And that's the finale

Much is to be said in the upcoming days about the playoff teams from around the tristate. This is to be the same in Northern Kentucky's 4A district. There will be very little talk of those 4 teams that did not make the playoffs, so I am going to give them their props right now. It is tough enough to practice for a whole summer and fall, but to not reach the goal you set is possibly the toughest of all. Every team's original goal is to make the playoffs. This year, Scott, Conner, Simon Kenton, and Holmes all saw this goal fade away from them. Each team did have some spots of brightness though.

Scott
Even though they finished 8th in the district, this team showed that they had some heart and senior leadership. It is tough to come out and play when each week you are picked to lose, and I give these boys props for never giving up.

Conner
This is the team that I know the most about considering the fact that I was a senior ont he team. Conner looked decent out of the gate winning 2 out of their 3 non region games. Then they stumbled on Homecoming night and lossed a game to Holmes that they shouldn't have lost. The next couple weeks were tough as we lost 3 in a row. We then defeated Scott, which kept us out of the bottom spot in the division. Then we lost to SK and the n lost a tough game to Boone County on Senior Night. The Cougars were led by seniors Shane Taylor, Kyle Scroggins, Brian Samad, Alex Cote, Evan Draper, Andrew Hill, and Zack Ryle. The first three are talented backers, Shane being probably one of the best runners in the reigion. The last four led the offensive line that allowed Shane to run for over 800 yards on the ground. kyle Scroggins amassed over 200 tackling points for the Cougars and beat the old record previously held by linebacker Cole for the 1983 state championship team. These Cougars showed glimpses of glory, and could be poised to make a run next year on the promising young arm of Sophmore quarterback Chris Vargo.

Simon Kenton
This team was better than their record indicates. They had some tough running backs in Mike Haught and Ben Bishop, and a good QB behind center. This team just seemed to lose some tight games, even though they would put up a lot of points on the board. They put enough points on the board to beat the previous school record. Congrats to that bunch of players.

Holmes
This was possibly one of the best years for the bulldogs as Univeristy of Kentucky bound Duran Jefferson led them in every way possible. He led the team in offense and ini defense and was there main player. Rodney Covington was the other big man on offense. This team was just short of making the playoffs, but it was a good season for them none the less.

And those are some recaps of the teams that didn't make the playoffs. I wish all the seniors on these teams good luck and it has been fun playin against everyone.

Playoff projections

As always, these are not 100% guaranteed accurate, but I think at this point I'm feeling pretty good about them.

Division 1

St. X clinched the #1 seed with their win over Moeller. Colerain and Sycamore will be #'s 2 & 3 after their victories. Glen Este and Clayton Northmont will play each other as the 4 vs. 5 game; if Northmont beats Piqua they will host the game, if not Glen Este will host. Huber Heights Wayne is safely in at #6 and will travel to Sycamore. By virtue of the Middletown victory, it looks as though Moeller and Lakota West will sneak into the playoffs over Centerville, though it is very tight and could change based on any last minute changes.

Division 2

Harrison should be set as the #1 seed regardless of the outcome of their game against Anderson tonight, and will host Trotwood-Madison in the first round. Edgewood will come in at #2 and host Dayton Colonel White. Winton Woods and Dayton Carroll are tightly contesting for the #3 seed; whoever gets that seed should play New Carlisle Tecumseh, while #4 should go up against Turpin, who could swap the 5/6 seeds, they're also very close.

Division 4

Jonathan Alder easily slides in as the #1 seed after their victory over Clinton-Massie, and will host Dayton Oakwood. Blanchester will leapfrog C-M to get the #2 seed, while C-M will have to settle for the #3 spot. Deer Park locks up a playoff spot after knocking off Hughes. The next three spots are being fought in a razor-thin margin battle. North College Hill, Lemon-Monroe, and Wyoming should all be within 0.2 points, so it's hard to call who will finish where, but they're all in. Finneytown and Badin are likely on the outside looking in.

