League championships and playoff seeds were decided in Week 10 of the 2024 high school football season.
We covered three games Friday that were winner take all for a league title: DeSales-Watterson (CCL), Olentangy-Olentangy Berlin (OCC-Cardinal) and Westland-Big Walnut (OCC-Capital). Dave Purpura, Scott Gerfen and Frank DiRenna covered those games, respectively.
We also monitored other matchups that decided league titles, including Columbus Academy-Ready (Central Buckeye League), Gahanna Lincoln-Pickerington North (OCC-Ohio) and Olentangy Liberty-Olentangy Orange (OCC-Central).
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In central Ohio, Week 10 got underway Thursday night with two City League rivalry games. Marion-Franklin defeated South 24-8 and Northland beat Beechcroft 17-14 in overtime.
Who’s going to win Friday? Follow along with the action all evening as this live blog grows.
Olentangy Liberty’s 50-22 win over Olentangy Orange and Upper Arlington’s 14-10 win over Hilliard Davidson mean Liberty, Orange and UA all finish 4-1 in the OCC-Central and share the title. With its win, Liberty should end up as the No. 1 seed in the Division I, Region 3 playoffs.
The Silver Knights captured their second consecutive CBL title with a 23-14 win over previously unbeaten Columbus Academy. If Ready makes the Division IV, Region 15 playoffs, it will enter the postseason on a five-game winning streak.
Eli Stumpf’s 2-yard TD pass to Brody Hatfield with 3 seconds left lifts Big Walnut (9-1, 7-0) to a 34-33 win over Westland (8-2, 6-1) and the OCC-Capital championship. Westland had been seeking its first league title since 1993.
Jordan Mathews’ 13-yard TD run with 1:03 left gives Westland a 33-28 lead over Big Walnut.
Gahanna (8-2, 5-0) finishes off a 17-6 victory over Pickerington North (8-2, 4-1) to win the OCC-Ohio title.
Watterson (10-0, 3-0) beats DeSales (8-2, 2-1) 44-7 to win the CCL championship.
Jake Bushelman scores on his second quarterback keeper, this one from 2 yards, and then Gahanna intercepts Jarin Mock. The Lions lead Pickerington North 14-6 with 4:59 to play.
Payton Abrams’ 5-yard touchdown run gives Big Walnut its first lead at 28-27 with 10:16 left in the fourth quarter.
Watterson invokes the running clock for the eighth time this season after Drew Bellisari tosses a 30-yard touchdown to Cal Mangini with 6:29 left, making it 38-7 over DeSales.
Berlin holds off Olentangy 14-11 to win the OCC-Cardinal championship. Berlin finishes the regular season at 8-2 and 5-0 in the league. Olentangy is 8-2 and finishes 4-1 in the league.
Westland goes ahead 27-21 as Germere Sanchez outleaps defensive back Judah Stewart for a 28-yard touchdown pass from Levi Estep with 1:58 left in the third quarter. The extra point is blocked. Big Walnut then drives into Westland territory as the third quarter ends.
Watterson uses yet another long drive to potentially seal the game, marching 90 yards in 10 plays. Zack Weber scores from 6 yards to increase the lead to 31-7 with 11:03 to go.
Olentangy has cut its deficit to 14-11 with 6:03 left. Luke Chilicki finds Mike Alexander for a 20-yard touchdown and Jackson Wiley catches the two-point conversion.
Holcomb blocks Brandon Fowler’s 29-yard field-goal attempt, preserving Gahanna’s 7-6 lead late in the third quarter.
Big Walnut takes advantage of a Westland fumble as Eli Stumpf connects with Aidan West for a 41-yard touchdown and a 21-all tie with 8:17 left in the third quarter. Westland star running back Kentrell Rinehart is injured and out of uniform on the sideline.
Olentangy puts together a 17-play, 87-yard drive but comes up empty after Enrique James misses a 23-yard field goal. Berlin leads 14-3 early in the fourth quarter.
Watterson used another lengthy drive, this one 12 plays covering 76 yards, and Mike Antry’s 38-yard field goal pushed the Eagles lead back to three scores (24-7) with 6:33 left in the third.
