Ohio high school football scores, Buchtel vs. Firestone live updates

The Buchtel Griffins and the Firestone Falcons meet at Ellet's Joseph B. Yost Stadium on Fridat, Oct. 2 in a Week 7 game in the 2026 high school football season.

Buchtel is 3-3 overall and Firestone is 1-5 overall. Both teams are 1-0 in the Akron City Series.

Buchtel defeated Firestone 37-0 in 2025 and the Falcons beat the Griffins 31-26 in 2024.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Ellet's Joseph B. YostStadium. Follow along for live updates.

Buchtel vs. Firestone football history

Buchtel has a 51-9 advantage in the series with Firestone, according to fourseasonsfootball.com.

Buchtel won the first four matchups (1964, 1965, 1967, 1968). Firestone won the game in 1969 and 1970. Buchtel won 11 in a row over Firestone from 1971-1979 with two of the games being in the City Series playoffs.

Firestone topped Buchtel in 1980, 1981 and 1983. Buchtel won the game in 1984 and Firestone won the game in 1985. Buchtel ran off 19 wins in a row during a 21-year timeframe from 1986-2006. Since then, Firestone defeated Buchtel in 2007, 2016 and 2024 and Buchtel has won 16 games over Firestone with an eight-game win streak from 2008-2015, a seven-game win streak from 2017-2023 and the victory in 2025.

Meet the head coaches of the Buchtel and Firestone football teams

Bryan Williams is in his sixth year as Buchtel's coach. He played football for the Griffins and is a Buchtel graduate.

RayShaun Nevins is in his second year as Firestone's coach. He graduated from Garfield after playing football for the Golden Rams.

Buchtel football’s returning lettermen (29) 

• Payton Bond, OL-DL, 6-1, 235, Jr.
• Naheem Brightwell, OL-DL, 6-2, 240, So.
• Samir Brown, WR-DL, 6-5, 215, Jr.
• Shaad Byers, RB-LB, 5-9, 205, Sr.
• Kendre Carter, OL-DL, 5-11, 215, So.
• Knowledge Christian, TE-LB, 6-2, 225, So.
• Nassir Clark, OL-DL, 5-8, 215, Jr.
• Kimyata Cooper, OL-DL, 6-5, 220, Sr.
• Leon Cross, RB-DB, 5-9, 170, Sr.
• Jamarion Dawkins, WR-DB, 6-3, 190, Sr.
• Terrell Hall, WR-DB, 6-2, 185, Sr.
• Steven Harris, TE-LB, 6-0, 225, Jr.
• Marlon Haslam, WR-DB, 5-5, 130, So.
• Juilon Hicks, WR-DB, 6-0, 175, Sr.
• TaVione Iverson, WR-DB, 5-10, 175, Sr.
• Sincere Jackson, TE-LB, 6-1, 180, So.
• Tramir Jones, WR-DB, 5-7, 165, Sr.
• Auldyn Lovelace, QB-LB, 6-0, 180, Sr.
• Garrett Patterson, LB-DL, 5-9, 215, So.
• Ernest Pitts, RB-LB, 5-6, 200, Sr.
• Braylon Solomon, OL-DL, 5-8, 225, Jr.
• Arthur Thomas, QB, 6-4, 175, Jr.
• Dominique Thomas, RB-DB, 5-9, 165, So.
• Ricardo Travis, WR-DB, 5-7, 165, Sr.
• Richard Varner, HB-LB, 5-10, 212, Jr.
• Carter Wilson, TE-LB, 6-1, 187, Jr.
• Jerry Williams lll, WR-DB, 5-7, 165, So.
• Raseam Weems, RB-DB, 5-10, 165, So.
• Mehki Wright, OL-DL, 6-3, 225, Sr.

