RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesThe Dispatch revealed its picks for the best athletes, coaches and teams of 2025-26 at the Central Ohio High School Sports Awards on June 22 at Upper Arlington High School.
Readers can make their selections throughout the summer, and that continues this week with a vote for boys Team of the Year.
High School Sports Award honorees: Meet the 2025-26 Central Ohio High School Sports Awards honorees
Voting is open until 4 p.m. July 31. Please do not email your votes; they will not count.
Here are the candidates:
Big Walnut track and field: The Golden Eagles reached new heights this fall, winning four events in the Division II state meet and tying New Philadelphia for the team championship . Big Walnut finished second at regional before getting three individual wins – two from Ohio State football commit and five-star recruit Jamier Brown – and a relay title at state.
Dublin Jerome soccer: The Celtics (15-3-5) leaned on their defense throughout a run to their first Division I state championship, allowing only 15 goals all year and winning their first five tournament games by shutout before edging six-time defending champion Cleveland St. Ignatius 3-2 (4-3 on penalty kicks) in the state final .
New Albany baseball: The Eagles (26-7) won their third state championship , first since 2021 and first in Division II, closing the season on a six-game winning streak and defeating Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit 4-1 in the state final. Juniors Mason Ackermann (OF) and Bryson Gittins (P) earned first-team all-state. New Albany outscored its opponents 9.3-2.6 on average, including 48-4 in the tournament.
Olentangy Orange football: Behind one of the state’s top multi-threat quarterbacks in senior Levi Davis and depth on both sides of the ball, the Pioneers went 15-0 to win their first Division I state championship and the second in a row for both central Ohio and the Olentangy district. Orange scored at least 26 points in all but one game and allowed seven points or fewer seven times.
St. Charles swimming and diving: The Cardinals remained a juggernaut statewide, using four individual and relay wins in the Division I state meet to amass 348.5 points and repeat as champions . Arizona State signee Jake Lloyd set a state record in the 50-yard freestyle (19.39), helped with state records in the 200 free (1:19.41) and 200 medley (1:27.2) relays and holds the meet record in the 100 breaststroke (53.06). Texas signee Austin Carpenter repeated as 100 free champion (43.06).
Watterson football: The Eagles remained one of the state’s juggernauts, repeating as Division III champions and extending their overall winning streak to 30 with a 30-0 rout of Toledo Central Catholic in the state final. Watterson outscored its opponents 637-89 – an average of 45.5-6.4 – and much of the defense returns this fall, when the Eagles move up to Division II .
Watterson soccer: The Eagles (16-5-3) broke through and won their first state championship , two years after making their first state tournament appearance. Watterson won four of its six Division III tournament games by shutout, including 3-0 over Aurora in the final. The Eagles should be a contender again this fall, given that six starters are expected back – four of whom were sophomores in the fall.
Watterson wrestling: These Eagles added another championship to an ultra-successful era for the school, repeating in Division II thanks to state titles for Ohio State commit Michael Boyle (215 pounds) and James Lindsay (150). Boyle won his third straight crown and Lindsay his first. Sophomore Tommy Rowlands was state runner-up for the second year in a row, this time at 157.
The Dispatch staff reserves the right to remove athletes from the ballot where voting irregularities have occurred.
Please do not email your votes; they will not count.
The Dispatch high school sports staff can be reached at [email protected] and at @DispatchPreps on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Choose central Ohio's boys high school Team of the Year for 2025-26
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