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Best Bets: Week 4

Princeton slot receiver Tyson Beach (photo by Autumn Duncan/TriStateFootball.com)

High school football is awesome, isn’t it? In Week 3, we saw some flipped scripts in rematches from 2021, another crushing loss for a rare 0-3 start for one of the area’s bluebloods, and a 71-0 conference, Top 25 smashing. You never know what you’re going to get week-to-week, and that remains true through three weeks in the Tri-State. The measuring stick games are in the past. Now, we move to season-defining gridiron classics for the remaining weeks. Here are this week’s Best Bets.

#4 PRINCETON AT #13 HAMILTON
Both of these teams are coming off shutout wins, which means one of these defenses will have to give up a score on Friday night or else fans could be in Big Blue Country for a while. However, the headlines from each of those shutout wins were completely different. Princeton dominated Lakota East, scoring 50 points before halftime en route to a 71-0 blowout win. Meanwhile, Hamilton was involved in a defensive struggle with Middletown at Barnitz Field. Only one offensive touchdown was scored for the first three and half quarters before the Big Blue put up 10 points to seal the deal in the closing minutes for a 17-0 final.

Princeton put up 616 yards of total offense, more than two thirds of that coming on the ground with a team total of 404 yards. This balanced rushing attack saw five different players score six touchdowns, while three different players caught touchdown passes from quarterback RJ West. Look at the stats from the game and you’ll find significant contributions from 6-8 players. The Vikings use dynamic playmakers to overwhelm defenses, as evidenced by the 160 points scores through three weeks. Incredibly, that number is down five points from this time in 2021.

On the other sideline, Hamilton’s defensive stats are impressive. Through three games, the Big Blue defense has given up 37 points, one more than Princeton’s 36. Their offense, though, has scored 108 points less than the Vikings.

As we’ve seen on several occasions in 2022 already, anything can happen. But you can bet that Princeton’s offense has the capability of overpowering opposing defenses of any magnitude, including the impressive Hamilton defense. Expect this game to be another high scoring affair for the Vikings offense. Where eyes should be drawn is the Hamilton offense, and whether they have enough tools and weapons to keep this one close.

#24 EDGEWOOD AT FENWICK
The point differential between these two teams (Edgewood: +5, Fenwick +77) are polar opposites, yet this game could be one of the closest for each of these teams. Both have been battle tested so far this year, including both beating defending state champions Clinton Massie. Many of the points given up by Edgewood were at the hands of offensive juggernaut Milford in Week 1. Meanwhile, Fenwick has not yet traveled outside of the City of Franklin and while the Falcons have impressive blowout wins over Madison and Franklin, none of those teams will test a defense quite like Milford.

The Cougars show a pretty balanced offense, using the arm of quarterback Riley Brown and the legs of Tavionne Crosby, who leads the SWOC in rushing yards with 384. Crosby has rushed for at least 100 yards in 13 games throughout his high school career, including nine of the last 10 games going back to his junior year in 2021. Riley doesn’t throw many passes, having attempted only 28 all season, but when he does, he’s effective, averaging nearly 20 yards per completion. Last week’s 178 yards and one touchdown performance was the best performance of his career through the air.

Fenwick, meanwhile, runs a rush-heavy offense behind running back Connor Schmueling, who has rushed for 289 yards this season, good enough for third in the GCL Co-Ed. Quarterback Jude Hooks can also be dangerous with his legs, recording a 100-yard rushing game in the Week 1 win against Franklin.

This is a good matchup for each team to take their temperature heading into conference play in the next week or two. Can Fenwick get its revenge on the Cougars after last year’s defeat in Trenton? Does Edgewood have what it takes to run the table and go into the playoffs with a 9-1 record? We will get some answers about each of these teams on Friday night. This game will be won in the trenches by the team who wants it more.

#11 MASON AT #12 COLERAIN
The Colerain Cardinals find themselves in incredibly rare territory, going into the third week of conference play at 0-3 overall and 0-2 in the GMC. Giving up only 28 points to Princeton is commendable, seeing what the Vikings are doing to other teams. But finding the end zone has been the Achilles heel of the Cardinals team all season. Their 20 points scored all season is second-worst in the GMC, ahead of only Lakota East. Luckily, the TSF team still sees potential in the Cardinals team, as they have only slipped a few spots in the Blitz 5 Top 25.

Mason, which swapped places in the Blitz 5 Top 25 with Colerain, finds itself at 2-1 having given up the least amount of points in the entire GMC. Through three games, the Comets have only given up 19 points, 17 of those coming on defense (the Comets offense allowed a safety in Week 1).

Colerain has a lot riding on this game. A win will give the Cardinals momentum heading into a very manageable part of their schedule where they could win out until the final week when they play Lakota West. A loss would sink the Cardinals further into the basement of the GMC and plummet the program into territory it hasn’t seen in a long time, if ever.

Mason will provide Colerain with a good match-up. However, Colerain will come out hungry with a lot to prove. Expect the Cardinals to play hard, give the Comets all they got, and possibly notch their first win of the season.

#25 SIMON KENTON AT #22 BEECHWOOD
How about a Top 25 matchup across the river, featuring a team with the longest current winning streak in Kentucky. Beechwood’s 28-game win streak will be met with a tough challenge on Friday night by the Simon Kenton Pioneers, who lost to Southwestern by a pair of touchdowns in Week 3.

Beechwood’s offense should be too much for the Pioneers and most opponents left on the Tigers’ schedule. Beechwood is outscoring opponents by an average margin of 40.7 points per game. Senior running back Mitch Berger has been absolutely dominating with 531 rushing yards on 52 carries and nine touchdowns, while also recording seven receptions for 126 yards and two touchdowns in the pass game. Those are incredible stats which probably alleviates a lot of pressure on an offense that lost one of the best players in program history in Cameron Hergott to graduation following last year’s historic season.

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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,  #21 Wyoming at Indian Hill.

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

OHIO
Oak Hills at No. 1 Lakota West
No. 2 Moeller vs. Good Counsel (MD) at Ironton High School (OH) – SATURDAY
Turpin at No. 3 Winton Woods
Sycamore at No. 5 Fairfield
Mishawaka Penn (IN) at No. 6 St. Xavier
No. 7 Elder at St. Edward – SATURDAY
Louisville Trinity (KY) at No. 8 La Salle
Loveland at No. 9 Kings
Franklin County at No. 10 East Central
No. 14 Lakota East at Middletown
No. 16 Milford at No. 17 Anderson
No. 18 Badin at Roger Bacon
No. 20 Western Brown at Jackson
No. 23 Taft at Meadowdale

INDIANA
Franklin County at No. 10 East Central

KENTUCKY
Daviess County at No. 15 Ryle
No. 19 Covington Catholic at Dixie Heights

 

 

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