Week 3 delivered statement wins, ranked showdowns and plenty of movement to come in the Blitz 5 Top 25. No. 1 Princeton left little doubt about its place atop the rankings, while No. 2 Elder and No. 3 Lakota West also rolled past ranked opponents to remain unbeaten.
Around the Tri-state, Lakota East survived a furious Oak Hills comeback, Highlands continued to find its stride, Cooper pitched a shutout in the Battle of Union and Badin remained perfect. From the Blitz 5 Game of the Week in Northern Kentucky to big performances across Southwest Ohio and Eastern Indiana, here’s a look at the scores, stars and stories that defined Week 3 of the TSF Friday Night Blitz.
VIKINGS LEAVE NO DOUBT
Top-ranked Princeton delivered another emphatic statement Friday night, dismantling No. 16 Colerain, 48-6, to improve to 3-0.
The Vikings scored on their first three possessions and raced to a 20-0 first-quarter lead. Jordan Hall rushed for 100 yards and four touchdowns on just 10 carries, while Monsanna Torbert threw for 181 yards and two scores and added a rushing touchdown.
Princeton was just as dominant defensively, holding Colerain to 164 total yards and only five rushing yards on 18 attempts. The Cardinals converted just 1-of-11 third downs as the Vikings piled up six sacks, eight tackles for loss and two interceptions. Terrance Jones Jr. led the charge with 3.5 sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss.
Princeton has now beaten ranked GMC opponents Middletown and Colerain in consecutive weeks by a combined 76-13, strengthening its grip on the top spot in the Blitz 5 Top 25.
AROUND THE TRI-STATE
CINCINNATI
Indianapolis Cathedral 30, No. 5 St. Xavier 21
St. Xavier battled back but couldn’t overcome Indianapolis Cathedral, falling 30-21 to drop to 1-2. The Bombers trailed 17-7 in the third quarter before quarterback Aidan Newdigate scored on touchdown runs of 1 and 13 yards, the latter pulling St. X within 23-21 with 7:40 remaining. Cathedral answered with a touchdown to put the game away. Newdigate accounted for all three Bombers scores, finishing with 133 passing yards and 100 rushing yards, while Logan Von Holle caught five passes for 65 yards and a touchdown. Graham Uran led the St. X defense with 16 tackles, but two turnovers proved costly as Cathedral piled up 395 total yards.
No. 8 Lakota East 31, No. 13 Oak Hills 28
Lakota East built a 31-7 halftime lead and then survived a furious Oak Hills comeback to pick up a huge GMC road win. Nile Knutson threw for 268 yards and four touchdowns, including two scores to Jayden Williams, as the Thunderhawks did all of their scoring before halftime. Oak Hills responded with 21 unanswered points in the second half, with Lincoln Schreiber throwing two fourth-quarter touchdown passes to make it a three-point game. Schreiber finished with 271 yards and three touchdowns, while Cordell Ball caught seven passes for 149 yards and two scores. The difference was turnovers, as East forced three Oak Hills giveaways and improved to 2-1, while the Highlanders suffered their first loss and fell to 2-1.
No. 19 Badin 28, Edgewood 7
Badin broke open a 7-7 halftime battle with 21 unanswered points in the second half to remain unbeaten. Davis Martin connected with Hudson Heid for a 34-yard touchdown early in the third quarter before Chase Even took over, scoring on runs of 14 and 28 yards. Even already had 169 yards on 21 carries late in the third quarter after rushing for 98 yards in the first half. The Rams also created key takeaways, including an interception by Colton Pauley and a fumble recovery by Jake Bucheit, as Badin improved to 3-0 and earned its fifth straight victory over Edgewood.
NORTHERN KENTUCKY
No. 14 Highlands 55, Campbell County 14
Highlands appears to be finding its groove. The Bluebirds exploded for 42 first-half points and rolled past previously unbeaten Campbell County, 55-14. Sophomore quarterback Bryce Armstrong threw three touchdown passes, including strikes of 37 yards to John Feldbrugge, 44 yards to Ben Kuhnhein and 28 yards to Quinton Simon. Gabe Williams added a pick-six as Highlands improved to 2-1 with its second straight convincing victory.
Cooper 11, No. 23 Ryle 0
Cooper’s defense dominated the 20th Battle of Union, forcing five turnovers and shutting out No. 23 Ryle, 11-0. Cole Ewing’s 31-yard field goal was the only scoring through three quarters before Lincoln Maxey capped a six-plus-minute, 70-yard drive with a 17-yard touchdown run early in the fourth. Carson Clark recorded three first-half sacks, while Kevin Buanga and Dylan Orr came up with interceptions as Ryle repeatedly ventured into Cooper territory but came away empty. The Jaguars improved to 2-1 and have now won three straight over their Union rival, while Ryle falls to 1-2.
FRIDAY NIGHT STARS
Kenyon Norman, Lakota West – The senior running back carried 25 times for 212 yards and three touchdowns as No. 3 Lakota West pulled away from No. 21 Mason for a 35-10 victory.
Jordan Hall, Princeton – Hall needed just 10 carries to rush for 100 yards and four touchdowns, including a 51-yard score, as No. 1 Princeton crushed No. 16 Colerain, 48-6.
Nile Knutson, Lakota East – Knutson completed 19-of-29 passes for 268 yards and four touchdowns without an interception as No. 8 Lakota East held off No. 13 Oak Hills, 31-28.
Landen Brandenburg, Williamsburg – Brandenburg accounted for 269 total yards and three touchdowns, rushing for 132 yards and two scores while throwing for 137 yards and another TD in Williamsburg’s 27-14 win over Mariemont.
Kaden Estep, Elder – Estep completed 13-of-15 passes for 137 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 112 yards and another score, accounting for 249 total yards as No. 2 Elder rolled past No. 12 East Central, 42-7.
Terrance Jones Jr., Princeton – Jones wreaked havoc with 3.5 sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss, spearheading a Princeton defense that held Colerain to 164 total yards and only five rushing yards in the Vikings’ 48-6 victory.
Bryce Armstrong, Highlands – The sophomore quarterback threw three touchdown passes as No. 14 Highlands exploded for 42 first-half points and cruised past previously unbeaten Campbell County, 55-14.
Crue Gilmour, Lawrenceburg – Gilmour rushed for four touchdowns, including scores of 2 and 27 yards, as Lawrenceburg rolled past Taylor, 48-14, in the Route 50 Rumble.
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BLITZ 5 GAME OF THE WEEK
Lloyd makes another statement
The Juggernauts wasted little time taking control against Conner, turning a big-play touchdown, a turnover and another strong defensive effort into an impressive showing in the Blitz 5 Game of the Week. Colten Barger, Avery Conrad and Lincoln Tomlinson were right in the middle of the action as Lloyd continued its red-hot start and strengthened its case for the Blitz 5 Top 25.
Read the complete Blitz 5 Game of the Week recap: [READ MORE]
SCOREBOARD SNAPSHOT
- No. 2 Elder 42, No. 12 East Central 7
- No. 3 Lakota West 35, No. 21 Mason 10
- Louisville Trinity 31, No. 4 Moeller 14
- No. 6 Anderson 51, Little Miami 14
- No. 7 Winton Woods 50, Milford 28
- Springboro 23, No. Withrow 13
- Fairmont 24, No. 11 La Salle 21
- No. 17 Lebanon 34, West Clermont 20
- No. 20 Kings 41, Loveland 14
- No. 22 Beechwood 41, Dixie Heights 3
- No. 24 Harrison 33, Beavercreek 28
- No. 25 Wyoming 42, Monroe 21
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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