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2020 Preseason Blitz 5 Top 25 (21-25)

Over the next four days we reveal the 2020 Preseason Blitz 5 Top 25 presented by TriStateFootball.com. It all starts at the bottom. Today we look at the teams ranked #21 to #25 as we begin our countdown to number one.

The Southwest Ohio Conference (SWOC) has two schools in this group, including 2019 Division II, Region 8 runner-up, Harrison. League rival, Mount Healthy, will give the Wildcats a run for their money in the quest for the SWOC title this season.

Middletown is the first of nine, that’s right, nine, Greater Miami Conference (GMC) schools in the Top 25. Highlands is the first of three Northern Kentucky teams that will show up in the rankings. Wyoming is the only Cincinnati Hills League (CHL) and Division IV squad in the poll.

MORE BLITZ 5 TOP 25: Teams 1-10 | Teams 11-15 | Teams 16-20

Here’s the first five teams on the list:

25. Wyoming (13-1): The Cowboys lose Ohio Mr. Football Evan Prater, but the cupboard is not bare. The Cowboys return seven starters on offense and seven on defense. This senior class is 40-2 and has not lost a CHL game in the past three years. We will learn plenty about the Cowboys in the opener versus a larger Division II school. NEXT UP: 8/28 – #19 HARRISON (11-2).

24. Highlands (6-5): Options out of the backfield will see the Bluebirds singing sweet notes in 2020. The offense has the foundation to be very dynamic. Take out a 49-0 win over Boone County (2-8) and Highlands went just 1-4 down the stretch in 2019. Being more consistent will flip a couple of losses into victories and send the Bluebirds’ confidence soaring as the 2020 campaign progresses. NEXT UP: 8/21 – SCOTT (8-5).

23. Mount Healthy (5-5): With having to schedule four or more non-conference opponents (usually stiffer competition) over the past four seasons, the Owls have fallen back into the middle of the SWOC pack, just a bit. Racking up enough wins to make the playoffs has been a struggle, as of late. Mount Healthy has the size and strength to break this recent trend. To make that happen the youth on the Owls defense that must come together early in the year. NEXT UP: 8/28 – at Tippecanoe (4-6).

22. Harrison (11-2): There are a slew of starters to replace from last season’s squad that lost in the Region 8 finals to eventual state champion, La Salle. The Wildcats’ schedule features five non-conference opponents that have combined to win 18 regional titles and seven state championships in the last decade. NEXT UP: 8/28 – at #25 Wyoming (13-1).

21. Middletown (2-8): With an offense that returns eight starters the Middies should be far more competitive than they have been in recent years. Figuring out how to win will be Middletown’s biggest obstacle. The Middies are a combined 4-36 (2-29 in GMC games) over the last four seasons. Middletown hasn’t had a winning season since 2011. NEXT UP: 8/28 – #11 MOELLER (2-8).

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