and forced two fumbles against the Wildcats.

Brendon Simcox caught a 20-yard pass from Trace Van Gundy to give Lancaster a 7-0 lead over New Albany midway through the first quarter. But the Eagles rolled from there to a 42-7 win last week. Simcox carried 11 times for 62 yards and added three catches for 45 yards.

(2-1, 1-0) Linden-McKinley at (1-2, 1-0) Northland

The Panthers snapped a 14-game losing streak to the Vikings when they won 30-14 last season. Linden bounced back from a 42-14 loss to East Liverpool Beaver Local on Sept. 2 with a 26-6 victory Sept. 8 over Mifflin in its City-North Division opener as senior quarterback Christopher Towns rushed for 89 yards and one touchdown and threw for one score against Mifflin.

The Vikings beat Whetstone 56-12 in their City-North opener Sept. 8. Amir Brown rushed 21 times for 263 yards and five touchdowns and Gentry Ross had three sacks, eight tackles for loss, a touchdown catch and returned a fumble for a score for Northland against the Braves.

(4-0) New Albany at (1-3) Olentangy Liberty

Tied for eighth in this week’s Division I state poll, the Eagles will try to remain undefeated against a Patriots team that is coming off its first win but has struggled with turning the ball over.

In outscoring its opponents 180-28 and outgaining them 375-144.8 on average, New Albany is plus-8 in turnovers. Liberty is minus-5, although that margin has narrowed over the past few weeks.

The Patriots were outgained 264-244 in last week’s 21-17 win at Olentangy Berlin, in which they got the winning touchdown on Jake Struck’s 1-yard run with 1:11 left. He has led the ground game to complement quarterback Andrew Leonard (68 of 118 passing, 643 yards, five touchdowns and seven interceptions).

Christian Manville’s 469 yards and 10 touchdowns on 45 carries pace New Albany. He had 10 carries for 108 yards and a score in a 42-7 win over Lancaster last week.

(2-2) Olentangy Berlin at (2-2) Hilliard Davidson

The Bears and Wildcats both are seeking to get their offense in sync as well as their third wins in the first meeting between the teams.

Davidson defeated Walnut Ridge 37-12 on Aug. 19 in its opener but have only scored 10 points since. They lost to Hilliard Darby 7-3 on Sept. 9. Running back Andrew Painter rushed for 36 yards in 19 carries, and he added four receptions for 18 yards. The Bears are also coming off 21-17 loss to Olentangy Liberty. Harrison Brewster completed 17 of 29 passes for 161 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, and he rushed for 54 yards on 12 carries. Running back Mason Ziegler also had 54 rushing yards on 14 attempts. Wide receiver Jared Moeller had six receptions for 72 yards and one score.

(2-2) Olentangy Orange at (2-2) Newark

Orange hopes to continue its offensive resurgence as it looks for its first road win. The Pioneers roughed up Olentangy 47-17 on Sept. 9, rushing for 351 yards on 38 carries. In its first three games, Orange scored 32 points and had only 125 rushing yards in 67 tries. Running back Jakivion Calip led with 191 yards and two scores in 16 carries. He had 24 carries for 79 yards and one score in the three previous contests. Freshman quarterback Levi Davis was 13-for-17 passing for 229 yards and two touchdowns, and running back Bobby Ogles ran for 103 yards and one score in 13 carries.

The Wildcats were shut out for the first time this season, 42-0 at Thomas Worthington on Sept. 9. Through four games, quarterback Steele Meister was 32-for-56 passing for 424 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions, and he also rushed for 124 yards and two scores. The Pioneers have won both meetings between the teams, 35-7 in 2016 and 50-14 in 2017.

(0-4) Reynoldsburg at (3-1) Pickerington North

As was the case last season, the Raiders have opened by losing their first four games. Reynoldsburg followed with a four-game winning streak last fall and would like to put together the same kind of run this season under first-year coach Mark Philmore, whose team is coming off a 47-13 loss to Gahanna on Sept. 9 in which senior linebackers Jabari Mitchell (10 tackles) and Chris Karr (7.5 tackles) and senior defensive back Hammond Russell (8.5 tackles) were among the standouts.

