Columbus-area Week 8 football preview: Reynoldsburg, Lancaster to face off in key OCC game

•Lancaster (3-4 overall, 2-0 in OCC-Buckeye) to date: Lost to Pickerington North 23-10; lost to Marysville 24-0; def. Olentangy 34-15; lost to New Albany 34-20; lost to Olentangy Berlin 42-14; def. Central Crossing 35-20; def. Groveport 30-14

•Reynoldsburg (2-4 overall, 2-0 in OCC-Buckeye) to date: Lost to Upper Arlington 42-41; lost to Huber Heights Wayne 17-15; lost to Massillon Washington 41-22; lost to Olentangy 31-30; def. Groveport 39-3; def. Newark 62-0

Reynoldsburg and its next opponent, Lancaster, enter their matchup Oct. 8 with losing records, but both have reasons to believe their results so far can be deceiving. 

Although the Raiders are just 2-4 overall, three of their defeats have been by a combined four points and their other loss was a 41-22 setback to last year’s Division II state runner-up, Massillon Washington, on Sept. 3. 

The Golden Gales are 3-4 overall, but the combined record of the teams they’ve lost to is 25-2. 

Both teams are tied with Pickerington Central for first in the OCC-Buckeye Division at 2-0. 

“We feel good about how we’re playing heading into Lancaster,” coach Buddy White said. “Things are coming together.”

Last season, Reynoldsburg lost 41-40 to the Gales during the regular season, but avenged that setback with a 53-19 victory in the opening round of the Division I playoffs. It was the final season for Lancaster coach Rob Carpenter, who retired after 23 years. Former Groveport coach Bryan Schoonover now leads the Gales. 

Reynoldsburg has outscored its first two league opponents by a combined 101-3, including a 62-0 victory over Newark on Oct. 1. 

Senior quarterback Dijon Jennings completed nine of 12 passes for 206 yards and five touchdowns and junior running back James Williams rushed four times for 78 yards and one touchdown against the Wildcats.

Senior running back Zion Jackson-Wilborn is the Raiders’ leading rusher with 408 yards and three touchdowns on 69 carries, and the offense also has been aided by the return of junior running back Jeremiah Crawford-Smith. He was one of the team’s top rushers in 2020 but missed the first month of the season with an injury. 

Crawford-Smith had three catches for 61 yards and two touchdowns while senior wide receiver Markez Gillam added two catches for 61 yards and one score against Newark. 

Lancaster and Groveport were tied at 14 at halftime Oct. 1, but the Gales got a pair of touchdown runs by senior fullback Ajay Locke in the second half. 

Locke rushed 27 times for 144 yards and three touchdowns and senior running back Nasir Robinson had 21 carries for 132 yards. Junior Trace Van Gundy is at quarterback for the Gales, who attempted just two passes against the Cruisers. 

Robinson is Lancaster’s leading rusher with 569 yards and two touchdowns, and Locke has 366 yards and six touchdowns on 61 carries. 

The teams’ only common opponent is Olentangy, which lost 34-15 to the Gales on Sept. 3 but beat the Raiders 31-30 on Sept. 17. 

Reynoldsburg gave up just 113 yards of offense against Groveport and 62 against Newark, forcing a combined six turnovers. 

“The offense is scoring points, but what I’m most impressed with is the way our defense is playing now,” White said.  

julrey@thisweeknews.com 

@UlreyThisWeek