Friday Night TSF Blitz: Week 5

Week 5 delivered everything you could ask for on a Friday night across the Tri-State, with statement wins, rivalry drama, unbeaten teams putting their perfect records on the line and several games going down to the closing minutes.

The biggest fireworks came in Park Hills, where #23 Beechwood ended its recent drought against #11 Covington Catholic with a thrilling 42-35 victory behind five touchdowns from Nathan Pabst. Elsewhere, #1 Princeton survived six turnovers to outlast #3 Lakota West, 27-24, while #4 Moeller pulled away from #5 St. Xavier for a 30-15 victory in the Blitz 5 Game of the Week.

From Elder posting another shutout to La Salle handing Badin its first loss and Anderson extending its ECC winning streak, Week 5 provided plenty of results that could reshape the Blitz 5 Top 25. Here’s a look at the biggest stories and standout performances from around the Tri-State.

STATEMENT IN PARK HILLS

Nathan Pabst delivered a performance to remember as Beechwood ended its recent drought against Covington Catholic with a thrilling 42-35 victory in Park Hills.

Pabst accounted for 201 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns, rushing 27 times for 161 yards and four scores while adding four receptions for 40 yards and another touchdown. His biggest carry came last.

After CovCath rallied to tie the game at 35-35 with 4:16 remaining, Beechwood responded with an 11-play drive that drained nearly four minutes from the clock. Pabst finished it with a 3-yard touchdown run with 21 seconds remaining, giving the Tigers their first win over the Colonels since 2021 and their first victory at CovCath since 2014.

POSTGAME RADIO INTERVIEW: Noel Rash, Beechwood

Beechwood led 14-0 after the first quarter and 21-7 late in the second, but CovCath repeatedly battled back. Dylan Courtney threw for 254 yards and three touchdowns, while Kiyan Miller accumulated 173 yards from scrimmage and two rushing touchdowns. His 71-yard touchdown run on the first offensive play of the second half pulled the Colonels within a point.

The Tigers answered every challenge. Emmett Queen completed 18-of-22 passes for 183 yards and a touchdown, while Tyler Fryman caught 13 passes for 127 yards and added a rushing score.

Beechwood was especially impressive when it needed to extend drives, converting 12-of-14 third downs while finishing with 25 first downs and no turnovers.

The Tigers improved to 4-0, snapping CovCath’s four-game winning streak in the series and handing the Colonels their second loss of the season.

AROUND THE TRI-STATE

CINCINNATI

No. 1 Princeton 27, No. 3 Lakota West 24
Princeton survived six turnovers and ended Kenyon Norman’s run of 200-yard performances to remain unbeaten with a 27-24 victory over Lakota West in a battle of the GMC’s last two unbeaten teams.

The Vikings did most of their damage on the ground, piling up 279 rushing yards and averaging 8.7 yards per carry. Monsanna Torbert led the way with 188 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries, including a 51-yard scoring run in the second quarter. Jordan Hall added 83 yards and two touchdowns on 13 attempts.

Lakota West forced three interceptions and recovered three fumbles, helping the Firebirds stay in position despite Princeton’s 371-363 edge in total offense. Jackson Smith threw for 232 yards and two touchdowns, both to Karmelo Jordan, who finished with six catches for 119 yards.

Norman entered the night with three straight 200-yard games, but Princeton limited him to 128 yards on 32 carries. His 9-yard touchdown run gave Lakota West a 24-21 lead with 5:57 remaining.

Princeton responded when it mattered most. Hall scored from three yards out with 3:20 left to put the Vikings back in front for good.

The win moves Princeton to 5-0 overall and 4-0 in the GMC, while Lakota West falls to 4-1 and 3-1.

No. 6 Anderson 49, No. 20 Kings 33
Anderson continued its stranglehold on ECC competition Friday night, knocking off Kings, 49-33, for its 28th consecutive regular-season conference victory.

The Raptors struck quickly when Owen Scalf connected with Poetter for a 24-yard touchdown and built a 31-7 advantage early in the second quarter behind a pair of short touchdown runs from Davis. Kings battled back with a Jack Sills touchdown pass and two 44-yard field goals from Kellen Foley, but Tysin Weaver’s 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown helped Anderson take a 37-20 lead into halftime.

After a scoreless third quarter, Kings made a late push. Oliver Young scored his second touchdown and had reached 197 rushing yards with 8:56 remaining. The Knights recovered the ensuing onside kick and eventually pulled within 43-33 on Sills’ 14-yard touchdown pass to Poggi.

Anderson finally put it away with another Davis touchdown on the game’s final play. The Raptors improved to 4-1 overall and 4-0 in the ECC with their fourth consecutive victory.

No. 13 La Salle 27, No. 14 Badin 14
An unbeaten season came to an end Friday night as La Salle went on the road and knocked off Badin, 27-14. The Lancers dominated early, building a 14-0 first-quarter lead with a 211-16 advantage in total yards. Garrett Fraley connected with Jack McLaughlin for a 65-yard touchdown and had already accumulated 144 passing yards and 90 rushing yards by halftime.