Big Walnut strikes quickly to begin the second half as Nolan Buirley takes a screen pass from Eli Stumpf, sprints down the sideline and spins free for a 51-yard touchdown. The Golden Eagles trail 21-14 with 10:31 left in the third quarter.
Pickerington North had a first-and-goal, but two penalties and a Gahanna sack forced the Panthers to settle for a 39-yard field goal from Brandon Fowler. Gahanna leads 7-6 with 6:44 left in the third quarter.
DeSales showed life to begin the second half, getting on the scoreboard with a 94-yard kickoff return for a touchdown from Elazar Hood to trim Watterson’s lead to 21-7.
Aiden Eviston connects with Alejandro Aguilar for a 48-yard touchdown. Berlin goes up 14-3 with 8:48 left in the third quarter. Eviston has completed 5 of 9 passes for 158 yards.
The Cougars have a 14-point lead despite running back Kentrell Rinehart missing the second quarter with an injury.
North’s star running back, Michael Taylor, fumbled at the 2-yard line late in the second quarter and Gahanna recovered to maintain its 7-3 lead going into halftime.
The Eagles took a three-score lead just before the half when Drew Bellisari scored on a 17-yard keeper on fourth-and-1 to make it 21-0.
Aiden Eviston’s 62-yard pass to Colton Less sets up Eviston’s 1-yard touchdown run to give the Bears a 7-3 lead at halftime. Brayden Williams’ 44-yard field goal gave Olentangy a 3-0 lead with about 6 minutes left in the half.
The Westland standout records his third touchdown of the game as he break tackles for a 24-yard score and a 21-7 lead over Big Walnut with 3:27 left in the first half.
Nolan Buirley scores on a 1-yard run, and the Golden Eagles trail Westland 14-7 with 6:57 left in the first half. Eli Stumpf’s 48-yard strike to Jackson Bowers set up the score.
Five plays after a DeSales fumble, Drew Bellisari hits Jake Uhlenhake from 8 yards to increase Watterson’s lead to 14-0.
Gahanna’s quarterback, playing for the injured Brennen Ward, keeps the ball and sprints 80 yards for a touchdown to give the Lions a 7-3 lead at Pickerington North with 9:17 left in the second quarter.
Westland opens a 14-0 lead at Big Walnut on Levi Estep’s 36-yard TD pass to Mathews with 8:59 remaining in the second quarter. It’s Mathews’ second score of the game.
North is up 3-0 early in the second quarter on a 42-yard field goal by Brandon Fowler.
DeSales drove to Watterson’s 44 in 12 plays, but running back Jonathan Brown fumbled into the hands of Watterson defensive lineman Michael Boyle with 7 minutes left in the first half.
Westland leads 7-0 after one quarter and moves into Big Walnut territory on the final play. Westland running back Kentrell Rinehart, who was shaken up late in the quarter, remains on the sideline without his helmet.
Gahanna and North are scoreless after one quarter. Gahanna will begin the second quarter by punting out of its end zone.
That remained the score heading to the second quarter, largely because DeSales held on fourth-and-goal at its own 1 late in the first. Watterson running back Zack Weber had the ball on fourth down and ran into the middle of a rugby scrum that the Stallions managed to keep outside the end zone.
After both teams were forced to punt on their opening possessions, Westland opens the scoring in the OCC-Capital title game on Jordan Mathews’ 35-yard touchdown run for 7-0 lead with 6:01 left in first quarter.
The defenses are shining early in Berlin’s battle with Olentangy for the OCC-Cardinal title. There were just two first downs in a scoreless first quarter, both by Berlin.
Running a fast-paced, no-huddle offense to precision early, undefeated Watterson needed only 2:50 to take an early lead against DeSales. Quarterback Drew Bellisari burst through the middle of the line and raced 32 yards to give the Eagles a 7-0 lead.
The Lions don’t have their starting quarterback in their OCC-Ohio title matchup at North. Jake Bushelman, normally a wide receiver, safety and punter, has taken over for the injured Ward, a senior Kentucky commit.
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