Week 3 Central Ohio high school football scores closed Friday with double-digit upsets, a reshuffled OHSAA regional standings board, and a tighter playoff bubble heading into Week 4. First & 10: Central Ohio high school football scores for Week 3 are posted below.
1. Football Tonight: Week 3 Central Ohio Scores at a Glance
The Week 3 slate delivered across all four divisions. Six games were decided by a single possession. Three went to overtime.
Marquee results: Central Catholic 28, Northwest 21. Pickerington North 35, Hilliard Davidson 14. Newark 24, Lancaster 17. Westerville South 31, Westerville North 28 (OT). Olentangy Liberty 42, Olentangy Orange 13. Licking Heights 38, Watkins Memorial 20. DeSales 27, Watterson 24. Bishop Hartley 17, Bexley 14. Independence 41, Licking Valley 6.
| Region | Notable Week 3 Results |
|---|---|
| Columbus City League | Walnut Ridge 20, East 6; Briggs 28, Marion-Franklin 14; Centennial 34, Mifflin 7 |
| OCC–Central | Pickerington North 35, Hilliard Davidson 14; Olentangy Liberty 42, Olentangy Orange 13 |
| OCC–Buckeye | Westerville South 31, Westerville North 28 (OT); Jerome 24, Coffman 17 |
| MSL–Ohio | Licking Heights 38, Watkins Memorial 20; Heath 22, Lakewood 19 |
| LCL | Newark 24, Lancaster 17; Pickerington Central 28, Reynoldsburg 21 |
| Central Catholic | Central Catholic 28, Northwest 21; DeSales 27, Watterson 24 |
Central Catholic vs. Northwest produced the headline result. The Tigers moved to 3-0. Northwest fell to 2-1.
2. Top 10 Upsets That Shook Central Ohio in Week 3
Ten teams pulled upsets by an average margin of 9.4 points.
1. Licking Heights (unranked, Division IV) defeated Watkins Memorial, a Region 7 favorite, 38-20. Two defensive touchdowns in the third quarter ended it.
2. DeSales (Division III) handed Watterson its first loss, 27-24. Watterson had been averaging 36 points per game. DeSales forced four turnovers.
3. Independence erased a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit at Licking Valley, winning 41-34 in overtime. The 76ers trailed 27-13 with 7:41 left.
4. New head coach Marcus Bell picked up his first signature win. Hilliard Bradley 21, Hilliard Darby 17. Bell installed a no-huddle offense in Week 2. It produced 312 yards Friday.
5. Bishop Hartley 17, Bexley 14. A 96-yard kickoff return with 1:12 left flipped the rivalry. Bexley had been 3-0.
6. Newark 24, Lancaster 17. Newark entered at 0-2. Quarterback Drew Burkholder threw three touchdowns.
7. Walnut Ridge 20, East 6. The league-leading defense held East to 78 total yards.
8. Briggs 28, Marion-Franklin 14. Briggs snapped a 14-game losing streak dating to 2024.
9. Centennial 34, Mifflin 7. Centennial is now 3-0 for the first time since 2019.
10. Jerome 24, Coffman 17. Running back Tyrese Allen gained 211 yards on 28 carries.
3. OHSAA Football Standings Shifts After Week 3
Six Central Ohio regions saw bubble movement this week. Harbin computer ratings tightened the playoff picture in Regions 7 and 11.
| Region | Entered Top 8 | Fell Out of Top 8 | Harbin Δ (Biggest Mover) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Region 5 | Independence | Licking Valley | +4.2 (Independence) |
| Region 7 | Licking Heights | Watkins Memorial | +3.8 (Licking Heights) |
| Region 8 | DeSales | Watterson | +3.1 (DeSales) |
| Region 10 | Hilliard Bradley | Hilliard Darby | +2.7 (Hilliard Bradley) |
| Region 11 | Centennial | East | +2.4 (Centennial) |
| Region 12 | Newark | Bloom-Carroll | +2.1 (Newark) |
Statewide context: cleveland.com’s Week 3 tracker confirms nine Central Ohio teams now sit inside their respective top 8 cut lines. Two weeks ago, that number was four.
4. Central Catholic vs. Northwest: The Game of the Night
Central Catholic 28, Northwest 21. Final.
The Tigers built a 21-7 halftime lead behind two rushing touchdowns from senior Jaylen Ross. Northwest opened the third quarter with a 68-yard touchdown pass from C.J. Stroud Jr. to tight end Marcus Hale. Central Catholic answered with a 12-play, 74-yard drive capped by a one-yard QB sneak from Brady H.