Firestone football’s returning lettermen (12) 

• James Boyer, OL-DL, 6-0, 275, Sr.
• Tylan Coleman, TE-DE, 5-11, 235, Sr.
• Jaylen Croff, OL-DL, 6-1, 270, Sr.
• Kyrel El-Travis, WR-RB-DB 6-0, 175, Jr.
• Cory Griffith, OL-DL, 5-11 270, Jr. 
• Anwar Haslam, OL-DL, 6-1, 260, Sr.
• Nae'than Milliner, OL-DL, 6-4, 265, Sr.
• Evan Riley, LB-RB, 6-0, 225, Jr.
• Carleon Smart, LB-TE, 5-10, 185, Jr.
• Lennox Wells, RB-DB, 5-7, 165, Jr.
• Me'khi Young, OL-DL, 6-0, 260, Sr.
• Donniven Younger, QB-DB 5-9, 165, Jr.

Buchtel football’s impact players 

Look for junior QB Arthur Thomas, senior OL-DL King Arthur Love, senior OL-DL Mehki Wright and senior WR-DB TaVione Iverson to be players to watch for Buchtel. Thomas, Wright and Iverson are returning starters. Love was a starter at East last year. … "Arthur, Mehki and TaVione have been with us since they were in middle school," coach Williams said. "They understand what our culture is and the narrative that we are trying to change and just build every year. Arthur shot up as far as height and weight. His freshman year, Arthur was all of 6-1 or 6-2 and 120 pounds. Now he is 6-4 or 6-5 and 175 pounds. The dedication that he put into his offseason to be a better football player, leader and quarterback is unmatched. … Arthur has scholarship offers from Bowling Green, Akron, Miami (Ohio) and Kent State." … Williams said Love "came over with a great attitude" after transferring from East. … "King had a heck of an offseason where he picked up three scholarship offers from Walsh University, Gannon and Rio Grande. He was a kid that football may have not been in the front lobe of his mind, but now he is locked in to doing his best. He wants to play football at the next level." … Wright has offers from Walsh, Ohio Dominican and Rio Grande. … "Mehki and TaVione understood what we were doing the early part of our years [coaching at Buchtel]," Williams said. "… They understand what it takes to be a part of a program. Mehki has taken everything that he possibly could in the offseason to make himself better." … Iverson has an offer from Hiram. … "With TaVione, everything he has done has been right and now he is at a point where he understands he can make more plays," Williams said. "He was an all-league kid last year. We are looking for him to break out this year as a senior."

Firestone football’s impact players 

Nevins said he expects Firestone to be strong at the line of scrimmage. … "Up front we have a lot of experience on the offensive and defensive line," Nevins said. "Seniors Nae'than Milliner, Jaylen Croff, Me'khi Young, Anwar Haslam and James Boyer are expected to have a great senior season, along with junior Cory Griffith. The leaders of that group are two-way starter Nae'than Milliner and defensive lineman Jaylen Croff. These two young men are shaping up to have a great senior year. This group will be a major key to us having success, along with junior QB Donniven Younger at the helm. He took some lumps as a sophomore and has worked hard this offseason to improve and lead the offense this season. Linebacker Carleon Smart came to us last year as a sophomore [after spending his freshman year at Woodridge] and had an immediate impact on this football team. He has improved his skills as a linebacker. We are looking for Evan Riley to have a big junior year serving as a linebacker and running back."

