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Best Bets: Week 2

Monroe QB Ryan Miles (photo by AJ Fullam/6s Photography)

Week 1 provided the Tri-State with some shockers, nail biters, barn burners, and everything in between. For the Greater Miami Conference and the Eastern Cincinnati Conference, the tide now turns to conference play from here on out, as this is the first year for those conferences going to a nine-game schedule. Meanwhile up north, a battle brews between two rush-heavy teams. Down south, two powerhouses square off in Northern Kentucky. Here are this week’s best bets.

#10 COLERAIN AT #4 PRINCETON
Despite being the more experienced team, Colerain came out flat last week. Costly turnovers late in the game turned the sails in the direction of the Lancers, sending the Cardinals to 0-1 for a third straight year. Princeton, meanwhile, took care of business and easily dispatched Anderson on 587 yards of total offense en route to a 61 point offensive outburst.

For Colerain, Princeton’s offense will give the Cardinals defense fits. The Vikings had three players with over 100 rushing yards and five touchdowns against the Raptors in Week 1 and a quarterback in RJ West who passed for over 200 yards and three touchdowns. In order to keep the game competitive, the Cardinals will have to find a way to stop the aggressive Vikings offense, while also finding a rhythm early in its own offense to score early and score often.

The last meeting between the two teams resulted in a 13-12 Princeton victory on a sloppy, rain-soaked night. This year, expect well over 25 points to be scored. Princeton should widen the one-point margin against a Colerain team that is without MJ Flowers, who accounted for the only two scores for the Cardinals.

#24 WYOMING AT #21 TAFT
This Blitz5 Top 25 matchup pits two teams together who have not given up a point yet in 2022. Taft is coming off a 32-0 defeat of Roger Bacon while Wyoming easily took care of business against Harrison 35-0. While both defenses stepped up to the plate and were able to keep the ball from crossing the goal line, the two offensive styles of Wyoming and Taft are completely different.

In Week 1, the Senators did most of their damage on the ground. Gavin Crawford rushed for 187 yards and four touchdowns on 22 carries. Jahmar Richardson tallied an additional 72 yards. The Cowboys, on the other hand, show a balanced offensive attack. Quarterback Quaid Hauer threw for 186 yards and a touchdown, while the Cowboys collectively rushed for 192 yards and four touchdowns.

This will be an intriguing matchup and a great non-conference tilt early in the season. If you’re looking for a pick to win the game, you might as well flip a coin. This could come down to special teams or a final drive to win the game.  With the West End home field advantage, the Senators get a slight edge.

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Get ready for kickoff for Week 2 by listening to the newly launched TriStateFootball Podcast:

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SIMON KENTON AT HIGHLANDS
Not too long ago, Simon Kenton and Highlands were both powerhouse, unbeatable forces in Northern Kentucky high school football. Both programs have slipped in recent years, however, with the Bluebirds finishing with an underwhelming 5-6 record in 2021, including a rare first round exit from the playoffs. The Pioneers were even more underwhelming, finishing with a 2-9 record.

The Pioneers are off to a much better start in 2022, crushing Oldham County in Week 1 behind a balanced 186 yards rushing and 200 yards passing. Quarterback Chase Croner threw for 171 of those passing yards and two touchdowns. Highlands did not have quite as much success last week, falling to last year’s 5A state champion South Warren.

The Pioneers and Bluebirds have played annually since 2015 and have a nearly even record. The South Warren game was a good tune-up for the Bluebirds as they get ready to host the Pioneers in Fort Thomas. The 2021 matchup was separated by 15 points. Expect the 2022 version to be even closer.

ROSS AT MONROE
If you’re looking for a game to go to this Friday where both teams primarily run the ball, go up I-75 and get off at Exit 29. In the Week 1 win over Talawanda, the Monroe Hornets tallied 290 rushing yards, led by 169 yards from senior fullback Elijah Jackson. Quarterback Ryan Miles threw all of two passes, one for a touchdown. Miles was, however, the second leading rusher with 41 yards and three touchdowns.

On the other sideline, the Hornets will be facing the Ross Rams, who ran for 285 yards in their win over the Wilmington Hurricane. Jay Warren led all rushers with 202 yards.

This non-conference tilt between the Rams and Hornets will be an underrated game to watch. The closest Monroe has gotten to beating the Rams in the past decade was last year’s seven-point deficit. This year’s matchup offers the Hornets their best chance yet to best the Rams on the gridiron. Keep your eye on the scoreboard on Friday night to find out how this one turns out.

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GAME OF THE WEEK
Make sure to check out the COMPLETE PREVIEW for this week’s featured game on the Blitz 5 Tour,  #9 Lakota East at #1 Lakota West.

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Here are some other games for teams ranked inside the Blitz 5 Top 25:

OHIO
Louisville Trinity at No. 2 Moeller
No. 3 Winton Woods at Walnut Hills
No. 5 St. Xavier at Loyola Academy (IL)
No. 6 Fairfield at Middletown
RICC/Canada Prep at No. 7 La Salle
Pickerington Central at No. 8 Elder
No. 11 Kings at Turpin
No. 14 Mason at No. 12 Hamilton
Lebanon at No. 16 Milford
No. 17 Anderson at Loveland
Columbus De Sales at No. 19 Badin
Oak Hills at No. 20 Sycamore
Clinton-Massie at No. 22 Edgewood
No. 23 Western Brown at Washington Court House

INTERSTATE
No. 13 East Central at Harrison

KENTUCKY
No. 15 Ryle at Conner
No. 18 Covington Catholic at Pikeville (Saturday)
Paintsville at No. 25 Beechwood
Simon Kenton at Highlands

 

 

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