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Best Bets: Week 7 – Cincinnati

All four GCL South teams faced off against each other in Week 6, and the games were decided by four and eight points.

The four teams vie in intra-conference games again in Week 7, as St. Xavier can wrap up the division title with a win.

Here are the Best Bets for Week 7 in Cincinnati:

La Salle (5-1) at St. Xavier (6-0), 7 p.m. – It’s a showdown for the GCL South crown. La Salle is 1-0 in league play, having deposed of Moeller, and St. Xavier has beaten both Elder and the Crusaders. If the Bombers win, the champ is clear, but a La Salle win could complicate the process, since the Lancers play the Panthers on Oct. 27. La Salle freshman Josh Whyle could be developing into a star, as he caught nine passes for 85 yards and a touchdown last week, giving him a 13-147-2 two-game line. St. Xavier’s has allowed just 58 points all season and gives up just 205.7 yards per game. The defending state champs’ winning streak is at 12, although La Salle won when these teams met last year.

Moeller (3-3) at Elder (3-3), 7 p.m. – The undercard matchup in the GCL South, Moeller is trying to finish its league slate with its first conference win while 0-1 Elder still has La Salle left on its schedule. The Crusaders have struggled to defend the pass this season, allowing 202.2 yards per game in the air. Junior Mitch McKenzie was under center last week and went 15-for-24 for 219 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Last week was another one-score loss for the Panthers, as they dropped a 14-6 decision to St. Xavier. Elder boasts the best passing attack in the division by yardage, and WR Kyle Trischler leads the GCL South in receiving yards (512), having caught for over 100 yards three times this season.

Lakota East (5-1) at Colerain (4-2), 7 p.m. – The build-up contest to next week’s (likely) conference title game between Fairfield and Colerain, Lakota East is 3-1 and hoping to at least pull into a tie with the Cardinals. The Thunderhawks own the best overall record in the GMC (5-1) and are second only to Colerain in scoring, as they average 29.5 points per game. Lakota East RB Jack Dobrozsi leads the conference in rushing yards with 922. Despite suffering back-to-back losses to open the season, Colerain is giving up just 7.3 points per game. It was Deante Smith-Moore returning as the Cardinals’ primary ball carrier last week, and he racked up 122 ground yards.

Reading (4-2) at Mariemont (4-2), 7 p.m. – Both teams are 2-1 in the league, tied for third behind Wyoming and Indian Hill. Reading beat Madeira by 12 last week after getting clobbered by Indian Hill. The Blue Devils are allowing just 17.2 points per game despite surrendering 41 vs. the Braves. Mariemont had one four straight heading into last week and fell three short vs. Indian Hill. The Warriors’ two losses have come by a total of four points. The road team has won three games in a row in this series, as Mariemont snuck away with a 17-14 loss at Reading last year.

West Clermont (4-2) at Anderson (6-0), 7 p.m. – Three teams are still unbeaten in the ECC: These two and Milford. West Clermont may be a first-year school but its philosophy is old school – the Wolves are allowing just 231.0 yards per game and have thrown the ball only 33 times all season. Austin Maham has emerged as West Clermont’s first big-yardage ball carrier, as he leads the team with 423 yards on the ground and three touchdowns. Two years after finishing 1-9, Anderson is one of the area’s last unbeaten teams. The Redskins’ offense has put up 41.2 points per game, as Jay Volpenhein has thrown for 1,912 yards and 18 TDs.

Kings (2-4) at Milford (5-1), 7 p.m. – These teams’ records are in complete contrast to those a year ago. Kings finished 8-3 in 2016 while Milford tied for last in the ECC at 1-6 in the league and 2-8 overall. The Knights are allowing 28.3 points per game this season and are last in the conference in rushing yards against (174.3), passing yards surrendered (207.0) and overall defense (381.3). The Eagles have struggled to run the ball, netting just 3.6 yards per carry, but they throw the ball 49 percent of the time, with QB Blake King going 99-146-1,146 yards and 12 touchdowns. Kings is 5-0 vs. Milford since the teams became ECC foes.

Harrison (4-2) at Little Miami (5-1), 7 p.m. – These teams are tied for third in the SWOC at 2-1 apiece, and with just two league games remaining after Friday, this game becomes extremely pivotal. Harrison won each of its first games by a field goal and has suffered losses to Anderson and Edgewood. Little Miami is allowing just 8.7 points per game after eking out a 21-19 win over Northwest last week. Wildcats’ QB Frankie Young leads the conference in passing yards (1,271) and TDs (9), and the top two receivers in the SWOC in terms of yards both play for Harrison in Levi Tidwell and C.J. Young.

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