The second half of the Ohio high school football season begins this week, and for most teams that means league play is fully underway.
Even so, one of two games statewide pitting undefeated teams is a non-league tilt as Big Walnut travels to Ironton.
Many other games will have an early bearing on league championships, not to mention further shaking up regional standings as the playoffs begin to loom larger.
Here are five things to watch in Week 6:
DeSales, Watterson prepare for 72nd meeting
One of central Ohio’s oldest rivalries will be reprised Sept. 25 at Ohio Dominican, and DeSales coach Ryan Wiggins acknowledged the tall task of slowing a Watterson team seeking its 36th consecutive win.
Wiggins also emphasized that while something could be taken from Week 4, when reigning Division IV state
champion Cleveland Glenville bolted to a 13-0 lead on the Eagles (5-0) before Watterson reeled off 35 unanswered points, no two matchups are the same.
Watterson, which leads the series 40-30-1, is No. 3 in the Division II, Region 7 computer ratings, two spots ahead of DeSales.
“[The Eagles] are just a little bit different [than previous seasons] on offense, still really good, but they run the ball more now because of a running quarterback [junior Dash Hoy], and that makes them even more dangerous because that is an extra element defensively that you have to prepare for,” Wiggins said. “Every person on defense can run, hit and just tackle well. They are just so physical.”
While Northwestern quarterback commit RJ Day’s 1,195 yards passing and 11 touchdowns grab plenty of headlines, DeSales (4-1) also has leaned on a deep defense. Sophomore linebacker Jonah Jenkins’ team-high 59 tackles lead the way, and the unit also got senior linebacker Kaleb Kitzmiller – last year’s leading tackler – back last week from injury.
DeSales has allowed 12.2 points per game. Watterson is giving up a scant 5.8.
“[Jenkins] is one of those old-fashioned, tough, hard-nosed kids who knows where the football is and is a really good tackler,” Wiggins said.
Grove City, New Albany to collide in league opener
In what could be an offensive shootout, Grove City visits New Albany for an OCC-Ohio opener of 4-1 teams.
Grove City averages 37.6 points and New Albany averages 34.2.
New Albany has already equaled last year’s win total.
“It always comes back to players,” first-year New Albany coach Mark Solis said of his team’s strong start. “It’s happened because we have good players who have bought into what we want to do and more importantly how we want to do things. They continue to do it. Relationships are always built on trust and if you don’t have that, you don’t have anything.”
Senior quarterback Drew Jackson, a transfer from Fort Smith (Arkansas) Northside, has passed for 734 yards and nine touchdowns for New Albany.
“Their quarterback is 6-4 and throws the ball very well,” Grove City coach Greg Waits said. “They have the complete package on both sides. They’re playing really well, so we have to go there and play really well to get a win.”
Grove City has been led by quarterback Coby Smith (799 yards passing, 5 TDs) and running back Blaike Jackson (843 yards rushing, 12 TDs). Both are seniors.
“They play with some tempo, so they want to snap the ball quickly,” Solis said. “The running back is a problem. ... The quarterback worries us because he has an innate ability to extend plays with his feet, so they have a lot of talent.”
Grove City is third in Division I, Region 2. New Albany is fourth in Region 7.
Upper Arlington, Hilliard Bradley to kick off league play
For the seventh consecutive season, UA and Bradley face off to begin OCC-Central play.
UA (4-1) has won five of the teams’ past seven matchups. Bradley’s two wins were in 2023, including 35-28 in double overtime in the Division I, Region 3 final – the Jaguars’ first regional title.
Winners of four straight since a season-opening loss to Big Walnut, host Bradley is led by senior quarterback Declan O’Neil (833 yards passing, 11 TDs) and junior running back Rashaud Truss (516 yards rushing, 5 TDs).
“[A main concern] is their overall team speed,” UA coach Justin Buttermore said. “They have a great quarterback with a ton of experience. He’s a really decisive thrower and runner. He makes really good decisions. Their running back is outstanding. ... Defensively, they have speed all over the field. [Junior defensive back] Micah Fisher is an unbelievable player, as good as we’ve seen defensively.”
For UA, Reign St. Clair and Charlie Hunt have split time at quarterback, with St. Clair passing for 801 yards and six TDs and Hunt throwing for 117 yards and five scores. Andrew Theado has rushed for 525 yards and two TDs.
UA is third in Region 3 and Bradley is first in Region 2.
“Defensively, at times we’ve struggled, but the thing that I love about our kids is their fight,” Bradley coach Mike LoParo said. “It’s 12- to 18-play drives to score on us. There hasn’t been a lot of home runs given up. It’s been pretty sound where we’ve made teams have to go the long way to score. We just haven’t stopped people consistently.”
Circleville rides winning streak into league battle
The Tigers (4-1, 1-0 MSL-Buckeye) have won four in a row entering their home game against Hamilton Township (3-2, 1-0), a contest that might mean more to both teams’ playoff hopes than their quests for the league championship.
Sitting 10th in Division IV, Region 15, the Tigers stand to gain valuable computer points from a win over the Division II Rangers. Hamilton Township is 14th in the ultra-competitive Region 7, two spots from the final playoff berth.
Circleville used a fumble recovery in overtime last week by junior linebacker Evan Vandagriff – the last of five takeaways – to edge previously undefeated Greenfield McClain 28-21.
“When we’ve had to, we have played really sharp,” Tigers coach Jay Sharrett said. “When we played [Hamilton Township] last year, they were spread and had a quarterback that could throw it. Now, they’re packed in and single-wing. They are tough to stop. [Defensively], they have guys who can fly and tackle and do all the things you don’t like when you are scouting them. They close on the ball very, very quickly. We have to get our yards when we can and hold on to the ball.”
Madison-Plains hopes bye doesn’t slow fast start
Coach Jason Hunt joked that he has doubled as “a used-car salesman” in touting the benefits of a bye week that was somewhat expected, but added the Golden Eagles would rather not have two weeks to prepare for a key Ohio Heritage Conference-South game Oct. 2 against five-time defending league champion Jamestown Greeneview.
“Our kids get a chance to heal, but football is different,” Hunt said. “In baseball or softball, you expect cancellations in the spring. In football, it’s devastating. These guys will have to earn playing 10 games this year.”
Madison-Plains, whose 4-1 start is its first since 2014, had its Sept. 25 game against Springfield Catholic Central canceled because of injuries in the Irish program. Catholic Central canceled its Sept. 18 game against West Jefferson for the same reason.
The Golden Eagles went 3-7 last year with a slew of young contributors, but that experience is paying dividends this fall. Sophomore linebacker Liam Robison’s 41 tackles lead the defense, junior Logan Allgeier has 34 tackles and an interception and has rushed for 565 yards and five touchdowns, and sophomore Wyatt Williams has five interceptions.
“We’ve taken our lumps,” Hunt said. “We played some younger guys in the past who maybe weren’t quite ready, but they got a lot of experience.”
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: 5 things to watch in central Ohio high school football Week 6
