Unbeatens clash in three games to see

When it comes to high school sports, northwest Ohio has some of the strongest, staunchest fan support in the state.The local team obviously draws the most interest in this rural-rich, small-town area of the state. But there are also some games every week that coaches counting Harbin points and fans lining the fences and packing the stands will want to check the morning paper just to see "Who Won?"Here's a look at a few of them… WEEKLY GAMES TO SEE --- WEEK FOUR Lima Central Catholic (3-0, 0-0 NWC) at Columbus Gove (3-0, 0-0 NWC) COLUMBUS GROVE – A marquee matchup on a night when four of the Northwest Conference teams with 3-0 records go head-to-head. They won't be handing the winner of this game the Northwest Conference championship trophy, not yet anyway. That winning team can make a legitimate claim as the team to beat, though. Columbus Grove has become the consistent front runner in the league. The Bulldogs have won 26 consecutive league games, three straight outright NWC championships and five of the last six titles – outright or shared – overall. Gove has earned its 3-0 record by beating three schools that were 2025 playoff qualifiers: Pandora-Gilboa (42-12), Liberty-Benton (40-20) and Patrick Henry (21-14). LCC also owns an impressive list of victims, including wins over 2-1 bigger schools Lima Shawnee (Division III, 51-20) and Urbana (Division IV, 37-34). This season, Grove coach Andy Schafer put the reins of the offense in the hands of freshman Rylan Palte. But with four starters returning on the offensive line, a veteran backfield, two Division I caliber tight ends in Brady Basinger (6-2, 220, sr.) and Gavin Baxter (6-4, 205, jr.), and a defense dotted with good athletes at every position, it was not a risky move. Palte has been efficient, completing 19-of-34 passes for 294 yards and five touchdowns. Brody McCluer (237 yards, 1 TD), Baxter (201 yards, 2 TDs), Palte (189 yards, 1 TD) and Trenton Wynkoop (91 yards, 1 TD) comprise the league's top rushing attack, with Baxter (126 yards 2 TDs), Alex Meyer (101, 3 TDs) and Basinger the Bulldogs' top receivers. Defensively, Grove has allowed the most completions (39) and passing yards (531) of any NWC team, but the Bulldogs are also third among NWC teams in interceptions (5) and fumbles caused and fourth in turnovers forced (7). Grove's defense will be challenged by Brady Parker, the top passing quarterback in the NWC. A 6-foot-4, 200-pound senior who will play his college ball for the University of Findlay, Parker has completed 34-of-52 passes for 634 yards with five touchdowns and zero interceptions. Mike Quatman (298 yards, 1 TD), Lausen Flores (155 yards, 1 TD) and deep threat Jaxon White (25.8 ypc, 3 TDs) have been LCC's top receivers, with Flores (165 yards, 1 TD), Carter Lester (163 yards, 5 TDs) and Parker (137 yards 3 TDs) getting the most rushing yardage. Friday's trip to Clymer Stadium begins a five-game road swing for LCC, which starts at Columbus Grove and ends Oct. 2 at Bluffton. Grove owns an 11-9 edge in what has been a roller-coaster of a series between the two schools. Grove won six straight and seven of eight matchups with the T-Birds between 1995 and 2006, LCC rattled off eight straight wins from 2007 to 2014, and Grove has won the last four, including two last season when the Bulldogs won the regular season matchup 33-25, and beat LCC again, 28-6,in the Division VII Region 26 regional semifinals. Van Buren (3-0, 2-0 BVC) at Ada (3-0, 2-0 BVC)After two weeks of Blanchard Valley Conference play three teams remain unbeaten in league games and two will be going head-to-head when Van Buren and Ada square off at War Memorial Stadium. Van Buren's school colors may be red and black but there's definitely a Woody Hayes scarlet and gray aura to Van Buren this season. Van Buren coach Ethan Percer seems to have adopted Woody's mantra about "three yards and a cloud of dust" and it's working for the Black Knights, who are averaging a BVC-best 433.3 yards a game. Of that total, 1,123 yards – 86.4 percent of the teams' total offense – have come via the running game. Quarterback Cooper Hanna is an efficient 17-of-22 passing for 157 yards, but leads the BVC in rushing with 569 yards. Caleb Mason is fourth in BVC rushing (292 yards) and Haiden Orr is eighth (201). Van Buren has almost twice as many rushing yards as the No. 2 team in the BVC stats. That team is Ada with 584. The Bulldogs have been a more balanced offense, with quarterback Blake Zoladz completing 42-of-69 passes for 440 yards and five touchdowns. Zoladz and Kolton Dysert have both rushed for 265 yards and five touchdowns. Defense could well be the determining factor in which team enters next week's game still unbeaten in the BVC. Van Buren has allowed the second fewest points (39) of any of the BVC teams; Ada has the third-best defense against the run (86 ypg). Allen East (3-0, 0-0 NWC) at Bluffton (3-0, 0-0 NWC)Just 12 miles separate Bluffton and Columbus Grove, and both places on Friday will be the site of Northwest Conference battle of unbeatens. While Grove is hosting LCC, Harmon Field will be packed as well with Bluffton hosting the 3-0 Mustangs of Allen East. Bluffton features the one-two offensive punch of quarterback Tayte Giesige and running back Parker Lovell. Giesige, who set a school record for pass completion percentage as a junior, is capping an outstanding career for the Pirates. Through three games, the 6-2, 185-pound senior has completed 32-of-45 passes (71.1 percent) for 593 yards with five touchdowns and just one interception. He's also rushed for 120 yards and two scores. Lovell, a 6-0, 190-pound senior, displayed his overall talents in last week's 52-12 win over Toledo Bowsher, rushing for 204 yards and scoring six TDs. Five came on runs of 3, 11, 20, 20 and 41 yards. He also caught one pass from senior quarterback Tayte Giesige that he took 48 yards for a score. Mason Shank, an all-Ohio lineman who has started every game since he walked onto the Bluffton football field as a freshman, anchors a veteran group in the trenches. The top scoring team in the NWC, Bluffton has averaged 46.7 points a game in wins over Benjamin Logan (42-28), Milan Edison (42-7) and Bowsher. Allen East features a potent offense led by quarterback Keagan Jones (557 yards passing, 181 yards rushing, 9 total TDs) and running back Miles McDorman (275 yards, 6 TDs). The Mustangs rally around a defense that is ranked second among NWC teams (11.7 ppg) after shutting out Lima Perry (49-0) and allowing just 35 total points in wins over Fort Recovery (28-21) and Indian Lake (32-14.).