Hilliard Darby defeated Thomas Worthington 27-20 on Friday, Oct. 16, improving to 5-4 on the season with one regular-season game remaining before the OHSAA playoffs.
The Panthers traveled to Thomas Worthington for the OCC matchup and came away with the victory. Darby had dropped to 4-4 after an Oct. 9 loss to Olentangy, according to The Westerville News, but bounced back against the Cardinals.
The win keeps Darby in the playoff picture. The regular season concludes Oct. 24, and the OHSAA playoffs begin Oct. 30, according to The Columbus Dispatch. State finals are scheduled for Dec. 3-5 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton.
Head coach Brad Burchfield's squad entered the Oct. 2 game against Dublin Jerome with a balanced rushing attack led by seniors Kohen Kornegay and Braylon Griffith, who had each topped 600 rushing yards through the first six games, according to ABC6. Senior Cedric Holman, a receiver and wingback, had about 500 yards of production and led the team in interceptions at that point.
"We're always trying to build from one day to the next and build habits and build team and camaraderie," Burchfield said in an Oct. 2 ABC6 interview, describing the Panthers' season-long "brick by brick" approach.
That philosophy has carried Darby through a grueling schedule. All four of the Panthers' losses were decided by a combined 13 points: a 25-19 defeat to Hilliard Bradley on Aug. 28, a 10-7 loss to Gahanna on Sept. 18, a 20-19 loss to Olentangy Berlin on Sept. 25 and a 31-28 loss to Olentangy on Oct. 9, according to the team's schedule.
Across town, Hilliard Davidson picked up a 12-6 win over Olentangy Liberty on Friday. Hilliard Bradley fell to Olentangy Orange 35-28, though the final score was reported differently by two outlets: SI.com listed the score as 35-28, while the Dispatch reported it as 37-28.
Darby closes the regular season at home against Marysville on Friday, Oct. 23.
