Columbus-area high school football: Your guide to the 2023 season
From preseason practices through the state championship games, The Dispatch will be covering the high school football season every step of the way.
This page will be the place where you can find all of our coverage throughout the season. You also could subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Division III state championship game
'We just didn’t finish': Watterson falls to Toledo Central Catholic
All-Metro
Coach: Brian Kennedy 'humbled' by success at Watterson
Team: The best of central Ohio
Season and weekly predictions, team and player rankings, burning questions, takeaways and more from Dispatch high school sports reporters Frank DiRenna and Dave Purpura (and other USA Today Network Ohio staffers)
Predictions: League championship picks | Week 1 games | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | First-round playoff picks | Regional quarterfinals | Regional semifinals | Regional finals | State semifinals | State finals
Burning questions, takeaways, what to watch: 5 burning questions for the 2023 season: part 1 | 5 burning questions for the 2023 season: part 2 | 5 things we learned in Week 1 | 5 things to watch in Week 2 | 5 things we learned in Week 2 | 5 things to watch in Week 3 | 5 things we learned in Week 3 | 5 things to watch in Week 4 | 5 things we learned in Week 4 | 5 things to watch in Week 5 | 5 things we learned in Week 5 | 6 burning questions for second half of regular season | 5 things to watch in Week 6 | 6 things we learned in Week 6 | 5 things to watch in Week 7 | 5 things we learned in Week 7 | 5 things to watch in Week 8 | 5 things we learned in Week 8 | 5 things to watch in Week 9 | 5 things we learned in Week 9 | 5 things to watch in Week 10 | 10 thoughts on the playoff pairings | 6 things we learned in Week 10 | 10 burning questions entering the postseason | 5 things to watch in first round of playoffs | 5 things we learned in first round of playoffs | Reporters roundtable: Thoughts on the playoffs | 5 things to watch in regional quarterfinals | 5 things we learned in regional quarterfinals | 5 things to watch in regional semifinals | 5 things we learned in regional semifinals | Reporters roundtable: Thoughts on the regional finals | 5 things to watch in regional finals | 5 things we learned in regional finals | 5 things to watch in state semifinals | 5 things we learned in state semifinals | Watterson vs. Toledo Central Catholic: 3 storylines entering Division III state final | Reporters roundtable: Thoughts on 2023 season
Top players to watch in 2023: Best in Ohio | Best in Columbus area | Defensive linemen | Linebackers | Quarterbacks | Wide receivers/tight ends | Offensive linemen | Running backs | Defensive backs | Kickers/punters | How Ohio State commit Garrett Stover is approaching senior season at Big Walnut | How Pickerington North is preparing Sam Williams-Dixon for Ohio State | 'I had to be the workhorse': Kentrell Rinehart emerges as star for Ready | Penn State getting meticulous QB in Olentangy's Ethan Grunkemeyer | Why Brian Robinson chose to play his senior season at Westerville North | Central Buckeye League all-conference honors | Quarterback Bradyn Fleharty powers Hilliard Bradley | OCC all-league honors | City League all-conference honors | Mr. Football finalist Dominic Purcell leads Watterson to state final
Super 7 poll: Gahanna Lincoln enters season at No. 1 | Three teams jump into rankings ahead of Week 2 | Dublin Coffman, Hilliard Bradley make 2023 poll debuts | Pickerington North closes gap on No. 1 Gahanna | Race for No. 1 heats up entering Week 5 | Canal Winchester, Olentangy Berlin make 2023 poll debuts | Unbeaten Watterson grabs spot in poll | Hilliard Bradley moves up to No. 2 entering Week 8 | Three teams battling for No. 1 entering Week 9 | Poll championship up for grabs heading into Week 10 | Gahanna repeats as poll champion
Associated Press poll: Pickerington North leads central Ohio in first statewide rankings | Pickerington North, West Jefferson are central's Ohio top-ranked teams | Watterson, London hold spots in D-III; Olentangy slips in D-I | Hilliard Bradley jumps two spots to No. 3 in Division I | Olentangy Berlin enters Division I rankings | West Jefferson moves into tie for No. 1 in Division VI | Gahanna earns central Ohio's highest finish in final poll
14-time state champion Maria Stein Marion Local
From rural farm town Maria Stein, football juggernaut Marion Local towers over Ohio
Marion Local captures third consecutive state championship and 14th overall
Schedule, scores, live coverage for Columbus-area high school football
2023 weekly schedule for Columbus and surrounding areas
Here are the games to watch during the 2023 season
Scores, quick hits from Week 1
Scores, quick hits from Week 2
Scores, quick hits from Week 3
Scores, quick hits from Week 4
Scores, quick hits from Week 5
Scores, quick hits from Week 6
Scores, quick hits from Week 7
Scores, quick hits from Week 8
Scores, quick hits from Week 9
Scores, quick hits from Week 10
Scores, quick hits from first round of playoffs
Scores, quick hits from regional quarterfinals
Scores, recaps from regional semifinals
Scores, recaps from regional finals
Scores, recaps from state semifinals
More central Ohio high school football coverage
High schools, police team up on fan safety, security at football games
Top 23 Ohio high school football programs in 2023
'Bring the juice': Columbus-area teams open practice
Stanley Jackson puts stamp on Westerville North
Gahanna prepares for role as Columbus-area favorite
DeSales' Sergio begins 55th straight season as coach
Community celebrates life of West coach Aaron Owens
Remembering former Eastmoor, Reynoldsburg coach Bob Stuart
'All about unity': Athletes get lift from new weight rooms
Olentangy Liberty, Pickerington Central enter new eras
West promotes Eric Robinson to head coach
Thomas Worthington honors memory of former Ohio State player Dimitrious Stanley
'Still in shock': Thomas Worthington graduate Reese Dykstra treasures Long Island scholarship
Ohio State matchup awaits former Columbus-area high school players
No league of their own: Columbus area's independent high school football teams go it alone
'Storybook kind of thing': Hamilton Township football on verge of perfect regular season
Gahanna Lincoln, Pickerington North primed for battle of unbeatens
Behind the scenes, scout team players prep starters for action
'Working for this all year': Watterson aims for Division III state title
Olentangy Orange coach Zebb Schroeder steps down after 10 seasons
Coach Geron Stokes stoking success at Dublin Coffman
Veteran offensive line powers West Jefferson
'Incredible balance' leads Harvest Prep back to state semifinals
Hilliard Bradley embraces underdog status in state semifinal
Olentangy Orange coach Zebb Schroeder steps down after 10 seasons
Westerville Central coach Ed Miley steps down after two seasons
Jeff Hartings steps down as Worthington Christian coach
Westerville South coach Matthew Christ resigns after seven seasons
National Signing Day 2023: Which colleges did central Ohio players choose
The Columbus Dispatch's high school sports staff
Reporter Frank DiRenna: fdirenna@dispatch.com; @DispatchFrank
Reporter Dave Purpura: dpurpura@dispatch.com; @dp_dispatch
Editor Andy Resnik: aresnik@dispatch.com; @DispatchPreps
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Central Ohio high school football: Your guide to the 2023 season
