Newark is 0-6 against Pickerington Central since October of 2015 but things could change on Friday. The Wildcats will be playing at home against the Tigers at 7:00 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
On Friday, Newark was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 45-41 to Canal Winchester. While losing is never fun, the Wildcats can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Ohio football rankings (they are ranked 243rd, while the Indians are ranked 36th).
Bodie Smith
| 09/19/25 @ Logan | 377 |
| 09/05/25 @ Zanesville | 376 |
| 09/26/25 vs Canal Winchester | 330 |
| 08/22/25 @ Licking Heights | 241 |
| 09/12/25 vs Groveport-Madison | 181 |
| + 1 more games |
Despite the loss, Newark got top-tier performance from Bodie Smith, who threw for 330 yards and four TDs while picking up 14.3 yards per attempt, and also punched in one rushing score. Smith has become a key player for the Wildcats: the team is 2-1 when he posts at least 250 passing yards, but 1-2 otherwise. A healthy portion of Smith's aerial production (81 yards to be exact) went to Jason Giblin, who also brought in a receiving touchdown.
Meanwhile, Pickerington Central had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 35 points) and they went ahead and made it three on Friday. They took their matchup with ease, bagging a 63-27 victory over the Golden Gales. The Tigers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three contests by 31 points or more this season.
Newark better keep an eye on Rocco Williams. He was instrumental in Pickerington Central's win, throwing for 340 yards and seven touchdowns while completing 77.3% of his passes. Rj Parker was Williams' top target, picking up 83 receiving yards and a pair of scores.
Pickerington Central was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 242 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Lancaster only rushed for 145.
Newark's defeat dropped their record down to 3-3. As for Pickerington Central, their win bumped their record up to 5-1.
Friday's game will pit two of the most dominant signal callers against one another: Smith and Williams. Smith just won't slow down this season and has thrown 20 touchdowns while averaging 266.5 passing yards per game. Williams has been a dominant force too and has thrown 16 touchdowns while averaging 213.7 passing yards per game.
Newark was taken down by Pickerington Central 44-7 in their previous meeting back in October of 2024. That matchup was all but decided by halftime, at which point the Wildcats were down 35-0.
