Top 25 matchups don’t disappoint to open season
#2 ST. XAVIER 14, #3 LAKOTA WEST 7
In a season-opening matchup of Top 25 squads, the Lakota West Firebirds and St. Xavier Bombers squared off at St. X Friday night in a defensive slugfest that saw the Bombers come out on top 14-7.
St. X drew first blood, as wideout Cam Taylor caught a 36-yard TD pass from Jackson Frey at the end of the first quarter for a 7-0 lead.
Lakota West knotted it up in the second quarter, without wide receiver Tyson Davis snagging a 12-yard pass for a TD, and it was 7-7 going into halftime.
PHOTOS: Lakota West at St. Xavier
St. X’s Cam Taylor came up big again in the third quarter, catching a 16-yard TD from Frey – his second score of the game – to put the Bomber’s back out on front 14-7
That’s how it would stay, as the St. X defense stiffened to give them Bombers their first win on the season, 14-7 over the Firebirds.
#23 BADIN 38, #12 HAMILTON 20
Virgil Schwarm Stadium in Hamilton was rocking Friday night, as city rivals Hamilton Big Blue and Badin Rams faced off at Hamilton High School to kick off the 2025 regular season.
The game started with a bang, as senior returner James Brink took the opening kickoff to the house to give the Rams a 7-0 lead. The Big Blue would claw back, and took a 21-14 lead into the half.
The second half saw the Rams score 10 unanswered points to take a 24-21 lead in the third quarter. A goalline plunge late in the third quarter by Hamilton QB Jayden McClain brought the Big Blue within one score, 24-20,, but Badin took control and a 14-point fourth quarter helped them pull away for a 38-20 victory.
LA SALLE 42 COLERAIN 0
The 2025 edition of the LaSalle Lancers made it clear Friday night they have their sights set on more than just a regional runner-up finish this year.
Hosting the Colerain Cardinals Friday night at LaSalle High School, the Lancers won their fifth straight in the rivalry, dismantling the Cardinals by a score of 42-0.
The game was decided in the first half, as one TD toss and one TD run by QB Avier Carter helped the Lancers build a 28-0 lead after one quarter. LaSalle took a 36-0 lead into halftime and finished the job by notching the first shutout in the rivalry series since 2018 – the last time Colerain defeated the Lancers. RB David Malone Jr. ran for two scores to help the LaSalle effort.
Here are some other scores from key Cincinnati games this week:
No. 4 Princeton vs. No. 1 Moeller (Saturday)
No. 8 Cooper 10 at No. 5 Anderson 52
No. 6 Winton Woods 21, Springfield 14
No. 7 Elder 34, Mt. Zion Prep 0
No. 13 Lakota East 35, Centerville 20
No. 14 Taft 37, Jeffersonville 0
No. 15 Middletown 28, Troy 20
No. 17 Mason 7, Springboro 21
No. 18 Kings 44, Sycamore 7
No. 19 Lebanon 20, Northmont 5
No. 20 Withrow 35, Milford 0
No. 21 West Clermont 42, Mt. Healthy 7
No. 24 Fairfield 24, Wayne 31
Get the complete scores from all of tonight’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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