OHSAA football playoffs: Columbus Academy, Harvest Prep ready for rematch
•Columbus Academy (8-4) to date: Lost to Hunting Valley University School 37-23; def. KIPP Columbus 33-6; lost to Newark Catholic 35-15; lost to Harvest Prep 49-14; def. Ready 28-14; def. Buckeye Valley 21-12; def. Fort Loramie 29-28; def. Grandview 49-13; def. Bexley 35-3; lost to Whitehall 13-12; def. Liberty Union 21-7; def. Piketon 30-22
•Harvest Prep (8-2) to date: Def. Eastmoor Academy 60-34; lost to Hartley 21-14; def. Columbus Academy 49-14; def. Ready 25-7; def. Bexley 37-0; def. Whitehall 31-12; lost to Licking Heights 13-8; def. Buckeye Valley 18-13; def. McDermott Northwest 54-7; def. Amanda-Clearcreek 21-10
Harvest Prep beat Columbus Academy 49-14 on Sept. 10, but much has changed for both teams since that Week 3 contest.
Senior running back Jaylen Jennings had 20 carries for 84 yards in the earlier matchup for the Warriors and junior quarterback Aidan Rogers had his best game of the season, completing 20 of 27 passes for 328 yards and four touchdowns. Jennings would miss four of the next five games with an ankle injury, however.
The earlier matchup also proved to be an inflection point for the Vikings, who dropped to 1-3 but then won five of six to close the regular season and wrap up the sixth seed for the Division V, Region 19 playoffs.
On Nov. 13 at Westerville Central, second-seeded Harvest Prep will face the Vikings in a regional semifinal, with the winner to play top-seeded Ironton or fifth-seeded Wheelersburg on Nov. 20 for the regional title.
The Warriors are 8-2 and Academy is 8-4.
“We took our lumps early on in the season, but I think our kids have gained a lot of confidence,” Academy coach Robin Miller said. “We started off 1-3, but our kids have really taken to what we’re selling and they’ve just developed a new level of confidence in what we’re trying to do.
“I know we already faced (Harvest Prep) in the first half of the season. They’ve always got weapons, use different packages and have physical, beefy guys up front. (Rogers is a) hell of a quarterback. Everything worked for them that night and he was extra impressive.”
Harvest Prep has gone 14-1 since joining the MSL-Ohio Division in 2019, with its lone loss coming 20-10 to the Vikings last season.
Jennings is coming off his best game since before his injury, rushing for 192 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries in a 21-10 win over seventh-seeded Amanda-Clearcreek on Nov. 6 in a regional quarterfinal.
Another key offensive contributor, senior wide receiver/running back Artrell Saunders, missed four regular-season games with injury but had five catches against the Aces.
Senior linebackers Chandler Burrell and Edjay Sumo lead the Warriors’ defense.
“It’s felt great being back on the field with my brothers because I can make an impact rather than watching from the sidelines,” said Jennings, who has rushed for 849 yards and 10 touchdowns on 98 carries in seven games. “I’m excited about the rematch. I know they’re going to come with their ‘A’ game, just like we will.
“This team has been through a lot together, through so much adversity, and our young guys are stepping up.”
Academy is led by senior two-way lineman Gyvnn Mendenhall, who was named the district’s Defensive Player of the Year.
The Vikings got a game-winning 2-yard touchdown run by senior running back Drake Bellisari and a two-point conversion pass from junior quarterback Rex Whitney to senior running back Parker Logan in a 30-22 win over third-seeded Piketon in a regional quarterfinal.
Senior quarterback Henry Rubey and senior running back Carter James both went down with injuries against Piketon, leaving their status uncertain heading into the matchup with Harvest Prep.
Still, Miller likes the vibe from his team as it looks to make it to a regional championship game for the first time since it won the 2003 state championship.
"Our defense has been playing lights-out, especially our defensive line,” Miller said. “We have so much confidence in them and how they’ve bought into the team mentality. Offensively we’ve definitely been kind of run-heavy with a stable of backs that we’re super confident in.”
julrey@thisweeknews.com
@UlreyThisWeek
This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Columbus Academy-Harvest Prep: A look at the Division V regional semi
