CANAL WINCHESTER, Ohio (AP) — The late August game between Pickerington High School North and Canal Winchester was just a preseason scrimmage. Still, hundreds of fans filled the stands on a cool evening that had a hint of fall to watch two schools in the suburbs southwest of Columbus work out the kinks. There were no college coaches on hand — it was a dead period in the recruiting calendar — but that will change, especially for Pick North, where Jack Sawyer, one the country’s best players in the class of 2021, goes to school. There are ominous signs for high school football across the country, with participation dropping over the last decade amid safety concerns, a trend toward specialization in youth sports and the growth of other sports such as lacrosse. On a Friday night in Fairfield County, Ohio, those troubles are not apparent and the state’s passion for…
Continue Reading: Ohio facing troubling trends when it comes to prep football