Props to Carlo Alvarez

An Ohio football power benefits from a strength coach's creative approach...Our stenghth and conditioning analyst and strength coach for St. X Carlo Alvarez got some props this past week from Sports Illustrated.

And That Makes 50!

As the lights heated up and the hot chocolate started to sell, the Colerain Cardinals were warming up to play the biggest challenge of the year, so far. The Cardinals came into the game with a lot more than the hopes of beating Sycamore; they were determined to beat Sycamore. The whole week leading up to the game everyone continued to call out the Cardinals, as if they already didn’t have anything to prove.

49 straight G.M.C. conference wins were on the line. The Cardinals wanted this one to not only say they beat the Aves, but to continue this dominance over the G.M.C. As Colerain took to the field the atmosphere in the stadium was as if the Aves were going to give Colerain a run for their money. But it wasn’t to be, Senior Eugene Clifford (Ohio State), would soon take over the game and crush the will of the Sycamore team. Some would say it could not be done, but the way Eugene plays, he made it possible. Eugene seemed to be everywhere on Friday night, making tackle after tackle and bringing in a key interception (pictured) and game changing touchdown.

As the streak has overcome many close game and some controversial calls, it still remains. The last team to beat Colerain was Lakota East in week 7 of the 1999 season. From that point on, no one from the G.M.C. has beaten the Cardinals. Also through the past 70 games verses public schools, Colerain has 69 wins, with the loss being to Upper Arlington in the 2000 state semi-finals.

Through the streak many great athletes have gone through the system. Approximately 21 D-1 scholarships have been produced since 1999; some of the notable athletes are Nick Davis DT (BGSU), Doug Monahan FS/WR (UC), Connor Smith OL (OSU), Dominick Goodman WR (UC), Cobrani Mixon LB (Michigan), and Terrill Byrd DL (UC).

The streak has gone through two US Presidents, and is approaching a third in 2008. The Cardinals have also have been featured in USA Today, The Sporting News, and on ESPN. Although it seems insignificant, the streak is what Colerain football is all about… perfection!

Ohio Playoff Projections - Week 9

With just a week remaining in the regular season, let's take a look at who needs to do what to get into the postseason. Remember that nothing resides in a vacuum within the Harbins, so it's almost impossible to make 100% statements, but I feel pretty secure in the info below.

Division 1

St. Xavier and Colerain have locked up the top two spots. If St. X defeats Moeller, they will be #1; otherwise, the mighty Cardinals will take the top spot. Sycamore needs only to defeat 2-7 Milford to secure the #3 spot.

Glen Este can do no worse than the #6 seed, and could move up to #4 if Clayton Nortmont falls to Piqua (very possible) and St. X wins over Moeller. However, if Moeller comes out as a victor, they will be virtually tied with a victorious Glen Este. If the Crusaders lose, they will be locked within 0.3 points of Centerville and Lakota West (assuming that Huber Heights Wayne wins their game; if not, those three likely all make the playoffs).

Strangely enough, the fates of the last three teams above could hinge on the Princeton vs. Middletown game. Centerville would earn 2nd level points from a Princeton win; Moeller and West would earn them from a Middletown win. That could make 0.5 points difference in the final rankings, which would move squads around at the bottom of the playoffs.

Anderson shot themselves in the foot with their loss to Mason last week, and now must defeat Harrison and have two of the Centerville/Lakota West/Wayne trio lose (they cannot overtake Moeller) to squeak in.

Division 2

Harrison should lock up the top spot with a win over Anderson, or a Winton Woods loss to Glen Este. Edgewood will stay at #2 regardless, since they have no game this week and can rest up for the playoffs. If WW loses, they'll fall no farther than 4th, and even only to 4 if Dayton Carroll knocks off McNicholas.

If Carroll wins, Turpin, New Carlisle Tecumseh, and Dayton Colonel White will fight for the next three spots, likely in that order unless a major upset occurs. Trotwood Madison will lock up the #8 seed with a win over sub-.500 Vandalia Butler. If they don't, there is a window for Kings to slip through, as they've been the recipient of good fortune and have compiled some additional 2nd level points.

