Hilliard Darby led Gahanna Lincoln into the third quarter Friday night and couldn't hold on, falling 10-7 at home Friday, Sept. 18.

The loss drops the Panthers to 3-2 at the midpoint of the regular season. Gahanna, ranked No. 16 in the cleveland.com Big Ohio Top 25, improved to 5-0.

Gahanna struck first. The Lions held a 3-0 lead with 6:58 left in the first quarter, according to in-game updates from Darby Athletics on X. Darby answered and carried a 7-3 lead into the second half.

With 5:45 remaining in the third, the Panthers still led 7-3. But Gahanna scored a touchdown between the late third quarter and early fourth to reclaim the lead 10-7 with 10:54 left in the game. Darby could not answer.

The Panthers entered the matchup riding momentum after outscoring their previous two opponents 75-7. That stretch included a 41-7 rout of Hilliard Davidson on Sept. 11, when senior wide receiver Cedric Holman set a school record with three receiving touchdowns and added a rushing score, according to the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association.

Head coach Brad Burchfield's offense leaned on a potent ground game entering Week 5. Senior running backs Braylon Griffith and Kohen Kornegay had combined for nearly 1,000 rushing yards through four games, according to cleveland.com's Week 5 preview.

Griffith carried 60 times for 523 yards and four touchdowns entering the game. Kornegay totaled 469 yards on 61 carries with four scores. Senior quarterback Jonah Marsh entered Week 5 with 372 yards passing, five touchdowns and one interception.

Gahanna's defense, which had allowed just 34 points through its first four games per cleveland.com, held Darby to a single score. Individual stats from the Week 5 game were not available.

@CedricHolman_: "Great team win Friday night! 3-1 and onto Week 5 vs. undefeated Gahanna."

Holman posted that on X on Sept. 14, looking ahead after the Davidson win. The unbeaten Lions proved to be a different challenge.

Elsewhere in Week 5, Hilliard Bradley routed Thomas Worthington 49-14 and Hilliard Davidson beat Grove City Central Crossing 33-10, according to cleveland.com's statewide scoreboard.

Darby hosts Olentangy Berlin on Sept. 25 for Homecoming, then travels to Dublin Jerome on Oct. 2.