Most Recent Central Ohio High School Stories

Szabo-Rice combination goes nuclear as Kilbourne beats Canal Winchester 56-35
Friday, September 4, 2026
By Steve Blackledge

Smiling broadly, Shawn Rice said he often has dreamed about nights like these. Seriously? Jerry Rice maybe. But the Worthington Kilbourne junior receiver had totaled just three catches for 80 yards in the Wolves’ first two games. [More]

‘He’s fearless’: Thomas Worthington boys cross country’s Rishi Jha cements legacy
Friday, September 4, 2026
By Michael Rich

Timed sports like cross country offer a specific measurement of where one stands. An athlete is what their time says they are. Thomas Worthington senior boys runner Rishi Jha gets joy out of beating his times. It’s one of the things that he loves most about the sport. [More]

‘I have to hold myself accountable’: How gymnastics shaped Gahanna cross country’s Abigail Young
Wednesday, September 2, 2026
By Michael Rich

Cross country is like a marriage of individual pursuit to achieve and a greater good for the team. Abigail Young is the personification of that alliance. It’s a combination that the Gahanna senior picked up from another athletic endeavor … gymnastics. [More]

Swarming Upper Arlington defense makes life miserable for Berlin in shutout
Friday, August 28, 2026
By Steve Blackledge

In the film room this week, Upper Arlington defensive players and coaches watched in amazement as Olentangy Berlin sophomore quarterback Austin Knapke carved apart defending state champion Olentangy Orange in what was perceived by many as a startling Week 1 upset. [More]

Girls volleyball: Newark Catholic, Bloom-Carroll eye another run at state
Friday, August 28, 2026
By Michael Rich

On one hand, the Bloom-Carroll girls volleyball team did something that the program has never done before when it reached the Division III state championship last season. Something to be celebrated, for sure. [More]

‘An extroverted introvert’: How Riley Snead’s performance arts translate to New Albany field hockey
Tuesday, August 25, 2026
By Michael Rich

If talent comes in many forms, Riley Snead is modeling a plethora of them. Not only does the senior show her talent in field hockey, where she’s been a staple with New Albany since she was a freshman, but Snead is also gifted on the stage, in dance and as a vocalist. [More]

Big Walnut comes out of gate quickly against Bradley, but knows track is long
Friday, August 21, 2026
By Steve Blackledge

Well before the transfer of Ohio State-bound five-star receiver Jamier Brown to Big Walnut and after his unceremonious transfer back to Huber Heights Wayne during August two-a-days, the bar was significantly raised for this burgeoning Delaware County program. [More]

Girls soccer: Academy, Upper Arlington, Pickerington North believe
Friday, August 21, 2026
By Michael Rich

To truly believe in something is a difficult state of mind to reach. To make a long run in the girls soccer tournament, a team must find that trust and confidence that good things will happen. Columbus Academy’s faith in each other, for example, built throughout the season. The Vikings ran off a 14-match undefeated streak all the way to the Division IV state final. [More]

Boys soccer: State title winners Watterson, Dublin Jerome, Worthington Christian turn attention to new season
Monday, August 17, 2026
By Michael Rich

The celebration of a state championship can only last so long. Then, it’s time to move on. So, the Watterson boys soccer team, winners of the Division III title, found a way to put last year’s success away and focus on the new one. [More]

‘Too much Taylor Swift’: Dublin Jerome golf comfortable being uncomfortable
Monday, August 10, 2026
By Michael Rich

It’s a rare thing to get a school’s girls and boys golf teams in the same place at the same time. The Dublin Jerome boys and golfs were not only in the same place at the same time, but they also took home the same hardware. The Celtics swept the Division I state championships. [More]