An age-old saying in football dictates that the most improvement in a season takes place between the first and second games.
Another bromide says streaks require at least three consecutive wins – or losses.
Taking those beliefs together, Week 2 of the 2026 Ohio high school football season is too early to draw lasting conclusions for the rest of the fall. Still, the picture surely will become a little clearer thanks to a few high-profile matchups in particular.
Or will it?
Here are five things to watch in Week 2:
Pickerington Central, Watterson prepare for clash of powers
The Week 1 results for these teams could not have been more disparate – Watterson steamrolled Whitehouse Anthony Wayne 35-0 while Central was on the wrong end of a 35-3 rout at Gahanna Lincoln – but does that mean the shine is off this showdown
between the two-time reigning Division III champions and a traditional Division I power?
“We will not see the same Pickerington team,” Watterson coach Brian Kennedy said. “There were probably four or five big plays that all went Gahanna’s way, and I am not saying Gahanna wouldn’t have won the game [otherwise], but it wouldn’t have been 35-3. …
“[Central] certainly [has] playmakers. It just seemed like whenever they made a big play, it would get called back.”
The Tigers took their worst regular-season loss since a 49-14 setback to Gahanna on Sept. 15, 2023.
Watterson, which is playing its first home game this week at Ohio Dominican, earned its second consecutive shutout win – the Eagles routed Toledo Central Catholic 30-0 in last year’s state final – and fifth since the start of last season.
New starting quarterback Dash Hoy, a junior, threw for 115 yards and two touchdowns and ran for two more in his debut. Kennedy called the win “clean” and a good springboard into Week 2.
“We’ve been in big games the past couple years,” he said. “[Playing one in Week 2 is] not a distraction. The guys know [Central] is a really good team no matter what happened last week.”
Is another shootout on tap for Grove City vs. Westland?
Pairing a late touchdown and the winning 2-point conversion with 14 seconds left was exciting enough for Grove City in its season-opening 28-27 win over Canal Winchester, but Dawgs coach Greg Waits took equal pride in the team’s defensive statistics.
Eight players made at least 11 tackles, led by 17 from linebackers Landyn Hayes and Cooper Sayre. Many of those were assisted, reflecting a swarming defensive approach Grove City needed to contain Canal running back Jamari Snow and expects to need again against an athletic Westland team that outlasted Teays Valley 33-28 in Week 1.
“We knew we had to gang-tackle [and] sprint to the ball with eight or nine guys on every play,” Waits said. “Westland has a lot of skill, they always do, and we have to eliminate some of the explosive plays they get. Their offensive and defensive lines are a lot better than the last couple years. They’re a formidable opponent.”
Grove City owns a six-game winning streak against its South Western district rival, including 45-41 last year and 38-28 in 2024.
Westland returned standout receiver and defensive back Germere Sanchez, among others, and added quarterback Mike Daniels from Ready and running back Daiquan Galloway from Walnut Ridge via transfers. Daniels threw for 213 yards and three touchdowns at Teays.
Central, South continue Westerville rivalry
South carries a six-game winning streak against Central into their latest meeting, which begins an hour earlier than normal at 6 p.m. Aug. 28. Both teams are 1-0.
“With the element of the rivalry early in the year, it adds a fun buzz to the school,” South coach Eric Calland said. “The guys have all known each other. The way our middle schools are laid out, a lot of them have played with each other in middle school and then they break up. There’s certainly a respect aspect. A of them are friends, but when they’re out there, they want to win bad.”
This season’s meeting has extra incentive for both programs with South joining Central in Division I, Region 3. The Wildcats previously were in Division II, Region 7.
“The kids grow up playing with or against each other,” Central coach Josh Franke said. “When you’re trying to rule the ‘Ville, this is step one, you have to take down Westerville South. It’s a huge game for us.”
Central sophomore quarterback Nathan Miller III completed 12 of 20 passes for 111 yards with one touchdown and one interception in a 21-0 opening win over Marion-Franklin. He is nephew of former Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller.
For South, senior Taryn Walters was the offseason favorite to start at quarterback but he has been sidelined since late July with a broken thumb. Junior Noah Costello, an outside linebacker, got the start at quarterback in a 20-13 win over Dublin Jerome, passing for 111 yards and rushing for 30.
Calland said Walters has been cleared to practice.
Groveport prepares for road trip to perennial power
Groveport got the defensive effort it sought in a 14-6 win over Africentric in Week 1, holding the Nubians to minus-3 rushing yards and 71 overall.
A huge test awaits Aug. 28 when the Cruisers head to Cincinnati Moeller (0-1), the Division I state runner-up two years ago and owner of a state-record 41 playoff appearances. Groveport returned only two starters on offense, seniors Baker Bowden (QB) and Anthony Newell (slot), in addition to about half of the defense.
“We have a decent group of young guys, but our issue right now is we have a senior quarterback and a bunch of sophomores and juniors, a lot of new faces,” coach Mitch Westcamp said. “Everything we do, our emphasis is on defense. We put our best guys over there and if we keep it close, we have a shot. …
“The thing that stands out [about Moeller] is their offensive line. I saw a graphic with top linemen in the state and all five are on that. They have 100-plus scholarship offers for the five and they’re massive. Their tackles are 6-6 and the shortest guy is 6-3. But defensively, they’re no different than us, a lot of 5-9 to 6-foot kids.”
For now, Groveport and Moeller are on a one-year deal. A return game at Groveport in 2027 is currently not finalized, Westcamp said.
Harvest Prep faces another daunting task
Harvest Prep continues its challenging schedule when it hosts Division VII power Maria Stein Marion Local after opening with a 21-18 loss at Versailles on Aug. 20.
Marion Local, which defeated Carey 34-7 on Aug. 21, saw its 76-game winning streak end in a 24-7 loss to St. Henry in a regional final last season, ending its state championship streak at four. The Flyers have won 15 state titles, the most in Ohio history.
“Marion [Local] is one of the best in the game, and we have a great deal of respect for what they have done and what they do,” Harvest Prep coach Milan Smith said. “However, this is every week for us. Although it’s not exactly ideal for a team our size to play this schedule, there are some positives.
“We have had over 40 guys get college scholarships in the last 13 years, and that says a lot about our program. Our young men have to play at a high level every week just to compete, so they are very prepared for college when they graduate.”
The teams last met in 2008, with Marion Local winning 42-7.
Against Versailles, senior quarterback Collin Boff, a Bowling Green commit, completed 14 of 28 passes for 352 yards with one touchdown and one interception and rushed for 37 yards and a score.
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 2
