Best Bets: Week 8

Only three more regular season games before we get playoff football! The playoff seeds are taking shape and we already have one conference champion crowned in the Moeller Crusaders, who capped off a perfect 3-0 season in the GCL South. A matchup this week in the ECC may help give us a better idea as to that crown. And Kentucky teams are putting up big points leading up to the KHSAA playoffs in a few short weeks.

Who will separate from the pack? Who has the most to prove still with three weeks left? Here are this week’s Best Bets.

#20 SYCAMORE AT #18 MASON
Perhaps one of the best storylines and surprises so far of the 2023 season has been the rise of the Sycamore Aviators. One year removed from going 0-10, Sycamore finds itself with a winning record after convincing GMC wins over Fairfield, Middletown, Colerain and Lakota East. Standing in the Aviators’ way of clinching a non-losing season is a red-hot Mason Comets team, which has won three straight games. This is an under-the-radar Top 25 matchup to watch this week.

One thing we saw in last week’s Mason win over Colerain that has been hard to find is scoreboard points. Despite being outgained on offense 210-205, the Comets put up 45 points on the scoreboard, the highest point total in a game for Mason since a 55-0 win in 2017 over Withrow. The game-changer for Mason last week was the forcing of four turnovers. That gave the Comets great field position to work their offense. Also, a 77-yard interception return for a touchdown by Kyle Wilson probably didn’t hurt either.

What has kept Mason in most games is its defense. In all but one game this season, the Comets defense did not give up more than 21 points in any given game. The outlier was the 37-6 loss to Hamilton. Kyle Wilson is tied for second in the GMC for interceptions while Kai Woolfork is a top-five tackler in the league.

Stopping Sycamore’s offense will be no easy feat. The Aviators’ 189 points scored this season is second in the GMC, behind only Lakota West. In three of their four wins, they have scored at least 35 points. Quarterback Seth Truter had one of this best games of the season last week against Lakota East, throwing for 194 yards and four touchdowns. He has thrown for at least 100 yards in all but one game this season.

The Aviators defense can be a little spotty, however, giving up 172 points, which ranks in the bottom half of the GMC. Sycamore gave up 30 points last week against the Thunderhawks, despite dominating time of possession. Give a little credit to Lakota East, however, which boasts one of the best quarterback in the region in Jameson Kitna. However, allowing a team to score fast with only 18:41 of total possession time can be concerning against a more firepower team like Moeller and Milford come playoff time.

With all of that being said, Sycamore should have just enough offensive fire to put more points on the board than Mason. Aviators have the edge.

#5 MILFORD AT #8 WINTON WOODS
Could this be an unofficial ECC title game? It was just two weeks ago that Winton Woods was knocked off the top of the ECC standings by Anderson. Now, the Warriors will look to get back into a tie for the top when they face the only remaining undefeated team in the conference in Milford. The Eagles, meanwhile, are coming off an easy 41-7 win over the Eagles, Walnut Hills.

If the Warriors want to take the upset, the offense will need to find a groove. It has struggled in recent weeks, only scoring 13 points in each of the last two games. In the Anderson loss, the Warriors were only able to muster up 172 yards of offense and only put up 13 points. Last week, Winton Woods outgained Kings 314-116, but kept the score close at 13-12. 

The Warriors offense will need a lot more than that to keep up with the Eagles firepower. Milford has scored the most points in the ECC with 293 and boast the second-highest leader in passing yards in Luke Brand and the leading receiver in Reece Davis. Brand has thrown for at least 220 yards in five of seven games this season. Milford has the talent to pull off the win.

Winton Woods has not looked good in recent weeks but a win at home against the undefeated Eagles could give them just the momentum they need headed into the playoffs. We’ll see if the Warriors defense can slow down the likes of Brand and Davis. Edge goes to Milford.

ALTER AT #12 BADIN
Another matchup that could determine a conference crown happens in the GCL CO-Ed between Alter and Badin. Badin has taken every game between these two since 2019 and all but one were blowouts. Could Alter pull off the upset?

If so, the offense has to continue to put up the big points it has the past two weeks. Noah Jones has rushed for over 100 yards in each of the last two games and scored seven touchdowns in the process. Jones has been effective and could help lead Alter against a Badin team that has not given up more than 14 points all season. Each of the last two opponents for the Rams have rushed for over 100 yards on the Badin defense. Alter will need to mix it up but don’t not be afraid to rely on the run game, limit Badin possessions, and put points on the board.

As for Badin’s keys to victory? Let Alex Ritzie cook. He has thrown for at least 130 yards in every game so far this season. He also coming off his second three-touchdown game through the air on the season. If Alex Ritzie can protect the ball and be efficient when he needs to be, Badin shouldn’t have any trouble coming out with the win.

#15 LA SALLE AT #9 ST. XAVIER
While the GCL South is wrapped up, there’s still a lot to play for if you’re the La Salle Lancers and St. Xavier Bombers. That includes playing each other at RDI Stadium for playoff seeding implications. 

St. Xavier is on a bit of a slide, dropping three straight games heading into this conference game. Chase Herbstreit has been limited the last two games, throwing for less than 100 yards in each and no touchdowns. If the Bombers want to get back on track, it will depend on Herbstreit getting back on track first. If he can find a rhythm though, watch out. Bombers could be a force.

La Salle is also on a smaller slide, losing two straight headed into this one. But it could be chalked up to tough competition, having faced Moeller and Indy Cathedral, both games they were in until the end. La Salle is much improved since last year’s 2-9 season. This game could be a good measuring stick for how they will stack up against stiff Division II competition in the playoffs.

GAME OF THE WEEK
Make sure to check out the COMPLETE PREVIEW for this week’s featured game on the Blitz 5 Tour, #4 Lakota West at Lakota East.

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

OHIO
No. 24 Middletown at No. 1 Princeton

St. Ignatius at No. 3 Moeller

No. 6 Anderson at West Clermont

Life Christian Academy at No. 7 Elder

Aiken at No. 10 Withrow

Colerain at No. 14 Hamilton

Western Hills at No. 16 Taft

No. 19 Kings at Lebanon

Western Brown at No. 21 Clinton-Massie

No. 22 Wyoming at Mariemont

No. 25 Harrison at Talawanda

KENTUCKY
Harrison County at No. 11 Covington Catholic

Boone County at No. 13 Highlands

Owen County at No. 17 Beechwood

No. 23 Cooper at Scott

INDIANA
Greensburg at No. 2 East Central

 

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