The halfway point of the 2026 high school football season arrives after this week’s games, and for several central Ohio teams, Week 5 also marks the end of another chapter of the schedule.
Many area teams play their final non-league games this week. Others are preparing for league openers even with some non-league games still interspersed throughout the next month.
A dozen local teams remain undefeated, and 15 are still seeking their first wins.
Here are five things to watch in Week 5:
East prepares for ‘playoff game’ with Northland
Acknowledging the City League-North race could come down to a Week 10 visit to Linden-McKinley, East coach Mike Bell nonetheless said this week’s home game against Northland (2-2) is “a playoff game for us” in terms of setting the stage for the rest of the season.
A slew of juniors and sophomores have contributed to the Tigers’ 3-1 start, including junior quarterback Dior Hansard (852 yards and 10 touchdowns passing, 220 yards and 2 TDs rushing) and junior receiver Lou Goodlow (11 catches, 301 yards, 3 TDs).
Thirty-five tackles for senior linebacker E’Marion Bell and two interceptions each for junior Caidyn Mitchell and sophomore Michael Thompson-Ayers pace a defense that has allowed an average of 4.7 points in its wins and recorded shutouts against Walnut Ridge (14-0) and Mifflin (54-0).
“We’re really playing team ball. They’re getting it done and they know the system,” Mike Bell said. “We’ve had some young guys who are really talented; they just lacked varsity reps. They are growing every game. Pretty talented guys, but varsity reps matter and they are getting more experience every week.”
Olentangy Orange still seeks solid footing
A daunting portion of the schedule continues for the defending Division I state champion Pioneers (2-2), who after a 34-9 loss at Gahanna Lincoln last week welcome a Pickerington North team (3-1) that is averaging 28.5 points and has pitched consecutive shutouts against Pickerington Central and Dublin Coffman.
Orange is still trying to find itself after graduating all but three starters. Junior quarterback Colby Luling, a converted safety, has thrown for 373 yards and three touchdowns and leads an offense that is averaging 189.5 yards per game.
Seniors Brennan Kesler and Brock Miller lead the defense with 31 tackles apiece.
“We are figuring out what it takes,” coach Wes Schroeder said. “We’ve gotten better, but we’re still just trying to figure it out. Now they have more varsity experience four games in, but there is still a long way to go.
“The team is capable of being a decent team. There has been some inconsistency in a lot of areas and it shows up on the field. We are figuring out the work it takes, the effort it takes and the physicality it takes. But it’s a work in progress.”
Hilliard Darby faces big test in Gahanna Lincoln
When Brad Burchfield took over at Darby in January 2025, he hoped to lead the Panthers back to prominence and coach in big games.
There’s a big game this week as Darby (3-1), coming of a 41-7 win over Hilliard Davidson, hosts Gahanna (4-0).
“It’s exciting to play games that matter and are fun, and it’s at home against good people,” said Burchfield, who coached Hartley to three state championships. “Nobody wants to go in when you’re dragging. It’s not as much fun.”
Senior running backs Braylon Griffith (523 yards, 4 touchdowns) and Kohen Kornegay (469 yards, 3 TDs) and senior quarterback Jonah Marsh (372 yards, 3 TDs) lead Darby’s offense.
“Darby is a big, physical football team up front on both sides of the ball, and they’ve shown they can control the line of scrimmage,” Gahanna coach Bruce Ward said. “Offensively, they use motion very strategically. Sometimes it’s designed to create a matchup advantage, and other times it’s simply eye candy to get your eyes moving one way while they attack somewhere else.
“Anytime you’re playing a team coached by coach Burchfield, you have a tremendous amount of respect for them. He’s a proven winning coach.”
For Gahanna, senior quarterback Grey Kegley has passed for 547 yards and five TDs and junior running back Leon Cummings has rushed for 499 yards and three scores.
“Gahanna is a complete football team,” Burchfield said. “I can’t imagine too many better running backs in Ohio than [Cummings]. The offensive line is really good. They play a style that’s really physical.”
Balanced Johnstown eyes powerful Licking Valley
With impressive wins over Vermilion (34-14), a talented Centerburg team (50-0) and Mount Vernon (37-30) courtesy of a huge second-half comeback last week, Johnstown (3-1) begins a two-week stretch against currently undefeated teams with a visit to Licking Valley.
The Johnnies are again led on offense by senior running back Ryan Sager, who has rushed for 677 yards and 12 touchdowns in pursuit of a second consecutive 2,000-yard season. But senior quarterback Luke Carter has become a solid option in his own right, contributing through the air (390 yards, 1 TD) and on the ground (45 carries, 237 yards, 4 TDs).
“We have that trust factor right now,” Carter said. “A lot of [our receivers] are seniors, so I have been throwing the ball to them since peewee football. We put a lot of work into it, and I think it's just a matter of we have proved it to ourselves that we could do it, and now it's about sustaining that.”
Valley is averaging 35.8 points and allowing 11.8.
“We know that playing these bigger schools is obviously a test, and that really just gives you that courage that we can hang with these guys and should be able to hang with anybody,” said Carter, whose Johnnies host Newark Catholic in Week 5.
Olentangy Berlin, Westerville Central to meet for first time
Central coach Josh Franke expects a physical, hard-fought contest when his team hosts Berlin in the first meeting between the programs.
Central (3-1) rebounded from a 14-6 loss to Westerville North (2-2) in Week 3 to beat Dublin Jerome 16-10 last week. Berlin (2-2) is looking to bounce back from a 27-17 loss to Olentangy Liberty (1-3).
“We expect this to be one of our more physical matchups,” Franke said. “They’re always tough, physical and play some real football. We know that’s the expectation going in, so we’ve prepared our guys for that. We’re big up front and that’s the brand of football we like to play. We’re a power-gap team, so it’s all downhill running and that’s something our defense sees on a daily basis, so it shouldn’t be anything abnormal.”
For Central, sophomore quarterback Nate Miller III has passed for 593 yards and three TDs and senior wide receiver Cam Huebner has 17 catches for 299 yards and one score. Senior running back Kevinking Fokuo has rushed for 200 yards and one TD.
This game could have postseason seeding implications. Both teams are in Division I, Region 3.
“When you’re playing our schedule, every Friday is a big one, but this one matters a lot because things are only going to get tougher,” Franke said.
Contributing: Newark Advocate
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 5
