August 4, 2026
By Heath Scofield
It’s August, and for Central Ohio that means that High School Football is just around the corner. On Aug. 3, OHSAA official scorekeeping and stats website MaxPreps released their preseason state rankings, placing Pickerington Central at #15 in the state and Pickerington North at #24.
MaxPreps’ rankings are produced by an algorithm utilized statistics from previous seasons, rather than polling coaches or media who may introduce bias into the system.
Last year, Pickerington Central went 11-2 on the season,after losing the Battle of Pickerington 17-3 in Week 3 and then losing 39-7 to eventual State Champion Olentangy Orange in the Regional Final.
This solid defense was paired with a high-flying offense, scoring 491 points under the guidance of record-breaking quarterback Rocco Williams, who graduated and committed to Middle Tennessee State University. Whoever steps up to fill Williams’ place will be looking to a very different receiving corps, with the top four players in receiving yards having graduated.
The Tigers may lean on the run game with rising sophomore RB Edmund McAllister III coming off an incredible rookie season, rushing 1162 yards to place 6th in the state. They will also be aided by senior Mason Peirano, the punter-kicker who averaged 46.3 yards per kickoff and made 63 of 63 PAT’s.
The Tigers also will benefit from returning defensive power from seniors Larry Rowe and Cameron Miller, who combined for 153 tackles. Throughout the 2025 season, the Tiger defense held opponents to less than 20 points in nine of thirteen games and gave up a Buckeye Division fewest 240 points overall.
The Tigers schedule features two Top 25 matchups:
Week 2 at #5 Bishop Watterson
Week 3 vs #24 Pickerington North
The 2025 Pickerington North Panthers went 9-2, opening the season with 24-0 loss at St Edward and then having their season ended by Upper Arlington kicking a field goal as time expired to make the final score 30-27.
In contrast with the high-flying offense of the Tigers, Pickerington North’s 2025 success was far and away a result of its incredible defense. Through 11 games, the Panthers defense yielded only 95 points and tallied five shutouts. The Panthers held teams to less than ten points in eight of their games, including the Battle of Pickerington where they limited Rocco Williams’ offence to only three.
Though some key athletes of the Panther defense graduated, the duo of LB/SS Demetrius Curtis and CB/FS Geo McKnight — who combined for 103 tackles and 8 turnover recoveries — are returning for their junior season.
The Panther offense retains three of their top players for all-purpose yards, including seniors HB Andyriq Thomas and WR Kymani Johnson. Thomas’ 1246 rushing yards helped the Panthers grind their way down the field, while Johnson provided a target for long passes, averaging 18.5 yards per catch on 19 receptions. The pair accounted for nearly 1600 total yards of offense and 21 touchdowns.
The Panthers schedule features two Top 25 matchups:
Week 3 at #15 Pickerington Central
Week 5 at #14 Olentangy Orange
