Watch St. Edward vs. Pickerington North in Ohio high school football on NFHS Network

Pickerington North figures to be one of the strongest Division I high school football teams in central Ohio this season, but what about in the state?

The Panthers expect to get an early glimpse of where they stand when they open the season by hosting three-time defending state champion Lakewood St. Edward on Friday.

In the preseason USA Today Network Ohio Super 25 poll , St. Edward is ranked first and North is ranked 10th.

St. Edward has had nothing but success in its recent history against central Ohio , defeating Hilliard Bradley (26-3 in 2023), Gahanna Lincoln (31-7 in 2022) and Upper Arlington (16-10 in 2021) in state semifinals the past three seasons.

Watch Lakewood St. Edward at Pickerington North

Lakewood St. Edward

2024 schedule: Aug. 23 at Pickerington North; Aug. 31 vs. Philadelphia St. Joseph's Prep; Sept. 7 vs. Danville (Ky.) Boyle County; Sept. 14 vs. Cincinnati Elder; Sept. 20 vs. Massillon Washington; Sept. 28 vs. Cleveland Glenville; Oct. 4 at Cleveland St. Ignatius; Oct. 12 vs. Mississauga (Ontario) Clarkson Football North; Oct. 19 at Cincinnati Moeller; Oct. 26 vs. Akron Hoban

Seeking their fourth consecutive Division I state title, the Eagles have one of the toughest schedules in Ohio, playing four defending state champions. They take on the first two in weeks 2 and 3, facing St. Joseph's Prep (Pennsylvania 6A) and Boyle County (Kentucky 4A). In weeks 5 and 6, they'll face defending Ohio champs Massillon (Division II) and Glenville (Division IV). The tough games don't end there. Moeller (Week 9) lost in a Division I state semifinal last year, and Hoban (Week 10) was Massillon's title game opponent. St. Edward has one of the best linebackers in Ohio in senior Nate Gregory.

High school football: Your guide to the 2024 season

Pickerington North

2024 schedule: Aug. 23 vs. Lakewood St. Edward; Aug. 30 vs. Grandville (Mich.); Sept. 6 at Pickerington Central; Sept. 13 vs. Dublin Coffman; Sept. 20 at Thomas Worthington; Sept. 27 at Westerville Central; Oct. 4 vs. Central Crossing; Oct. 11 at Grove City; Oct. 18 at New Albany; Oct. 25 vs. Gahanna Lincoln

Is this North's best team yet? Time will tell if it's better than the program's only state semifinalist squad (2012), but the Panthers have as much talent as any Division I team in central Ohio. Future college players include quarterback Jarin Mock (Wisconsin), running back Michael Taylor (Ohio University), wide receivers Preston Bowman (Kentucky) and Emy Louis Jr. (Youngstown State) and offensive lineman Ayden Annarino (Miami University). The Panthers went 11-2 last season, losing in a Region 3 semifinal. The matchup with St. Edward could be a state semifinal preview.

Watch Lakewood St. Edward vs. Pickerington North live in Ohio high school football

You can watch this showdown and other games across Ohio live on the NFHS Network .

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Watch St. Edward vs. Pickerington North in Ohio high school football on NFHS Network