Best Bets: Week 5

Mid-season has graced us with its presence and although many teams are on the path to a playoff berth and high seed, many others still have work to do to get themselves in a position to make a postseason run. Like it or not, time is ticking for some teams to get a signature win while others look to avoid a major upset. Last week we saw Ryle, Mount Healthy, Princeton, and McNicholas all took strides for the better. Conference races are now heating up as we reach the midpoint, and a few solid weeks could lock up a league crown for some squads.

This week the schedule is absolutely loaded with big time games that have a ton of implications riding on the results. We are packed with high level games across the tri-state that will give fans a taste of what is to come in the postseason. In the GMC, Lakota West travels to surprising Middletown for a great battle. Kings makes their way to Anderson for a huge test in the ECC. East Central looks to protect home against Batesville. Beechwood will get a big test at Covington Catholic and La Salle aims to stay unbeaten when they meet Withrow in Hyde Park. 

A lot is surely to be learned after this week. Will Middletown squarely prove they are truly a contender? Can Withrow pull themselves up after a slow start? Friday can’t come fast enough. Here are the Best Bets for week five.

#3 LAKOTA WEST AT #10 MIDDLETOWN

Lakota West was looking like the favorite to win another GMC title until they faltered at Princeton two weeks ago. They regained their footing last week with a drubbing of Fairfield and in the midst, got their offense right back going as well. West quarterback Sam Wiles continued his brilliant season as he passed for 216 yards and two scores and rushed for another 128 yards on the ground. This was a great sign as the Firebirds were able to get their mojo back on the offensive side of the ball. Braydon Johnson and Trey Barnette have also been threats to have huge games for West and can break off a big play at any time.

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

Defensively the Firebirds have kept their foot on the gas and that bodes well for another deep run into the postseason. They are holding opponents to a mere 10.3 points per game and have not given up many big plays. To score on West you need to be methodical and patient and hopefully hit a big one if given the opportunity. Grant Beerman has been the man on the defensive side of the ball all season long as he has a team high 37 tackles.

Middletown has had a great start under first year coach Kali Jones who has brought his success from Withrow to the Middies. Jeremiah Landers is having an outstanding season at quarterback as he has thrown for 510 yards and 4 touchdowns. He did miss last week’s contest however. Wideouts Chandler Shields and Maxmillian Johnson are the top pass catchers in the GMC with over 600 yards receiving between the both of them.

Defensively the Middies have been as good as any unit in the area while only surrendering 10.5 points per game. This will be their first big test of the season however and should tell us how good the defense truly is. Amarion Bryant has 3.5 sacks on the season, and they’ll need him to be a disruptor Friday night for sure. J.D. Singletary leads the team with 22 tackles.

Middletown is on the up and up and have dominated lesser opponents to start the season. This step up in weight class could be tough to handle. Bet on Lakota West to take care of business on the road.

#11 KINGS AT #5 ANDERSON

The Knights are off to a great start and are trending as a team you would not want to run into come playoff time. They have all the tools of a team that could make a run at a regional championship and final four berth. They have won two straight since a tough loss to Winton Woods and the Knights have gotten their offense back moving positively since then. Grant Nurre has been at the controls at quarterback and the offense has run efficiently. Carson Lindholm has been a consistent feature at running back and Nate Lyman is always a threat through the air. Defensively the Knights have been great and have only given up over ten points once this season. The Knights have thrived by being a physical, hard-hitting unit that can create a big turnover when they need it. Zach Hoying and Caden Walker have been the leading tacklers on the season.

Kings WR Nate Lyman (photo by Chet Bentley/X: @photo_varsity)

Anderson is who they’ve always been. Their explosive offense sets them apart from about any team in high school football. The air raid has once again been tough for opponents to deal with, and the Raptors have lit up the scoreboard and the stat sheet through four weeks. Justice Burnam is back in his second year as a starter and has full command of the offense. He has thrown for 1160 yards and 13 touchdowns against only one interception. His cupboard of targets is full with returner Trace Jallick leading the way (27 rec, 610 yds, 5 TD). Caden Piening and Aidan McClanahan have stepped up in supporting roles at wideout. The Anderson defense has put up good numbers as they have only allowed 20 points the entire season. This will be easily their toughest test to deal with and they’ll need to make some plays to aid their offense.

