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Preview: #4 St. Xavier at #3 Lakota West

St. Xavier RB Jacob Britt (photo by: Greg Shoemaker/TriStateFootball.com)

It doesn’t get any better than this on Friday night in the Queen City. We kick off the 2024 season in style as Lakota West plays host to St. Xavier in the Blitz 5 Game of the Week. The home team Firebirds are hungry for more. They have been to the regional finals the last for years but have yet to win the program’s first title. The Bombers found their groove late in 2023 winning four in a row before falling to Moeller 10-7 in the second round of the playoffs.

#4 ST. XAVIER BOMBERS (0-0) at #3 LAKOTA WEST FIREBIRDS (0-0)
Kickoff: 7:00 p.m.
Firebird Stadium
Follow on X @TSFootball

PLAYERS TO WATCH: The best players for St. Xavier are also the teams most versatile. The Bombers will create mismatches that are going to work highly in their favor. Senior DE Gordy Sulfsted, a Notre Dame commit can play any position along the defensive line and create havoc. He was an OPSWA Division I Third Team Ohio selection last fall. Junior LB/S Jakobe Clapper, led the team in tackles a year ago. The highly recruited Clapper covers a ton of ground and in dominating fashion. Classmate DB Brayden Reilly snared four interceptions and had five more pass breakups in his first year as a starter last season.

Another Class of 2026 rising star is ATH Daniel Vollmer, who can and will line up in all of the offensive skills positions and return kicks on special teams. Vollmer brings a different dynamic than senior Chase Herbstreit at quarterback with his ability to run or throw. Herbstreit, a pocket passer, has thrown for 2,376 and 14 touchdowns in his career. Three times in the Bombers’ final five games last season RB Jacob Britt ran for 124 yards or more as a sophomore. The anchor and leader up front is senior OL Tucker Kattus, who was named OPSWA Division I First Team All-Ohio in 2023. Kattus is committed to Kentucky where he will join his brothers Justin and Josh on the Wildcats’ roster.

St. Xavier OL Tucker Kattus (photo by: Greg Shoemaker/TriStateFootball.com)

Defense has been the calling card for Lakota West under Tom Bolden and 2024 will be no different. Senior LB Grant Beerman, a Purdue commit, will be a candidate for the GMC Defensive Player of the Year. Joining him in the middle of the Firebirds’ defense are senior and three-year starter LB Micah Markley and junior LB Cam Thomas, who has double-figure Power 5 offers. Senior DB Finn Mason is a ballhawk in the secondary. He had five interceptions including a big pick-six in a playoff victory over rival Princeton last fall.

Lakota West RB Braydon Johnson (photo by Greg Shoemaker/TriStateFootball.com)

The Lakota West offense hit its stride once senior QB Sam Wiles took over under center in Week 3 last season. Wiles threw for 1,191 yards, rushed for 534 yards and accounted for 18 touchdowns (12 pass, six rush) while leading the Firebirds to 11 straight victories before falling to Moeller in the regional championship. Junior RB Braydon Johnson will be the featured back and see his workload increase. He ran for 570 yards and found the end zone eight times (seven rush, one rec) in 2023. The poster boy for what Lakota West football is all about is senior TE Luka Gilbert. The University of Miami commit cares more about the “W’s” than his stats. Gilbert does all the little things in his big 6-foot-7, 220-pound frame.

TEAM TRENDS: Since 2020 these schools have met five times. St. Xavier holds a 3-2 advantage with both teams having a win against the other in the playoffs. Points have been hard to come with three of those games having seen the two teams combined for 17 points or less. The Bombers are averaging 13.4 points and Lakota West averaging just 9.8 points in those knockdown-drag outs (a 3.4 margin victory for St. X). St. Xavier has just six offensive touchdowns (three rush, three pass) while the Firebirds have hit paydirt only four times (two rush, two pass) in those meetings.

St. Xavier will play all 10 regular season games on Friday nights for the first time in Steve Specht’s 21 years as the team’s head coach. The bad news is that the Bombers first seven contests are versus schools that went a combined 69-25 (.734 winning %) in 2023.

There is no secret to the Firebirds success under Tom Bolden, defense wins championships.

Over the last four seasons Lakota West is a combined 43-7 (.860 winning %). In that span, the Firebirds have allowed just 9.14 points per game, held 42 (of 50) foes to 14 points or less, 29 of those to seven points or fewer including 13 shutouts.

Lakota West Head Coach Tom Bolden (photo by: Greg Shoemaker/TriStateFootball.com)

HEAD COACHES: This is the 25 th head-to-head meeting between Tom Bolden and Steve Specht. Bolden holds a slim 13-11 advantage in those affairs. The future hall-of-famers have split their 10 playoff meetings, 5-5.

St. Xavier: Steve Specht (176-73 at St. Xavier, 20 years; 176-73 overall)

Lakota West: Tom Bolden (50-11 at Lakota West, five years; 182-32 overall, 17 years)

PLAYOFF HISTORY:

St. Xavier (30 appearances, 56-26 overall) – 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020 (State Champion), 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 (State Champion), 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011 (Regional Champions), 2010, 2009, 2007 (State Champion), 2006, 2005 (State Champion), 2004, 2002, 2001 (State Runner-up), 2000, 1999, 1998 (State Runner-up), 1997, 1994, 1993, 1992 (State Runner-up), 1987, 1981.

Lakota West (10 appearances, 14-10) – 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2014, 2013, 2009, 2006, 2004

ST. XAVIER’S KEYS TO VICTORY: Attack on all fronts, offensively. There will be holes in the Lakota West defense, but they are only going to be found if the offense has the diligence to explore all options. This team has the horses to win the trenches on both sides of the ball. When that happens, the outcome has been gratuitous in this series for the Bombers.

LAKOTA WEST’S KEYS TO VICTORY: The offense is much improved over the one that opened last season at St. Xavier but it’s plain and simple, the Firebirds have to put points on the board. A 10-spot isn’t going to cut it against this defense. The defensive line has plenty to prove. More than any other unit on the field, the d-line needs to bring its “A-game.”

Prediction: Lakota West 17, St. Xavier 14

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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