The Moeller Crusaders sit atop the 2025 Preseason Blitz 5 Top 25 presented by TriStateFootball.com. Right behind Big Moe is GCL South rival St. Xavier. Elder joins them, giving the league three teams in the top 7. The GMC and ECC place two schools in the top 6. Northern Kentucky is well represented with Cooper, Ryle, Covington Catholic and Highlands occupying spots #8, #9, #10 and #11 in the poll.
It’s an amazing Week1 schedule. There are four games pitting top 10 teams against each other. Top ranked #1 Moeller plays host to #4 Princeton. Big Moe beat the Vikings twice in 2024 including knocking them out of the playoffs in Round 3.
The Blitz 5 Game of the Week heads out to North Bend Road to catch #2 St. Xavier who welcomes in #3 Lakota West in the annual Specht/Bolden Bowl. It will be the 27th head-to-head meeting between St. Xavier’s Steve Specht and Lakota West’s Tom Bolden. Bolden holds a slim 14-12 advantage over Specht in their battles..
Two schools whose only loss in 2024 came in the state finals sees #8 Cooper, the reigning Kentucky Class 5A state runner-up crossing the river to take on #5 Anderson, the reigning Ohio Division II state runner-up. Another 2024 Kentucky state runner-up, #9 Ryle (Class 6A) travels to #10 Covington Catholic.
In the only other Top 25 matchup, #12 Hamilton hosts #23 Badin in this recently rekindled rivalry. Badin leads the all-time series, 4-3.
Here’s the complete 2025 Preseason Blitz 5 Top 25:
1. Moeller (14-2 in 2024) – Reigning Ohio Mr. Football Matt Ponatoski and crew fell just short of winning a state championship a year ago. They are out to get the job done in 2025. Moeller, who has won the last four Division I, Region 4 regional titles, an amazing feat in and of itself, has a brutal schedule. The Crusaders first six battles are against teams that won at least 10 games in 2024. NEXT UP: 8/23 – #4 PRINCETON (10-3 in 2024), at West Clermont H.S.
2. St. Xavier (10-4) – Home Sweet Home! The Bombers will host seven opponents at the always raucous RDI Stadium. St. Xavier will play all 10 regular season games on Friday nights for a second straight year. This is a deeply experienced, versatile and cerebral group. Those are intangibles usually found present in championship teams. NEXT UP: 8/22 – #3 LAKOTA WEST (11-2).
3. Lakota West (11-2) – The Firebirds have won at least 11 games in each of the last four years going 46-8 in that span (.852 winning %). Despite that success, a first Division I, Region 4 championship has eluded the program. The Lakota West defense was special in 2024 allowing just 8.4 points per contest and holding 12 of 13 foes to 16 points or fewer with five shutouts. Expect more of the same this fall. NEXT UP: 8/22 – at #2 St. Xavier (10-4).
4. Princeton (10-3) – Two major obstacles have impeded the Vikings path to greater success over the past four seasons, Lakota West and Moeller. Princeton has gone a combined 42-9 in that span with six of those losses to Big Moe (three) and West (three). Three of those defeats have ended the Vikings playoff aspirations of getting to a regional finals. This team has the top-tier talent and experience to turn those misfortunes around in 2025. NEXT UP: 8/23 – at #1 Moeller (14-2).
5. Anderson (15-1) – It sounds strange to say but a stellar defense will lead the way for the Raptors, who are on a quest for a third straight regional title and the second state championship (2007) in school history. On offense, only one senior starter returns from a unit that scored 726 points (fifth most in a season in Ohio history) last fall. NEXT UP: 8/22 – #8 COOPER (14-1).
6. Winton Woods (10-2) – An amazing defensive line and a stellar secondary are back for a Warriors squad that allowed just 8.5 points per game with four shutouts in 2025. Winton Woods has at least 10 players on its roster who have FBS offers or commitments. NEXT UP: 8/22 – SPRINGFIELD (6-5).
7. Elder (6-6) – This is Doug Ramsey’s 30th season as Elder’s head coach and the first time in his career that the Panthers will play all of their games on Friday nights. It’s also the first time since 2007, that they aren’t playing rival St. Edward. To say the schedule is challenging would be an understatement. Elder will face schools that were a combined 91-41 (.689 winning %) in 2024. Nine of their 10 foes won at least seven games including five opponents that had 10 or more victories. NEXT UP: 8/22 – MT. ZION PREP (MD)(3-10).
8. Cooper (14-1) – Back-to-back Class 5A state runner-up finishes has the Jaguars hungry for more. Led by quarterback Cam O’Hara (120 career touchdown passes), running back Keagan Maher (47 career touchdowns scored) and a very experienced offensive line paving the way for them, Cooper’s run at a title is not over yet. NEXT UP: 8/22 – at #5 Anderson (15-1).
9. Ryle (12-3) – Coming off a Class 6A state runner-up finish, the Raiders feel that they are well equipped to get to the finale again. Indiana commit, RB/LB Jake Savage is a two-way star and that one-of-a-kind of player that can carry a team on his back for a deep postseason run. NEXT UP: 8/22 – at #10 Covington Catholic (11-3).