North, which beat Reynoldsburg 21-16 in 2019 when the teams last met, is coming off a 14-7 loss to Pickerington Central. Sophomore wide receiver Chris Louis Jr. continues to be a bright spot, finishing with five catches for 74 yards and one touchdown against Central to give him 15 receptions and four scores on the season.

(3-1) St. Charles at (3-1) Washington Court House

Differing offensive styles will be on display between the ground-and-pound Cardinals and the aerial attack of Blue Lions.

Through four games, St. Charles has two running backs with at least 400 yards in Pete DeSocio (61 carries, 428 yards, 7 TDs) and Mason O’Reilly (49 carries, 407 yards, 6 TDs). Washington Court House has found success behind quarterback Troy Thompson, who has completed 72 of 100 passes for 1,168 yards, 11 touchdowns and six interceptions. One of his top targets is tight end Tanner Lemaster, a Kentucky recruit who has 18 catches for 259 yards and five touchdowns. The Blue Lions have won both meetings with the last being in 2018.

(3-1) Thomas Worthington at (2-2) Westland

The Cardinals and Cougars are headed different directions as they prepare for this non-league meeting. Thomas bounced back from its only loss in a big way, knocking off Newark 42-0, and Westland lost to Groveport 41-7 for its second consecutive loss.

The Cardinals' Jaden Fields rushed for 135 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries and added five receptions for 63 yards and two scores against the Wildcats. Defensively, Francis Brewu had nine tackles, including five tackles for loss with three sacks. Westland had only 151 total yards against the Cruisers.

The Cougars, have won the last three meetings, including 21-11 last year, but the Cardinals still lead the series 28-10.

(1-3) Westerville Central at (2-2) Dublin Coffman

The Warhawks are looking to snap a three-game losing streak after falling to Upper Arlington 28-10. Central also is looking for its first win against the Shamrocks, who won 21-10 in 2007, 49-0 in 2008 and 27-10 in the opening round of the Division I, Region 2 playoffs in 2018. Quarterback Jaystin Gwinn rushed for 111 yards on 16 carries against UA, and he also was 5-for-13 passing for 41 yards and one score. Defensive back Buba Bangura had 13 tackles, four for loss.

Coffman lost to Dublin Jerome 16-7 as quarterback Quinn Hart was 12-for-22 passing for 156 yards and one interception. Running back Daven White rushed for 34 yards on 12 carries, and he had three catches for 48 yards. Wide receiver Amari Valerio-Hudson had five receptions for 70 yards.

(3-1, 1-0) Westerville North at (3-1, 0-1) Delaware

The Warriors have won three in a row since opening with a loss, and the Pacers are coming off a loss after opening with three wins.

North opened OCC-Capital Division play with a 55-0 win over Franklin Heights, a team which has 12 in a row and 26 of its last 27 games. On the other hand, Delaware lost its league opener to Big Walnut 34-14. The 4-0 Eagles are No. 1 in the ThisWeek Super 7 poll and are coming off a 12-1 season.

North has won both meetings since the two began playing again for the first time since 1986 when they were last in the same league. The Warriors have outscored the Pacers 66-14 in those games, including last year’s 42-7 decision.

Against the Falcons, North's Corey Howlett had a tackle-for-loss and a pair of quarterback hurries at defensive end and added a pair of field goals, seven extra points and three touchbacks. Defensive end Demetrius John returned a fumble 18 yards for a touchdown and added a tackle for loss, and Ronald Jackson threw three touchdown passes to three receivers.

Jake Lowman went 13-for-27 for 142 yards and two touchdowns against the Golden Eagles. Logan Frye had eight tackles, Lucas Dotson and Sawyer Sand had seven apiece and Nikeese McCollum had an interception to lead the Pacers on defense.

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This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: More central Ohio high school football Week 5 previews