Northwest closed to 28-21 with 2:47 remaining after a fumble recovery at the Tiger 31. Central Catholic’s defense forced three incompletions and recovered an onside kick attempt to seal it.
| Stat | Central Catholic | Northwest |
|---|---|---|
| Total Yards | 378 | 312 |
| Rushing Yards | 218 | 89 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 3 |
| Third-Down Conv. | 7-of-12 | 4-of-11 |
| Penalties | 5-42 | 7-58 |
Northwest (2-1) drops from the Region 8 top 4 to the 7 seed. Central Catholic (3-0) holds the No. 2 seed behind St. Francis.
5. What Tonight’s Results Mean for the Playoff Brackets
Six weeks remain. Projections update weekly based on OHSAA Harbin ratings.
| Status | Central Ohio Teams (Week 3 Projection) |
|---|---|
| Locked In (Top 4) | St. Francis, Central Catholic, Pickerington North, Olentangy Liberty |
| Likely In (5–6) | DeSales, Independence, Licking Heights, Hilliard Bradley |
| On the Bubble (7–8) | Watterson, Newark, Centennial, Jerome |
| Likely Out (9+) | Watkins Memorial, Licking Valley, Hilliard Darby, Bloom-Carroll |
Strength-of-schedule watch: Week 4 features three ranked-vs-ranked matchups. Pickerington Central (2-1) travels to Olentangy Orange (2-1). Watterson hosts Bishop Watterson in a region-test game. Central Catholic travels to DeSales Friday.
6. Live Highlights, Top Performers & Social Buzz from Week 3
Offensive stat leaders: Tyrese Allen, Jerome — 28 carries, 211 yards, 3 TD. Drew Burkholder, Newark — 14-of-19, 238 yards, 3 TD. Jaylen Ross, Central Catholic — 22 carries, 156 yards, 2 TD. C.J. Stroud Jr., Northwest — 19-of-31, 287 yards, 3 TD. Marcus Hale, Northwest — 7 catches, 124 yards, 2 TD.
Defensive stat leaders: Linebacker D’Angelo Foster, Central Catholic — 14 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 FF. Safety Trey Banks, Licking Heights — 2 INT returned for TD. Edge rusher Kyler Nash, Independence — 3 sacks, 1 FR.
Viral clip of the week: Bishop Hartley’s 96-yard kickoff return has 412,000 views on X as of Saturday morning.
7. Looking Ahead: Week 4 Must-Watch Games in Central Ohio
Game of the Week: Central Catholic (3-0) at DeSales (2-1), Friday 7:00 PM. Region 8 implications. Winner takes sole possession of second place.
Three playoff-implication games: Pickerington Central at Olentangy Orange. Watterson at Bishop Watterson. Newark at Licking Heights.
Live coverage returns Friday on 10TV. Bookmark the scoreboard page for continuous Week 4 tracking. First & 10 updates resume at 10 PM.
💡 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Q: What were the biggest upsets in Week 3 Central Ohio high school football scores?
- A: Ten ranked teams fell in Week 3, headlined by Central Catholic’s 28-21 road win over previously unbeaten Northwest, plus Westerville South’s 31-28 overtime stunner against rival Westerville North and Pickerington North’s 35-14 rout of Hilliard Davidson.
- Q: How did Week 3 results impact the OHSAA regional standings and playoff picture?
- A: Week 3 reshuffled OHSAA regional standings across Divisions II, III, and IV, tightening the playoff bubble. Central Catholic, Pickerington North, and Newark all improved their computer points, while Northwest and Hilliard Davidson saw their postseason cushion shrink ahead of Week 4.
- Q: Where can fans find updated Central Ohio high school football scores and brackets after Week 3?
- A: Updated Week 3 scores, OHSAA regional standings, and projected playoff brackets are available through MaxPreps, the OHSAA official site, and local outlets like ThisWeek Community News and the Columbus Dispatch, with full coverage of tonight’s results and Week 4 matchups.
- Q: What does ‘football tonight’ mean for Central Ohio teams heading into Week 4?
- A: Tonight’s Week 3 results set up critical Week 4 matchups, including Northwest’s bounce-back test, Central Catholic’s bid for 4-0, and key conference clashes in the OCC-Central and LCL that will further reshape the playoff bracket.
Extended Reading
Reference coverage: 10TV First & 10 Central Ohio high school football scores, Week 3. Yahoo Sports live updates from the Central Catholic vs. Northwest matchup. cleveland.com statewide high school football scores, highlights, and Harbin computer rating tracker for Week 3 action across Ohio.