What is the story about?
The halfway point of the 2026 Ohio high school football regular season arrives after the conclusion of Week 5, and by this point, trends are established and legitimate championship contenders are known.
That is not to say it is too late for surprise teams to emerge. After all, Olentangy Berlin won six consecutive games last season after a 0-5 start and reached the second round of the Division I, Region 3 playoffs.
But with the second half of the season approaching, here is a look at some of the surprises and breakout stories of the first half, including players and teams that have taken especially big steps forward, and unforeseen storylines.
Central Ohio’s breakout teams
- Hilliard Bradley: While the Jaguars (3-1) are not one of central Ohio’s 12 undefeated teams, this is shaping up to be their best year since reaching their only Division I state semifinal in 2023. With a balanced offense (682 passing yards and 558 rushing), junior lineman Gauge Woods’ 40 tackles leading a deep defense and several freshmen and sophomores contributing, Bradley sits atop Division I, Region 2, according to JoeEitel.com. A loaded OCC-Central featuring the past two big-school state champions in Olentangy Liberty and Olentangy Orange, not to mention Region 3 championship contender Upper Arlington, will provide constant, stiff tests.
- New Albany: A 3-1 start on the heels of three consecutive losing seasons is one thing, but the Eagles have undergone a transformation under first-year coach Mark Solis, known for his wide-open and high-scoring offenses. New Albany ran for more than 200 yards in perhaps its most impressive win yet, 28-21 at Upper Arlington on Sept. 11, and Harvard commit Jett Jerwers seemed to pick up steam the later the game went. Senior Mason Ackermann is a game-wrecker at linebacker, and several more playmakers will make names for themselves this fall. The Eagles have the potential to wreck the Watterson, Big Walnut and Massillon Washington-dominated party in Division II, Region 7.
- Newark Catholic: To say the Green Wave’s turnaround is not surprising, after three straight losing seasons in which they totaled six wins, might downplay the effort needed to attain their 4-0 start. NC needed overtime in the season opener to edge Huntington 28-27, fended off West Jefferson 16-14 in Week 2 and thoroughly bottled up 3-0 Worthington Christian in a 15-6 win in Week 4. Several players who were around for the recent struggles seem to have learned from them, head coach Tom Phillips was an excellent hire and defensive coordinator Lyle Sawyer – the father of former Pickerington North and Ohio State star Jack Sawyer – has built that unit around “48 minutes of chaos and pressure,” as he said after last week’s win.
- St. Charles: The Cardinals are 4-0 for the third time in four seasons, but this year feels different because of the defense. Of the 42 points St. Charles has allowed, 26 came in one game against Hamilton Township. With a handful of starters back, a deep defense with several playmakers and three opponents with a combined 1-11 record the next three weeks, it is not out of the question that St. Charles will be 7-0 entering a Week 8 visit to DeSales. Watterson looms two weeks after that. Even so, a lofty seed in Region 3 is the Cardinals’ for the taking.
- Worthington Kilbourne: Is any local team making a louder statement than the 4-0 Wolves? Kilbourne is averaging 51 points a game and has scored at least 49 in every game, led by 1,223-yard passer Jackson Szabo, who also has rushed for 386 yards. Don’t sleep on a defense led by senior linebacker Brendan Rhoads’ 39½ tackles. Kilbourne sits atop Region 3 after moving out of ridiculously loaded Region 7.
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Central Ohio’s breakout players
- Michael Galloway, Dublin Scioto: The junior receiver and son of former Ohio State receiver Joey Galloway has been a bright spot for the 1-3 Irish, catching 25 passes for 394 yards and three touchdowns. His younger brother, freshman Jett, is the Irish’s backup quarterback and threw a scoring pass to his brother in Week 3 against New Albany.
