Top area teams square off in games to see this week

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…Van Buren (1-0) at Leipsic (1-0)Van Buren and Leipsic got their seasons off on a winning note thanks to some explosive games from players like Marquis Williams and Brody Scoles. Williams also runs track for Leipsic and the 6-foot-2, 162-pound junior was off to the races last week. In a 56-35 win over Lake, he returned the opening kickoff 79 yards for a touchdown, added an 83-kickoff return for a score late in the first period and had 14 carries for 167 yards and four more TDs on runs of 2, 4, 42 and 57 yards. In a preseason interview, Leipsic coach Joe Kirkendall said the Vikings, might have "a better running game," and, offensively, could be "better that we were (last year)," then they went out and put up the most points they scored since a 62-13 win over Arcadia Oct. 5, 2018. Scoles had a monster game as well. The 5-10, 166-pound senior rushed for 200 yards and three TDs in the Black Knights 37-6 win over Fostoria. With quarterback Brady Lance also running for over 100 yards, Friday's game between the Vikings and Black Knights might turn into a shootout. In an interesting side note, while Leipsic and Van Buren are both members of the Blanchard Valley Conference, this is not a league game. Neither is Friday's matchup between Riverdale and Arlington. Liberty-Benton (1-0) at Columbus Grove (0-1) Columbus Grove won this showdown 42-14 a year ago, but the Bulldogs, who started 14-0 last year before losing to Marion Local in the Division VII state semifinals, will have to protect their home turf against a Liberty-Benton group coming off an impressive 35-0 opening night win over Ottawa-Glandorf. The Elchert twins led the way. Seth Elchert, a 6-3, 195-pound flanker headed to Toledo on a football scholarship, caught eight passes for 141 yards, including TD receptions of 36 and 57 yards. Zach Elchert, a 6-3, 205-pound H-back/linebacker who is the reigning Blanchard Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year, had 62 yards and three rushing TDs of 1, 5 and 13 yards. Austin Collert led L-B with 69 yards on the ground and Connor Barbara was solid in his first varsity start at quarterback, completing 10-of-15 passes for 155 yards and the two TD passes to Seth Elchert. Columbus Grove appeared to sitting well in its opener with backyard rival Pandora-Gilboa. The Bulldogs had a 14-0 lead at the half, but gave up two fourth-quarter scores – and a game-winning two-point conversion – in dropping a 22-21 decision to the Rockets. Friday's game is Columbus Grove's home opener, and the Bulldogs have been doggedly determined to protect their home turf. Overall, Columbus Grove has won 25 straight games at Clymer Field, the last home loss being 21-13 to Liberty Center on Nov, 6, 2021 in the second round of the Division VI, Region 22 playoffs. Grove's last regular-season home loss goes back even farther, a total of 31 games to a 14-11 loss to Allen East on Sept. 20, 2019. Pandora-Gilboa (1-0) at Bluffton (1-0) Both teams are 1-0 after comeback wins in Week One. But there may have been different mindsets in the post-game locker rooms following those games. At Pandora-Gilboa, there was likely a huge sense of achievement. The Rockets, even at home, would be considered the underdog facing a Grove team that had won five of the previous six matchups with P-G and was coming off its third straight trip to the Division VII state semifinals. Grove did take a 14-0 lead, but Cory Gerten threw a touchdown pass to Chase Meyer, Ben Burkholder ran for two scores – and a pivotal two-point conversion – and Andrew Webster's interception ended one final Columbus Grove drive and sealed P-G's 22-21 victory. Just nine miles away, in the Bluffton locker room, the feeling might have been relief after the Pirates came away with a 33-30 win over Benjamin Logan. Known for its lockdown defense, Bluffton had dominated the first two games of this series, beating the Raiders 42-7 in 2023 and 50-3 last season. In one game, though, the Pirates had given up half the total points they had allowed in 2023 and a third of the points they had given up all of last season.Bluffton trailed Ben Logan 7-0 in the first quarter and 14-7 at the half, and led just 27-21 with six minutes left in the game. A big night from Tayte Giesige salvaged the game, though. The junior quarterback completed 14-of-22 passes for 318 yard and four TDs and ran for another score.