Division 4

Blanchester will get either the #2 or #3 seed depending on whether Clinton-Massie knocks off Jonathan Alder. Deer Park should feel pretty confident in their playoff berth after their week 9 victory over Wyoming; a win over Hughes will probably give them a home game in the 1st round.

Lemon-Monroe is likely locked into the playoffs. North College Hill is probably ok as well, though if they lose to Madeira it might give Finneytown a backdoor into the postseason. Wyoming must win or their season is over.

Badin gave themselves unexpected new life last week after beating McNick, but would still need to beat Fenwick and get a significant amount of help to make it in.

Ohio Playoff Projections - Week 8, Division 4

Here's the projected matchups for Division 4, Region 16

#8 Dayton Oakwood at #1 Columbus Jonathan Alder

#5 Lemon-Monroe at #4 Clinton-Massie

#6 North College Hill at #3 Wyoming

#7 Deer Park at #2 Blanchester

This region is extremely volatile. Jonathan Alder plays Clinton-Massie in their final games; if C-M wins, they would be the #1 squad at a perfect 10-0. Blanchester should have no trouble winning out against East Clinton and New Richmond, but won't have enough points to move past #2. Wyoming needs to win one of its last two to get in; showing my Cowboy favoritism, I'm saying they win their last two against Deer Park and Goshen, the latter probably more doable than the former.

Lemon-Monroe is pretty much locked in unless they lose their last two. North College Hill should feel pretty comfortable, as only Summit Country Day and Madeira likely stand between them and the post-season. Deer Park needs one more win, either over Wyoming or Hughes, to feel comfortable.

Oakwood should do no worse than split their last two, which would put them just slightly ahead of Finneytown, who only has Taylor and CCD remaining. The difference, however, is less than 0.5 points, so something as simple as Mariemont beating CHCA would push them over the top. Springfield Northwestern is the only other school with an outside shot at the playoffs, but they would need significant help from the two above teams.

Elder drops 3rd game in a row

Elder's trip to Indianapolis pretty much ended the Panther's hopes for the playoffs. The devastating 24-0 defeat to Indianapolis Bishop Chatard left Elder on the outside looking in. I am currently checking on any possible scenario that could miraculously sneak the Panthers into the R4 top 8 to make the OHSAA playoffs.

As a Varsity Assistant for the Elder football team I've participated in one, that's right, one playoff game. And, I want to be in at least one more. The 38-3 loss to Colerain in 2004 was actually one of the high points of my career as a VA. I guess we'll just have to stick it out, and hope for a miracle to get us into the playoffs. Stay tuned for one last article from me on this great website. I have decided to try and formulate a large tribute piece to everyone that has been helpful to me on the sidelines and in the pressbox while being a Varsity Assistant. That should be in early next week. And, I'll be back here telling you what, if anything can boost Elder into the playoffs.

Elder's game this week is on Saturday with Cleveland Benedictine. The DIII team is 1-6 this season, but their schedule has been quite brutal for a DIII team. "They are a pretty good team," Elder head coach Doug Ramsey said. I honestly think Elder should blow out the Bengals on Saturday night. But, I thought the same thing last year, when Benedictine won 34-28, in The Pit. Hopefully I'm right about this one though.

Until then, all we can hope for is a miracle.

"Do you believe in miracles. Yes!"- Al Michaels, 1980 USA vs Russia Olympic hockey game

Ohio Playoff Projections - Week 8

Based on what is expected over the last two weeks, here are my initial amateur projections for the local regions in Divisions 1 & 2(the other divisions don't have enough local teams involved to go deeply into; Division 4 coming later).

