Friday ushers in the beginning of OCC league play as several intriguing matchups await across the area. Let's take a look at the top matchups on Friday night. 

The Battle of Picktown returns just a few weeks after these teams met in the football regional final, months after meeting in the basketball regional final. One thing has remained consistent in those matchups: Pickerington Central has dominated the series.

Pickerington North is looking to change the tide and Friday could be a big step toward making that happen. Both teams are missing top contributors, especially Central, as top guards Jeremiah Francis and Javohn Garcia will both be out with lower body injuries. 

On paper, North looks to have the advantage in terms of talent. However, if the Panthers commit as many turnovers as it did in last week's loss to Huber Heights Wayne, Central could find itself on top.

Central wins if: Adrian Nelson and Juan Elmore have big games to lead the way. This duo is the most experienced for the Tigers and will be relied upon heavily with the absence of Francis and Garcia. Central will need to take care of the ball and hit perimeter shots, especially from guys like Jaidon Lipscomb and Josiah Fulcher. A big game from Coleton Landis will be needed, as he will have to stay out of foul trouble in order for the Tigers to compete on the glass.

North wins if: Ty Wiley plays and commands the backcourt for the Panthers. Wiley gets this team going in transition and in the halfcourt, which takes the ball out of Jerome Hunter's hands and allows him to create as a scorer when he gets to his spots. Seniors Eli McNamara and Dondre Palmer will need to win their individual matchups and hit open shots. North needs to take care of the ball and limit wasted possessions to reach its maximum potential. 

On any other night, this would probably be the top game in the OCC-Ohio. However, Reynoldsburg and Gahanna is more of an undercard matchup with both Pickerington schools matching up. 

For Reynoldsburg, this could be a potential statement game that the Raiders are more of a contender in the Ohio division than most may think. The Raiders faced adversity on the road at Walnut Ridge on Tuesday, but came through in the second half to roll to its second-straight win.

Senior forward Tre Williams has been the most dominant player in the area through two games, averaging 26 points and 15.5 rebounds per contest. Williams will need another big game for Reynoldsburg to take down a Gahanna offense that is better than what it showed on the road at Westerville South in a loss last week.

Reynoldsburg wins if: Williams has another dominant game and sets the tone inside for the Raiders. Its guards will need to take care of the ball and create offense outside of Williams. A big game from Ben Fort and 10+ points from Jamiel Goliday could be the difference.

Gahanna wins if: The Lions take care of the ball and take better shots than in last week's loss. If Josh Corbin can get hot and Gahanna create shots for him, the Lions will have a chance here. In last week's loss, Gahanna led for the majority of the game, but Chase Rankin was banged up in the second half, which certainly made a difference. A strong performance from Rankin and Corbin could do the trick here.