Four consecutive wins have vaulted Olentangy Liberty back into the central Ohio high school football Top 10 poll.
The voters are clearly impressed with the 4-3 Patriots, ranking them at No. 6 entering Week 8.
Liberty was also ranked sixth heading into the season, but a 15-12 loss to Lakewood St. Edward in Week 1 dropped Liberty to No. 8 entering Week 2. The Patriots then fell 34-13 to Cleveland Glenville and tumbled out of the Top 10, but they received votes in every poll from weeks 3 through 7.
In addition to its nail-biter against St. Edward, Liberty has played three other games decided by three or fewer points. The Patriots lost 14-13 in overtime to Gahanna Lincoln in Week 3, defeated Olentangy 17-14 in Week 5 and beat Upper Arlington 13-12
in Week 7.
The central Ohio Top 10 ranks teams regardless of division. Each voter submits a Top 10 with a first-place vote worth 10 points, a second-place vote worth nine and so on down to one point for 10th.
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Central Ohio high school football Top 10 poll for Week 8
Below is the poll as selected by USA Today Network Ohio staff and contributors. A unanimous selection is 90 points:
1. Watterson (6-0), 89 points, eight first-place votes. Last game: Def. DeSales 32-0 on Sept. 25. Next game: Oct. 9 at Hartley. Last week: No. 1
2. Big Walnut (7-0), 78 points, one first-place vote. Last game: Def. Worthington Kilbourne 35-28. Next game: Oct. 9 at Westerville North. Last week: No. 2
3. Gahanna Lincoln (7-0), 72 points. Last game: Def. New Albany 35-3. Next game: Oct. 9 at Westerville Central. Last week: No. 3
4. Pickerington North (6-1), 65 points. Last game: Def. Central Crossing 42-7. Next game: Oct. 9 at Grove City. Last week: No. 4
5. Worthington Kilbourne (6-1), 45 points. Last game: Lost to Big Walnut 35-28. Next game: Oct. 9 vs. KIPP Columbus. Last week: No. 5
6. Olentangy Liberty (4-3), 33 points. Last game: Def. Upper Arlington 13-12. Next game: Oct. 9 vs. Hilliard Bradley. Last week: Not ranked
7. Licking Valley (7-0), 31 points. Last game: Def. Mount Vernon 20-14. Next game: Oct. 9 at Licking Heights. Last week: No. 9
8. Upper Arlington (5-2), 29 points. Last game: Lost to Olentangy Liberty 13-12. Next game: Oct. 9 at Olentangy Orange. Last week: No. 6
9. St. Charles (7-0), 24 points. Last game: Def. Dublin Scioto 14-12. Next game: Oct. 9 at DeSales. Last week: No. 8
10. (tie) DeSales (5-2), 6 points. Last game: Def. Bloom-Carroll 30-0. Next game: Oct. 9 vs. St. Charles. Last week: Not ranked
Jonathan Alder (6-1), 6 points. Last game: Lost to Urbana 28-27. Next game: Oct. 9 vs. London. Last week: No. 10
New Albany (5-2), 6 points. Last game: Lost to Gahanna Lincoln 35-3. Next game: Oct. 9 vs. Central Crossing. Last week: No. 7
Dropped out: None
Others receiving votes: London 5; Hilliard Bradley and Olentangy Berlin 3.
High school sports editor Andy Resnik can be reached at aresnik@dispatch.com and at @DispatchPreps on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Central Ohio high school football Top 10 poll entering Week 8
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