The Hilliard Davidson Wildcats open their 2026 football season Aug. 21, hosting Mansfield Senior at 7 p.m. at Hilliard Davidson Stadium, 5100 Davidson Road. It's the first Friday night of the OHSAA football season statewide.
Reserved season tickets are already on sale through the Hilliard City Schools box office, and HD Athletics announced Monday that specialty theme nights are set for the home schedule. The specific themes for each game night were not immediately available in text form.
The opener caps a three-week sprint since OHSAA practices began Aug. 1. Davidson's early-season home stretch continues Aug. 28 against Wadsworth at 7 p.m. and Sept. 4 against Miamisburg at 7:30 p.m. before the Wildcats travel to crosstown rival Hilliard Darby on Sept. 11.
That Darby game carries extra weight this fall. The Columbus Dispatch reported that all three Hilliard programs (Davidson, Darby and Bradley) landed in the same OHSAA Division I, Region 2 bracket for 2026. Regular-season matchups between the three schools could double as playoff positioning games, with regional first-round action beginning Oct. 30.
Davidson's program owns two state championships (2006 and 2009), five regional titles and 26 league championships. The Wildcats will look to add to that history in a region that also includes Dublin Coffman, Marysville, Grove City and Centerville.
The OHSAA regular season runs through Oct. 25, with state championships scheduled for Dec. 3-5 in Canton.
Upcoming Davidson schedule:
- Friday, Aug. 21: Mansfield Senior, 7 p.m. (home)
- Friday, Aug. 28: Wadsworth, 7 p.m. (home)
- Friday, Sept. 4: Miamisburg, 7:30 p.m. (home)
- Friday, Sept. 11: at Hilliard Darby, 7 p.m.