Fireworks always accompany this matchup, and the Raptors have always looked to outscore their opponents rather than stop them. They’ll likely score enough to get a hard-fought home win.

#9 LA SALLE AT WITHROW

La Salle is looking like the form of one of the Lancers three straight state title teams early on this season. The Lancers sit at 4-0 and have taken a business approach to their first four opponents. They have been efficient on offense and stingy on defense which is what has led to their success as a program. Offensively the Lancers have done what they have needed to do to win games. If running the ball is the best game plan, then they run. If it is passing, they will go through the air. Whatever the game plan, quarterback Pat McLaughlin is the leader on the attack. He is equally as good of a thrower as a runner and can make a defense pay quickly for their mistakes. The Lancers defense has been a bright spot as they are giving up a modest 7.7 PPG and have only let one team score in double digits on the season.

Withrow WR Quintin Simmons, Jr. (photo by Shleby Frieszell/TriStateFootball.com)

Withrow has felt the loss of their head coach and several star players from a year ago. They have also played one of the toughest schedules so far this season and it clearly doesn’t get any easier on Friday night. This will be their third GCL South opponent on the season and a win could go a long way to catapulting them into conference play with some confidence. Athlete Quentin Simmons Jr. is a threat to score anytime he gets his hands on the ball and the Tigers would love for him to have a big night that leads to a big win.

Withrow is down with some tough losses but don’t be shocked if they pull off the win at home on Friday night. Bet on the Tigers.

#23 BEECHWOOD AT #16 COVINGTON CATHOLIC

Beechwood looks to go into CovCath and come away with a huge win and if they do it will be because their high-flying offense was off and running on a high level. The Tigers are known to put up numbers that make scoreboards light up and quarterback Clay Hayden is usually at the controls. Hayden may have the most weapons at his disposal in the area and uses them all brilliantly. Luke Erdman and James Cusick are all explosive targets at wideout who can go for big games individually or all in the same game. They make life scary for secondaries all over Kentucky. Chase Flaherty is a dual threat running back who can and will make catches out of the backfield as well and do his thing on the ground. The defense has backed up their offense so far this season. Brody Waddell and Flaherty have been great at linebacker.

Beechwood QB Clay Hayden (photo by: Chris Granger / X: @regnargc)

CovCath has been right there in getting over the hump of some tough losses and they still remain a threat to make a run in the playoffs. Cash Harney has led the offense with his ability to run and pass the ball. He has kept defenses off balance and attacked them when he has needed to. Dylan Gaiser has been a nice player at running back and scored three touchdowns last week alone. Owen Pitzer and Nicolas Krallman are threats in the passing game. The defense put up their best effort of the season last week in only allowing three points. They’ll need to come ready to play to slow down the Tigers Friday night.

A tough and physical ball game would benefit the Colonels and if played on their terms, they’ll get a home win.

BATESVILLE AT #20 EAST CENTRAL

The Trojans have been the cream of the crop of eastern Indiana football over the past several seasons and a big reason has been their run game. Ryan Minges can control a game from the running back position and East Central loves to feed him and control the possessions of the game.

East Central RB Ryan Minges (photo by: Sandy Mahoney / X: @InMotionBySandy)

Look for the Trojans to deploy their running game early and often to set the tone at home and lead themselves to a home win. Bet on East Central to handle Batesville in this one, possibly with some subs seeing the field.

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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, No. 1 Moeller at No. 4 St. Xavier.

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

OHIO
#21 Mason at #2 Princeton
Walnut Hills at #6 Winton Woods
#9 La Salle at Withrow
#14 Milford at #24 West Clermont
#15 Harrison at Clinton-Massie
#17 Lakota East at #19 Fairfield
#25 Mount Healthy at Bishop Fenwick

KENTUCKY
Great Crossing at #7 Cooper
#12 Ryle at Christian Academy
Raceland at #13 Highlands

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