Meanwhile, St. Charles bounced back from a 3–7 campaign the previous year to put together an 8–2 record in 2026, locking down the eighth seed. Their only two losses came against St. Francis DeSales and Bishop Watterson.

Despite a losing record in 2025, St. Charles head coach Anthony Colucci felt confident in the program’s trajectory. “We played six one-score games last year,” he said. “Ultimately, we only won three, but we felt like we weren’t that far off and were making steady progress.”

Heading into the matchup, the two coaches approached playoff preparation differently. For Orange, the intensity went up a notch. “There’s just a little more at stake,” Schroeder explained. “Everybody’s a little more dialed in, and you just have to help the kids handle the emotions and nerves.”

Even so, traveling to a new venue didn’t faze him. “We’ve never been there before, so it’s a chance to see a new facility. Our schedule has prepared us for hostile environments.”

For St. Charles, it was business as usual. “We did not change one single thing regarding our preparation, structure, or schedule,” Colucci said. “I’m a huge believer in keeping kids in a routine so they know what to expect.”

Ultimately, Colucci believed regular-season records meant nothing once the postseason started. “All the teams in the tournament are solid, well-coached, and have strong cultures,” he said. “You can’t really read into Orange’s record. They lost a ton of talented seniors from last year’s run, but they are still a very high-quality opponent.”

An exhausted Schroeder was impressed with St. Charles’ effort. “It’s a credit to their team. They prepared really well, and their kids played really hard,” he said. “They have a lot of guys playing both ways. It was a gutsy performance by them, and it’s a shame one of us had to lose.”

Orange travels to Gahanna next week to take on the 10-0 Lions. Gahanna defeated the Pioneers 34-9 in week four of the regular season.