New Albany routed Westerville Central 34-3 on Friday, Oct. 23, pushing the Eagles to 8-2 and into strong position for an Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) Division II playoff spot.
The 31-point margin was the Eagles' third blowout win of 31 or more points this season, according to MaxPreps. The rout came one week after New Albany survived a 5-3 defensive battle against Pickerington North at Eagle Stadium on Oct. 16.
The Eagles have won seven of their last eight games, averaging 30.9 points per game during that stretch. New Albany's only losses came against Canal Winchester, 28-35 on Aug. 28, and at Gahanna Lincoln, 3-35 on Oct. 2.
The offense has been explosive. Three wins came by 31 or more points, including a 56-7 rout of Dublin Scioto on Sept. 4 and a 51-0 shutout of Central Crossing on Oct. 9.
New Albany entered the week ranked fourth in the OHSAA Division II, Region 7 computer ratings, according to the Week 9 ratings released Oct. 20. Those rankings reflected a 7-2 record before the Westerville Central game. Final Week 10 ratings and official playoff qualifiers are scheduled to be announced Oct. 26, with the first round of regional playoffs set for Oct. 30, according to the OHSAA football calendar.
For Westerville Central, the loss was its fifth straight at home and dropped the Warhawks to 5-5.
New Albany's full season results:
- Aug. 21 at London: W 17-14
- Aug. 28 vs. Canal Winchester: L 28-35
- Sept. 4 at Dublin Scioto: W 56-7
- Sept. 11 at Upper Arlington: W 28-21
- Sept. 18 vs. Dublin Jerome: W 42-29
- Sept. 25 vs. Grove City: W 28-21
- Oct. 2 at Gahanna Lincoln: L 3-35
- Oct. 9 vs. Central Crossing: W 51-0
- Oct. 16 vs. Pickerington North: W 5-3
- Oct. 23 at Westerville Central: W 34-3
The Eagles' playoff opponent and seeding will be determined when the OHSAA releases final brackets on Oct. 26.
