Strong Performances Highlight 7-on-7 Pool Play

Gahanna Lincoln, Groveport Madison, Hilliard Darby, and Westerville South battle through competitive round-robin format.

The pool play portion of a high-energy 7-on-7 football tournament wrapped up with Gahanna Lincoln standing tall at 3–0. The four-team field—also featuring Groveport Madison, Hilliard Darby, and Westerville South—offered a preview of the talent and depth that each squad brings into the season.

Game 1: Groveport Madison 20, Hilliard Darby 6

Groveport struck first with a touchdown on the opening play — Baker Bowden found Keelan Darby on a drag route to take a 6–0 lead. Tyreke Ruffin came up big with a leaping interception in the end zone, and Romel Turner added a pick for Darby to close the gap to 9–3. Groveport responded with a long drive ending in a touchdown pass over the middle, then Ruffin made his second interception of the day to make it 20–3.  Damon Griffin grabbed a late interception for Darby, but Groveport controlled the game start to finish kicking off their day with a 20-6 victory.

Game 2: Gahanna Lincoln 13, Westerville South 2

Westerville South opened with a solid drive but turned it over on downs, setting the tone for a defensive battle. Gahanna capitalized with a sharp drive capped by a touchdown pass from Grey Kegley to JP Butler in the back of the end zone. Ryan Washington jumped a crossing route for an interception, pushing the lead to 11–0. Westerville South earned their first points after a defensive stop, but couldn’t find rhythm on the ensuing offensive drive. Gahanna closed things out with a short drive and strong defensive stand to secure the 13–2 win.

Game 3: Gahanna Lincoln 17, Hilliard Darby 3

Gahanna opened with a clean drive ending in another Kegley-to-Butler touchdown on a slant across the middle. Gahanna followed with a defensive stop to go up 8–0, before Darby intercepted a tipped pass in the red zone to close it to 8–3. Gahanna’s defense stiffened, forcing a quick four-and-out before Kegley connected with Butler again near the goal line. With time winding down, Darby attempted a deep shot, but Mark Thorpe came down with an interception to close it out and give the Lions a 17-3 victory.

Game 4: Westerville South 14, Groveport Madison 9

Groveport opened with an interception but couldn’t find the end zone on the next possession. Westerville South responded with a deep strike to Isaac Patterson on a great leaping catch, then found him again across the middle for a touchdown to go up 8–3. Groveport responded quickly with a 20-yard catch-and-run score, reclaiming the lead 9–8. On the very next play, Westerville South struck again, threading a deep ball up the seam for the go-ahead touchdown. Both defenses made key stops down the stretch in a back-and-forth battle ending in a14-9 victory for Westerville South.

Game 5: Hilliard Darby 26, Westerville South 2

Darby’s defense set the tone early, with Romel Turner snagging an interception to swing momentum and give them a 3–2 lead. The offense answered getting the ball in the end zone on the next two possessions, capping off the second with a score to Cedric Holman in the back of the end zone. Westerville South moved into the red zone late  but couldn’t convert, turning it over on downs. Darby capitalized again with another deep ball touchdown and another defensive pick, Turner's second of the game polishing off the 26-2 win.

Game 6: Gahanna Lincoln 10, Groveport Madison 8

Groveport picked up an early first down, but Gahanna’s defense held, giving them the early 2–0 lead. Gahanna capitalized with three straight completions on the next drive, finishing with a corner route touchdown to extend the lead to 8–0. Groveport responded immediately with a deep jump ball completion and a strong finish at the goal line to close the gap to 8–6. Both defenses clamped down late, trading stops as the game tightened. Gahanna held on to possession in the final minutes to secure a hard-fought 10–8 victory.