Olentangy 49 Thomas Worthington 14

High School Football
Home Team: Thomas Worthington Cardinals
Visiting Team: Olentangy High School
Venue: Thomas Worthington Stadium (Worthington, Ohio)
Game Time: 7 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: None

It was a perfect fall evening, the first one of the season, and a football game seemed like just the thing. With the price of gas these days, I didn't want to drive to Dayton to see the Trojans, especially since they seemed likely to win in a runaway (they did, 42-7, with the entire second half played under a running clock). Since the local team was at home, I decided to wander over there instead.

We've been in Worthington since 2014, and in that time I think this was my fourth time seeing a game here (although apparently I've only written about one before—and one had a long lightning delay, and I might not have stuck around long enough for the game to resume). There's always enough time between visits for me to forget that I don't love watching a game from the home side. All the railings are lined with chain-link fencing, and I haven't found a great spot to sit where it's not in the view. When I come in future, I should just go across and sit on the visitors' side.

But on this night I didn't. I got there probably around 25 minutes before kickoff, which was plenty of time to find the best spot I could and settle in for the pregame ceremonies. It was homecoming, so the kids on the court walked out and were introduced with their parents and families. I was absurdly touched by the kid whose intro made sure to include that he loves his dogs.

Olentangy was 1-4 coming in and Thomas was 2-3, but OHS is generally a very good program (they knocked the Trojans out of the playoffs in 2019, 42-10) and their schedule has been tough. It looked early on like they were going to name the score, as Thomas made a number of critical mistakes and was down big before the first quarter was halfway over. But they settled in after that, and the two teams played pretty even for a while. It was 27-7 at halftime, and I left when OHS scored to make it 42-14 with five minutes left to go.

Troy 28 Piqua 14

High School Football
Home Team: Piqua High School
Visiting Team: Troy Trojans
Venue: Alexander Stadium (Piqua, Ohio)
Game Time: 7:00 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: None

70-66-6

This game was more stressful than I would have liked.

I feel like I've said something like this before: the Trojans scored on the opening kickoff, and it seemed for a while afterwards like that might have been the worst thing that could have happened. The offense looked bad for most of the night, and I don't mean that as any slight against the kids, who were obviously playing hard. It just didn't seem like the play calling was designed to...you know...actually pick up yardage or score more points. Especially in the first half, it seemed like the coaches were content to play a conservative-to-the-point-of-looking-incompetent style and trust that Piqua was not good enough to take advantage.

I can't imagine that was actually the plan, but if it was, all I can do is take my hat off to it. It worked in the end. Piqua's offense was generally better than Troy's, but their three interceptions—most notably the 75-yard pick-six that iced the game with just nine seconds remaining—made the difference.

Pickerington North 31 Troy 14

High School Football

Home Team: Troy Trojans
Visiting Team: Pickerington North Panthers
Venue: Troy Memorial Stadium
Game Time: 7:00 p.m. (lightning delay until 8:13 p.m.)
Fellow Attendees: None

It wouldn't be August football without a lightning delay.

Every year around this time, it seems like I find myself asking a similar question: why do I keep doing this? It's a pain in the ass to get out of Columbus at quitting time on a Friday, only to get to the game and face the weather.

The broader answer of why I continue to do this is complex and a subject for another time. On this particular night, the Troy Trojans were led onto the field by a new head coach, and I was interested in seeing what that meant.

(The game being available to stream in Columbus notwithstanding.)

And the verdict? Well, on defense, Troy looked pretty solid. Sure, they gave up 31 points, but there were some extenuating circumstances. And Pick North has some great athletes and will be in the mix among the best teams in Columbus this season, and maybe the state.

The extenuating circumstances, on the other hand, involved Troy's offense being unable to do much with the ball. Things got a little better after halftime, when they managed to put together a drive and score their only offensive TD (the first was a scoop and score on their first defensive series).

All things considered, I'd say I was encouraged by what I saw. The Trojans played a pretty scrappy game and gave the Panthers a decent fight. They have some stuff to clean up for sure, but the good news is that they won't face a more talented team for the rest of the regular season. If they can improve from week to week—and I think they will—it should be a pretty decent year.

Guardians 7 Reds 4

Major League Baseball

Home Team: Cleveland Guardians (Joey Cantillo)
Visiting Team: Cincinnati Reds (Chris Paddack)
Venue: Progressive Field (Cleveland, OH)
Game Time: 6:10 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: Brandi

Box Score

It's always fun to be at a ballpark, but I don't always love being a fan of the visiting team. When I go somewhere that isn't Great American Ball Park, it's more fun to see some random team and just enjoy the game itself. But when Brandi won Guardians tickets at her company's holiday party and we could choose any game we wanted, I forgot, and we picked this one.

And it was mostly fine. I get it, sometimes a few fun people in the crowd want to poke at the visitors sitting nearby. All in good fun, of course. It's maybe a little amusing in the first inning, boring in the fourth, and annoying by the sixth. There are worse things.

