THE 10 BEST GAMES TO SEE IN OHIO - WEEK 10
By Kyle Holsinger
Well, we made it to the last week of the regular season, and I’m interested to see who plays who in the playoffs when the Ohio High School Athletic Association announces it on Sunday. There has been some top notch football played through the entire state this year, and it’s been a lot of fun to watch. This final week is crucial as to who will earn a postseason berth, and who will begin practicing for winter sports.
When: Fri. Oct. 23 at 7 p.m.
Last Week: The Panthers defeated Oak Harbor at home, 37-7; and the Eagles won at Millbury Lake, 21-0.
Previous Meeting: Oct. 24, 2025; Eastwood won at Maumee, 41-17.
Intrigue: Maumee controls their own destiny as far as making the playoffs, but have only beat one team this year with a winning record—Toledo Waite, who is 6-3. There’s still a chance to make it in the tournament with a loss, but then the Panthers are left at the mercy of the result of other games.
Eastwood has already clinched the outright Northern Buckeye Conference title.
Quarterback Brayden Luidhardt went 12-for-18 passing for 200 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception last week. Cam Schumaker caught six passes for 61 yards and a TD; Edmund Opfer made three receptions for 96 yards and a TD; and Logan Brown had three catches for 43 yards. Senior Brayden Brown rushed for 90 yards and a TD on 17 carries.
The Eagles’ defense was led by Brady Ramlow—who had 16 tackles, two tackles-for-loss, and a sack one week ago. Schumaker wrapped up 15 tackles, and Levi Stayer had seven tackles, two TFL, and two pass deflections. Brown had 11 tackles, and Mason Chaffee made four tackles, a pass breakup, and an INT. Braylon Collins had two tackles and two sacks.
When: Fri. Oct. 23 at 7 p.m.
Last Week: The Black Knights won at Leipsic, 27-6; and the Panthers beat Arcadia at home, 55-0.
Previous Meeting: Sept. 26, 2025; Van Buren defeated McComb at home, 35-14.
Intrigue: Van Buren’s Cooper Hanna is 43-of-57 passing for 380 yards, one TD, and three picks while rushing for 1,581 yards and 24 TDs on 171 attempts this season. Caleb Mason has rushed for 580 yards and three TDs on 73 carries while Haiden Orr has 554 yards and four TDs on 98 attempts. Casten Heitkamp has 12 receptions for 200 yards.
The Black Knights’ defense is led by Orr—who has 70 tackles and 11 TFL this season. Isaac Bowen has 62 tackles, 14 TFL, and a pick. Masonhas 54 tackles and nine tackles; Jacob Harrington wrapped up 44 tackles, four INTs, and two TFL.; and Heitkamp made 38 tackles.
McComb’s Ashtin Gallagher completed 106-of-168 passes for 1,565 yards, 21 TDs, and six INTs in 2026. Carter Frater has 50 catches for 700 yards and eight TDs; Luke Kern has 32 receptions for 480 yards and 11 TDs to go with 262 rushing yards and six TDs on 45 attempts; and Kahle Drown has caught 22 passes for 330 yards and two TDs while also rushing for 323 yards and eight TDs on 64 carries. Jackson Hepperly has rushed for 354 yards and three TDs on 45 touches.
The Panthers’ Jaxon Durain leads the defense with 98 tackles and 25 TFL this year. Brody Gallagher has 83 tackles, four TFL, and a pick; and Carter Like has 73 tackles, 10 TFL, and an INT. Colton Smith has wrapped up 68 tackles and eight TFL. Drown has made 51 tackles, five TFL, and a pick; and Kern has three INTs—one for a pick-six.
When: Fri. Oct. 23 at 7 p.m.
Last Week: The Golden Bears defeated Margaretta at home, 12-8; and Woodmore beat Lakota at home, 28-22.
Previous Meeting: Oct. 3, 2025; Gibsonburg beat Woodmore at home, 14-6.
Intrigue: Winner wins the Sandusky Bay Conference outright.
