Reynoldsburg got its rematch, and this time the Raiders finished it. One week after losing 41-13 to Pickerington Central in the regular-season finale, No. 10 seed Reynoldsburg stunned the No. 7 Tigers 19-15 on their own field Friday night in a Division I, Region 3 first-round playoff game, according to The Columbus Dispatch’s live coverage of the game.
The ending was as dramatic as the playoffs get. Hammond Russell VI scored on a 4-yard run with 43 seconds remaining to put Reynoldsburg ahead 19-15, capping an 80-yard drive in the closing minutes, The Dispatch reported. Quarterback Justin Heckman connected with Damontae Butler three times on the drive, including a 29-yard gain on third down, and Central penalties for roughing the passer and holding helped extend the march, according to The Dispatch.
The win flips the script from just seven days earlier. Pickerington Central beat Reynoldsburg 41-13 on Oct. 23 to close the regular season, wrapping up an eighth consecutive OCC-Buckeye championship, The Dispatch reported. Friday’s rematch at Central went the other way, and the Tigers’ season ended at 7-4.
For Reynoldsburg, the upset continues one of central Ohio’s best turnaround stories. The Raiders went 1-9 last fall and started this season 1-3 under second-year coach JoJuan Armour before winning five consecutive games to reach the playoffs, according to The Dispatch. Friday’s victory lifts Reynoldsburg to 7-4.
Central’s exit closes a season that began in turmoil. The Tigers started 0-3, were outscored 90-3 in those games, and cycled through three starting quarterbacks because of season-ending injuries before rallying to win their league, The Dispatch reported. That rally ran out Friday night, four points short.
The result also reshapes the Region 3 bracket. Reynoldsburg was one of several road winners in the region Friday, joining Olentangy Orange, which won 29-26 at St. Charles, while Pickerington North shut out Groveport Madison 37-0 and Olentangy Berlin beat Westerville Central 17-10, according to the statewide scoreboard published by the Mansfield News Journal.
Reynoldsburg advances to a Division I, Region 3 quarterfinal against second-seeded Upper Arlington on Friday, Nov. 6, according to The Dispatch. The Raiders will again be on the road, and again an underdog — a role that suited them just fine in Pickerington.
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