The final Friday of the high school football regular season saw local teams finish on mixed notes. Indian Lake rolled to a league title and top playoff seed, Benjamin Logan ended with momentum, and Bellefontaine, Riverside, and West Liberty-Salem battled tough opponents to close out their campaigns as playoff fates await Sunday’s OHSAA rankings release.
Jonathan Alder 42, Bellefontaine 7
PLAIN CITY — Bellefontaine saw its playoff hopes fade Friday night as host Jonathan Alder controlled the game for a 42–7 victory.
Sophomore quarterback Reign St. Clair led the Chieftains with 303 passing yards, his second 300-yard performance of the season. Patrick Stolly had 11 catches for 127 yards and a touchdown, while Bryant Carter added 49 rushing yards and 28 receiving.
After falling behind 14–0, the Chieftains got on the board midway through the second quarter when St. Clair hit Stolly for a 16-yard touchdown. But the Pioneers’ high-powered attack proved too much, piling up 572 total yards.
Bellefontaine finishes the regular season 5–5 overall and 3–2 in Central Buckeye Conference play.
Mechanicsburg 49, West Liberty-Salem 7
The Tigers struck first but couldn’t keep pace with Mechanicsburg in a 49–7 loss to close the regular season at 5–5.
Quarterback Beckett Sullivan completed 18 of 29 passes for 191 yards, connecting with Isaac Sertell for a 43-yard touchdown on the opening drive. Reese Oder added seven catches for 49 yards, and Corbin Wallace ran for 81 yards on 18 carries.
Despite the defeat, West Liberty-Salem entered the night ranked 11th in Region 20 and remains in contention for a postseason berth.
Indian Lake 49, Northwestern 6
Indian Lake finished the regular season with authority, cruising past Northwestern 49–6 to claim the Central Buckeye Conference Mad River Division title and secure the top seed in Region 20.
Quarterback Brady Golliday was stellar, going 16 of 17 for 192 yards and three touchdowns. Brodey Reisinger caught seven passes for 113 yards and two scores, while also recording three interceptions on defense—two of which he returned for touchdowns.
The Lakers (8–2, 5–0 CBC) will receive a first-round playoff bye and face the winner of the 5–12 matchup in the second round.
Miami East 14, Riverside 10
Riverside came up just short in a 14–10 loss to Miami East in Three Rivers Conference play, ending the regular season at 4–6.
Gunner Carpenter led the Pirates’ rushing attack with 129 yards on 26 carries, and Tony Robinson added 64 yards rushing and a 3-yard touchdown. The Pirates briefly took a 10–7 lead in the fourth quarter before the Vikings rallied late for the win.
Riverside entered the week ranked 14th in Region 28, just outside playoff position.
Benjamin Logan 40, Shawnee 13
Benjamin Logan wrapped up the regular season in impressive fashion, defeating Shawnee 40–13 in CBC Mad River action.
Quarterback Adam Tinsman threw for 168 yards and ran for 49 more, while Diesel Baughman rushed for 62 yards and caught three passes for 23. Alex Hassell added a touchdown catch among his 55 receiving yards.
The Raiders (6–4) built a 10–0 halftime lead and pulled away with three fourth-quarter touchdowns. Ranked 12th in Region 14 entering the night, Ben Logan appears poised to qualify for the postseason.
