THE 10 BEST GAMES TO SEE IN OHIO - WEEK SEVEN
By Kyle Holsinger
Welcome back for our seventh installment of The 10 Best Games to See in Ohio. Five of the ten games picked last week were settled by 10 points or less. Let’s get right to the featured games.
When: Fri. Oct. 2 at 7 p.m.
Last Week: The Fliers lost to Perkins at home, 62-22; and the Chargers lost at Bellevue, 42-10.
Previous Meeting: Oct. 3, 2025; Clyde defeated Edison at home, 27-10
Intrigue: Northern Ohio Conference matchup.
Clyde quarterback Karcen Garner threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Hunter Thomas in last week’s loss. Linkin Mullins ran in an eight-yard TD, and Wyatt Keegan had a seven-yard TD run.
The Flier defense was able to force a safety last week.
Edison’s Evan Schnittker completed 11-of-19 passes for 117 yards last week. Schnittker’s primary receiver was Grant Parker—who had four receptions for 78 yards. Their leading rusher was Max Limberios. Limberios carried the ball 13 times for 61 yards.
On defense, the Chargers’ Cohen Dawson wrapped up 12 tackles. Jeff Collinsworth had three tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, and a recovery. Colton Collins made six tackles.
When: Fri. Oct. 2 at 7 p.m.
Last Week: The Sailors beat Norwalk at home, 41-0; and Port Clinton defeated Huron at home, 35-21.
Previous Meeting: Oct. 3, 2025; PC was victorious at Vermilion, 29-28, in five overtimes.
Intrigue: Two of the top teams in the Northern Ohio Conference Bay division.
Vermilion’s Drake Hooks threw 6-for-11 completed passes for 120 yards and three TDs in last week’s win. Hooks’ top targets were Micah Smith (56 yards, two TDs) and Isaac Kyser (43 yards)—who had two receptions each. Dawson Coates and Landon Mooney each rushed for 67 yards with Coates having five carries and two TDs while Mooney had seven carries.
The Sailors defense was led by Daniel Roy last week. Roy had 15 tackles and a fumble recovery. Kyser and Landon Mooney each had five tackles and a sack. Mason Cooper and Mack Mooney had seven tackles a piece.
Port Clinton’s Landon Lies threw 7-for-16 passing for 62 yards, one TD, and an interception while also rushing for a TD. Lies’ primary target was Christian Miller—who had three catches for 12 yards. Cameron Lanier rushed for 102 yards and a TD on 10 touches.
Port Clinton’s Lucas Bodie wrapped up 14 tackles, Beckett Mizener made 11 tackles, and Elliot Laid had six tackles last game. Miller made two tackles and had a pick-six.
When: Fri. Oct. 2 at 7 p.m.
Last Week: The Yellow Jackets won at Sylvania Northview, 62-0; and the Trojans lost at Oregon Clay, 29-28.
Previous Meeting: Oct. 3, 2025; Perrysburg beat Findlay at home, 14-10.
Intrigue: Northern Lakes League Buckeye division matchup.
Perrysburg’s Brady Maxwell was a perfect 6-of-6 passing for 85 yards and three TDs last week. Ethan Devries caught two passes for 35 yards and a TD. Brady Haye toted the rock 13 times for 73 yards and two TDs, and Liam Nowakowski carried the pigskin eight times for 69 yards and a TD. Dakota Jackson also had 50 yards and two TDs on five attempts.
The Yellow Jacket defense held Northview to 21 passing yards and 20 rushing yards for 41 total yards given up last week.
Findlay rattled off five straight wins before last week’s one-point loss to Clay. Perrysburg appears to be an even tougher opponent than Clay, and likely the toughest team the Trojans will face in the regular season.
When: Fri. Oct. 2 at 7 p.m.
Last Week: The Tigers won at Bucyrus, 41-0; and the Blue Devils were victorious at Calvert, 35-0.
Previous Meeting: Sept. 19, 2025; SE beat Carey at home, 20-14.
