Football

Olentangy at Big Walnut

At a glance

OLENTANGY at BIG WALNUT

*When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14

*Last meeting: 2011, Big Walnut 41-13

*Top Braves: Griffin Binkley (RB/LB), Christian Brett (WR/DB), Tim Feasel (LB), Luke Hartline (FB/LB), Andrew Horstman (QB), Ramal Iverson (RB/DB), Zach Ries (LB) and Ben Young (OL/DL)

*Top Golden Eagles: Carson Chatterton (QB), Alex Clark (FB/DE), Alec Eisnnicher (LB), Gabe Kitchen (WR), Seth Myers (WR/DB), Adam Shaheen (WR/DB), Julian Simon (OL/DE) and Logan Williams (OL)

*Olentangy (3-0) to date: Defeated Worthington Kilbourne 17-14; def. Olentangy Liberty 28-16; def. Lexington 35-21

*Big Walnut (2-1) to date: Lost to Westerville Central 27-0; def. Chillicothe 22-19; def. Cleveland Collinwood 50-6

Wednesday September 12, 2012 10:18 AM

The contest is the OCC-Capital Division opener for both teams, which haven't met as league foes since 1996 when both schools were members of the now-defunct Buckeye Athletic Conference. The rivalry dates to 1954, with Big Walnut holding a 24-23 edge in the series. The Golden Eagles have won the last two meetings, including 41-13 last season.

The Braves are 3-0 for the first time since 2008. That season, they won their first five games en route to going 7-4 and losing to Sylvania Southview 28-14 in the first round of the Division II, Region 6 playoffs. They haven't been to the playoffs since.

•LAST WEEK — Olentangy rallied to beat Lexington on Sept. 7, scoring 21 points in a span of 2 minutes, 20 seconds late in the fourth quarter. The Braves tied the game at 21 on a 1-yard run Horstman with 3:08 left and took a 28-21 lead with a 69-yard touchdown run by Iverson with 1:49 left. Hartline secured the win with a 14-yard touchdown run with 48 seconds left.

Horstman was 6-for-12 passing for 85 yards and a touchdown and had 16 carries for 73 yards and a score, as the Braves had 308 total yards. Iverson had four carries for 82 yards, most of which came on his touchdown.

Big Walnut held Collinwood to minus-28 yards rushing and 71 total yards. Thirty-six of the Golden Eagles' 42 plays were on the ground, as they amassed 365 yards rushing and ran for five touchdowns.