Olentangy Berlin grabs OCC Cardinal title with workmanlike win over Olentangy
Friday, October 23, 2026
By Steve Blackledge
sblackledge@cbussports.com
Olentangy Berlin’s Owen Miller (32) ran for a career-high 174 yards on 34 carries in the Bears’ 18-6 home win over rival Olentangy on Friday. Photo: Kevin Lam
DELAWARE – Olentangy Liberty, Olentangy Orange, Pickerington Central, Upper Arlington and Gahanna are generally the first names that slip off the tongue in discussions/arguments about the top big-school football programs in central Ohio in recent years.
Liberty won a state title in 2025 and reached the final four on four other occasions. Orange took home a state title with a perfect 15-0 record last December. Central captured two state titles in the past decade and owns three runner-up trophies. Upper Arlington made the final four as recently as 2021 and is always in the running for a regional title. And with playoffs set to begin next week, Gahanna earned a No. 1 seed with a perfect 10-0 record.
A bona fide sleeper seeking to join the elite company of the aforementioned is Olentangy Berlin.
The Bears captured a fifth consecutive Ohio Capital Conference Cardinal Division championship Friday on their home field with a workmanlike 18-6 win over intradistrict and neighborhood rival Olentangy. The win gave the nine-year-old school 22 straight wins in Cardinal play and sewed up the No. 5 seed in Division I, Region 3.
Berlin did it with an all-around team effort featuring a physical ground game and an opportunistic defense.
“Out of beating our rival, clinching the playoffs and winning the OCC, being five-time conference champion has to be on the top of my list,” senior defensive lineman Brandon Gray said. “That’s an accomplishment our seniors can really be proud of.”
Head coach since the program’s inception in 2019, Mark Nori is proud of the tradition the area’s youngest school has carved out. In addition to the OCC titles, Berlin has qualified to the playoffs every year except its first when the team was made up of all freshmen and sophomores.
Berlin quarterback Austin Knapke (16) throws on the run during the Bears’ win Friday over Olentangy in Week Ten of the regular season. Photo: Kevin Lam
“It’s reached the point where the kids feel like it’s their responsibility to uphold the tradition of defending the title, and that’s a good thing,” said Nori, who was a standout offensive lineman at Boston College before playing for three NFL teams. He also was an assistant for three Division I college programs and with the San Francisco 49ers before settling in at the high school level.
“I think what is most important to our program is being family, being around each other and playing for each other. We’ve shown a lot of resilience to get to this point.”
According to computer point calculations of joeeitel.com, Berlin (8-2, 5-0) will open its playoff quest at home against 12th-seeded Westerville Central (5-5).
Berlin’s Abe Davis (7) picks the ball out of the air for the Bears during their OCC Cardinal title victory against rival Olentangy on Friday. Photo: Kevin Lam
Late in the second quarter, Abe Davis picked off a bomb by Hartings near midfield and the Bears again capitalized.
Sophomore quarterback Austin Knapke found Cooper Ailes on a short sideline route and after the defender slipped going for an interception on the jump ball, Ailes raced untouched to the end zone with a 56-yard touchdown with just 51 seconds left until halftime.
While both Bears touchdowns were the direct result of Braves turnovers, their second-half points were credited directly to the defense.
Midway through the third quarter, Hartings – under massive pressure – was called for intentional grounding in the end zone, resulting in a safety.
Olentangy finally got on the board in the final minute of the quarter when Hartings hit Robert Page on a 26-yard crossing pattern over the middle for a TD. The Braves, however, were penalized for excessive celebration and the 15-yard penalty that sabotaged their chances of adding a two-point conversion try to make it a one-possession game.
Berlin put the nail in the coffin with another safety when Gray tackled backup quarterback Hernan Marin for a safety with 3:18 remaining. Hartings left following the two-game conversion try with a finger injury to his throwing hand.
Junior defensive back Abe Davis, who had an interception and a 54-yard kickoff return, said Berlin’s defense – which allows just 12.5 points per game – came in well prepared.
“We weren’t surprised by anything they did tonight,” Davis said. “We noticed on film that their quarterback had a tendency to look where he was going the whole way and we took advantage of that.”
After opening the season 0-3 and 1-4, Olentangy battled its way back into a position to win the Cardinal title and sneak into the playoffs but came up short on this night. This marks the first time since 2013 the Braves were left home from the postseason.
“They established the running game early and that was key,” fifth-year Braves coach Wade Bartholomew said. “That Miller kid not only is hard to bring down but he seems to fall forward for three yards at the end of every run.
“I’ve got to give all the credit to Berlin. They made plays on both sides of the ball and we didn’t. They’re a really well coached team that takes advantage of every mistake you make.”
Olentangy quarterback Tommy Hartings (7), who connected on a touchdown pass with Robert Page, prepares to throw against the Berlin defense Friday. Photo: Kevin Lam