What's new with Buchtel football in 2026 

Buchtel's Tim Flossie Stadium has been renovated before this season via a $2.5 million construction project with Beaver Constructors. The project includes the removal of the press box and concession stand built in 1955, construction of a two-sided building that houses a new press box, concession stand and storage, building a separate building for restrooms and storage, extending the underground electrical conduit to install stadium lights in the future and improvements to the track that rings the football field. The track has been upgraded from cinder to asphalt pavement. … A ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for 10:40 a.m. Sept. 5 at the stadium at 1040 Copley Road in Akron before Buchtel's first home game of the season against Mentor Lake Catholic. … These upgrades come after Buchtel received a synthetic turf field from the Cleveland Browns before the 2022 season. … Buchtel welcomes six transfers — Love (6-4, 290), junior WR-DB Trayvion Jones (6-2, 170), senior WR-DB Travis Owens (6-0, 170), junior RB-DB De'Mikal Pitts (6-0, 165), sophomore WR-DB-DE Cyerre Ruggs (6-1, 185) and junior WR-DB Jeremiah Colvin-Slater (6-4, 180). Love started at East, Jones and Owens started at St. Vincent-St. Mary, Pitts was a reserve at Hoban, Ruggs played on STVM's freshmen team and has an offer from Miami (Ohio) and Colvin-Slater played at Groveport Madison last year. … Tahj Dent is entering his first season as Buchtel's offensive coordinator. Tyler Jones and Charles Portman will continue to run the defense. Williams oversees the special teams. Williams, Jones and Dent are Buchtel graduates.

What's new with Firestone football in 2026 

Nevins said he is excited to potentially have more speed on this year's team. … "Senior John Brown will make his debut as a Falcon," Nevins said. "He has worked hard and is excited for this season and is ready to showcase what he can do on the field at wide receiver and defensive back. Senior Derrick Kruger is a wide receiver and defensive back who will also be playing his first season with us. Derrick plays on the Firestone basketball team. Junior Kyrel El-Travis saw action in a few games last season. Both are athletes who bring an element of athleticism to this 2026 Falcon team, and we are excited to see what 2026 brings for them." … Look for Travis to play wide receiver, running back and free safety. … Riley and Wells are expected to be key running backs. …. Smart is slated to be the tight end on offense. … Cloud Anderson will be the kicker and is competing with El-Travis for punting duties.

Buchtel football’s outlook 

Buchtel moves from Division IV, Region 13 to Division III, Region 10 this season. … Buchtel finished second to East in the City Series standings last season and graduated its top two players, WR-DB Daurean Johnson and WR-DB-P Dwight Shade. … "I think the biggest thing is everybody talks about growth within your program, and that starts with building it with your freshman team," Williams said. "We have a handful of guys that now you say we're going into our sixth year, we're going through that cycle. So, a lot of the guys understand the expectations. We have a motto, We say ‘W.I.N.’ But it is not just about winning. It's ‘What's Important Now.’ So, a lot of that is embedded in these guys' mind now and they understand what it takes to build a program. … Arthur Thomas and King Love are two of the leaders, but we have a boatload of guys. We have a seasoned senior class, guys that played [varsity] when they were young. Auldyn Lovelace, Jamarion Dawkins, Tavion Iverson, Mehki Wright and a handful of other guys that are seniors that understand, ‘Hey when you come into our program, you may have to play now as a freshman.’ They understand that piece and now they're leading the team.” … Brown has an offer from the University of Akron. Dawkins has offers from Gannon, Rio Grande, Central State and West Liberty. Lovelace has an offer from Hiram. … "We feel as a program that we are in the position to where we are building something special and we are having fun with it," Williams said.

Firestone football’s outlook 

Firestone returns six starters on offense — Haslam, Milliner, Young, Boyer, Riley and Younger. The Falcons return five starters on defense — Milliner, Young, Croff, Smart and Riley. … Nevins will continue as offensive coordinator, Adrian Daley is returning as defensive coordinator and Mike Irby is back as special teams coordinator. … Nevins said he is ready to see improvement on gamedays this season. … "I've seen a different level of buy-in from this 2026 football team," Nevins said. "We have a group of seniors and juniors who have experience playing on Friday nights. Last year's record doesn't play a single down this fall and I have a group that is eager to show what they are about. The big thing for us is staying healthy. We had some major injuries at some key positions that hurt Firestone last fall. If we can stay away from the injury bug and not limp into games, we will be just fine."

Akron Beacon Journal sports writer Michael Beaven can be reached by email at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal and is on Twitter at @MBeavenABJ.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Ohio high school football scores, Buchtel vs. Firestone live updates