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Columbus-area high school football: 6 things we learned in Week 10
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- Columbus-area high school football: 6 things we learned in Week 10
Regular-season records will not mean quite as much this week as last, but as we turn to the high school football playoffs , credit is due to the four central Ohio teams that are 10-0.
Danville, Gahanna Lincoln, Granville and London will put undefeated records on the line Friday as 448 playoff teams statewide attempt to keep their seasons alive. Gahanna held off Pickerington North 35-28 in double overtime in a showdown between 9-0 teams.
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Seven more teams — Canal Winchester, Columbus Academy, Hamilton Township , Hilliard Bradley, North, Watterson and West Jefferson — have plenty of motivation for a restart after seeing their perfect records dashed.
Here are six things we learned in Week 10:
Gahanna Lincoln’s Amir Simmons (19)
1. Comeback within a comeback highlights Gahanna Lincoln win
The Lions' comeback from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit against North surely will be talked about for quite some time, but at least one player will remember the game as part of his individual road back.
Junior Terrell Holcomb's interception at the goal line in the second overtime sealed the win. It not only was his first interception of the year, but his first since the 2022 season opener at Mason. Holcomb missed most of last season because of a broken leg and has seen time at linebacker and safety this season as he sought a permanent position.
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"Thirteen games he missed (in 2022), so it's like starting over again this year," coach Bruce Ward said. "We moved him around; he played some safety and outside backer and he's been getting better as the weeks have gone. He has a knack for the ball. He's a heck of a kid and a great player."
Holcomb's father, who shares a name with his son, holds his own place in Columbus-area lore. He helped Linden-McKinley's boys basketball team to a Division I state runner-up finish in 1988 as a sophomore, hitting a game-winning 3-pointer in the regional final.
Gahanna's Terrell Holcomb makes the game-clinching interception against Pickerington North in October 2023, a game that featured two 9-0 teams.
2. Big Walnut punctuates second-half turnaround
The Golden Eagles' rebound from a 1-4 start continued in a big way, as the defense allowed only 85 yards to previously undefeated Canal Winchester in a 17-0 win, Big Walnut's fourth in five games. The victory clinched a playoff berth in Division II, Region 7 and was the team's second consecutive shutout.
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Nate Severs and Garrett Stover each rushed for touchdowns, and Severs finished with 147 yards on 29 carries. Brody Harfield and Jake Neff intercepted Indians quarterback Maxton Brunner.
First-year coach Curtis Crager's team is seeded 12th in Region 7 and will travel to fifth-seeded Northland on Friday.
"We knew there would be a learning curve and we didn't know how long it might take, but you have to give credit to the seniors and (the rest of) the kids because they bought it and listened to everything we've taught," Crager said. "The second half of the season, we told them we'd restart this thing. They have started to see their hard work pay off, and they never stopped believing in what we were doing."
Grove City Christian running back Cayden Carroll has surpassed 1,000 yards rushing for the second consecutive season.
3. Grove City Christian running back again surpasses 1,000 yards
Junior Cayden Carroll continues to make his name as one of the top small-school running backs in central Ohio, finishing the regular season with 1,160 yards and 16 touchdowns on 176 carries — all without a fumble — to lead the Eagles to a third playoff appearance in four years.
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A 35-3 win over Fisher Catholic clinched Grove City Christian's spot. Seeded 15th in Division VI, Region 23, the Eagles (6-4) will visit No. 2 West Jefferson (9-1) on Friday. The Roughriders, who were tied for first in last week's state poll with Kirtland, are coming off their first loss, 21-13 at Springfield Northeastern.
Carroll, who also plays linebacker, rushed for 1,100 yards and 12 touchdowns as a sophomore.
Coach Ryan Sayers guided Northland to a 9-1 regular season and an undefeated City League-North title.
4. Northland wins outright City League-North championship
Led by senior running back Amir Brown, Northland clinched the outright City-North title with a 27-20 win at Beechcroft on Thursday. Brown rushed for 170 yards and one touchdown on 31 carries.
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Junior quarterback Alex Neff's 1-yard touchdown run with 27 seconds remaining snapped a 20-all tie.
Neff replaced senior Charles Woodfork Jr. during the first quarter of Northland's 34-0 win over Mifflin on Oct. 5 after Woodfork suffered a season-ending ACL injury.
Northland (9-1) won the league title at 6-0 and has won nine consecutive games. The Vikings shared the City-North championship with Beechcroft and East a season ago and last won the title outright in 2018.
"The other night was an absolute blast for our guys," fourth-year coach Ryan Sayers said. "The No. 1 goal was to win a City League title. I thought our boys would come out on top in the City League-North. As a coach, you always want to see progress throughout the four years that you've been there.
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"As a new head coach four years ago, you want your fourth year to be your best year, especially when you have the kids that I have on this team."
The Vikings' playoff game against Big Walnut will be the program's first home postseason contest.
Coach Ryan Wiggins guided DeSales to a 27-24 win over Watterson on Friday.
5. DeSales wins on last-second field goal
Junior Leo Amalaman's 47-yard field goal as time expired lifted host DeSales (5-5) to a 27-24 win over Watterson (9-1) on Friday.
"It was a great game," DeSales coach Ryan Wiggins said. "Our kids played hard for 48 minutes. Watterson attempted over 60 passes. So many times, this game has come down to a play. Fortunately, we made the last one."
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The Stallions, Hartley and Watterson shared the CCL title at 2-1. Hartley (8-2) beat St. Charles 31-0 on Friday.
DeSales is seeded seventh in Region 7 and hosts 10th-seeded Dover in the first round.
"We beat a very good football team," Wiggins said. "They were 9-0 for a reason. Our kids rose to the occasion. That is the type of effort and execution it will take to win playoff games. If you look at our regular season, we have a lot to learn from. ... The key is to be playing well now. Hopefully we build off of a great win."
6. Eastmoor Academy opts out of postseason
Eastmoor won't compete in the Division IV, Region 15 playoffs.
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The Warriors (5-5) were 14th in the region and were scheduled to visit third-seeded Hartley on Friday. Eastmoor lost its final three games, including 36-0 to visiting Africentric in Week 10.
Messages seeking comment were left with Eastmoor coach Jim Miranda and athletic director James Washington.
Hartley will now host 14th-seeded Duncan Falls Philo in a first-round game. With a win, the Hawks will host a regional quarterfinal next week.
"The kids want to play two home games, so that's a huge reward for playing a tough schedule," Hartley coach Brad Burchfield said. "We want to play football. Our kids love football."
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Central Ohio high school football: 6 things we learned in Week 10