10. Covington Catholic (11-3) – In the last eight years under head coach Eddie Eviston the Colonels have won two state championships, finished state runner-up twice and made it to the state final four on two other occasions. Covington Catholic has the pieces to get to the first weekend of December especially with seniors Cash Harney and Dylan Gaiser setting the tone. The Colonels are built for playoff football. NEXT UP: 8/22 – #9 RYLE (12-3).
11. Highlands (11-3) – The separation between Northern Kentucky’s top four teams – Cooper, Ryle, Covington Catholic and Highlands is miniscule. The Bluebirds could very easily find themselves playing in the final weekend of the season. Highlands is going to light up the scoreboard behind the arm and legs of quarterback and three-year starter, Rio Litmer. The Bluebirds topped the 40-point mark seven times in their final eight games of 2024. NEXT UP: 8/22 – FREDERICK DOUGLASS (9-5).
12. Hamilton (9-3) – Things couldn’t be better at Hamilton. The Big Blue won eight games in 2023, their most wins in 25 years and also picked up the school’s first ever playoff victory. Their 2024 encore saw the program capture nine wins and another postseason victory. A confident bunch feels like those are more than attainable goals and perhaps more this fall. NEXT UP: 8/22 – #23 BADIN (9-3).
13. Lakota East (8-4) – Can the Thunderhawks take another huge step forward and become an upper echelon Region 4 team? East made great strides in 2024 but their four losses were to teams that went a combined 46-11 last season. They are still the hunter and not quite the hunted, yet. NEXT UP: 8/22 – at Centerville (11-4).
14. Taft (12-3) – The Senators became the first ever team from the CMAC to win a regional championship last fall. A repeat is not out of the question with an incredibly athletic and gifted roster that includes no less than 10 players with FBS college offers. NEXT UP: 8/22 – JEFFERSONVILLE (IN)(6-4).
15. Middletown (5-6) – Finishing strong and closing out games will be a major point of emphasis for the coaching staff. The Middies started off 2024 at 4-0 then dropped six of their last seven tilts. Three of the Middies last four losses were by six points or less. NEXT UP: 8/22 – TROY (6-5).
16. East Central (8-4) – The Trojans will be tested early and often. The first five teams on the schedule all won at least nine games in 2024. NEXT UP: 8/22 – at Lawrenceburg (10-2).
17. Mason (5-6) – The Comets will look to fuel up the offense. In 2024, Mason averaged just 14.9 points per contest and scored 13 points or less in all six of its losses (6.0 PPG in those defeats). NEXT UP: 8/22 – SPRINGBORO (7-5).
18. Kings (9-3) – Since its last losing season back in 2009, Kings has gone a combined 132-41 (.763 winning %) with six campaigns of 11 victories or more. NEXT UP: 8/22 – at Sycamore (1-10).
19. Lebanon (7-5) – The Warriors senior class is building a special chapter for itself with back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2012-13 and the program’s first playoff win in 22 years last fall. NEXT UP: 8/22 – at Northmont (2-9).
20. Withrow (5-6) – The Tigers won’t be fazed by anyone they go up against. In its past 14 games dating back to the 2023 playoffs Withrow has faced these 10 teams – Winton Woods, Troy, Anderson, Elder, Alter, Northmont, St. Xavier, La Salle, Taft and Kings. NEXT UP: 8/22 – MILFORD (4-7).
21. Western Clermont (7-4) – This is the ninth season of football at West Clermont. The Wolves have made five straight playoff appearances but are still looking for the program’s first ever postseason victory (0-6 all-time). NEXT UP: 8/22 – MOUNT HEALTHY (10-3).
22. La Salle (11-3) – There are a lot of question marks and unproven players at the varsity level for the Lancers, The cupboard needs to be refilled after the graduation of a senior-laden group that led the program to a regional runner-up finish a year ago. NEXT UP: 8/22 – COLERAIN (0-10).
23. Badin (9-3) – Winners of six consecutive GCL Co-ed titles the Rams have reloaded once again. Badin has won 25 league games in a row dating all the way back to October 2019. NEXT UP: 8/22 – at #12 Hamilton (9-3).
24. Fairfield (2-9) – The Indians have a new chief in Justin Roden. His top priority is to get the program back to its winning ways. Fairfield is currently on a seven game losing streak. The Indians are just a combined 5-17 over the past two campaigns. NEXT UP: 8/22 – at Wayne (8-6).
25. Beechwood (14-1) – The Tigers won their seventh state championship in the last nine years and 18th in program history in 2024. Replacing quarterback Clay Hayden, one of the all-time best in Kentucky history is an unenviable task but newcomer Emmett Queen appears to be up for the challenge. NEXT UP: 8/29 – at Newport Central Catholic (9-4) at Covington Catholic H.S.
KNOCKING ON THE DOOR: Batavia, Clinton-Massie, Colerain, Harrison, Indian Hill, McNicholas, Wilmington and Wyoming
