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Best Bets: Week 9

There are two weeks left in the regular season with some big matchups left to play. While there are some clear frontrunners for many conference titles, several are still up in there. This is the week where the playoff picture comes into shape and we learn who the contenders and pretenders are. Here are this week’s Best Bets.

LAWRENCEBURG AT SOUTH DEARBORN
Across the border in Indiana, the Lawrenceburg Tigers and South Dearborn Knights come into Week 9 with the same 7-1 record, the same common loss (East Central), and the same goal: winning out and maintaining positive momentum into the playoffs. Both teams are excellent on the offensive side of the ball, having each score over 260 points on the season. While Lawrenceburg relies on the run, South Dearborn poses a threat to any defense behind the strong arm of Adam Kunkel.

Kunkel has completed 177 passes for 2,011 yards and 18 touchdowns on the season. The junior gunslinger loves hitting up his favorite target, senior wide receiver Austin Ballart, who comes into Week 9 having caught 46 passes for 716 yards and six touchdowns, leading the team in all of those categories. Junior CJ Evans is the main guy on the ground, but also has the tools to torch defenses through the receiving game too. 

Despite the plethora of weapons, the Knights will have a tough task against a Lawrenceburg defense that has only given up 58 points all season and have recorded five straight shutouts. The Tigers have not given up a point since Sept. 2. Linebacker Jake Pierce is an absolute stud, racking up 63 total tackles and eight tackles for loss. He also has two interceptions, two fumble recoveries, a forced fumble, and a blocked punt. The Tigers offense is nothing to sneeze at either. The unit has scored 294 points through a mixture of run and pass, but mostly getting it done on the ground. As a team, the Tigers have gained 1,551 yards on the ground compared to the 870 yards through the air.

In 2021, this was a one-sided affair. While the Tigers defense is still stifling, they are without graduated quarterback Garrett Yoon, who threw for 256 yards and three touchdowns against the Knights in 2021. The Tigers still have enough offense to get the job done, however, and combined with the incredible defense, expect another big win for Lawrenceburg.

#6 FAIRFIELD AT #10 MASON
Just one week removed from giving Lakota West perhaps its biggest scare of the year, the Fairfield Indians have another Top 10 matchup this week, traveling to take on the No. 10 Mason Comets. The Comets lost to the Firebirds the week before Fairfield’s close defeat, however it was not as tight, losing 37-7. Mason bounced back in a big way last week, dispatching of the Sycamore Aviators 38-13.

Fairfield boasts one of the best talents in the state in quarterback Talon Fisher. Fisher is just as good through the air as he is on the ground. That was on full display last week against Lakota West when he threw for 138 yards and a touchdown on only seven receptions. However, he was even more efficient on the ground, rushing for 256 yards and two touchdowns. Shockingly, that’s not a career-high for the third-year starter. As a freshman, Fisher rushed for 299 yards and four touchdowns against Middletown in Week 2. As Talon Fisher goes, so does the Fairfield offense.

Mason, however, has given up the second-least amount of points in the GMC (88). The Comets defense has only given up double-digit points once this season – to Lakota West. The Comets offense is fairly balanced between the air and the ground.

This game will depend on which Comets team comes out to start the game. Will it be the Comets offense that struggled early against a Middletown defense that has given up 200 points this season (only one of three to reach that mark in the GMC). Or will it be the Comets offense that put up 30-plus points against Sycamore and Colerain. Now, Fairfield is tougher competition. But Mason has the capability of slowing down Fisher and keeping it close.

#12 MILFORD AT WEST CLERMONT
Neither Milford or West Clermont will win the Eastern Cincinnati Conference. But both are vying for a good playoff matchup and in the case of the Milford Eagles, a home playoff game. According to the latest official computer rankings, Milford sits at No. 6 in the playoff rankings (Top 8 receive a home game). West Clermont controls their own destiny, sitting at No. 11.

If there’s one thing we know about Milford, it’s that they can put up points. Through eight games, the Eagles have put up at least 40 points in six of those games. The two games in which they didn’t are the two games in which they lost – Kings and Winton Woods. The Eagles offense goes through quarterback Austin Hardin, who is second in the ECC in passing yards with 2,136, adding 27 touchdowns along the way. Hardin had a tough time last week against Winton Woods, turning the ball over four times, including two of those interceptions being returned for touchdowns. Take those turnovers away and Milford had a shot to win the game.

West Clermont is coming into this matchup looking for some consistency. The Wolves’ defense was able to limit the high-octane Anderson offense to just 21 points and quarterback Griffin Scalf to only 306 yards (his third lowest total on the season). The defense was also able to force several Raptors turnovers, giving the Wolves good field position on the ensuing drives.

This game could be a lot closer than people believe. Bet on this one being close going into the fourth quarter, but with Milford ultimately pulling away in the final minutes.

#25 TAFT AT HUGHES
The battle for the Cincinnati Metro Athletic Conference continues on Friday night when the Taft Senators look to hand the red-hot Hughes Big Red their first conference loss of the season. It’s a tall task, as Hughes has scored at least 35 points in every game this season, including scoring 46 points in a loss to Chaminade Julienne.

Quarterback Marvin Good tied a career high in passing yards in a game with 318 in last week’s 42-8 win over Western Hills. Good also threw for three touchdowns and ran for 73 yards and a touchdown. Taft, meanwhile, is coming off an impressive two-game stretch where the Senators have outscored their opponents 101-0. Last week against Aiken, the Senators were led on offense by running back Charles Hawkins, who ran for 154 yards and a touchdown.

GAME OF THE WEEK
Make sure to check out the COMPLETE PREVIEW for this week’s featured game on the Blitz 5 Tour,  No. 22 Highlands at No. 11 Covington Catholic

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

OHIO
No. 1 Lakota West at No. 15 Middletown
St. Edward at No. 2 Moeller (SATURDAY)
Loveland at No. 3 Winton Woods
No. 4 Princeton at Sycamore
No. 5 Elder at Indianapolis Bishop Chatard (IN)
St. Ignatius at No. 7 St. Xavier
Little Miami at No. 8 Kings
No. 13 Badin at Fenwick
No. 14 Edgewood at Ross
No. 19 Hamilton at No. 16 Colerain
Detroit Catholic Central (MI) at No. 17 La Salle
Oak Hills at No. 18 Lakota East
Finneytown at No. 20 Wyoming
Wilmington at No. 23 Western Brown
Turpin at No. 24 Anderson

INDIANA
Indianapolis Roncalli at No. 9 East Central

KENTUCKY
Lloyd Memorial at No. 21 Beechwood

 

 

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