Division 1, Region 4

#8 Anderson at #1 St. Xavier

#5 Glen Este at #4 Clayton Northmont

#6 Huber Heights Wayne at #3 Sycamore

#7 Lakota West at #2 Colerain

There's still a lot that could change here, but I'm picking St. X to win out over St. Ignatius and Moeller to take the top spot. Colerain will get #2 if they defeat Sycamore. I'm anticipating Glen Este to lose either to Harrison or Winton Woods (my guess is WW), which would allow Northmont to snag the home game if they defeat either Piqua or Trotwood-Madison.

After that it gets pretty sketchy. Wayne and Lakota West should get through their final two games unscathed, and if Anderson wins out they're in the thick of the playoff race as well.

Right now I have Centerville as the first team out; even with two wins my guess is they fall a half-point short. The guess here is that Moeller loses its last two games (very difficult ones against St. Edward and St. Xaver) and finishes at #10; if they win one of those, they'll leapfrog straight up to #6. Lebanon is finishing strong, but it won't be enough to make the playoffs. As for Elder, I can't find any scenario in which they make the postseason either.

The difference between 6 and 10 looks to be about 1.5 points. To give you an idea how close that is, if Winton Woods loses one of its last two games, that might affect West's point total enough to knock them out of the playoffs. This is going to be extremely tight.

Division 2, Region 8

#8 Trotwood-Madison at #1 Winton Woods

#5 Harrison at #4 New Carlisle Tecumseh

#6 Dayton Colonel White at #3 Turpin

#7 Dayton Carroll at #2 Edgewood

This projection is based on WW winning its last two games and Harrison losing its last two. If WW slips, Edgewood will move up to #1. Harrison could slide up as high as #2 if it wins out, though against Glen Este and Anderson that's unlikely. If Carroll wins one of its last two they could move up to snag a home game away from Tecumseh. Other than that there's not much intrigue here. Kings and Western Brown are the only area teams within striking distance, and neither has a strong enough schedule to give them points to make a run at the playoffs.

Playoff Updates in Northern Kentucky 4A

Here is the order up to date of the teams in NKY 4A.
1. Campbell County (6-2, 4-1)
They defeated Ryle giving them the tie breaker between the teams.
Teams Left: vs. Dixie, At Holmes

2. Ryle (6-2, 4-1)
Has all but secured spot in playoffs.
Teams Left: vs. Scott, vs. Dixie

3.Boone County (4-4, 4-1)
Beat Dixie therefore giving them the tiebreaker between the two teams.
Teams Left: vs. Holmes, At Conner

4. Dixie Heights ( 4-4, 4-1)
Will have to fight to stay alive.
Teams Left: At Campbell County, At Ryle

5. Holmes (4-4, 2-3)
Is the only team with an outside shot.
Teams Left: At Boone County, vs. Campbell County

6. Simon Kenton (4-4, 1-4)
Eliminated from playoffs
Teams left: At Conner, At Scott

7. Conner (3-5, 1-4)
Eliminated from playoffs
Teams Left: vs. Simon Kenton, vs. Boone County

8. Scott (1-7, 0-5)
Eliminated from playoffs
Teams left: At Ryle, vs. Simon Kenton

The fact of the matter is the only way that the top four change is if Holmes wins out, which in my opinion is very unlikely, and one of the top 4 lose out, which if I had to pick one, I would say its Dixie. That shouldn't happen though so lets say that those for are in it. The top team should now be between Ryle and Campbell County. Boone fans get mad I know, but I think it will be too difficult for the Rebels to win out and have both Ryle and Campbell lose a game. I just don't see it happening. Here is what I see going into the first week of the playoffs.

1.Ryle
2.Campbell County
3. Boone County
4. Dixie Heights

I think Campbell should beat Holmes, but Dixie is a good team. I just don't know if they will be able to pull it off. I say Dixie wins. I see Ryle winning out and taking the division. Boone I do believe will beat Holmes, but I am not so sure about those Cougars. Last year it was the same situation, and if my memory serves me correct, the Cougars won. Dixie will take a W over Campbell County, but I don't know if they can stop Ryle's offense.

