Grove City is 0-10 against Lincoln since October of 2016 but things could change on Friday. The Greyhounds will host the Lions at 7:00 p.m.
On Friday, Grove City came up short against Pickerington North and fell 31-21. While losing is never fun, the Greyhounds can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Ohio football rankings (they are ranked 105th, while the Panthers are ranked 18th).
Grove City's defeat came about despite a quality game from Carson Welsh, who threw for 225 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and also punched in one score on the ground.
Meanwhile, Lincoln had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 29 points) and they went ahead and made it four on Friday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Warhawks 42-7. The game was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 28-0.
Grove City better keep an eye on Trey Wilson. He was instrumental in Lincoln's win, rushing for 53 yards and two TDs. Mark Thorpe III made the highlight reel by snagging an interception and taking it all the way to the house.
Lincoln didn't let much get past them through the air: they limited Westerville Central to a completion percentage of just 43.8%. That dominant aerial defense primarily came from four players: Zion Haynes-Coleman, Bryland Alexander, Thorpe III, and Aidan Reasoner, who each logged one passes deflected. Lincoln wasn't nearly as limited: they posted one of 25%.
Lincoln's defense didn't let Nate Miller, get away unscathed either: they got into the backfield for 4.5 sacks. Leading the way was Lamine Komara with 2.5. Thorpe III got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Grove City's loss dropped their record down to 4-4. As for Lincoln, their victory bumped their record up to 6-2.
Grove City was dealt a bruising 35-7 defeat at the hands of Lincoln when the teams last played back in October of 2024. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of the Lions' Kellen Rachal, who rushed for 121 yards on only eight carries. Now that the Greyhounds know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.
