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Ohio high school football playoffs: Columbus area regional final live updates, scores
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- Ohio high school football playoffs: Columbus area regional final live updates, scores
Seven central Ohio high school football teams will take the field in Friday night's regional finals . The Dispatch and its sister papers in the USA Today Network will be covering five of the squads.
Olentangy Liberty and Pickerington North meet in the Division I, Region 3 final at Historic Crew Stadium, so central Ohio is guaranteed at least one team in next Friday's state semifinals. Dave Purpura will provide coverage of top-seeded Liberty versus seventh-seeded North.
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Frank DiRenna will be in New Philadelphia, where top-seeded Watterson and second-seeded Steubenville face off for the Division III, Region 11 title in a battle of unbeatens. Watterson won the region last year on the way to a state runner-up finish.
Olentangy Liberty takes the field for Friday night's Division I, Region 3 final against Pickerington North at Historic Crew Stadium.
Watch OHSAA football playoffs on NFHS Network
Thanks to the Canton Repository and Marion Star, we also will have coverage of the Division II, Region 7 final between top-seeded Big Walnut and third-seeded Massillon Washington at Arlin Field in Mansfield and the Division VI, Region 23 final between No. 1 Grandview Heights and No. 2 Galion Northmor at Westerville Central.
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Live blog: Big Walnut vs. Massillon
We'll be watching social media for updates from the Division III, Region 12 final between fourth-seeded London and third-seeded Bellbrook at Springfield as well as the Danville-Beaver Eastern matchup of No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in the Division VII, Region 27 final at Logan.
Who's going to win Friday night ? Follow along with the action all evening as this live blog grows.
Danville beats Beaver Eastern 40-6 for Region 27 title
The Blue Devils (12-2) are moving on to a Division VII state semifinal with a win over Eastern (13-1). Danville meets Jeromesville Hillsdale next Friday.
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Olentangy Liberty beats Pickerington North for Region 3 title
Liberty has finished off North 21-9. The Patriots (12-2) play three-time defending state champion Lakewood St. Edward next Friday in a state semifinal. The Panthers finish 11-3.
Olentangy Liberty moves closer to Division I state semifinal
North drives to the Liberty 25 with 1:31 left, but a fumble by quarterback Jarin Mock on what appeared to be a low snap was recovered all the way back at midfield by Patriots linebacker Austin Stamp. Liberty takes over with 84 seconds left and a 21-9 lead.
Big Walnut knocks off defending Division II state champion Massillon
The Golden Eagles (13-1) have done it, defeating Massillon (11-3) 14-7 to win Division II, Region 7. Big Walnut advances to a state semifinal next Friday against Region 8 champion Cincinnati Anderson (14-0).
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Olentangy Liberty's defense again turns back Pickerington North
Another strong North drive in the second half ends with an interception in the end zone by Liberty's Antonio Kish, his second in as many possessions. Liberty still leads 21-9 with 8:19 to go.
Galion Northmor defeats Grandview Heights 37-6
Northmor (14-0) wins Division VI, Region 23 and advances to a state semifinal. Grandview finishes 12-1.
Watterson advances to Division III state semifinal
The Eagles, who lost in last year's state championship game, improve to 14-0 with a 37-7 win over Steubenville (13-1) in the Region 11 final at New Philadelphia. Watterson will play London next Friday in an all-central Ohio state semifinal.
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Northmor forces running clock against Grandview
Northmor gets a safety for a 37-6 lead with 7:25 left. The game moves to a running clock
London shuts out Bellbrook 13-0
In the Division III, Region 12 final at Springfield, London (14-0) defeats Bellbrook (12-2) to advance to a state semifinal, likely against Watterson, which leads Steubenville 37-7 in the fourth quarter.
Big Walnut stops Massillon offense on fourth-and-2
From the Canton Repository:After a measurement, Massillon comes up half a yard short on a fourth-and-2 rushing attempt by Mylen Lenix. Big Walnut will take over with the ball at its own 8-yard line. The Golden Eagles lead Massillon 14-7 with 9:36 to play.
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Watterson is firing on all cylinders
Zack Weber's 2-yard TD run gives Watterson a 37-7 lead with 7:27 remaining. For the 12th time in 14 games, the Eagles force a running clock.
It's a hat trick for Olentangy Liberty's Jake Struck
Liberty drives eight plays on its first drive of the second half, and the result is familiar. Struck scores his third touchdown, this one from 3 yards, for a 21-9 lead over Pickerington North. All of his scores have come on direct snaps. Struck is an Ohio State signee in lacrosse .
Watterson leads Steubenville 30-7 after three quarters
Steubenville drives into Watterson territory before fumbling, and Watterson's Tommy Haley recovers.
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Watterson capitalizes on defensive stand
After the defense stops Steubenville, the Eagles drive 89 yards for a touchdown. Zack Weber scores on a 3-yard run for a 30-7 lead with 25 seconds left in the third quarter.
