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Marion-Franklin has won 31 straight City League games.

Fantastic Friday (10/3) -- DeSales 21, Watterson 17 -- The area and indeed state's top Division II squad had a rough rivalry game last night in Crew Stadium against Watterson (5-3), but impressive DeSales (7-0) managed a comeback victory before 8,000 fans behind the fourth quarter exploits of Adam Griffin and Josh Kusan. Watterson held a 10-0 halftime lead and was still up by the same margin at 17-7 before the Stallions mounted their final fury. That son of a Heisman Adam Griffin ran around the right end for 23 yards and a TD with under three minutes to play and Kusan sealed it with an interception as Watterson was driving downfield after completing five passes on their final, unsuccessful drive. Watterson's Kevin Obyc gave stellar play on both sides of the ball, stuffing Griffin and knocking him backwards on one play and then racing for a TD on a 34 yard run on the offensive side. Seth Willoughby of Watterson had opened up the Eagles' lead, catching a 21 yard first quarter TD and then adding a 50 yard FG. Brookhaven 13, Beechcroft 6 -- This was one the Brookhaven Bearcats (6-1, 4-0) are glad to just have gotten out with a win. City League North rival Beechcroft (6-1, 3-1) dominated the first half but could manage only 6 points, which accounted for the halftime score of 6-0, and that came only by virtue of a 27 yard TD strike from Antonio Stevenson to Ron Walton on the last play of the half, after Beechcroft had kept the ball in Bearcat territory the entire first 24 minutes. Brookhaven then woke up for the third quarter and rode a 61 scoring pass caught by Darrell Byrd as well as a fumble recovery in the end zone for the close victory, their seventh in a row over Beechcroft. Marion-Franklin 35, Eastmoor Academy 6 --  Marion-Franklin (7-0, 4-0) put up more points against City League South foe Eastmoor  (6-1, 3-1) than the Warriors had allowed all year and won a crucial league game with plenty of playoff computer points at stake. Marion-Franklin stretched its league winning steak to 31 on the shoulders of QB Verlon Reed, who passed for 172 tards and 3 TDs. Tyrell Massey caught two of them for the Red Devils. Dublin Coffman 10, Hilliard Darby 3 -- Jim Tressel would have loved this one, since after all the most important play in the 100 yard war is the punt. Coffman (7-0, 4-0) and Darby (4-3, 1-3)  combined for 16, split equally, in this low scoring affair. The game was broken open by Jared Phillips short TD run in the fourth quarter, which broke a 3-3 tie that had lasted since just before the half. Coffman obviously boosted its playoff resume while Darby significantly hurt its chances of postseason play. Hilliard Davidson 17, Worthington Kilbourne 10 -- This was another important and close OCC Central showdown, also played in Hilliard, but this time the hosts prevailed as Spencer Delande broke off a 16 yard late TD run for Davidson (7-0, 4-0). Aaron Kingcade once again led Kilbourne (5-2, 2-2) with a TD pass and an extra point in the first half, leading to a 10-10 halftime tie. See all of last night's scores in the link below!!

Beechcroft and Brookhaven will go at it again

Primetime Previews -- We've got some great and critical games to look at for this Friday night (10/3), not the least of which is the City League North's Beechcroft (6-0, 3-0) at Brookhaven (5-1, 3-0) in what is this year's signature game between two tough and talented squads.  Brookhaven does have a loss, but as readers of this column know it came in a fierce performance against undefeated Hilliard Davidson (6-0, 3-0), one of the top area Division I teams and the 2006 state champion. Brookhaven boasts the 2004 Division II title but has moved up to Division I -- a loss to rival Division II Beechcroft could hurt though not kill playoff chances, which right now are riding high. Worthington Kilbourne (5-1, 2-1) is reeling from its loss two weeks ago to Upper Arlington (5-1, 3-0), but the Wolves must build on their big win over Westland as QB Aaron Kingcade and Co. travel to Hilliard Davidson for a crucial OCC Central matchup. We'll see if Kingcade can continue his stellar running passing and kicking against the strong, hungry and tested Wildcats. At Crew Stadium Friday night, just one night before David Beckham arrives to play a different sort of football, we have state No.1 (D II) DeSales (6-0, 1-0) against Central Catholic League foe Watterson (4-2). The Bishop Watterson Eagles have endured a high and low season, demolishing Cleveland Benedictine before falling last week to Steubenville (6-0), which has won 55 regular season games in a row. DeSales just got past St.Charles last week 20-10, but previously pummelled then top ranked Cincinnati Anderson on the road. QB Thomas Gentile, QB Adam Griffin (son of Archie) and RB Josh Kusan hope to build on what is shaping up to be a memorable season at DeSales. Lastly, I can't help but note with interest that we also have Dublin Coffman at Hilliard Darby and Marion-Franklin at Eastmoor Academy on the scorecard to follow, not to mention Granville at Licking Valley (OSU recruit Storm Klein) and Columbus Academy at Newark Catholic (Saturday) out east in Licking County. Get ready for some football!!   

Arlington barely downed Darby on 9/26.

Game of the Week -- (9/26) -- Upper Arlington 24, Hilliard Darby 14 -- In a very close game throughout, host Darby took a 7-3 lead at halftime, but the Golden Bears' Isaac Wildermuth broke a great 32 yard TD run in the second half and UA put an extra one in at the end on fullback/linebacker Mark Crawford's end zone dive for the win. Tommy Farwick again led UA with 140 yards on the ground. The Bears held Darby phenom QB Brandon Barger in check, if you can call 182 yards and a TD in the air and 90 on the ground "in check". Still, UA was able to avoid being devastated by Barger and played solid defense. It was a tough division loss at home for the Panthers (4-2, 1-2), who had already fallen to Worthington Kilbourne two weeks ago. Kilbourne in turn was defeated by Upper Arlington (5-1, 3-0) last week. The new OCC Central also includes Hilliard Davidson and Dublin Coffman, each of which is still on UA's schedule.

Other Results -- Pickerington North 27, Reynoldsburg 13; Worthington Kilbourne 45, Westland 17; Dublin Scioto 17, Westerville North 16; Dublin Coffman 49, Thomas Worthington 6; Westerville South 54, Dublin Jerome 38; DeSales 20, St. Charles 10; Pleasant 48, Ridgedale 0; Westfall 28, Zane Trace 21; Marysville 26, Westerville Central 23 (OT); New Albany 30, Olentangy Orange 21; Olentangy Liberty 21, Olentangy 16; Pickerington Central 40, Gahanna 7; Bexley 20, Granville 17; West Jefferson 28, Grandview 0; Jonathan Alder 21, Ready 9; Steubenville 14, Watterson 0; Licking Valley 69, Whitehall 0; Beechcroft 67, East 6; Eastmoor Academy 14, Walnut Ridge 6; Briggs 33, South 8; Northland 27, Mifflin 0; Brookhaven 56, Centennial 0; Marion-Franklin 49, West 17; Independence 47, Africentric 24.

Tags: football, high school football, high school sports