September 12, 2026
By Heath Scofield
Pickerington North football recorded their second consecutive shutout as they took care of the Dublin Coffman Shamrocks 35-0 at Panther Stadium on Friday.
This is the second season in a row that North has accomplished this feat, and the third time in five years.
The Panthers came into the game 2-1, having defeated their crosstown rivals by a score of 27-0, while the Rocks (1-2) had been beaten by Dublin Jerome by 17 in their own crosstown showdown.
Coffman started the game attempting an onside kick; however, North managed to recover it and started on their own 30.
Following a pair of drives that stalled, the Panthers would get on the board late in the first quarter on an Andyriq Thomas one-yard touchdown run, though the two-point conversion attempt would fall short. North would take the 6-0 lead into the second quarter.
Pickerington North would force a Coffman punt on a 4th and 21, following a five-yard penalty and a tackle for loss. The Panthers marched down the field and scored on a Kymani Johnson 14-yard touchdown reception from Demetrius Neal-Nesbitt with 3:11 to go. A Nikko Agganis extra point would make it 13-0 going into the half.
The Rocks received the kickoff to start the second half; however, the Panthers defense locked them down and forced a punt to Geo McKnight starting the on North 30.
Pickerington North’s first drive of the second half ended with a 55-yard catch-and-run touchdown from Johnson on a Chase McKee pass, capped with another Agganis PAT to put the Panthers up 20-0 with 8:59 to go in the third quarter.
Following another short Coffman drive, North would receive the ball for another drive where — despite penalties wiping out a Dennis White touchdown reception — Andyriq Thomas would punch in a 5-yard run for his second touchdown of the game, accompanied by Agganis’ 3rd made extra point of the match.
The Rocks would return the kickoff 24 yards from their own seven to start another drive, but once again were shut down by the Panthers and forced to punt.
North’s Dennis White returned the punt for 61 yards, giving the Panthers 1st and goal from the Coffman 4. The next play, Freshman Jayden Preece would run in his 4th career touchdown.
On the ensuing PAT attempt, a botched hold by Muhammad Rehman would lead to a 3-yard pass for the two-point conversion to make it 35-0 in favor of the hosts with 1:09 remaining in the 3rd.
The game ended after the Panthers forced a turnover on downs to blank the Shamrocks.
North held Coffman to 100 total yards of offense, while putting up 316 of their own.
The Panthers gave up 11 fewer yards in penalties, 6 for 54 as compared to the Rocks’ 8 for 65.
Demetrius Neal-Nesbitt was 9 of 17 for 64 yards and a TD, while Coffman starter Jack Morris went 6 of 10 for 24.
The Panthers (3-1) next go on the road to face the defending State Champion Olentangy Orange Pioneers (2-2) starting at 7pm on the 18th.
The Shamrocks’ (1-3) next match has them hosting the Grove City Greyhounds (3-1) at the same time.