I wish all the teams luck and as a senior, lets finish our careers off with a finish this area hasn't seen in a LONG time.

Harbin preview - Week 8

When the Harbin ratings come out tomorrow, Sycamore and St. Xavier will have strengthened their holds on the top two spots in Region 4. Colerain will move up a notch, thanks to the Glen Este loss to Anderson, setting up the local D1 game of the year against Sycamore next week. The big movers are Anderson (who moved into the #8 playoff spot) and Centerville, who each jumped up several spots following big wins. Elder slips out of the top 8 down to #10 after the whuppin they received from Bishop Chatard. Lebanon is making a late surge after their big win over Fairborn, but at #12 they've got some work still to do.

Despite their loss to Mason, Winton Woods continues to hold on to the top spot in Region 8. However, Edgewood is quietly creeping up behind them, winning their 6th straight last week against Talawanda. Harrison took a big game against Loveland to move up to #3 after dropping following their loss to Winton Woods. Turpin continued their roll to the playoffs, but wins over Little Miami aren't going to do much for their ranking, as they stay at #6. Kings swapped spots at 9 & 10 with Western Brown after both won, but they still need some outside help.

Indian Hill continues to stalk St. Francis De Sales in Region 12 after their big win over Deer Park, moving up to #2. Taft drops a spot to #10 despite their victory over winless Jefferson Township, and will likely need wins in their last two games against Chaminade and LaSalle to make the playoffs. Goshen lost their best shot to make the playoffs after slipping against Blanchester. McNicholas blew an easy win against Fenwick and is likely done.

North College Hill and Wyoming both make big moves into the top 5 of Region 16; NCH after a win over New Miami and several key Level 2 wins, Wyoming following a key victory over Reading. Deer Park's heartbreaker against Indian Hill drops them from #4 to #7. Finneytown holds steady at #8 with a victory over Mariemont. Badin jumped up to #10 after taking one from Roger Bacon.

The only local team in contention for a Region 20 or 24 playoff spot is Reading, who stayed at #4 in 20 despite losing to Wyoming. This week's tilt against Indian Hill is big for both teams; the Blue Devils are probably set to get into the playoffs, though a win here could lock up a first round game.

Breaking down the Harbin ratings - Week 7, Divisions 2 & 4

Division II

Winton Woods stands atop region 8 with a 5-2 record, 4 of those 5 victories coming against 5 win clubs, which beefs up their 2nd level points enough to leapfrog undefeated Dayton Carroll. They should probably win their next two games before facing Glen Este in the season finale. Harrison still controls their own destiny; however, that destiny includes Glen Este and Anderson. They may have to win at least one of those games to guarantee themselves a playoff berth.

Edgewood has only two games remaining, both of which are winable, so they are probably set for the postseason. Turpin would seem to be in good shape, as they will likely run the table to finish at 9-1, but may have to sweat it out considering that 5 of those will come against 1 or 2 win teams.

Western Brown and Kings both shot themselves in the foot with losses last week; both teams have weak schedules; both teams will need outside help even if they win out, as Trotwood Madison and Dunbar are probably better positioned for the stretch run. Ross has an outside shot if they run the table, the middle game of which is against Talawanda, who needs a near miracle to make the postseason.

Division IV

Surprising Deer Park probably needs only to split its next two games against Indian Hill and Wyoming to lock up their first playoff berth in quite some time. North College Hill is also 6-1, but when your biggest win is over CHCA, you shouldn't get too comfortable. They need to win out, with only New Miami looking to pose even a moderate threat.

Finneytown looked great before stumbling the past two weeks. Winning out may not be too difficult; hoping that Reading and Shroder Padeia keep doing so is another matter. Wyoming saved their season by beating Finneytown last week, but with a schedule of Reading, Deer Park, and Goshen ahead, it's hard to see them making the playoffs without at least two wins. Mariemont needs to beat Finneytown this week to have any chance at the playoffs.

