The Olentangy Berlin Bears open the 2026 football season Friday with a shot at a fifth consecutive OCC-Cardinal Division championship.

Head coach Mark Nori has guided Berlin to four straight league titles, building the program from a school that missed the playoffs in its inaugural 2018 season into a perennial contender that has qualified for the OHSAA postseason seven consecutive years, according to Press Pros Magazine. The Delaware Gazette previewed Berlin's title chase Tuesday.

The Bears' 2025 title run was anything but smooth. Berlin started 0-5, losing three of those games by a combined 10 points, then rattled off five straight conference wins to finish 5-0 in OCC-Cardinal play and 5-5 overall. The clincher came Oct. 24 against Olentangy, a 14-10 grinder in which Berlin's defense sacked quarterback Luke Chilicki seven times.

The streak survived.

"I really think when you look at the season and the broad perspective, we have shown a lot of resolve and a lot of resiliency," Nori said after that title-clinching win in October 2025. "Sometimes teams just find out who they are, and sometimes it takes longer than in other years."

One player who made that discovery as a freshman was Cooper Ailes, who recorded an 8-yard sack and sealed the championship with a late interception of Chilicki. Now a sophomore, Ailes is the most prominent confirmed returner for a defense coordinated by Jeremy Arend.

Berlin lost key seniors from that 2025 squad, including quarterback Colton Less, who scored on a 68-yard rushing touchdown in the title game, and defensive lineman Hudson Aultman. How Nori replaces that production will determine whether the streak continues.

The test starts immediately. Berlin hosts Olentangy Orange on Aug. 21 at 7 p.m. The Pioneers reached the OHSAA Division I state championship game last season and were ranked No. 2 in Ohio's Division I computer rankings as of early October 2025.

Upcoming schedule

  • Friday, Aug. 21 — vs. Olentangy Orange, 7 p.m. (home)
  • Friday, Aug. 28 — at Upper Arlington, 7 p.m.
  • Friday, Sept. 4 — at Centerville, 7 p.m.
  • Friday, Sept. 11 — vs. Olentangy Liberty, 7 p.m. (home)