Week 9 delivered plenty of fireworks across the Tri-state as conference championship races intensified, playoff positioning came into focus and several highly ranked teams found themselves on the wrong end of surprising results Friday night.
The biggest showdown came in the Eastern Cincinnati Conference, where #4 Anderson flexed its offensive muscle in a 47-21 victory over #5 Winton Woods behind six touchdown passes from Owen Scalf. Elsewhere, #22 Mason stunned #10 Middletown, #18 La Salle knocked off #12 Harrison and Indian Hill handed previously unbeaten Deer Park its first loss. Meanwhile, #1 Princeton and #2 Lakota West continued rolling, while #9 East Central stumbled in its regular-season finale against Roncalli. With just one week remaining in Ohio’s regular season, the stakes are only getting higher.
ANDERSON OVERWHELMS WINTON WOODS
The highly anticipated Eastern Cincinnati Conference showdown lived up to the hype before #4 Anderson pulled away in the second half for a convincing 47-21 victory over #5 Winton Woods on Friday night.
Senior quarterback Owen Scalf threw six touchdown passes as the Raptors (8-1, 8-0) extended their remarkable winning streak against ECC opponents to 35 games, including postseason contests.
Anderson entered the contest averaging 60.6 points per game in conference play, while Winton Woods had allowed just 6.0. Something had to give, and the Raptors’ explosive offense ultimately proved too much.
Scalf connected with Tysin Weaver for a 34-yard touchdown on fourth down to open the scoring. Winton Woods answered with a five-yard touchdown run from Josiah Jones before Anderson pulled off some trickery. Scalf threw to Jordan Davis, who fired a left-handed pass to Weaver for a 55-yard score.
Isaiah Garrett’s one-yard touchdown run tied the game at 14 in the second quarter, but Scalf found Cooper Kathman for a 14-yard touchdown on fourth down to give Anderson a 20-14 halftime lead.
The Raptors gradually took control after intermission. Weaver finished with 12 receptions for 222 yards and four touchdowns, while Kathman added seven catches for 160 yards and three scores.
Winton Woods (7-2, 7-1) pulled within 26-21 on a Jones touchdown pass to Quinton Simms midway through the third quarter, but Anderson scored the game’s final 21 points.
The victory kept Anderson unbeaten in ECC play and strengthened its position for a top seed in Ohio Division II, Region 8. The Warriors, meanwhile, suffered their first conference defeat and will look to regroup before the postseason.
AROUND THE TRI-STATE
CINCINNATI
No. 22 Mason 24, No. 10 Middletown 7
Mason delivered one of Week 9’s biggest upsets, scoring 21 unanswered second-half points to knock off #10 Middletown in Greater Miami Conference action.
The Comets (3-6, 3-5) entered having lost four of their previous five games but turned in a dominant performance on both sides of the ball.
Trailing 7-3 at halftime, Mason took control in the third quarter. CJ Layton scored on runs of one and 12 yards to give the Comets a 17-7 advantage. He added another one-yard touchdown in the fourth to seal the victory.
Layton finished with 81 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries, while quarterback Alex Nagel rushed for a game-high 104 yards.
Mason dominated the line of scrimmage, outrushing Middletown 190-20 and holding a 239-110 advantage in total offense.
Defensively, Jonathan Balsly recorded eight tackles, while Dave Hutton and Louis Walker each intercepted a pass.
The Middies (5-4, 5-3) managed just eight first downs as Mason earned a statement victory heading into the regular-season finale.
No. 18 La Salle 24, No. 12 Harrison 20
La Salle delivered one of Week 9’s biggest upsets, holding off #12 Harrison, 24-20, to breathe new life into its Division II, Region 8 playoff hopes.
The Lancers (4-5) entered having lost five of their previous six games and sitting on the postseason bubble, but raced to a 21-0 lead behind quarterback Garrett Fraley. He connected with Naseer Salaam on a 50-yard touchdown and Tyler Roby on a 36-yard strike.
Harrison (7-2) refused to fold. Quarterback Brady Lawhon scored on a five-yard run before finding Kyle Davidson for touchdown passes of 25 and 40 yards, pulling the Wildcats within 21-20 late in the third quarter.
Senior Ben Markarian intercepted Fraley twice, giving him seven picks on the season, but Harrison couldn’t complete the comeback.
Grayson Bedacht drilled a 37-yard field goal with 3:30 remaining to extend La Salle’s lead to four. The Lancers then delivered the decisive defensive stop on fourth-and-two with 1:33 left.
The victory gives La Salle a crucial boost in the Region 8 playoff race while dealing Harrison just its second defeat.
Indian Hill 42, Deer Park 22
Indian Hill continued its late-season surge, handing previously unbeaten Deer Park its first loss with a convincing 42-22 victory in a pivotal Cincinnati Hills League showdown.
The Braves (7-2, 5-1) won their fifth straight game, jumping out to a 14-0 first-quarter lead and taking a commanding 21-3 advantage into halftime.