London closing in on state semifinal berth
June Turner has scored on a 10-yard run, giving London a 13-0 lead on Bellbrook with under 9 minutes remaining.
Galion Northmor widens lead on Grandview Heights
QB A.J. Bower and Jax Wenger hook up again, with Wenger taking a screen pass 59 yards for a touchdown. Northmor leads 28-6.
Watterson defense comes up big again
On fourth-and-4 at the Watterson 7-yard line midway through the third quarter, Steubenville QB Aiden Jones is sacked and the Eagles take over at their 11, leading 23-7.
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Nolan Buirley returns opening kickoff of second half for Big Walnut touchdown
From the Canton Repository:Nolan Buirley just took the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown to start the second half. Buirley broke a couple of tackles inside his own 20 and was gone. Big Walnut leads Massillon 14-7 with 11:45 to go in the third quarter.
Olentangy Liberty leads Pickerington North 14-9 at halftime
Jake Struck has six carries for 28 yards and two touchdowns for Liberty. He also has two catches for 61 yards. Andrew Leonard is 8-of-10 passing for 147 yards. For North, Jarin Mock is 10-of-14 passing for 147 yards and a touchdown to Preston Bowman, who has seven catches for 114 yards.
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They've gone to halftime in Logan
Danville leads Beaver Eastern 28-6.
Watterson scores again before halftime
Michael Antry's 40-yard field goal gives Watterson a 23-7 lead with 36 seconds left in the first half, and that is the score as the game goes to halftime.
Grandview Heights trails Galion Northmor 21-6 at halftime
Grandview blocks a 36-yard field-goal attempt on the final play of the first half, keeping its deficit at 21-6.
Pickerington North draws closer on safety
North gets two points closer midway through the second when Tank Washington blocks an Olentangy Liberty punt at the 37 and recovers it, but he could not control it for a touchdown that could have tied the game. The ball goes out of the end zone for a safety to make it 14-9 with 6:15 left in the first half.
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Grandview gets on the scoreboard against Northmor
Quarterback Jack Clifford scores on a 2-yard sneak, pulling the Bobcats within 21-6 late in the second quarter.
Watterson scores on special teams
Now it's the special teams' turn to add to the lead as Cal Mangini scores on a 48-yard punt return, putting Watterson ahead 20-7 with 3:44 left in the first half. The Eagles miss the extra point.
Fourth-down gamble pays off for Pickerington North
North gets on the board 2:27 into the second quarter when Jarin Mock finds Preston Bowman in the back of the end zone on fourth-and-goal at the 6. That gets the Panthers within 14-7 against Olentangy Liberty. Bowman has six catches for 104 yards.
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It's halftime in Springfield
London leads Bellbrook 7-0 on Noah Sollars' 1-yard TD run in the first quarter.
Grandview trails Northmor by three touchdowns
A.J. Bower throws his second TD pass, this one 15 yards to Jax Wenger, and Northmor leads Grandview 21-0.
Steubenville cuts deficit in half
Steubenville takes advantage of a Watterson turnover to cut its deficit in half as Aiden Davis connects with Jerimiah Hinton for a 12-yard touchdown with 8:07 left in the first half. The Eagles lead 14-7.
Jake Struck strikes again for Olentangy Liberty
Struck scores again on a direct snap, running in from 6 yards for a 14-0 lead with 20 seconds left in the first. He also made a big block earlier on the drive during a 49-yard catch-and-run from QB Andrew Leonard to Christian Moulton.
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Danville has three-possession lead on Beaver Eastern
Watterson takes 14-0 lead into second quarter
It's been an impressive opening quarter for Watterson. The Eagles and Steubenville traded punts late in the first.
Olentangy Liberty grabs lead against Pickerington North
After a defensive stop near midfield to start the game, Liberty needed only five plays to strike first against Pickerington North. Jake Struck took a short pass 62 yards for first-and-goal, outmanning two North defenders in the process, and two plays later Struck scored from 3 yards off a direct snap with 6:35 left in the first.
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Northmor leads Grandview 14-0
Thomas Detwiler scores on a fumble return of about 65 yards and Bo Landin catches a 27-yard touchdown pass from A.J. Bower.
London grabs early lead
Defense delivers for Watterson
Watterson leads Steubenville 14-0 with 3:49 left in the first quarter after Tommy Haley scoops up a fumble and scores on a 23-yard return.
Watterson's defense gets the stop
Steubenville drives into Watterson territory before losing the ball on downs. Watterson takes over with 4:45 left in the first quarter. (The Eagles then went three-and-out on their drive.)
Watterson strikes first against Steubenville
Watterson strikes quickly as Zack Weber breaks free for 68-yard touchdown. The Eagles lead 7-0 only 56 seconds and three plays into the game.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: OHSAA football: Live high school playoff scores, regional final updates