Intrigue: Two of the best teams in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference.
Seneca East’s Branson Robinson completed 86-of-119 passes for 1,246 yards, 13 TDs, and four picks this season. Jaron Depinet has caught 27 balls for 435 yards and five scores. Jackson Gayheart has rushed for 584 yards and five TDs on 84 carries.
On defense, Jackson Gayheart has 60 tackles, 12 tackles-for-loss, and three sacks on the year. Bentley Gayheart has 10.5 TFL and five sacks; and Eli Cline has made 11.5 TFL, three sacks, two fumble recoveries, and two forced fumbles. Landyn Hicks has made 4.5 sacks, and Colton McConnell has picked off three passes.
Carey’s Tripp Phoenix has gone 17-for-44 passing for 279 yards, four TDs, and two INTs this year. Phoenix leads the N10 in rushing with 966 yards and 12 TDs on 56 runs. Mace Puckett has gained 572 rushing yards and five TDs on 106 attempts.
On defense, Puckett leads the N10 with 75 tackles on the season to go with 12.5 TFL, and three forced fumbles. Louis Watkins has wrapped up 62 tackles, 24 TFL, and 10 sacks. Joe Reinhart has made 59 yards, 17 TFL, and 5.5 sacks. Lane Baldridge has made two fumble recoveries.
When: Fri. Oct. 2 at 7 p.m.
Last Week: The Eagles defeated Otsego at home, 43-41; and Oak Harbor lost to Genoa Area at home, 42-27.
Previous Meeting: Oct. 3, 2025; Eastwood beat Oak Harbor at home, 42-6.
Intrigue: Northern Buckeye Conference matchup.
Eastwood’s Brayden Luidhardt went 25-for-35 passing for 300 yards, three TDs, and one INT while also rushing for 47 yards and a TD on four carries a week ago. Cam Schumaker caught 13 passes for 131 yards and two TDs, and Edmund Opfer made eight receptions for 81 yards and a TD. Brayden Brown rushed for 125 yards and two TDs on 21 attempts plus a catch for 41 yards.
On defense, Landen Simon wrapped up 12 tackles and a fumble recovery last week. Logan Brown and Brady Ramlow had 10 tackles. Luidhardt made seven tackles and a TFL, and Schumaker had four tackles and two fumble recoveries. Andy Lautzenheiser made four tackles, a sack, and a TFL.
Oak Harbor’s Bralyn Johnson scored on runs of four and eight yards respectively. Max Barr caught an 11-yard TD pass from Preston Bickelhaupt. Bickelhaupt also connected with Micah Miller for a 12-yard TD.
Waynesfield-Goshen (4-2) @ North Baltimore (6-0), Pandora-Gilboa (3-3) @ McComb (5-1), and Norwalk (0-6) @ Tiffin Columbian (4-2).
When: Thurs. Oct. 1 at 6 p.m.
Last Week: The Big Red defeated Wheelersburg at home, 37-14; and the Fighting Irish won at Farrell (PA), 24-13.
Previous Meeting: Aug. 22, 2025; Ursuline was victorious at Steubenville, 37-7.
Intrigue: Steubenville’s Colton Henderson rushed for 169 yards and two TDs on 17 attempts. James Turner, Karson Simmons, and Chevy McGee each had a rushing TD also.
Ursuline’s Vinnie Fecko scored on rushes of 23, 28, and 16 yards respectively last week.
When: Fri. Oct. 2 at 7 p.m.
Last Week: The Barons beat Columbus Franklin Heights at home, 10-6; and the Silver Knights lost to Whitehall Whitehall-Yearling at home, 28-3.
Previous Meeting: Oct. 3, 2025; BV defeated Ready at home, 38-7.
Intrigue: Buckeye Valley’s Benjamin Schirg carried the ball 21 times for 157 yards and a TD last week. The Barons’ offense did not complete a single pass in the win.
On defense, the Barons gave up 139 on the ground and 82 yards through the air for 221 total yards given up.
