The final week of the regular season is upon us and the Blitz 5 Top 25 presented by TriStateFootball.com has seen very little movement in the polls over the past two weekends.
Week 10 features three battles versus teams within our rankings, #4 Princeton hosts #18 Middletown, # 7 Winton Woods is at #19 Lebanon and in the battle of the Lakota’s #11 Lakota West heads to #15 Lakota East in this week’s Blitz 5 Game of the Week.
Here’s the Blitz 5 Top 25 for Week 10:
1. Elder (9-0) – LAST WEEK: won at Bishop Chatard (IN)(7-2), 28-7. The Panthers are looking to end the regular season unbeaten for the first time in 34 years (1991). NEXT UP: 10/24 – DE LA SALLE (MI)(3-5).
2. Moeller (6-3) – LAST WEEK: lost at St. Edward (8-1), 35-10. The Crusaders defense has allowed 33.0 points per game over the last three weeks. NEXT UP: 10/24 – MUSKEGON (MI)(6-2).
3. Anderson (9-0, 8-0) – LAST WEEK: won at #7 Winton Woods (7-2, 6-2), 37-30. The Raptors have won 25 consecutive regular season games. NEXT UP: 10/24 – LOVELAND (4-5, 4-4).
4. Princeton (8-1, 8-0) – LAST WEEK: won at #22 Fairfield (4-5, 4-4), 35-0. The Vikings are holding GMC foes to 10.4 points per contest during their current eight game winning streak. NEXT UP: 10/24 – #18 MIDDLETOWN (7-2, 6-2).
5. St. Xavier (7-2) – LAST WEEK: won at St. Ignatius (1-8), 41-7.THe Bombers put up a season high 41points against Wildcats, topping their previous best of 28 points. NEXT UP: 11/7 – TBD, 2nd Round, OHSAA Division I, Region 4 Playoffs.
6. Kings (8-1, 7-1) – LAST WEEK: won at Turpin (4-5, 4-4), 38-26. The Knights have allowed just three rushing touchdowns all season. NEXT UP: 10/24 – WALNUT HILLS (2-7, 1-7).
7. Winton Woods (7-2, 6-2) – LAST WEEK: lost to #3 ANDERSON (8-0, 7-0), 37-30. Over the last five years and a course of 52 games, the Warriors have only allowed 30-plus points three times, all to Anderson. NEXT UP: 10/24 – at #19 Lebanon (7-2, 6-2).
8. Taft (9-0, 4-0) – LAST WEEK: won at Aiken (5-4, 2-2), 45-0. This is the 71st year of Taft football, they have never finished the regular season undefeated (10-0). Six straight shutouts for the Senators, who have outscored their victims by an average of 50.5 to 0.0, in that span. NEXT UP: 10/24 – WOODWARD (0-9. 0-4).
9. Highlands (7-2, 3-0) – LAST WEEK: won at Mason County (3-5, 1-2), 42-6. Fourteen different Bluebirds have scored touchdowns. Only three have hit pay dirt three times or more. NEXT UP: 10/24 – SCOTT COUNTY (7-2).
10. La Salle (6-3) – LAST WEEK: won at Louisville (5-4), 35-24. The Lancers last three wins are all against teams that have winning records. NEXT UP: 10/24 – at Mount Healthy (0-9).
11. Lakota West (6-3, 6-2) – LAST WEEK: beat OAK HILLS (4-5, 3-5), 38-6. The Firebirds have beaten rival Lakota East six straight times. NEXT UP: 10/24 – at #15 Lakota East (6-3, 5-3).
12. Ryle (5-3, 2-0) – LAST WEEK: won at Great Crossing (1-6, 0-1), 46-20. The Raiders are averaging 45.7 points per contest during their current three-game winning streak. NEXT UP: 10/24 – SIMON KENTON (5-3, 2-0).