This was actually my second time seeing the Reds play in Cleveland. Brandi and I came to a game on June 12, 2004, back when the stadium was known as Jacobs Field. The Guardians had a different name then as well. And the Reds have lost both times, so yeah—next time I catch a game in Cleveland, I'll pick one against Kansas City, or maybe Baltimore.

(Incidentally, I've seen Cleveland play on the road once, when they lost 3-1 to the Tigers on May 27, 2006. This was my bachelor party. And a perfect example of what I'm talking about—I wasn't invested in either time, so I just got to vibe at the ballpark. Perfection.)

Wayne 20 Troy 14

High School Football

Home Team: Troy Trojans
Visiting Team: Wayne High School
Venue: Troy Memorial Stadium
Game Time: 7:00 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: None

Troy 23 Hilliard Bradley 22

High School Football

Division I Region 2 Quarterfinal
Home Team: Troy Trojans
Visiting Team: Bradley Jaguars
Venue: Troy Memorial Stadium
Game Time: 7:00 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: None

I wouldn't let myself expect anything going into this game. Sure, the Trojans finished the regular season 8-2 with a first-round bye, whereas Bradley went 5-5 and had to defeat Dublin Jerome to get into this one, but Bradley's schedule was tougher. I just wanted to go enjoy a football game under the lights of Troy Memorial on a beautiful fall night. If the Trojans happened to win and advance, great; if it turned out to be the last game of the season, well, there was no shame in that.

So when the Trojans came out and mostly dominated the first half, it was a pleasant surprise...but it flipped the expectation switch. I couldn't help feeling like the 17-6 halftime lead should have been bigger. And when Bradley came out after halftime and completely stoned Troy's momentum, I was disappointed. And when they flipped the script and took the lead, I was...irritated? I'm not sure what the right adjective is, honestly, but I was definitely in a frame of mind that I was trying to avoid. But the game wasn't over; Troy rallied to regain the lead with just over four minutes left. When it became evident they were probably going to score, I was hoping they would find a way to run some more clock first, but the defense came through and put it away.

The name of this game was turnovers. Troy started it, losing a fumble just as they were about to score on their first drive. But they managed to turn that into a favor, stuffing Bradley for a safety and at least getting two points (and the ball) out of it. From there, the Jaguars' QB would throw four picks—three in the first half, and a fourth after Troy took the 23-22 lead. Then, after Troy went three and out and had to give the ball back one last time, a fifth turnover—a fumble—finally sealed the deal.

All in all, it was a wild one.

On a personal note...you know, I grew up in Troy and then lived there again for a while as an adult, but unless I'm there specifically to visit family or friends, I tend to forget that I still know people around town. So I was a little surprised to run into one of my classmates, whose son is a senior on the team. It felt like stepping into a time warp.

Anyway, with the win, the Trojans survive to play at least one more game. Next week they'll play at home again against a once-familiar foe: Wayne High School, from nearby Huber Heights. The Trojans have the better record and the higher seed, but Wayne's losses are to state powers Pickerington Central, St. Ed's, and Springfield, all also still alive in the Division I playoffs (oh, and 4-6 Beavercreek, WTF). If Troy is to move on to the regional final, they're going to have to earn it.

White Sox 10 Nationals 9

Major League Baseball

Home Team: Washington Nationals (Cade Cavalli)
Visiting Team: Chicago White Sox (Yoendres Gomez)
Venue: Nationals Park
Game Time: 6:45 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: Brandi, Spencer, Chris

Box Score

When we were planning our trip to DC, it came up that Chris, who grew up in the area, had seen the Nationals play at RFK but had never been to Nationals Park. Well, say no more; I'm always up for a game. Once we had planned our itinerary and figured out which day would work best, I grabbed some tickets for this one.

With the Nationals and White Sox both playing out the string on last-place seasons, I thought the crowd might be fairly sparse, but that was not the case. It was an absolutely beautiful night for a game, and with this being the last series of the year, why not take advantage? Also, there was a postgame concert by Riley Green; we didn't stick around for it, but the preponderance of cowboy hats in the crowd would indicate that a fair number came for that reason.

What a wild game this was. The Sox took a lead early and built from there, and it looked like they would cruise. Then the Nats made a big comeback and took the lead in the bottom of the eighth, only for rookie Colson Montgomery to blast a homer in the ninth to give Chicago the lead and, ultimately, the win. There were eight home runs in the game, six by the Nats, including three (!) by Luis Garcia Jr.

Upon hearing we were visiting DC, a friend (another transplant) recommended Ben's Chili Bowl. The one we wanted to visit, the historic first location on U Street, is currently closed for renovations...but it turns out they offer concessions at Nats Park, so we got to try it after all. I got a hot dog with mustard and onions covered in their chili sauce, and it was hands down the best hot dog I've ever had.