Gahanna Lincoln rallied for a 20-19 win at Pickerington North on Friday, Oct. 23, completing a perfect regular season and clinching the Ohio Capital Conference Ohio Division title.

The Golden Lions trailed 19-14 entering the fourth quarter. Senior quarterback Grey Kegley engineered an eight-play, 68-yard drive and found receiver John Quartey on the right side of the end zone for a 3-yard touchdown with 1:57 remaining, according to the Columbus Dispatch's live coverage. The two-point conversion failed. Pickerington North fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and Gahanna's JP Butler recovered the ball at the Panthers' 37-yard line with 1:52 to go, sealing the outcome.

The win gave Gahanna a 10-0 record and a 5-0 mark in OCC-Ohio play. It is the program's first undefeated regular season since 2023, the Dispatch reported. Pickerington North finished 7-3 overall and 3-2 in conference play.

The Panthers struck first when Geo McKnight fielded a punt at his own 48, cut left and weaved 52 yards for a touchdown early in the first quarter. Gahanna answered with a run-heavy drive capped by sophomore Carter James' 16-yard scoring run. James, listed at 5-foot-9 and 160 pounds, carried three times for 33 yards on that possession.

Gahanna extended its lead to 14-7 when Kegley hit senior receiver Marki Wallace in stride for a 37-yard touchdown after Pickerington North failed to convert a fourth-and-1 at its own 36. A fumble by Gahanna's Kellen Rachal at midfield set up a Panthers score. Quarterback Demetrius Neal-Nesbitt threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Dennis White, but Mark Thorpe III blocked the extra point to keep Gahanna ahead 14-13 at halftime.

Neal-Nesbitt and White connected again on a 54-yard touchdown 50 seconds into the second half, giving North a 19-14 lead heading into the fourth.

Both teams committed nine penalties. Gahanna was flagged for seven false starts, the Dispatch reported.

Entering the game, Gahanna's defense had held every opponent to 14 points or fewer through nine weeks, with seven opponents failing to reach double figures, Cleveland.com noted in its Week 10 preview. Kegley had thrown for 1,389 yards and 11 touchdowns through nine games. Junior running back Leon Cummings led the ground attack with 546 yards and six scores.

Gahanna entered the week as the No. 1 seed in Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) Division I, Region 3, according to computer ratings cited by the Dispatch. The top four seeds earn a first-round bye when the playoffs begin.

OHSAA’s final playoff pairings, released Oct. 25, give Gahanna the No. 1 seed in Division I, Region 3 and a first-round bye. The Lions will host the winner of Columbus St. Charles and Olentangy Orange on Nov. 6. The state championships are scheduled for Dec. 3–5 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton.