Lincoln has won four straight games at home, while Pickerington North has won four straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Friday. The Lions will host the Panthers at 7:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Pickerington North better have a healthy lead at halftime, because if Lincoln's game on Friday is any indication, that's when Lincoln really gets things going. The Lions blew past Grove City 44-20. Given the Lions' advantage in MaxPreps' Ohio football rankings (they are ranked 21st, while the Greyhounds are ranked 112th) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.
This one was won in the trenches and the lion's share of the credit has to go to Leon Cummings and Trey Wilson. Cummings rushed for 146 yards and one TD on only 13 carries while Wilson rushed for 126 yards and one score on only eight carries. Wilson's longest rush was for an incredible 73 yards. Another player making a difference was Grey Kegley, who threw for 142 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Lincoln proved: they limited Grove City to a paltry 3.3 yards per carry. The team can thank Zion Haynes-Coleman for the heroic effort on defense: he. That's the most yards per carry they've posted since back in August.
Meanwhile, Pickerington North was not the first on the board on Friday, but they got there more often. They blew past New Albany 35-7.
Lincoln better keep an eye on Tyice Warren. He was instrumental in Pickerington North's win, rushing for 59 yards and one TD on only five carries.
Lincoln's win bumped their record up to 7-2. As for Pickerington North, their victory bumped their record up to 8-1.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Lincoln has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 205.7 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Pickerington North struggles in that department as they've been averaging 170.3 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Lincoln was able to grind out a solid win over Pickerington North in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, winning 17-6. Do the Lions have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Panthers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
