Hilliard Darby carries a 1-0 record into Hilliard Bradley's stadium Aug. 28 for the first crosstown football rivalry game of the 2026 season.

The Panthers edged Lancaster 20-15 on Aug. 21 to open the year, reversing a one-point loss to the same Gales squad in 2025. Bradley, coached by Mike LoParo, fell 32-7 at Big Walnut in its opener the same night. Big Walnut defensive end TJ Minor recorded three sacks and a tackle for loss against the Jaguars, according to the Columbus Dispatch.

The Dispatch listed Darby at Bradley among the marquee community rivalry matchups on the Week 2 schedule across central Ohio.

Darby beat Bradley 21-7 in Week 2 of the 2025 season. The Panthers finished 3-7 overall that year, while Bradley's program reached the OHSAA regional semifinals as recently as 2023 and won the Region 3 championship that season.

Bradley quarterback Declan O'Neil and running back Rashaud Truss were among the players who saw action in the Big Walnut loss. O'Neil took three sacks behind Bradley's offensive line that night.

The Jaguars need answers fast.

Davidson hosts Wadsworth

Across town, Hilliard Davidson hosts Wadsworth on Aug. 28 at Davidson Stadium, 5100 Davidson Rd. Davidson's football program owns two state championships (2006, 2009) and 26 league titles.

Davidson's and Wadsworth's Week 1 results were not available in published reports as of Aug. 27.

What's ahead

The Darby-Bradley game is the first of two crosstown meetings in two weeks. Darby travels to Davidson on Sept. 11, meaning all three Hilliard programs will have faced one another by mid-September.

Darby hosts Walnut Ridge on Sept. 4.