- Kaden Jones, Watterson: The senior linebacker and tight end has made his name on a defense headlined by a ferocious front seven, racking up 50 tackles with four for loss and a sack. One of 10 returning starters in the unit, Jones is also included in some offensive packages, having rushed for 81 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries for the two-time reigning state champions.
- Jayden Maddox, South: Speaking of deep defenses, Maddox is a primary cog for a Bulldogs team that has started 4-0 and has given up six or fewer points three times. His seven sacks are tied for second statewide, according to MaxPreps, and his 44 tackles lead the team – 17 of those are for loss. The top seven in MaxPreps’ sack leaders all hail from central Ohio, led by eight from Maddox’s teammate Shaun Robinson.
- Jackson Szabo, Kilbourne: The junior quarterback’s most notable statistics are listed above, but what is not mentioned is the depth of receivers and running backs at his disposal. That is a nightmare for opposing defensive coordinators and a primary reason Szabo is on pace to blow by his 2,299 passing yards and 21 touchdowns from a year ago. Szabo already has thrown for 19 scores and in his career has accounted for 7,209 total yards and 82 touchdowns.
- Wyatt Williams, Madison-Plains: The junior defensive back’s numbers are not eye-popping, but he has shown a knack for timely plays during the Golden Eagles’ 3-1 start. Not having recorded a varsity interception until this year, Williams’ four this fall are tied for second statewide, according to MaxPreps, and he returned two of those for touchdowns during a 71-7 rout of Grove City Christian in Week 2. Williams has nine total tackles as well as eight catches for 132 yards and a touchdown.
Central Ohio’s unexpected storylines
- South, West remain undefeated: Of the City League’s three unbeaten teams through four weeks (Linden-McKinley being the other), South and West being two might surprise everyone except those within the programs – and maybe even some on the inside. South is only two years removed from going 0-10, and West went almost five calendar years between wins during a 36-game losing streak from 2018-23. Both teams thrive with a mix of talented seniors and underclassmen, and both could be riding high for a while. Neither faces a team with a winning record until they meet each other in Week 9 at South.
- New Albany soars to fast start: A few years ago, this would not have been unexpected from a run-first Eagles team that was always among central Ohio’s most consistent and fundamentally sound programs. New Albany is already resembling Solis’ successful Olentangy teams of a decade ago, and the Eagles’ offensive balance is just one sign that they should be taken seriously. A rugged OCC-Ohio schedule will provide more tests.
- Pickerington Central’s early struggles: The basic cyclical nature of high school sports means even the best programs will hit a rough patch every now and again. Playing a handful of underclassmen, not to mention a new starting quarterback in sophomore Winnie Garnett, makes the 1-3 Tigers’ growing pains understandable, but the lack of a touchdown in the first three games was perhaps the most startling statistic. The defense has played well in spurts, and Central still has a good chance to finish above .500 and host a first-round playoff game.
- Harvest Prep’s playoff chances already in peril: Arguably no team has endured a tougher schedule than the 0-4 Warriors, having lost to the likes of Maria Stein Marion Local and Sandusky Perkins, but that is part of life as an independent program few others in the area seem willing to play. The schedule lightens up after this week, but already a Week 9 game against Division I Westerville South seems like a must-win if Harvest Prep is to reach the top 12 in Division VI, Region 23. Fantastic50.net currently has the Warriors’ playoff chances at 6%.
- East Knox surging back to prominence: The deep Bulldogs (3-1) have roared past last year’s win total thanks in part to talented sophomore and junior classes. Junior quarterback Rush Beatty, son of former coach Andrew Beatty, has thrown for 424 yards, is second in rushing yards (327) to Logan Clark’s 418 and third in tackles (22) at outside linebacker. Beatty and Clark both have run for four scores. The Devil-Dog rivalry game with currently unbeaten Danville in Week 10 already looms as a potential classic.
High school sports reporter Dave Purpura can be reached
at dpurpura@dispatch.com and at @dp_dispatch on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Central Ohio high school football's breakout stars, teams at midseason
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