Bishop Ready’s defense gave up 77 passing yards and 177 rushing yards for a total of 254 defensive yards last week.
When: Fri. Oct. 2 at 7 p.m.
Last Week: The Leopards beat Newton Falls at home, 56-0; and the G-Men won at Ravenna Southeast, 47-7.
Previous Meeting: Oct. 3, 2025; Garfield was victorious at Liberty, 35-34.
Intrigue: Liberty’s Dawaun Moody was 2-for-3 passing for 62 yards and two TDs while also rushing for 370 yards and four TDs on 17 carries a week ago.
On defense, Richie Sly made six tackles and a forced fumble. Tyshaun Taylor had five tackles and a fumble recovery.Amar Watson wrapped up two tackles and a fumble recovery.
Garfield’s Collin McGranahan threw 4-of-6 passes for 84 yards while rushing for 86 yards and a TD on five touches last week. Nathan Baczkowski caught two passes for 48 yards while also rushing for 38 yards and a TD on two carries. Ryder Cain rushed for 101 yards and four TDs on 10 attempts.
The G-Men defense is led by Cain—who had 10 tackles and two TFL last game. Cam Kleinhen wrapped up six tackles and a TFL while Henry Veccia had four tackles, one TFL, and a sack. McGranahan made three tackles and a pass deflection, and Oliver Walker made two tackles and one INT. Gavin Barnard made six tackles.
When: Fri. Oct. 2 at 7 p.m.
Last Week: The Thunderbirds were victorious at Fort Loramie, 42-7; and the Pirates defeated Spencerville at home, 61-0.
Previous Meeting: Sept. 27, 2025; LCC beat Bluffton at home, 31-21.
Intrigue: LCC’s Brady Parker threw 10-of-13 passes for 172 yards and two scores while also rushing for 81 yards and a TD on 11 carries last week. Carter Lester ran for 111 yards and three TDs on seven attempts.
Bluffton’s Tayte Giesige completed 6-of-6 passes for 98 yards and two TDs. Blayne Hill caught four receptions for 52 yards and a TD. Parker Lovell had 197 yards and four scores on nine rushes.
When: Fri. Oct. 2 at 7 p.m.
Last Week: The Shamrocks defeated Cadiz Harrison Central at home, 68-13; and the Cadets won at Caldwell, 38-7.
Previous Meeting: Aug. 22, 2025, Barnesville won at home, 35-7.
Intrigue: Barnesville has won five straight games by 30-plus points—winning all six games in 2026 by 15-plus points. Fort Frye is likely the Shamrocks toughest opponent this year.
Fort Frye’s Grady Hesson went 5-for-6 passing for 183 yards and three TDs while also rushing for 60 yards and a TD on five touches last week. Clayton Tullius caught three passes for 118 yards and a TD while Luke Phillis had two catches for 65 yards and two scores. Sam Bricker gained 72 rushing yards on 10 carries.
The Cadet defense was led by Grayson Goodwin—who mad 17 tackles, three TFL, and a sack. Tytan Waller wrapped up 10 tackles, three TFL, a deflection, and a sack. Zavier Springer made three tackles, two TFL, and two sacks. Kylor Beardsley made four tackles and a deflection.
CENTRAL - Columbus West (6-0) @ Columbus Marion-Franklin (3-3)
EAST - Ulrichsville Claymont (6-0) @ West Lafayette Ridgewood (4-2)
NORTHEAST INLAND - Canal Fulton Northwest (6-0) @ Orrville (5-1)
NORTHEAST LAKE - Lakewood St. Edward (5-1) @ Cleveland St. Ignatius (4-2)
NORTHWEST - Paulding (5-1) @ Sherwood Fairview (5-1)
SOUTHEAST - Lancaster Fairfield Union (4-2) @ Circleville (4-2)
SOUTHWEST - Waynesville (5-1) @ Carlisle (3-3)
I hope everyone has a healthy, competitive, and sportsmanlike weekend!
