TROY, Ohio (WLIO) — Four West Central Ohio football teams competed in the state semifinals Friday night, including an all-local clash in Division VII in Troy.

St. Henry and Columbus Grove meet at Memorial Stadium with a Division 7 state title berth on the line.

To reach the semifinals, St. Henry snapped Marion Local’s historic 76-game winning streak earlier this postseason. Columbus Grove entered Friday riding a wave of momentum, outscoring opponents 87-20 in tournament play and making its fourth consecutive state semifinal appearance.

St. Henry struck first on a deep ball from quarterback Charlie Werling, who connected with Landon Schwartz for a 55-yard touchdown pass. The extra-point attempt missed, putting the Redskins ahead 6-0.

Late in the opening quarter, Werling rolled out and fired a 29-yard touchdown pass to Austin Zimmerman, extending the lead to 13-3. At the intermission, St. Henry led 13-10 thanks to a 38-yard touchdown connection from Columbus Grove’s Landon Best to wideout Trevon Baxter, as the senior duo provided the Bulldogs’ lone score of the first half.

Grove’s defense kept it close out of the break when Baxter intercepted Werling in the third quarter to give the Bulldogs the ball back. Columbus Grove was unable to capitalize on the turnover, leaving St. Henry’s one-score advantage intact.

With the Bulldogs trailing by three in the final moments, Grove attempted a fourth-down conversion to stay alive. The pass fell incomplete as St. Henry’s defense held firm, allowing the Redskins to take over on downs and run out the clock with a kneel-down.

The Redskins survived the gritty, low-scoring semifinal thriller, winning 13-10 to advance to the Division VII state championship.

St. Henry (13-1) will now play Hillsdale in the Division 7 state final on December 6, 2025, at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton. The game is set for 10:30 a.m., where the Redskins hope to secure the program’s first state championship since 2006.

Columbus Grove’s season ends in the state semifinal round for the fourth straight year, closing 10-4.

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