Top-seeded Gahanna Lincoln survived its toughest test of the season Friday night, holding off ninth-seeded Olentangy Orange 13-10 in a Division I, Region 3 regional quarterfinal in Gahanna. The final score was confirmed by The Columbus Dispatch, the Mansfield News Journal, High School On SI and the Zanesville Times Recorder scoreboards.
The rematch bore little resemblance to the teams’ first meeting. Gahanna rolled past Orange 34-9 in Week 4 of the regular season, according to The Columbus Dispatch’s playoff coverage, but the Pioneers who showed up Friday were a different team — one playing its best football at the end of the season.
Orange (6-6) arrived in Gahanna with real momentum. The Pioneers rallied from a 19-0 third-quarter deficit to stun St. Charles 29-26 in the first round on Oct. 30, winning on a 36-yard touchdown pass from Colby Luling to his brother Jake Luling with nine seconds left, The Columbus Dispatch reported. That comeback made Orange one of the most dangerous low seeds left in Region 3.
Gahanna, meanwhile, entered the night unbeaten and rested after a first-round bye as the region’s No. 1 seed. Instead of the comfortable win the seedings suggested, the Lions (11-0) got a four-quarter fight, with the game still in doubt in the closing minutes before the hosts closed out the three-point win.
The result keeps Gahanna perfect on the season and ends a resilient year for Orange, which rebuilt with a young roster, finished the regular season 5-5 against a rugged Ohio Capital Conference schedule and still won a playoff game before pushing the region’s top seed to the final minutes, according to The Columbus Dispatch’s first-round reporting.
The win also sets up an all-Olentangy-flavored semifinal on the other side of the bracket meeting the Lions. Olentangy Liberty shut out Olentangy Berlin 15-0 on Friday, and The Columbus Dispatch reported Liberty moves on to face Gahanna.
Gahanna Lincoln will host Olentangy Liberty in the Division I, Region 3 semifinal on Friday, Nov. 13. The winner advances to the regional final on Nov. 20, one win from the state semifinals.
Photo: Sixflashphoto, CC BY-SA 4.0