One of the most anticipated City League games in years highlights the penultimate week of the high school football regular season as undefeated South hosts undefeated West.
According to playoff guru Joe Eitel’s website, nine central Ohio teams have clinched playoff spots and 25 more fall into the “control own destiny” category. South and West are among the latter.
Here are five things to watch in Week 9
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South, West prepare for City League showdown
South coach Adam Warren cautioned that identical 8-0 records for his Bulldogs and West entering their City League-South showdown Oct. 16 might not be that much alike after all.
South has thrived with the run, amassing 1,453 yards on the ground while passing for 601. Senior quarterback Leon Tilley has accounted for 940 all-purpose yards and eight
touchdowns, evenly split between the run and pass, and senior defensive lineman Jayden Maddox’s 93 tackles – including 28 for loss – paces a defense allowing an average of 7.6 points.
West has been more balanced. Senior quarterback Del’Navon Bailey has 1,309 yards and 13 touchdowns passing and 600 yards and 10 scores rushing, and sophomore Drayton Morris has run for 436 yards and five touchdowns and has a team-high seven interceptions.
“We don’t win in similar ways,” Warren said. “We have different strengths. We have done things well as a unit. Our receiving corps, multiple guys can get the ball. We do that by committee. They have some haymakers over there. Their quarterback can just take off and while he is running, he can throw it deep.
“We have to play four quarters as a group. That’s our strength. That is why we’re 8-0.”
Both teams are 5-0 in the City-South, and both need a win to make the playoffs. West is eighth in Division II, Region 8 while South is ninth in Division III, Region 11.
Watterson faces test at Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit
In what could be a preview of a Division II state semifinal or the championship game, Watterson puts its 37-game winning streak on the line when it visits Walsh Jesuit.
Watterson (7-0) is second in Region 7 behind Big Walnut (8-0), while Walsh Jesuit (6-1) is first in Region 5.
“This is a big game,” Watterson coach Brian Kennedy said. “It’s been on the calendar. We’ve talked about it. Great teams, big game. ... They’re really good, they’re physical. When we’re watching film, it’s like looking at ourselves with a lot of things they do and how they play.”
The teams last met in Week 3 in 2019, with Watterson winning 24-21. The Eagles went 7-3 that season, and Walsh Jesuit finished 1-9.
Watterson is seeking its third consecutive state title and fifth overall, while Walsh Jesuit won its lone state title in 1999.
“I like us, but at some point, we’re going to have to be a little more consistent on offense,” Kennedy said. “There’s going to be games where we can’t be one-dimensional. That’s something we have to build on. Defensively, sometimes we’re not the best tacklers. That’s something we work on.”
Linebackers Ben Uhlenhake and Kaden Jones and defensive lineman Michael Boyle lead the Eagles in tackles with 77, 71 and 66, respectively.
Dash Hoy has completed 40 of 75 passes for 696 yards and 11 touchdowns with five interceptions and rushed for 618 yards and 11 scores on 56 carries. Caden Mangini has rushed for 670 yards and 13 TDs on 121 carries, and Carter Bellisari has 19 catches for 341 yards and five scores.
Olentangy Liberty looks to stay hot
Despite an 0-3 start, Liberty coach John Sansbury never lost confidence in his team.
The Patriots (5-3, 3-0) have won five consecutive games and lead the OCC-Central as they prepare to host Hilliard Davidson (2-6, 0-3).
Liberty has steadily moved up the Division I, Region 3 computer ratings and is now fifth. The Patriots control their destiny to earn a playoff berth.
“We definitely believe in the team always,” Sansbury said. “You always get a little nervous when you don’t start off the way you want, but the kids have stayed bought in and believe in what we’re doing and have worked hard. They’ve been coachable and selfless putting the team first, and that’s what we need.”
The Patriots lead the all-time series against Davidson 8-6, including a 21-7 win last season.
“[Davidson] has plenty of talent,” Sansbury said. “They have a big defensive line, big offensive line, they have some playmakers. It’s an OCC game, so we have to take every one of those seriously because they’re all good teams.”
For Liberty, Alex Leonard has completed 71 of 110 passes for 787 yards and seven TDs with four interceptions, Grayson Davis has rushed for 750 yards and nine TDs on 145 carries and Carter Nelson has 21 catches for 406 yards and six TDs.
Pickerington Central surges despite quarterback injuries
Like Liberty, Central has rebounded from an 0-3 start to win five consecutive games.
The Tigers (5-3, 5-0 OCC-Buckeye) are thriving despite being on their third starting quarterback of the season. Junior Ayden Hammond is now behind center after Winnie Garnett IV (ankle) and Toure Benton (elbow) suffered season-ending injuries.
Hammond passed for 109 yards and a touchdown in a 16-10 win over Groveport (5-3, 3-2) on Oct. 9.
“Our offensive staff has done a really good job just revamping what each quarterback can do, and it takes time,” coach Jeff Lomonico said. “We like the challenge. As a staff, we’ve been around for a bit. We don’t feel sorry for ourselves or try to cash anything in. We’re going to coach our butts off and try to put these kids in the best position to win games.”
Central is eighth in Region 3. The Tigers, seeking their eighth consecutive league title, visit Teays Valley (2-6, 1-4) on Oct. 16.
“We went through that [gantlet] to start the season,” Lomonico said. “For a lot of our guys, it was their first varsity experience, especially on the offensive side and some on the defensive side too. Even though we were 0-3, we got better. ... We’ve been playing with a little more confidence and just getting used to each other and understanding we can do this.”
New Albany embraces latest challenge
The Eagles’ home game against Pickerington North on Oct. 16 will affect the OCC-Ohio title chase and playoff seeding in regions 3 and 7.
New Albany is 2-1 in the OCC-Ohio, a game behind North and Gahanna Lincoln. North hosts Gahanna on Oct. 23.
“We have a heck of a challenge this week with North,” New Albany coach Mark Solis said. “We’re 6-2 and we look at it as an opportunity. We’re going to swing as hard as we can this week and just see what happens.”
New Albany is sixth in Region 7 and North is third in Region 3 behind Gahanna and Upper Arlington. New Albany beat UA 28-21 on Sept. 11 and lost to Gahanna 35-3 on Oct. 2.
Drew Jackson has helped lead the Eagles’ offense, completing 85 of 140 passes for 1,106 yards and 13 TDs with four interceptions.
Linebacker Mason Ackermann (87) and defensive back Chase Lewis (78) lead in tackles.
For North (7-1), Andyriq Thomas has rushed for 456 yards and seven TDs on 88 carries and Demetrius Neal-Nesbitt has completed 49 of 79 passes for 904 yards and 11 TDs with two interceptions.
“[North’s] overall team speed, athleticism stands out at you on tape,” Solis said.
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 9