Gibsonburg’s Grant Smith rushed for 115 yards and one TD on 32 attempts. Keese Sanchez was 2-for-5 passing for 13 yards in their last game. Reese Walby had 67 rushing yards while also catching two balls for 13 yards. The Golden Bears’ defense is led by Smith—who had eight tackles, one TFL, and a fumble recovery. Hunter Wasserman made eight tackles, and Walby had seven tackles and two PBUs. Xavier Zimmerman made two tackles and a fumble recovery.
Woodmore’s Lucas Caldwell carried the 26 times for 274 yards and four TDs a game ago. Calvin Lipstraw went 4-of-7 for 48 yards. Wesley Kayser caught four receptions for 48 yards.
The Wildcats’ defense is led by Caldwell—who wrapped up 15 tackles and a TFL. Junior D.J. Orcelletto has nine tackles, one TFL, and a PBU. Adley Anstead and Kayser had eight tackles each.
When: Fri. Oct. 23 at 7 p.m.
Last Week: Bellevue defeated Port Clinton at home, 42-7; and Vermilion won at Milan Edison, 37-7.
Previous Meeting: Oct. 24, 2025; Bellevue defeated Vermilion at home, 16-6.
Intrigue: If Vermilion wins, they’ll force a three-way tie for the Northern Ohio Conference Bay division title with Bellevue and Port Clinton. If Bellevue wins, the NOC Bay is theirs outright.
Bellevue’s Ike Brown threw 5-of-9 passes for 77 yards while also rushing for 127 yards and two TDs on 14 carries. Evan Bova rushed for 162 yards and three TDs on 16 touches. Caden Cramer rushed for 26 yards and a TD on four attempts as well as catching three passes for 27 yards.
The Bellevue defense is led by Cramer—who had eight tackles last week. Konner Dauch made six tackles, and Justin Bucher made four tackles and one INT.
Vermilion’s Landon Mooney rushed for 187 yards and three scores on 21 attempts a game ago while Bronson Seisel rushed for 132 yards and two TDs on 16 carries. Drake Hooks completed 1-of-6 passes for 17 yards with Dawson Coates catching the lone pass.
The Sailors’ defense is led by Daniel Roy—who made 16 tackles and a forced fumble last week. Mack Mooney had nine tackles, and Mason Cooper made five tackles, a sack, and a fumble recovery. Micah Smith had four tackles and a pick, and Trey Colahan wrapped up seven tackles and a fumble recovery.
When: Fri. Oct. 23 at 7 p.m.
Last Week: The Tornadoes won at Clyde, 40-14; and the Pirates won at Huron, 48-14.
Previous Meeting: Oct. 24, 2025; Perkins won at Columbian, 43-14.
Intrigue: The outright NOC Lake division title is up for grabs.
Columbian’s Masen Seitz ran for 177 yards and five TDs on 26 carries last week. Logan Gooding completed 7-of-14 passes for 140 yards and a TD. Gooding’s top target was DaZarias Russell caught three passes for 98 yards and a TD.
The Tornadoes’ defense is led by Blake Miller with nine tackles a week ago. Lane Gelinas had three tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble. Braden Egbert wrapped up six tackles, one pick, and a forced fumble. Brock Siesel made seven tackles and a fumble recovery while Seontae Moore had six tackles, a sack, and a fumble recovery.
Perkins’ Connor Smith rushed for 114 yards and three scores on 11 attempts last game. Grant Kuhnle went 3-for-3 passing for 69 yards and a TD. Davon Johnson made two receptions for 40 yards.
The Pirates’ defense is led by Boden Bollinger—who made 12 tackles last week. Landon Flores had eight tackles, and D.J. Johnson made five tackles.
Norwalk St. Paul (5-3) @ Monroeville (4-4), Upper Sandusky (5-4) @ Seneca East (7-2), and Northwood (5-4) @ Lakota (4-5).
When: Fri. Oct. 23 at 7 p.m.
