5 takeaways from Thursday's 7-on-7 high school football competition at Pickerington North

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5 takeaways from Thursday's 7-on-7 high school football competition at Pickerington North

Watterson quarterback Nate Henderson rolls out of the pocket during a 7-on-7 competition Thursday at Pickerington North. — Watterson quarterback Nate Henderson rolls out of the pocket during a 7-on-7 competition June 13 at Pickerington North. The Eagles, last year's Division III state runners-up, will be part of the new eight-team Ohio Catholic Athletic Conference that was announced Tuesday. The league, involving Columbus-area and northeast Ohio Catholic schools, will begin play in the fall of 2026.

Dave Purpura and Frank DiRenna, Columbus Dispatch · The Columbus Dispatch

Fri, Jun 14, 2024 ·

5 min read

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If Thursday night is any indication, expect the Watterson football team to remain in the conversation regarding central Ohio's best this fall.

Of course a 7-on-7 in mid-June is not necessarily an indicator of what to expect once the season begins. But the 2023 Division III state runner-up Eagles shined during a 7-on-7 at Pickerington North, edging the host Panthers 26-24 in overtime in a semifinal before losing to Cincinnati Winton Woods 14-11 in overtime in the final.

Hamilton Township was the other local team in a field that also included Ashland, Canton McKinley, Findlay and Ironton.

Here are five takeaways from Thursday night:

Watterson quarterback Drew Bellisari looks for a receiver during a 7-on-7 competition Thursday at Pickerington North.

1. Watterson gets close-up look at potential contributors

Watterson lost 21 players to graduation, so 7-on-7 offseason competitions give returning players a chance to hone their skills .

"The goal with these things is I want to see our kids compete," coach Brian Kennedy said. "We know we're going to run the wrong route. We're going to drop passes. We're going to blow coverages, but just seeing our kids compete is important. There were some really good teams, really good players out there, so that was a good opportunity for us tonight."

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Watterson football coach Brian Kennedy looks on as his team competes in a 7-on-7 on Thursday at Pickerington North.

The Eagles won their first nine games last season and finished 14-2, losing 27-7 to Toledo Central Catholic in the Division III state final.

"You've got some kids, sophomores and some juniors who are now seniors who were part of that success last year that become your leaders," Kennedy said. "They're the ones that have been playing under the lights on Friday, so they're a little more experienced and they're not quite as nervous."

One of the biggest losses to graduation was first-team all-state quarterback A.J. McAninch. Drew Bellisari, Nate Henderson and Zeke Taylor each saw time at quarterback Thursday night.

"We have five 7-on-7s for the summer," Kennedy said. "We have to find some secondary guys. We have to find a quarterback. We have to see how these guys do under pressure before we get to Friday nights when it matters. The quarterbacks are neck and neck. Whoever isn't the starting quarterback is going to be playing somewhere else either on offense or defense. That's a good situation for us."

Pickerington North quarterback Jarin Mock delivers a pass during a 7-on-7 competition Thursday at North. Mock is a move-in from Reynoldsburg.

2. Quarterback Mock settling in for Pickerington North

About a month after moving in from Reynoldsburg , North junior quarterback Jarin Mock said his comfort level continues to increase running the Panthers' spread offense.

Mock is working with a veteran group of receivers led by seniors Fraizer Amare, Preston Bowman (43 catches, 713 yards, 9 touchdowns in 2023) and Chris Louis. Amare and Mock were teammates at Reynoldsburg in 2023, and Louis accounted for nine touchdowns receiving and on kick returns for Division II state champion Massillon Washington .

Louis previously lived in Pickerington.

"Some guys and I are really clicking," Mock said. "I make sure that after or before (practice) or on days we have off, to grab some guys, come out here and run some routes and make sure we run through things we haven't clicked on."

Mock is visiting Wisconsin, which is among his five Division I offers, this weekend and Michigan State on Monday.

Hamilton Township receiver Easton Hill catches a pass during a 7-on-7 competition Thursday at Pickerington North.

3. Hamilton Township gains valuable experience

Having lost 16 players to graduation from last season's 9-2 team, Hamilton Township coach Tennyson Varney hopes to give his returning players as much experience as possible this summer.

"I was really proud of the kids to come out and compete," Varney said. "We didn't finish like we wanted to, but it's a learning lesson. We're still 0-0 and we still have the summer to get better."

Key losses for Hamilton Township include quarterback Josh Woods and running back Nadir Langston.

Hamilton Township quarterback Lucas King fires a pass during a 7-on-7 competition Thursday at Pickerington North. King is a move-in from Frankfort Adena.

Lucas King, a move-in from Frankfort Adena, is expected to compete for the starting quarterback position, according to Varney.

"I'm really proud with the work they're putting in," Varney said. "It's the most focused (group of) kids that we've had. We're building on years previous, and these guys are taking a run with it. I tell them all the time I'm their biggest fan. I can't wait to see what they do. We're moving in the right direction."

Hamilton Township football coach Tennyson Varney looks on as his team plays in a 7-on-7 competition Thursday at Pickerington North.

4. Cincinnati Winton Woods rides defense to title

Coach Chad Murphy did not see Thursday's championship in his team's future, even though the Warriors went 2-1 in pool play. Winton Woods edged Hamilton Township 12-10 and beat Ironton 22-4 to reach the final.

"We started out pretty ugly," Murphy said. "We've only had two practices so far and we still have a long way to go. Everybody does. We graduated three pretty good receivers (including first-team all-state selection and Purdue signee Tra'mar Harris) … and we leaned on our defense."

Senior Justin Hill nabbed two interceptions at defensive end and hauled in multiple catches at receiver. The 6-foot, 230-pound Hill visited Ohio State last week and has said he will choose between OSU, Alabama, Oregon and Southern California on July 3 .

Winton Woods moves from Division II to Division I this fall.

Pickerington North football coach Nate Hillerich talks to his team during a 7-on-7 competition Thursday at home.

5. Linemen get their work in, too

While 7-on-7 is tailored to quarterbacks and receivers, roughly 40 linemen from North, Ashland and Hamilton Township held the Linemen Challenge inside the school during pool play.

Activities included a farmer's carry — in which participants hold weights in each hand and walk for a set distance or time — weightlifting and a tug of war.

"Linemen are cut from a different cloth," said North senior left guard Ayden Annarino, a Miami University commit. "We don't get all the (attention), all the cameras and action, but we do all the dirty work for the skill players to shine. It was good for us to get after it."

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio high school football: Takeaways from 7-on-7 at Pickerington North

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