An undefeated regular season is on the line this week for four teams in the central Ohio high school football Top 10 poll – Big Walnut, Gahanna Lincoln, Licking Valley and Watterson.
Should Watterson stumble – the Eagles have not lost since the 2023 Division III state championship game – No. 2 Big Walnut or No. 3 Gahanna could jump to No. 1 next week in our final poll of 2026. Watterson is looking to run the table at No. 1, having held the top spot since our preseason rankings.
Watterson, which is seeking its third consecutive state title, played its closest game of the season in Week 9 – and it still wasn't that close. The Eagles defeated Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit 21-0 on Oct. 16, extending their winning streak to 38 with their fourth shutout
this fall.
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 10
Below is the poll as selected by USA Today Network Ohio staff and contributors. A unanimous selection is 90 points:
1. Watterson (8-0), 90 points, nine first-place votes. Last game: Def. Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit 21-0. Next game: Oct. 23 vs. St. Charles. Last week: No. 1
2. Big Walnut (9-0), 78 points. Last game: Def. Dublin Scioto 54-0. Next game: Oct. 23 vs. Westland. Last week: No. 2
3. Gahanna Lincoln (9-0), 75 points. Last game: Def. Grove City 31-7. Next game: Oct. 23 at Pickerington North. Last week: No. 3
4. Worthington Kilbourne (8-1), 59 points. Last game: Def. Westerville North 22-12. Next game: Oct. 23 at Westerville South. Last week: No. 5
5. Upper Arlington (7-2), 48 points. Last game: Def. Dublin Coffman 42-3. Next game: Oct. 23 at Hilliard Davidson. Last week: No. 7
6. New Albany (7-2), 42 points. Last game: Def. Pickerington North 5-3. Next game: Oct. 23 at Westerville Central. Last week: Not ranked
7. Licking Valley (9-0), 37 points. Last game: Def. Granville 42-28. Next game: Oct. 23 at Zanesville. Last week: No. 8
8. Pickerington North (7-2), 36 points. Last game: Lost to New Albany 5-3. Next game: Oct. 23 vs. Gahanna Lincoln. Last week: No. 4
9. London (7-2), 9 points. Last game: Def. New Carlisle Tecumseh 45-0. Next game: Oct. 23 at Springfield Kenton Ridge. Last week: No. 10
10. Olentangy Berlin (7-2), 8 points. Last game: Def. Marysville 28-6. Next game: Oct. 23 vs. Olentangy. Last week: Not ranked
Dropped out: No. 6 Olentangy Liberty, No. 9 DeSales
Others receiving votes: DeSales and St. Charles 4; Olentangy Liberty 2; Danville, Linden-McKinley and West 1.
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 10
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