Last Week: The Braves beat Magnolia Sandy Valley at home, 53-7; and the Mustangs defeated Sugarcreek Garaway at home, 27-13.
Previous Meeting: Oct. 23, 2025; Indian Valley defeated Claymont at home, 42-7.
Intrigue: Winner gets the Inter-Valley Conference South division title.
Indian Valley’s Bradley Barr ran for 90 yards and a TD on six carries in Week 9. Ryker Williams threw 6-of-9 passes for 87 yards and a TD. Carsen Hostetler (49 yards) and Colt James (22 yards) each had two receptions.
The Braves’ defense gave up 134 passing yards and 25 rushing yards for 159 total defensive yards in last week’s win.
Claymont is one of the most improved teams this season in the entire state. The Mustangs have held their opponents to under 20 points for nine straight games. Indian Valley will be the Claymont’s toughest opponent of the regular season.
When: Fri. Oct. 23 at 7 p.m.
Last Week: The Bulldogs won at Convoy Crestview, 56-24; and the Pirates won at Fort Loramie, 48-13.
Previous Meeting: Oct. 24, 2025; Columbus Grove beat Bluffton at home, 48-38.
Intrigue: Winner will either end up in second place or share the Northwest Conference championship with Lima Central Catholic.
Columbus Grove’s Rylan Palte completed 53-for-91 passes for 820 yards, 12 TDs, and seven picks with 363 rushing yards and three scores for 64 yards this season. Brody McCluer ran for 729 yards and seven TDs on 103 rushes while Gavin Baxter had 610 rushing yards and 12 TDs on 41 touches while also catching 21 balls for 385 yards and seven TDs. Alex Meyer has made 14 catches for 258 yards and three TDs, and Brady Basinger caught 13 passes for 154 yards and two TDs.
The Bulldogs’ defense caused seven fumbles—recovering three of them this season. They’ve also have given up 793 rushing yards and 1,297 passing yards for 2,090 total defensive yards this year.
Bluffton’s Tayte Giesige went 81-for-113 passing for 1,561 yards, 19 TDs, and two picks while rushing for 534 yards and seven TDs on 57 attempts in 2026. Parker Lovell has rushed for 1,333 yards and 26 TDs on 129 touches. Blayne Hill has 27 receptions for 616 yards and eight TDs; Lleyton Miller has caught 21 passes for 465 yards and four TDs; and Ethan Sprunger caught eight passes for 152 yards and a TD.
The Pirates’ defense has given up 1,386 rushing yards and 883 passing yards for 2,269 total defensive yards.
When: Fri. Oct. 23 at 7 p.m.
Last Week: The Panthers beat Oregon Clay at home, 56-35; and the Yellow Jackets won at Whitehouse Anthony Wayne, 21-13.
Previous Meeting: Nov. 7, 2025; Whitmer defeated Perrysurg at home, 17-3, in the Region 1 quarterfinals.
Intrigue: The Northern Lakes League Buckeye division championship.
Whitmer senior Jamon Holmes had 204 rushing yards and six TDs on 24 carries. Junior QB Carter Born threw 13-of-18 passes for 230 yards and a TD along with 57 rushing yards on four attempts last week. Titus Richardson caught seven passes for 123 yards and a TD, and Cy’ara Johnson has five catches for 69 yards along with a 27-yard TD rush.
The Panthers’ defense is led by Brock Duvall—who made seven tackles and two TFL a week ago. Dron Parks wrapped up seven tackles. Timothy Pettaway had three tackles, one TFL, and a sack.
Perrysburg sophomore Dakota Jackson rushed for 236 yards and three TDs on 33 carries last week.
On defense, the Yellow Jackets’ Malik Beck wrapped up four tackles, two TFL, and two sacks a game ago. Hayden Knoblauch had three tackles.
When: Fri. Oct. 23 at 7 p.m.
Last Week: The Lions defeated Grove City at home, 31-7, and the Panthers lost at New Albany, 5-3.
