It’s a battle of ECC foes in this weeks Blitz 5 Game of The Week, as the West Clermont
Wolves will look to rebound after a tough defeat last week to the Anderson Raptors, 49-7. The
visiting Wolves squad will face a tough challenge in their conference rivals Lebanon, who held
on over Loveland last week in a close 28-25 contest. The Warriors will be looking to exact some
revenge on West Clermont from last year, which saw the Wolves defeat Lebanon 24-14 at
home.
#22 West Clermont Wolves (1-1, 0-1) at #21 Lebanon Warriors (2-0, 1-0)
Kickoff: 7:00 p.m.
James VanDerGrift Stadium
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PLAYERS TO WATCH: West Clermont’s offense rolls through senior tailback Landon Young,
the early-season rushing leader in the ECC. Through the first two games of the season, he has
amassed 234 rushing yards on just 41 attempts, at 5.7 yards per attempt. The senior already
has 4 touchdowns, but all four came in the Wolves’ week one matchup win over Mt. Healthy.
Young was stifled against the formidable Anderson defense, and looks poised to rebound with a
big night against Lebanon. The Wolves also feature senior Calliou Robinson on the defensive
side of the ball. Robinson is a 6-foot-2 game wrecker at defensive end for West Clermont; in three
years starting for West Clermont, he has racked up 139 tackles and 15.5 sacks.
Lebanon features a talented duo at the quarterback and wideout positions, where senior signal
caller Luke Faler can create big plays with both his arm and his legs for the Warriors. Faler has
amassed 336 yards and 2 touchdowns through the early season, while also carrying the ball for
110 yards on the ground. Faler’s favorite target has to be his senior wideout Daniel Wallace,
who currently is averaging 89 rec yards per game so far this season, including a 100-yard game
last week against Loveland. Senior linebacker Hunter Davis is the leader of the Warriors
defense, and he currently is third in the ECC for total tackles; Davis has 20 through just two
games.
TEAM TRENDS: Since the beginning of the 2023 season, the Lebanon Warriors have amassed
a 14-8 record, averaging 24.4 points per game in that span. Lebanon has made a penchant of
winning close games, with their largest margin of victory since ‘23 being a 35-point victory over
Little Miami two years ago. In fact, in the seven times these two teams have played each other,
starting in 2018, the largest margin of victory was just ten points; when the Warriors beat the
Wolves 17-7 in 2019.
Going back to the beginning of last season, West Clermont is undefeated (8-0) in games where
Landon Young has over 100 rushing yards. In their five losses, Young has not once gone over
100 yards rushing. In order for the Wolves to be competitive Friday night, Young has to have a
big night on the ground.
HEAD COACHES:
West Clermont: Ben Moorman (8-5 at West Clermont, overall, second year)
Lebanon: Micah Faler (20-17 at Lebanon, overall, fourth year)
PLAYOFF HISTORY:
West Clermont (six appearances, 0-6) – 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2017
Lebanon (14 appearances, 12-13) – 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2016, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998 (State Champion), 1997 (Regional Champion), 1988, 1980 (State Runner-up)
WEST CLERMONT’S KEYS TO VICTORY: Give Landon Young room to run. As mentioned
before, the Wolves are undefeated in games where Young rushes for more than 100 yards (8-
0), including in their win over Lebanon last year, and all five of their losses with Young in the
backfield have come in games where he did not eclipse the 100 yard mark. If Young finds
success, so do the Wolves.
LEBANON’S KEYS TO VICTORY: The Warriors will need to lean on their quarterback play to
generate offensive success, as Luke Faler has done early and often this season. The senior
gunslinger has been the driving force behind Lebanon’s 2-0 start, utilizing both his legs and his
arm to great success. Lebanon must win in the trenches defensively as well, limiting Landon
Young’s production and impact on the game.
Prediction: West Clermont 31, Lebanon 24
