The Hilliard Darby Panthers got the result they wanted in Week 1, beating the Lancaster Golden Gales on the road Aug. 20, to open the 2026 football season.

The victory avenges last year's 21-20 loss to Lancaster and gives first-year head coach Ricky Holden a win in his debut. Darby's official team account announced the result on X with the program's 2026 motto: "Brick by Brick."

A final score was not available as of publication.

The game kicked off at 7 p.m. at Lancaster, a non-conference matchup that served as a measuring stick for a Darby squad navigating a coaching transition. Holden, who took over the program after last season, said in a May 16 post on the team's X account that the Panthers would be "pursuing championships with great kids."

As we reported Aug. 19, the opener carried extra weight as a rematch. Lancaster edged Darby by a single point in 2025, and the Panthers traveled back to Fairfield County looking to reverse the result.

Tougher road ahead in Region 2

All three Hilliard football programs remain in Division I, Region 2 for the 2026 OHSAA playoffs, but the path got harder. The region expanded to 20 schools after the Ohio High School Athletic Association approved eight programs opting up to Division I in June, growing the division from 72 to 80 teams statewide. Dublin Scioto is the biggest local addition, having jumped from Division II.

Up next

Darby stays on the road in Week 2, traveling crosstown to face Hilliard Bradley on Aug. 28 at 7 p.m. The Panthers' home opener comes in Week 3 against Walnut Ridge on Sept. 4 at 7 p.m.