The Dispatch continues to preview the second half of the high school football season, having already reset preseason picks along with making new predictions.
Now, it is time to rank central Ohio’s top players at the halfway point.
The Dispatch sports staff voted for the area’s top 10 players through five weeks, based on individual bodies of work as well as team performance.
Here are The Dispatch’s top 10 area players at midseason:
1. Jackson Szabo, Worthington Kilbourne
The junior quarterback and three-year starter is enjoying his best season yet, having completed 91 of 130 passes for an area-best 1,647 yards and 21 touchdowns while rushing for 599 yards and 10 scores on 69 carries for the undefeated Wolves. Szabo accounted for 633 yards of offense – 424 passing and 209 passing – in a 49-20
win over Dublin Scioto on Sept. 18.
2. Nolan Buirley, Big Walnut
The senior running back and Northwestern commit has rushed for 873 yards and 14 touchdowns on 90 carries and caught 10 passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns during the Golden Eagles' undefeated start. Buirley has amassed 5,252 career rushing yards and 73 scores entering this week’s visit to 5-0 Ironton.
3. RJ Day, DeSales
The senior quarterback, who like Buirley has committed to Northwestern, has completed 92 of 128 passes for 1,195 yards and 11 touchdowns with six interceptions during the Stallions’ 4-1 start. He needs 91 yards this week against Watterson to reach 7,000 for his career. Day also has rushed for 165 yards and three touchdowns on 33 carries.
4. Michael Boyle, Watterson
The senior defensive lineman and Ohio State wrestling commit has picked up where he left off for the two-time reigning state champion Eagles (5-0) despite missing the first game of the season while winning a U20 World wrestling championship in Slovakia. Boyle has 45 tackles in four games, including 14 for loss and six sacks – both of which lead the team.
5. Cyren Wallace, Danville
The junior has rushed for 510 yards and nine touchdowns on 37 carries and made 43 tackles on defense with 24 solo, two for loss, one fumble recovery and one interception for the 5-0 Blue Devils. Danville has scored at least 38 points in each game.
6. Ryan Sager, Johnstown
Coming off a 2,090-yard season as a junior, Sager has 859 yards and 14 touchdowns on 133 carries to lead the 3-2 Johnnies. Sager scored 37 touchdowns a season ago.
7. Jayden Maddox, South
A deep defense for the undefeated Bulldogs – who are only two years removed from a 0-10 season – counts Maddox among its top contributors. The senior lineman has 56 tackles, including 44 solo, seven sacks and 19 stops for loss, and a fumble recovery. Outside a 35-34 win over Dayton Belmont in Week 3, South has given up 14 points with two shutouts.
8. Blaike Jackson, Grove City
A senior running back and kick returner, Jackson has rushed for 843 yards and 12 touchdowns on 120 carries and has two receptions for 20 yards, along with a 94-yard kickoff return for a score. He collected 534 all-purpose yards – 436 of them rushing – and five total scores in a 42-35 win over Dublin Coffman in Week 5.
9. Ben Uhlenhake, Watterson
A senior linebacker and running back who has committed to Ohio University, Uhlenhake leads the Eagles in tackles (59) with 19 solo, three for loss and a sack. On offense, he has run for 88 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries, providing a dependable change of pace behind leading rushers Caden Mangini (509 yards, 9 TDs) and quarterback Dash Hoy (399 yards, 5 TDs).
10. Trey Bentley, Jonathan Alder
The junior receiver is enjoying a breakout season for the undefeated Pioneers, having caught 37 passes for 669 yards and eight touchdowns. That accounts for more than half of sophomore quarterback Drew Hughes’ 1,273 yards and 15 scores.
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: Who are central Ohio's top high school football players at midseason?
