Best Bets: Week 10

Another week is upon us, and that can only mean another slate of great matchups across the Tri-State. Whether you’re a team in Ohio, Indiana or Kentucky, the season is entering its stretch run. Indiana opens the playoffs this week, Ohio closes the regular season and Kentucky wraps up district play with another regular-season week still to come. There is still time to make a run and finish strong.

Last week, we had several teams put up strong performances. Anderson continued its domination of the ECC with a win over Winton Woods. Lakota East took care of Colerain, La Salle survived against Harrison and Indian Hill got the win over Deer Park. We can expect more competitive matchups on this week’s slate.

In Week 10, Northwest travels to Harrison, Lebanon heads to Winton Woods, New Richmond visits Wilmington and Ryle makes the trip to Simon Kenton. Things are beginning to heat up. Here are the Best Bets for Week 10.

Northwest at #14 Harrison

The Knights are 8-1 and have enjoyed one of their best seasons since head coach Brandon Schon was a junior linebacker himself back in 2013. That year, Northwest won its first playoff game in school history, and the Knights would love to do more postseason winning this year.

Jaylen Lilly has been a major bright spot for Northwest as a dual-threat quarterback. Lilly has passed for more than 700 yards and 13 touchdowns while rushing for more than 1,000 yards and 12 additional scores. Ethan Dixon has carried a major load on offense as well, rushing for 922 yards and six touchdowns. Kaleb Peters leads the team in tackles, with Dixon second on the squad.

Harrison is coming off a 24-20 defeat to La Salle. The Wildcats have had a great season and seem poised to make a run in the Region 8 playoffs. Brady Lawhon has led the team from the quarterback position, passing for 1,884 yards and 19 touchdowns for the 7-2 Wildcats. He has also rushed for 261 yards and six scores.

Wyatt Dennis leads the rushing attack with 633 yards and six touchdowns, while Colton Rehage and Kyle Davidson are the team’s most effective wideouts. Issiah Taylor and David Baldock lead the team defensively.

Bet on Harrison to get a big win at home.

#20 Lebanon at #7 Winton Woods

Lebanon is coming off a dominant 49-7 win over Walnut Hills. The Warriors look like a team that could cause problems for a higher seed in the postseason. The main reason is a running game anchored by Logan Schmenk.

The ECC’s leading rusher has been tough to slow down all season, piling up 1,399 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns. Mason Reed has been more than solid at quarterback in his first year as a starter. Reed has thrown for 1,401 yards and 13 touchdowns while contributing 337 rushing yards and four scores. Wyatt Lassen is a threat at wide receiver, and Evan Gray leads the league with seven sacks.

Winton Woods fell to the buzzsaw that is Anderson last week. The Warriors will be looking to get back on track as they prepare for the Region 4 playoffs.

Zeke Garrett has been a constant at running back with 941 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. Garrett will need to dominate games going forward to help an otherwise pedestrian offense. Jojo Jones has put up good numbers, though much of that production has come against teams near the bottom of the league standings.

The defense will be the reason the Warriors could make a splash this week and beyond. Christian Coston and Terrence Moore lead that side of the ball, but the entire unit is full of playmakers.

Bet on Winton Woods to get the home win.

New Richmond at Wilmington

New Richmond and Wilmington both sit at 5-4, with each looking to secure a winning regular season in Friday’s finale.

Brady Young has passed for 2,165 yards and 20 touchdowns for New Richmond, which likes to spread the ball around through the air to players such as Peyton Abner and James Vail.

Wilmington is productive in the running game, led by Jaidyn Collier’s 947 yards and 10 touchdowns and Josiah Puller’s 773 yards and nine scores. This matchup will come down to which team can dictate its style of play.

Bet on Wilmington to get the win at home.

Ryle at Simon Kenton

Ryle and Simon Kenton have been something of mirror images this season. Both sit at 4-4 and have had similar results against several common opponents. Both have also struggled to put points on the board. Ryle is averaging 14.6 points per game, while Simon Kenton is a tick above 20.

The Class 6A, District 6 title is on the line. Ryle can claim it outright with a win. Simon Kenton needs a victory and a Campbell County win over Great Crossing to take the outright crown. Wins by Simon Kenton and Great Crossing would create a three-way tie.

Cruze Sauley and Xavier Collins have been threats in the running game for Ryle. Sophomore quarterback Brody Smith has helped the Raiders weather some difficult stretches.

Simon Kenton has relied heavily on junior quarterback Grant Webb. His running ability has helped the Pioneers move the chains and control the tempo.

Bet on Ryle to claim the title.

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GAME OF THE WEEK

Make sure to check out the COMPLETE PREVIEW for this week’s featured game on the Blitz 5 Tour, Walnut Hills at #20 Lebanon.

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Here are some other games for teams ranked inside the Blitz 5 Top 25:

OHIO

#16 Fairfield at #1 Princeton
#2 Lakota West at #21 Oak Hills
#18 Colerain at #22 Mason
#23 Wyoming at Deer Park

INDIANA

Madison at #10 East Central

KENTUCKY