Dublin Jerome's boys soccer team beat Grove City on Wednesday, Oct. 21, to advance to the OHSAA Division I Central District final.
The Celtics, the No. 1 seed in the Central District and the defending state champions, will host the district final at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28, at the Jerome Jungle. The team's athletic account announced the result on X but did not post a final score.
Jerome will face Hilliard-Davidson. As the higher seed, Jerome will have home-field advantage, according to the OHSAA bracket.
The Celtics entered the 2026 tournament with a 14-2-1 record and the top seed in the district, as the Columbus Dispatch reported Oct. 17. Cleveland.com ranked Jerome No. 3 in its final regular-season boys soccer Top 20, published Oct. 20, noting the Celtics were looking to rebound from a late-season loss and begin another postseason run.
Defending a state title
Jerome is chasing a second straight Division I championship. The Celtics won their first state title on Nov. 10, 2025, beating six-time defending champion Cleveland St. Ignatius 3-2 in a game decided by penalty kicks, 4-3, as the Dispatch reported.
That title run was historic. Jerome had reached the state semifinals in 2005, 2008 and 2021 but never advanced to the final until routing Cincinnati St. Xavier 5-0 in a semifinal on Nov. 5, 2025, the Dispatch reported.
Head coach Nate Maust, who has coached Jerome since the program began in 2004, guided the Celtics through that breakthrough. Senior defender Brady Delmore scored both of Jerome's regulation goals in the title game, and senior goalie Mason Jestice stopped three straight St. Ignatius penalty kicks to force a decisive seventh round in the shootout.
What's ahead
A district final win would send Jerome to the Region 4 tournament as the Central 3 District champion. The OHSAA Division I boys state final is scheduled for 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15, at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field in Columbus, according to a schedule first reported by the Dispatch through Yahoo Sports. The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) moved the state finals from Historic Crew Stadium to ScottsMiracle-Gro Field because of turf maintenance.
Kickoff for the district final is 7 p.m. Oct. 28 at Dublin Jerome.