Previous Meeting: Oct. 24, 2025; Pickerington North won at Gahanna Lincoln, 35-0.
Intrigue: A Lincoln win secures the Lions an outright Ohio Capital Conference Ohio division championship, but a Pickerington North win would force Lincoln to share it with the Panthers and possibly New Albany as well.
Gahanna Lincoln’s Grey Kegley completed 14-of-21 passes for 224 yards and a TD while also running for 29 yards and a TD on five attempts a week ago. Carter James ran for 101 yards and a score on 10 touches. Kellen Rachal carried the rock 13 times for 78 yards and a TD. Marki Wallace made five receptions for 50 yards, and J.P. Butler caught four passes for 67 yards.
The Lions’ Howard Bates had 11 tackles in last week’s win. Tank Rhodes made five tackles, 2.5 TFL, and a fumble recovery. Dimitri Todorovski wrapped up eight tackles and a PBU, and Kaden Farris made five tackles and an INT.
Pickerington North’s Demetrius Neal went 13-for-31 passing for 103 yards and a pick along with 32 rushing yards on four carries last game. Andyriq Thomas rushed for 87 yards on 27 attempts. Noah Dumas caught six balls for 41 yards, and Kymani Johnson made four catches for 35 yards.
The Panthers’ defense is led by Demetrius Curtis—who had nine tackles, four TFL , and a PBU a week ago. Sophomore Carter Frank picked off two passes and had a tackle while Miguel Solis made two tackles and two PBUs.
When: Fri. Oct. 23 at 7 p.m.
Last Week: The Blue Streaks beat Bryan at home, 42-0; and the Tigers won at Wauseon, 51-7.
Previous Meeting: Oct. 24, 2025; Liberty Center won at Archbold, 33-14.
Intrigue: The only matchup in the state between two 9-0 squads and the winner gets the Northwest Ohio Athletic League title.
Archbold’s Maddox Pinter has completed 104-of-149 passes for 1,604 yards, 20 TDs, and three INTs to go with 315 rushing yards and four TDs on 28 tries in 2026. Ryder Ryan has 932 rushing yards and 19 TDs on 97 attempts. Morgan Harris has caught 26 passes for 483 yards and eight TDs. Anderson Bentley has made 26 receptions for 320 yards and three TDs, and Aranjer Krieger has 18 catches for 302 yards and four scores while Collin Short has 14 receptions for 278 yards and five TDs.
Defensively for the Blue Streaks, Wyatt Cline has wrapped up 55 tackles, 10 TFL, and eight sacks this year. Short has made three picks with two going back for TDs, and Brooks Miller had two INTs with one pick-six.
Liberty Center’s Garrison Kruse has 1,252 rushing yard and 26 TDs on 88 carries; Jaxton Lawniczak rushed for 461 yards and eight TDs on 31 attempts; and Ethan Gray rushed for 345 yards and four TDs on 36 tries while also catching 17 passes for 309 yards and two scores this season. Jack Badenhop is 47-for-67 passing for 880 yards, 11 TDs, and one INT. Isaiah Badenhop has 10 receptions for 249 yards and six TDs.
The Tiger defense is led by Kruse—who has 57 tackles, 15 TFL, and four sacks on the year. T.J. Creager and Jake Smith have two interceptions each.
Central - Powell Olentangy Liberty (5-4) @ Lewis Center Olentangy Orange (5-4).
East - Wellsburg [WV] Brooke (4-3) @ East Liverpool (7-2).
Northeast Inland - Medina Highland (8-1) @ Hudson (7-2).
Northeast Lake - Eastlake North (8-1) @ Gates Mills Hawken (7-2).
Northwest - Maria Stein Marion Local (9-0) @ Coldwater (6-3).
Southeast - The Plains Athens (8-1) @ Nelsonville Nelsonville-York (9-0).
Southwest - Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit (6-2) @ Trotwood Trotwood-Madison (7-1).
Let’s hope for a healthy, competitive, and sportsmanlike weekend! Thanks for reading.
