By Matt M. Stutz

The 2025 OHSAA High School football playoffs kicked off Friday night, October 31, with round one games in all divisions. In Division VII, Region 26, the Pandora-Gilboa Rockets (7 seed) hosted Blanchard Valley Conference foe Arlington (10 seed) for a rematch. In the regular season, the Rockets won 24-14 in Arlington. In the playoffs, the Rockets made it two-for-two, pulling away in the second half for a 42-20 win.

P-G jumped on the scoreboard first when senior running back Ben Burkholder ran up the middle for a 33 yard touchdown run. Kicker Layton Cannode split the uprights on the PAT kick to make it 7-0 late in the first quarter. Arlington countered early in the second to tie things up, before P-G regained the lead at 14-7. P-G quarterback Cory Gerten called his own number and scored on a touchdown run from 5 yards out. Arlington responded with three minutes left in the first half to knot things up at 14-14.  

On the ensuing kickoff, P-G senior Chase Meyer returned the kick all the way back to the Arlington 16. With twenty seconds to go in the first half, Burkholder took the direct snap and scored from 1 yard out, giving P-G a 21-14 lead.

The Rockets took control of the game in the third quarter. P-G received the ball first to start the second half and quickly gathered all the momentum when Gerten found receiver Chase Meyer open for a 60 yard touchdown pass-and-catch. Cannode’s kick made it 28-14.  

That reception put Meyer over the 1,000 yard receiving mark for the season and inched him closer to owning the all-time P-G single season receiving record.

One possession later, Gerten tossed touchdown pass for a 32 yard completion to Brayden Ferguson, who outjumped the defense for a 35-14 advantage.  With 11:32 left in the game, P-G running back Jace Fenbert put the exclamation point on the game. Fenbert scored from 15 yards out and eliminated any hope of a Red Devil comeback.

Next up, P-G (8-3) will travel to undefeated North Baltimore (10-0 and 2 seed) next Friday night, November 7. The Tigers are having their best season in school history and are hosting their first-ever home playoff game. North Baltimore was a BVC member just a few seasons ago.