Dispatch sports reporters Dave Purpura and Frank DiRenna made 10 bold predictions for the 2026 high school football season one month ago.
Now as the second half of the regular season beckons, each offers three more bold predictions based on teams’ bodies of work to date.
These go beyond obvious storylines and offer potentially far-fetched ideas, although not always that far-fetched.
Here are our bold predictions for the next five weeks, if not beyond:
Dave Purpura’s bold predictions
New Albany will crash Region 7 party
Having been an up-close observer of Olentangy’s resurgence under Mark Solis in the mid- to late 2010s, I am not at all surprised that the Eagles (4-1), in their first year under Solis, already have tied their win total from each of the past three seasons. What makes New Albany a legitimate contender
is a stiff defense that has a ton of playmakers, coupled with an offense for which one could say the same thing. The Eagles thrive on a Jett Jerwers-led running game but have added a potent passing attack with senior quarterback Drew Jackson and a talented group of receivers including Chase Jackson and Evan Murfield. The math already says just four teams will reach the Division II, Region 7 semifinals – meaning one or more teams in a group likely including but not limited to Big Walnut, Canal Winchester, DeSales, Massillon Washington, New Albany and Watterson will have been eliminated. Who will be responsible for that?
City League-South champion will go undefeated
Not just in the league, but for the entire regular season. That will be decided in Week 9 when South hosts West. That is not to say those teams will be unchallenged, because rivals such as Africentric and Marion-Franklin typically have the athletes to pull an upset or at least avoid blowouts, but these two teams are galvanized like they haven’t been in years as their successful seasons roll on. Walnut Ridge pulled off a 10-0 season two years ago, but that was followed up by a first-round playoff loss. South and West can worry about that later.
Harvest Prep will make the playoffs
Considering the Warriors’ chances stand at 5%, according to Fantastic50.net and standout numbers cruncher Drew Pasteur, it’s going to take a strong second half with at least four wins. A Week 9 home game against Division I Westerville South seems like a must-win purely in terms of the computer points. Currently tied for 23rd in Division VI, Region 23, 11 spots out of the final playoff berth, Harvest Prep’s climb will be more about what it can do – with some outside help – rather than a baseball-type chase where it is as much about the number of teams to hurdle as number of games to make up.
Frank DiRenna’s bold predictions
Bradley, Darby to meet in all-Hilliard regional final
As Bradley (4-1) continues to enjoy success under 16th-year coach Mike LoParo, another Hilliard program is beginning to make strides. Second-year coach Brad Burchfield has Darby (3-2) in position for its first playoff berth since 2023 and first winning season since 2021. Both teams kick off league play Sept. 25, with Bradley hosting Upper Arlington in the OCC-Central and Darby hosting Olentangy Berlin in the OCC-Cardinal. Darby was competitive in its two losses, falling 25-19 to Bradley and 10-7 to Gahanna Lincoln (5-0). The Panthers could be unbeaten. Both Bradley and Darby will see success in league play and advance to the Division I, Region 2 final. At that point, it’s either team’s game to win.
Don’t count out Pickerington Central in Region 3
After Central started 0-3, some might have doubted its chances this fall. But the Tigers opened OCC-Buckeye play with wins over Logan and Canal Winchester and are on course for their eighth consecutive league title, although a home game against Groveport (4-1) in Week 8 looms large. Central is still 15th of 20 teams in Division I, Region 3 – three spots out of the playoffs – but it will figure things out under fourth-year coach Jeff Lomonico and sophomore quarterback Winnie Garnett and then make a decent run in the playoffs.
Columbus Academy will reach Region 19 final
After losing two of its first three games, Academy has bounced back with impressive wins over Granville and Worthington Christian. The Vikings begin pursuit of a second consecutive Central Buckeye League title Sept. 25 against longtime rival Bexley. Behind senior quarterback Michael Tishkoff, look for Academy to run the table in the league – also beating Franklin Heights, Buckeye Valley, Ready and Whitehall – and then make a run to the Division V, Region 19 final.
High school sports reporters Frank DiRenna and Dave Purpura can be reached at sports@dispatch.com and at @DispatchPreps on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Bold predictions for rest of central Ohio high school football season
