Gahanna Lincoln improved to 9-0 with a 31-7 win over Grove City on Friday, Oct. 16, while New Albany ground out a 5-3 victory over Pickerington North in a game without a single touchdown.

Both results carry playoff-seeding implications as the regular season nears its end.

Lions roll past Grove City

Gahanna Lincoln, ranked No. 8 in Division I entering the week by cleveland.com's state poll, held the Greyhounds to one score in the 31-7 final, according to MaxPreps. Grove City dropped to 4-5.

Head coach Bruce Ward's squad now travels to Pickerington North on Friday, Oct. 23, for an OCC-Ohio showdown. The Panthers enter that game at 7-2.

Eagles survive defensive slugfest

New Albany's 5-3 win over visiting Pickerington North featured zero touchdowns and plenty of special-teams drama.

Pickerington North struck first. Kicker Niko Agganis missed wide right on a 34-yard field goal attempt early in the first quarter, but the Panthers got the ball right back on a Carter Frank interception. Agganis then connected from 31 yards to put North up 3-0, according to the Columbus Dispatch's live coverage.

New Albany answered on special teams. Connor Bahr blocked a punt that sailed out of the back of the end zone for a safety, cutting the deficit to 3-2.

The Eagles took the lead for good in the third quarter. After a second blocked punt, Blake Barr drilled a 23-yard field goal with 7:29 left in the period to make it 5-3.

Agganis had one last chance to win it. He lined up a 36-yard field goal with 2:09 remaining but missed wide left. New Albany held on.

The Eagles played without senior running back Jett Jerwers, who is committed to Harvard and has appeared in only three games this season because of an injury, the Dispatch reported. Pickerington North's defense recorded three interceptions.

Both teams finished the night at 7-2 overall and 3-1 in OCC-Ohio play. New Albany entered the game ranked seventh in Division II by cleveland.com and sixth in Division II, Region 7.

What's next

Gahanna Lincoln at Pickerington North on Friday, Oct. 23, is the OCC-Ohio game to circle. The Lions carry a 9-0 record into a matchup with a 7-2 Panthers squad that just lost to New Albany.