Columbus-area high school football: 5 things to watch in Week 9
No matter which route Canal Winchester takes to Delaware Hayes on Friday — Google Maps offers three possibilities, all taking about an hour — it's going to be the team's most important gameday bus ride so far this season.
The unbeaten Indians are second in the Division II, Region 7 computer ratings, and a top-four finish would mean the chance to play the first two rounds of the playoffs at home. They're also one game ahead of Delaware in the race for the OCC-Capital championship with two games to play.
Similar goals are at stake for the Pacers, who are preparing to host the biggest high school football game the city of Delaware has seen in years.
Here are five things to watch in Week 9:
1. Delaware Hayes seeking first home playoff contest
When Ryan Montgomery took over as Delaware coach before last season, after serving as an assistant for 10 years, his goal was to lead the program into uncharted territory.
If the Pacers (7-1, 4-1) aren't there yet, they're really close. They have clinched the program’s third consecutive postseason berth and fourth overall, with the first coming in 2008.
They also have secured back-to-back seasons of at least seven wins for the first time since pulling off the feat in 1967, 1968 and 1969.
“It’s been a while since Delaware has had a big football game in Week 9,” Montgomery said. “We’re excited for it. The kids are excited. The community is excited for this game.”
The Pacers also are looking to lock up the program’s first home playoff game. They are currently eighth in Division I, Region 2, which would give them a first-round home game against the No. 9 seed.
Canal Winchester (8-0, 5-0) is ranked fifth in the state in Division II after last week's 35-14 win over Westerville South.
“Watching them on film, they’re big, they’re strong, they’re athletic,” Montgomery said. “Our hope is that we can hang with them and give ourselves an opportunity for a shot. We match up really well.”
The teams have met the past three seasons, with Canal Winchester winning 49-28 in 2020 and 20-17 in 2021 and Delaware winning 10-9 last year.
For Delaware, Jake Lowman has passed for 1,902 yards and 19 touchdowns, while Austin Koslow has 797 yards receiving and nine touchdowns and Gavin Brinkmoeller has rushed for 548 yards and five scores.
For Canal Winchester, Maxton Brunner has passed for 399 yards and five touchdowns, Kaseem Wade has rushed for 465 yards and six scores and Corey Howard has added 415 yards and six touchdowns.
"We're playing for each other," Indians coach Jake Kuhner said. "They're having fun and just keeping everybody up. We know we're not unbeatable by any means, but this is a tight-knit group and that makes for a special team."
2. Shorthanded Upper Arlington prepares for rival
Hampered by injuries for much of the season, the Golden Bears (5-3, 1-2 OCC-Central) will try to build on their best defensive performance of the year when they visit longtime rival Dublin Coffman (6-2, 2-1).
Playing without linebackers George Gerber and Tommy Janowicz and lineman Steven Ye, possibly for the rest of the season, UA forced four Olentangy Orange turnovers last week in a 10-0 win. The Pioneers had scored at least 35 points in two of their previous three games, and now UA will take aim at a Shamrocks team that largely has played close games throughout the past month and survived a late surge from Hilliard Davidson to win 21-20 last week.
“It’s been one of those years where injuries have taken their toll,” UA coach Justin Buttermore said. “Our league is just really, really even. Our division is always good, but I think it’s probably more balanced than it’s ever been. Coffman is extremely good. They’re physical. They pound the ball right at you. They have some college-level offensive linemen who pace the way for both the run and the pass. … They’re still as good as anybody in our conference.”
UA is seeking its third consecutive win in a series it leads 14-12.
3. Harvest Prep rolling toward postseason
With two 2-6 teams remaining on their schedule, the seventh-ranked Warriors (6-1) look poised to extend their current three-game winning streak and potentially contend for the top seed in Division V, Region 19.
Harvest Prep’s latest win was 20-13 against Division II Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary last week. Sophomore quarterback/linebacker Dezmond Porter ran for a 77-yard touchdown and returned a fumble for a score, and Chris Brown’s interception in the final two minutes sealed the win.
The Warriors’ only loss came at three-time defending Indiana Class 6A champion Greenwood Center Grove, 36-18 on Sept. 15. Harvest Prep is third in Region 19 this week, less than 1.5 points behind No. 1 Ironton.
“We’re a very physical team, but our guys have realized we’re not the only physical team,” coach Milan Smith said. “Sometimes young people forget others put their pants on the same way, and we’ve had some good reminders about that. Some teams do what we do and do it a little bit better. What will we do to separate ourselves from some of those teams?”
Harvest Prep finishes the regular season at Licking Heights and at home against KIPP Columbus.
4. Hilliard Bradley aiming for first league title since 2018
Bradley coach Mike LoParo believes the five-game OCC-Central schedule is grueling, but it's preparing his team for the Division I, Region 3 playoffs.
The third-ranked Jaguars (8-0, 3-0) visit Olentangy Orange (4-4, 2-1) on Friday before hosting Coffman to close the regular season. They're seeking their first league title since 2018, when they won a third consecutive OCC-Cardinal championship.
“This schedule, this league that they have created for us is brutal,” LoParo said. “This league prepares you. Every week you have to get up. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s just hard to do. With high school kids, it’s trying to keep them level-headed.”
Bradyn Fleharty has passed for 1,846 yards and 19 touchdowns and rushed for 850 yards and 11 scores to lead Bradley. Ethen Tebbetts has 549 yards receiving and five touchdowns.
For Orange, Levi Davis has completed 116 of 207 passes for 1,369 yards with nine touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also has rushed for 523 yards and 10 touchdowns on 96 carries.
5. Hamilton Township, Bloom-Carroll to square off
Hamilton Township hosts Bloom-Carroll in a key MSL-Buckeye and Division III, Region 11 contest Friday.
The Rangers (8-0, 5-0) and Bloom-Carroll (7-1, 5-0) are tied for first in the MSL-Buckeye. Third-place Logan Elm (7-1, 4-1) hosts Hamilton Township on Oct. 20.
“Bloom-Carroll has set the standard for our league,” Hamilton Township coach Tennyson Varney said. “They’re a top-notch program. They don’t have any holes. There’s a reason they played for a state title last year and they’ve been successful for years.”
Bloom-Carroll is third in Region 11 and Hamilton Township is seventh. The Bulldogs beat Hamilton Township 48-0 last season and have won six consecutive games in the series.
“We’re hoping to go out there and compete at a high level,” Varney said. “Our kids are prepared for it. They’re hungry for it.”
For the Rangers, Josh Woods has passed for 1,804 yards and 26 touchdowns and Nadir Langston has rushed for 1,303 yards and 15 scores. Jovon McBride has 833 yards receiving and 15 touchdowns.
For Bloom-Carroll, Ethan Thanthanavong has passed for 1,071 yards and 14 touchdowns and Dylan Armentrout has rushed for 862 yards and 13 scores.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Central Ohio high school football: 5 things to watch in Week 9