13. Covington Catholic (6-3) – LAST WEEK: beat HARRISON COUNTY (1-7, 0-3), 56-0. Freshman Brandon Smith has 41 tackles and is tied for the team lead with two interceptions. NEXT UP: 10/24 – at Mason County (3-5).
14. Badin (9-0, 4-0) – LAST WEEK: beat ALTER (6-3, 3-1), 28-14. The Rams have now won outright or shared a piece of eight consecutive GCL South titles. NEXT UP: 10/24 – McNICHOLAS (5-4, 2-2).
15. Lakota East (6-3, 5-3) – LAST WEEK: won at Sycamore (0-9, 0-8), 38-0. The last time the Thunderhawks beat rival Lakota West was 2018. They have a 24.7 point average margin of defeat in those six losses. NEXT UP: 10/24 – #11 LAKOTA WEST (6-3, 6-2).
16. Cooper (5-3, 3-0) – LAST WEEK: won at Scott (2-6, 1-3), 42-6. Senior Keagan Maher has found the end zone 12 times during (10 rush, two rec) the Cougars current three-game winning streak. NEXT UP: 10/24 – BOONE COUNTY (4-4, 1-2).
17. East Central (7-2) – LAST WEEK: lost at Roncalli (6-3), 28-16. The Trojans will start their quest for a fifth straight sectional championship in two Fridays. NEXT UP: 10/31 – FRANKLIN (4-5), IHSAA Class 5S, Sectional 14 Playoffs (first round).
18. Middletown (7-2, 6-2) – LAST WEEK: lost to HAMILTON (3-6, 3-5), 14-10. The Middies will host a playoff game for the first time since 2011. NEXT UP: 10/24 – at #4 Princeton (8-1, 8-0).
19. Lebanon (7-2, 6-2) – LAST WEEK: at Walnut Hills (2-7, 1-7), 42-8. Quarterback Luke Faler has thrown 19 touchdown passes in his last five starts. NEXT UP: 10/24 – #7 WINTON WOODS (7-2, 6-2).
20. Mason (4-5, 4-4) – LAST WEEK: won at Colerain (1-8, 1-7), 38-21. Comets quarterbacks have only thrown four touchdown passes in 135 attempts this season. They have run for 10 touchdowns. NEXT UP: 10/24 – SYCAMORE (0-9, 0-8).
21. Withrow (7-2, 3-1) – LAST WEEK: won at Hughes (4-5, 1-3), 30-0. The combined record of the teams that the Tigers have beaten is 14-49 (.222 winning %). NEXT UP: 10/24 – at Western Hills (3-6, 2-2).
22. Fairfield (4-5, 3-5) – LAST WEEK: lost to #4 PRINCETON (7-1, 7-0), 35-0. The Indians are averaging just 7.6 points over their last five contests. NEXT UP: 10/24 – at Oak Hills (4-5, 3-5).
23. Beechwood (7-1, 4-0) – LAST WEEK: won at Gallatin County (1-6, 0-3), 56-0. The Tigers have won all four of their district games by a combined score of 263-6 with a gaudy 56.75 average margin of victory in that span. NEXT UP: 10/24 – BRACKEN COUNTY (6-2, 4-0).
24. Indian Hill (9-0, 6-0) – LAST WEEK: won at Deer Park (5-4, 2-4), 48-6. The last time the Braves finished the regular season 10-0 was 2015. NEXT UP: 10/24 – READING (1-8, 1-5).
25. CHCA (8-1, 2-0) – LAST WEEK: beat ROGER BACON (4-5,1-1), 36-21. The Eagles defense has forced 27 turnovers and converted five of them into touchdowns (three FRs, two IRs). NEXT UP: 10/24 – at Summit Country Day (5-4, 0-2).
DROPPED OUT: none
KNOCKING ON THE DOOR: Clinton-Massie, Harrison, Lawrenceburg, Lloyd, Talawanda
Written By: TriStateFootball.com Staff