Devlan Daniel sparked the offense with a five-yard touchdown run on an 80-yard opening drive. He added a 26-yard scoring run early in the third quarter following a Deer Park fumble, extending Indian Hill’s lead to 28-3.
The Wildcats (8-1, 5-1) fought back behind quarterback Tink Sellers, who connected with Lewis for two touchdowns. Braylon Dennis also provided a spark with a kickoff return for a score.
Despite the loss, Deer Park junior Morgan Brown made history, becoming the program’s all-time leader in career all-purpose yards with a 12-yard reception in the second quarter.
Indian Hill has now outscored opponents 228-29 during its five-game winning streak, keeping its conference championship hopes alive heading into Week 10.
NORTHERN KENTUCKY
No. 15 Covington Catholic 35, Harrison County 12
Covington Catholic erupted for 28 first-quarter points and cruised past Harrison County, 35-12, to get back above .500 heading into the regular-season finale.
The Colonels (5-4) scored on their first four possessions, highlighted by Kiyan Miller’s 20-yard touchdown run and Charlie Hull’s 67-yard scoring strike to Brandon Smith.
Jamir Kirtley added a three-yard touchdown run, while Cash Myers scored from 11 yards out to make it 28-0 after one quarter. Miller added an 18-yard scoring run early in the second to extend the lead to 35-0.
CovCath dominated defensively, holding the Thorobreds to just 39 total yards, including minus-five passing, while recording three sacks.
The Colonels outgained Harrison County 271-39 and allowed just four first downs in the convincing victory.
INDIANA
Roncalli 28, No. 9 East Central 10
East Central closed the regular season with a disappointing 28-10 loss to visiting Roncalli, as the Royals scored 14 unanswered second-half points to pull away from the Trojans.
After a scoreless opening quarter, Roncalli struck first on a three-yard touchdown pass from Dominic Cromer to Luke Roeder. East Central answered with a 34-yard field goal by Blake Sterwerf, but Roeder returned the ensuing kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown.
Quarterback Ben Bond scored on a four-yard run just before halftime to pull the Trojans within 14-10.
Roncalli took control after intermission, holding East Central scoreless while adding two rushing touchdowns.
The Royals outgained the Trojans just 294-280, but East Central struggled to finish drives despite rushing 49 times for 141 yards.
Roncalli quarterback Dominic Cromer finished with 139 passing yards and a touchdown while adding a rushing score.
East Central (7-2) now turns its attention to the Indiana Class 4A state playoffs, which begin next Friday.
FRIDAY NIGHT STARS
QB Owen Scalf, Anderson
6 PaTD in 47-21 win over Winton Woods
WR Tysin Weaver, Anderson
12 Rec, 222 RecYd, 4 RecTD vs. Winton Woods
RB Kenyon Norman, Lakota West
16 Car, 127 RuYd, 5 RuTD vs. Sycamore
RB Logan Schmenk, Lebanon
12 Car, 193 RuYd, 4 RuTD vs. Walnut Hills
QB Kaden Estep, Elder
202 PaYd, PaTD; 75 RuYd, 3 RuTD vs. Bishop Chatard
RB CJ Layton, Mason
17 Car, 81 RuYd, 3 RuTD in upset of Middletown
RB Mason Wheeler, Fairfield
14 Car, 177 RuYd, 2 RuTD vs. Hamilton
DB Gianni Simpson, Princeton
2 INT, 64 INT return yards vs. Oak Hills
DL Jaylon Jones, Kings
4 Tkl, 2 Sacks, 2 FF vs. Turpin
DL Liam Dillow, Clermont Northeastern
5 Tkl, 3 Sacks in shutout of Fayetteville
BLITZ 5 GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 20 Lebanon 49, Walnut Hills 7
Logan Schmenk ran wild Friday night, scoring four touchdowns, including a 75-yard burst, as #20 Lebanon rolled past Walnut Hills, 49-7, in the WLWT Blitz 5 Game of the Week. The Warriors erupted for 28 second-quarter points and scored 42 unanswered to improve to 7-2.
SCOREBOARD SNAPSHOT
- No. 1 Princeton 39, No. 21 Oak Hills 7 – FULL RECAP
- No. 2 Lakota West 63, Sycamore 13
- No. 6 St. Xavier 28, St. Ignatius 21 – FULL RECAP
- No. 7 Elder 31, Bishop Chatard (IN) 21
- No. 8 Highlands 61, Mason County 0
- No. 11 Lakota East 41, No. 16 Colerain 23
- No. 13 Beechwood 69, Gallatin County 0
- No. 14 Fairfield 47, Hamilton 20
- No. 17 Withrow 35, Hughes 16
- No. 19 Badin 20, Alter 14 (OT) – FULL RECAP
- No. 23 Wyoming 49, Reading 0
- No. 24 McNicholas 32, Bishop Fenwick 7
- Wilmington 27, No. 25 Goshen 7
Get the complete scores from all of this week’s action on the Underground Sports Shop Scoreboard at TriStateFootball.com/scores.
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