The Blitz 5 Game of the Week heads northeast up Interstate 71 this Friday for an Eastern Cincinnati Conference matchup as Walnut Hills visits #20 Lebanon. The Eagles are still searching for their first victory of 2026, while the Warriors look to rebound from a heartbreaking loss and improve their playoff positioning with the regular season winding down.
WALNUT HILLS EAGLES (0-8, 0-7) at #20 LEBANON WARRIORS (6-2, 5-2)
Kickoff: 7:00 p.m., October 16
At: James VanDeGrift Stadium, Lebanon High School, Lebanon, Ohio
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PLAYERS TO WATCH: Walnut Hills senior quarterback Joshua Thornton leads the Eagles’ offense. A First Team All-ECC selection as a junior, the dual-threat signal-caller has thrown for 751 yards and five touchdowns this season. He is also the team’s leading rusher with 614 yards and seven touchdowns on 112 carries, ranking sixth in the ECC.
Sophomore running back Tristan Davidson provides another threat out of the backfield with 349 yards and two touchdowns on 76 carries.
Senior wide receiver Caylen Murray has emerged as one of the ECC’s top pass catchers. He leads the conference with 50 receptions for 475 yards and three touchdowns. Murray also has two kickoff returns for touchdowns, including a 98-yarder.
Defensively, senior defensive end Braylon Coleman leads Walnut Hills with two sacks to go along with 33 tackles, a forced fumble and an interception.
For Lebanon, the offense revolves around senior running back Logan Schmenk. A First Team All-ECC selection as a junior after rushing for 803 yards and six touchdowns, Schmenk has taken his game to another level this fall. He has carried 188 times for 1,206 yards and 19 touchdowns, establishing himself as one of the Tri-State’s premier running backs.
The Warriors have plenty of other weapons. Junior quarterback Mason Reed has completed 60.8 percent of his passes for 1,206 yards and 13 touchdowns against just four interceptions. He has also rushed for 315 yards and three scores.
Senior running back Lincoln Womack adds depth to the backfield with 249 yards and three touchdowns on 46 carries.
Reed’s favorite target is junior wide receiver Wyatt Lassen, a Second Team All-ECC selection as a sophomore. Lassen has hauled in 38 receptions for 686 yards and 10 touchdowns, ranking third in the ECC in receiving yards.
On defense, Lebanon features a formidable pass-rushing duo in senior linebacker Evan Gray and senior defensive tackle Brody Lamb. Gray leads the ECC with seven sacks, while Lamb, a First Team All-ECC selection as a junior, ranks third in the conference with 4.5 sacks.
TEAM TRENDS: Walnut Hills has endured a difficult stretch in recent years and enters Friday still searching for its first win of the season. The Eagles’ last winning campaign came in 2010, when they finished 8-3 and reached the playoffs before falling to Colerain. Since then, Walnut Hills has posted just two non-losing seasons, finishing 5-5 in both 2012 and 2019.
First-year head coach Dominick Goodman knows plenty about winning football. A standout running back at Colerain, Goodman set an Ohio Division I state championship game record with 259 rushing yards and four touchdowns in 2004. He later played wide receiver at the University of Cincinnati.
The Eagles have struggled on both sides of the ball this season, averaging just 14.0 points per game while surrendering an ECC-worst 51.0 points per contest. Their lone game with more than 20 points came in a 49-42 loss to Loveland in Week 6.
Walnut Hills ranks last in the ECC in total offense at 225 yards per game and second-to-last in passing at 94 yards per contest. However, the Eagles have found some success on the ground, averaging 131 rushing yards per game.
Lebanon enters Week 9 looking to regroup following a wild 63-60 loss to Turpin last Friday. The Warriors’ only other defeat came against #4 Anderson.
The Warriors boast the ECC’s top rushing attack, averaging 241.6 yards per game. They rank fourth in the conference in total offense (402.9 yards per game) and scoring (37.1 points per contest).
Lebanon is also fighting for valuable postseason positioning in Ohio Division I, Region 4. The Warriors are in the playoff picture and have their sights set on earning a top-four seed and the accompanying first-round bye. With just two regular-season games remaining, every victory carries added importance.
The Warriors have dominated the series since joining the ECC in 2020, winning all six meetings against Walnut Hills. Lebanon rolled to a 42-8 victory in last year’s matchup.
HEAD COACHES:
Walnut Hills: Dominick Goodman (0-8 at Walnut Hills, first year; 0-8 overall, first year)
Lebanon: Micah Faler (32-22 at Lebanon, fifth year; 32-22 overall, fifth year)
PLAYOFF HISTORY:
Walnut Hills (three appearances, 0-3) – 2021, 2020, 2010
Lebanon (15 appearances, 13-14) – 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2016, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998 (State Champion), 1997 (Regional Champion), 1988, 1980 (State Runner-up)
WALNUT HILLS KEYS TO VICTORY: Control the clock and keep Lebanon’s explosive offense on the sidelines. The Eagles will need productive drives from quarterback Joshua Thornton and running back Tristan Davidson to sustain possession and limit opportunities for Logan Schmenk and the Warriors’ rushing attack.
Walnut Hills has shown flashes of offensive production, and Lebanon has surrendered 32.9 points per game in ECC play. If the Eagles can establish the run, avoid turnovers and finish drives with touchdowns, they could put pressure on the Warriors and give themselves a chance to pull off the upset.
LEBANON KEYS TO VICTORY: Establish Logan Schmenk early and often. With more than 1,200 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns this season, Schmenk is the engine of the Warriors’ offense. He should find opportunities against a Walnut Hills defense allowing 211.8 rushing yards per game.
If the Eagles manage to slow the ground game, Lebanon has more than enough firepower through the air. Quarterback Mason Reed and wide receiver Wyatt Lassen give the Warriors an explosive passing combination capable of stretching the field.
After surrendering 63 points last week, Lebanon will also look for a stronger defensive effort as it prepares for the postseason.
Prediction: Lebanon 49, Walnut Hills 14
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