POSTGAME RADIO INTERVIEW: Pat McLaughlin, La Salle

La Salle led 24-7 at the break before Chase Even helped Badin make a push, scoring on a 30-yard run and finishing that drive with 133 rushing yards on the night. Grayson Bedacht answered with a 34-yard field goal, and the Lancers’ defense later stopped Badin on downs inside the 5-yard line to seal the victory. La Salle improved to 3-2 while dropping the Rams to 4-1.

KENTUCKY

No. 10 Highlands 28, Ryle 0
Highlands made quick work of Ryle before lightning brought the night to an early end. The Bluebirds built a 28-0 halftime advantage before the game was called because of weather, giving Highlands its fourth consecutive victory and moving it to 4-1 on the season.

Also tracking the Kentucky weather disruptions: Dixie Heights led Henry Clay 7-0 in the second quarter during a lightning delay, while Bellevue-Iroquois and Cooper-DuPont Manual were cancelled. Simon Kenton-Conner resumed after its lengthy delay and is still in progress.

Lloyd 38, Campbell County 20
Lloyd stayed perfect with a 38-20 victory over Campbell County, improving to 5-0 for the third time in the last four seasons. The Juggernauts jumped out to a 14-0 first-quarter lead and carried a 24-14 advantage into halftime before pulling away in the second half.

INDIANA

No. 12 East Central 38, Batesville 6
East Central pulled away from Batesville for a 38-6 victory, improving to 4-1 with its fourth straight win. Ryan Minges rushed for 128 yards in the first half alone, including a 43-yard touchdown that helped the Trojans build a 17-6 halftime lead. Colton Bellman found the end zone twice, catching a 12-yard touchdown pass from Ben Bond before adding a 6-yard scoring run in the third quarter. East Central has now outscored its last two opponents 101-13.

FRIDAY NIGHT STARS

Nathan Pabst, Beechwood: 27 carries, 161 yards and four rushing TDs, plus four catches for 40 yards and another TD. Finished with 201 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns, including the game-winner with 21 seconds left in a 42-35 win over CovCath.

Will Schmittauer, Turpin: Accounted for five touchdowns (three rush, two pass) with 214 yards passing and another 57 yards rushing as the Spartans doubled up Loveland, 42-31.

Hunter McLaughlin, Moeller: Completed 24-of-34 for 321 yards and three TDs with no interceptions as Moeller beat St. Xavier, 30-15.

Monsanna Torbert, Princeton: Ran for 188 yards and a TD on 15 carries, averaging 12.5 yards per attempt in Princeton’s 27-24 win over Lakota West.

Kaden Estep, Elder: Completed 18-of-21 passes for 227 yards and two TDs and rushed for another 86 yards, accounting for 313 total yards in a 31-0 win.

Kaden Lawson, Moeller: Dominated defensively with 3.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss as the Crusaders held St. Xavier to 217 total yards.

Morgan Brown, Deer Park: Turned just five recorded touches into 172 yards and three TDs, rushing for 100 yards and two scores and returning a kickoff 72 yards for another TD in a 54-0 win.

Tyler Watkins, Clermont Northeastern: A true two-way performance with 125 rushing yards and two TDs, plus seven solo tackles and two sacks in a 50-19 victory over Cincinnati Country Day.

Jordan Hall, Princeton: Rushed for 83 yards and two TDs and caught two passes for 27 yards. His 3-yard score with 3:20 remaining was the game-winner against Lakota West.

Brayden Ackerman, Elder: Had two interceptions and 64 return yards to help lead an Elder defense that surrendered just 81 total yards in its second consecutive shutout.

Oliver Young, Kings: Reached 197 rushing yards and scored two touchdowns in Kings’ 49-33 loss to Anderson.

BLITZ 5 GAME OF THE WEEK

#4 Moeller 30, #5 St. Xavier 15

A 7-7 game at halftime quickly swung Moeller’s way after the break. Hunter McLaughlin threw for 321 yards and three touchdowns, including two to Reggie Watson, while the Crusaders’ defense helped seal the GCL South victory with Makaio Butler’s late pick-six.

READ THE FULL BLITZ 5 GAME OF THE WEEK RECAP

SCOREBOARD SNAPSHOT

No. 2 Elder 31, Louisville St. Xavier 0
No. 7 Winton Woods 54, Walnut Hills 0
No. 8 Lakota East 37, Hamilton 13
McNicholas 24, No. 16 Withrow 21 – POSTGAME RADIO INTERVIEW: Mike Orlando, McNicholas
No. 17 Oak Hills 28, No. 21 Mason 21
No. 19 Lebanon 36, Little Miami 35 (OT)
No. 22 Fairfield 42, Sycamore 19
No. 23 Harrison 28, Ross 7
No. 24 Wyoming 21, Taylor 13
No. 25 Talawanda 42, Carroll 0