The Pickerington North Panthers will be playing in front of their home fans against the Westerville Central Warhawks at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Given that the pair suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this matchup.
After a string of nine wins, Pickerington North's good fortune finally ran out on Friday. They took a 35-28 hit to the loss column at the hands of Lincoln. The contest was a 7-7 toss-up at halftime, but Pickerington North was just barely outscored by Lincoln in the second.
Despite their defeat, Pickerington North saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Dorian Hamilton, who rushed for 85 yards and a touchdown, was perhaps the best of all. Rafael "tank" Washington made the highlight reel by snagging an interception and taking it all the way to the house.
Meanwhile, Westerville Central lost to New Albany on the road by a decisive 45-28 margin on Friday.
Despite the defeat, Westerville Central got a solid performance out of Jaystin Gwinn, who rushed for 164 yards and two touchdowns on only 15 carries, and also threw for 141 yards and a touchdown. Gwinn really tore up the turf during one magnificent 80-yard run.
Pickerington North's loss dropped their record down to 9-1. As for Westerville Central, their loss dropped their record down to 2-8.
Pickerington North came out on top in a nail-biter against Westerville Central in their previous meeting back in September, sneaking past 16-14. Will Pickerington North repeat their success, or does Westerville Central have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
