If The Westerville Central Warhawks were riding high off their 38-0 takedown of the Westland Cougars last Friday, their most recent game may have dampened their spirits a bit. Westerville Central took a 45-28 bruising from New Albany on Friday. Westerville Central was given a dose of their own medicine in this game as New Albany apparently hadn't forgotten their defeat the last time these teams played back in October of 2022.
When it comes to explaining why Westerville Central lost, one person who can't be blamed is Jaystin Gwinn. Despite the final result, he rushed for 164 yards and two touchdowns on only 15 carries, and also threw for 141 yards and a touchdown. Gwinn's longest rush was for an incredible 80 yards.
New Albany got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Will Olah out in front who rushed for 118 yards and two touchdowns. Joseph Owusu-ansah was in the mix too, providing New Albany with two touchdowns.
Westerville Central's defeat was their sixth straight on the road (dating back to last season), which dropped their overall record down to 2-8. Admittedly, the team was facing some tough opposition over that stretch, including 10-0 Lincoln and 9-1 Pickerington North (their opponents had an average overall winning percentage of 76.2% over those games). As for New Albany, their win bumped their record up to 4-6.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Westerville Central will square off against Pickerington North at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Pickerington North presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Westerville Central in Ohio (Pickerington North is ranked 14th, while Westerville Central is ranked 154th). As for New Albany, they will head out on the road to face off against Pickerington Central at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Pickerington Central will be looking to extend their current five-game winning streak.
