The Tri-State’s biggest scores, stars and storylines from Friday night under the lights. There were some electrifying plays and lightning delays in some areas in town with a handful of games getting pushed to Saturday.
FIREBIRDS’ DEFENSE SMOTHERS ST. XAVIER
Lakota West turned another defensive battle with St. Xavier into an opening-night statement, knocking off the defending regional champion Bombers, 20-7.
The Firebirds carried a 14-7 advantage into an extended halftime before their defense took control. Roman Combs recorded his second interception of the night early in the third quarter, while Reilly Newman added a diving pick in St. Xavier territory in the fourth. Lakota West finished with three interceptions.
Freshman kicker Levi King helped the Firebirds capitalize, connecting on a pair of field goals of approximately 30 yards in the second half to extend the lead to 20-7.
St. Xavier threatened to make things interesting in the fourth quarter, but a lengthy drive ended inches short of a first down at the Lakota West 10-yard line with 6:32 remaining. The Bombers’ final possession also ended on downs.
Karmelo Jordan helped the Firebirds flip the field late with a 55-yard catch-and-run as Lakota West drained valuable time off the clock.
The victory avenged last year’s 14-7 loss to St. Xavier, a game that helped launch the Bombers’ eventual run to the Division I state championship game. It also continued a series defined by defense, with six of the seven meetings since 2019 now featuring at least one team held to 17 points or fewer.
AROUND THE TRI-STATE
CINCINNATI
No. 24 Badin 33, No. 17 Hamilton 7
Badin controlled the line of scrimmage and used several explosive plays to roll past rival Hamilton on Friday night. Chase Even rushed for 96 yards and a touchdown, while LT King broke an 80-yard scoring run and quarterback Jimmy Gajewski threw touchdown passes to Reece Donges and Hudson Heid. The Rams outgained Hamilton 359-155, including a 223-55 advantage on the ground, while holding the Big Blue to just 2-of-10 on third down. The victory continued Badin’s recent success in the renewed rivalry.
No. 9 Lakota East 41, Centerville 14
No. 9 Lakota East made an opening-night statement, scoring all 41 of its points in the first half of a 41-14 rout of Centerville. Nile Knutson threw for 268 yards and three touchdowns as the Thunderhawks piled up 387 total yards, with Carter Jones catching 11 passes for 117 yards and a score. Lakota East also forced three turnovers in an impressive all-around performance that backed up its lofty preseason ranking.
NORTHERN KENTUCKY
No. 15 Covington Catholic 50, No. 21 Ryle 6
In an opening-night battle between two teams ranked in the Preseason Blitz 5 Top 25 powered by TriStateFootball.com, Covington Catholic made an emphatic statement with a 50-6 victory over Ryle. The Colonels used big plays in all three phases, including kick-return touchdowns from Brandon Smith and Mac Cogswell, to turn the highly anticipated Northern Kentucky showdown into a rout. Sophomore Kiyan Miller shined in his first varsity start with three touchdowns, while quarterback Dylan Courtney tossed a pair of scores. CovCath’s defense was equally dominant, holding Ryle to one touchdown and getting a safety from senior Jonny Lind as the Colonels snapped a recent losing streak against the Raiders.
Simon Kenton 42, Dixie Heights 13
Simon Kenton opened the season with an impressive 42-13 victory over Dixie Heights, beating the Colonels for the fourth consecutive year. Moise Smith scored twice on the ground, while returning quarterback Grant Webb connected with Samuel Hughes for a 42-yard touchdown as the Pioneers used several explosive plays to take control. Simon Kenton led 42-13 by the end of the third quarter, providing an impressive opening statement for a young and talented squad.
INDIANA
No. 14 East Central 21, Lawrenceburg 0
East Central leaned on its experienced defense to open the season with a 21-0 shutout of rival Lawrenceburg. Noah Long provided two of the night’s biggest plays with a 70-yard catch-and-run and a kickoff return for a touchdown, while Ryan Minges and Colton Bellman powered the ground attack. Bellman added the game-sealing score as head coach Jake Meiners earned his 75th career victory.
FRIDAY NIGHT STARS
QB Kaden Estep, Elder
11/18 for 195 PaYd, 4 PaTD; 12 carries, 147 RuYd, 4 PaTD
QB Lincoln Schreiber, Oak Hills
13/16 for 265 yards, 5 PaTD; 33 RuYd, RuTD vs. Edgewood
WR Carter Jones, Lakota East
11 receptions for 117 yards, ReTD vs. Centerville
RB Logan Schmenk, Lebanon
32 carries, 178 RuYd, 3 RuTD; 3 rec 19 ReYd vs. Northmont
BLITZ 5 GAME OF THE WEEK
Elder made a statement on the opening stop of the Blitz 5 Tour, rolling past Middletown, 35-3, at The Pit. Miami (Ohio) commit Kaden Estep accounted for five touchdowns, including four scoring strikes to Kings transfer Andrew Lyman, who finished with seven catches for 145 yards. The Panthers outgained the Middies 377-164 and held them to just two rushing yards in a dominant season-opening performance.
READ MORE: Estep, Lyman Light Up The Pit as Elder Rolls Past Middletown
SCOREBOARD SNAPSHOT
- No. 1 Princeton 31, No. 2 Moeller 24 (Thursday night)
- Louisville Trinity 59, No. 3 Anderson 13
- Frederick Douglas 41, No. 10 Highlands 20
- No. 11 Withrow 50, Walnut Hills 13
- No. 12 Fairfield 35, Wayne 25
- No. 13 La Salle 30, No. 18 Colerain 21
- Springboro 33, No. 16 Mason 0
- No. 20 Kings 34, Sycamore 6
- No. 25 Indian Hill 35, Roger Bacon 14
Get the complete scores from all of this week’s action on the Underground Sports Shop Scoreboard at TriStateFootball.com/scores.
*Stay updated on high school football updates by following @TSFootball on X.
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