Playoff Breakdown in NKY 4A

Playoffs are just around the corner now, and several Northern Kentucky teams can taste the playoff waters. There are only two teams that stand winless in the division, which are Conner and Scott. One of those two teams will claim their first district win Friday night. There is only one team that has all but secured their right to play in November. This would be the Boone County Rebels at 4-0 in the district. They have defeated Ryle and Dixie, which are tied with Campbell County for second in the district with records of 3-1. Holmes plays into the district picture at 2-2 and with a strong finish, the Bulldogs could easily play into the picture of November football. Simon Kenton finishes out the teams at 1-3 in the district. Their chances seem to be fading although a lot of crazier things have occured in recent years. This should be a playoff push that will leave many teams gasping for breath as most will be waiting until the last night to see if their team has made it or if it will be a long wait for more prep football. Good Luck to all teams and lets finish this year out strong.

Breaking down the Harbin ratings - Week 7, Division 1

With three weeks to go, here's a summary of how the local teams stack up for the playoff run.

Division I

Barring any unexpected losses, the top four are pretty much locked in right now; it's just a matter of seeding. Sycamore, St. Xavier, Glen Este, and Colerain are looking quite solid right now to get home games. If Colerain loses to Sycamore and gets some bad luck, they could possibly fall below #4, but it's not likely. St. X has the inside track on the #1 seed, but games against Cleveland St. Ignatius and Moeller still loom large.

Lakota West looks pretty solidly in, with games against lowlights Milford and Fairfield on tap before their season finale against Lakota East. Moeller has vaulted back into the playoff race, mostly thanks to their victory over Elder last week, but also due to Kettering Fairmont's upset loss to Beavercreek and Troy's inability to gain a single 2nd level point last week. However, the Crusaders have a rough slate of games ahead.

Elder is in a heap of trouble. With only four victories, they're likely going to need to win out, and Bishop Chatard is no slouch, and neither is 1-6 Benedictine (who took undefeated Fremont Ross to overtime). If the Panthers falter, it may benefit either Withrow or Anderson. Withrow may finally crack the playoff race if they can get through Colonel White and Dunbar the next two weeks, as they're finally beating quality competition. However, Anderson could leapfrog them if they can knock off Glen Este this week, and then Harrison in week 10. Lakota East and Oak Hills are likely out of the picture.

Need for Speed: Pride and Godfrey Change the Game

Over the years the Colerain Cardinals have been known for the type of offense that comes out and makes the statement, “stop us up the middle if you can.” Well this year, it has been a new type of offense with the addition of the speed of its wingbacks, Gary Pride and Je’Sean Godfrey (pictured above, breaking a tackle), who have been critical in the success of the Cards’ offence.

Gary and Je’Sean have been the playmakers of the Cards’ season. It seems whenever the dive up the middle is being shut down; Gary and Je’Sean are there every time to break a 20-yard run. The Cardinal offense is depending on these two, to give the offense the game changing play that crushes the spirit of the opponents.

Over the course of the season the two have been used differently in different games. Gary, the faster of the two, has accounted for 416 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns, with a long of 79 yards. He also has had 3 additional touchdowns through the air. Gary is the guy Colerain looks to for being the one to break the “big” play or to simply put the ball in the end zone on a 3rd and goal from far out. With this being his second year in the offense, first at running back, Gary knows what is expected of him in big situations and know what he should do when the coaches call his number.

Je’Sean, the lesser known of the two, is one of the most shifty and agile players ever to come into the Cards’ offense. Je’Sean is mostly known for his ankle breaking spin move, which more often than not has the defenders diving into air to try to make and attempt to tackle him. Despite being 5’ 7, he is still a load to bring down and defenses have a hard time getting a hand on him. He is certainly the guy that people don’t plan for, but come game day, he is always a factor in the high scoring offense. Je’Sean is especially effective on the short screen pass when he gets a blocker or two in front of him, which allows him to move around and make things happen. Je’Sean currently has 5 touchdowns; through the air he has 7 receptions for 92 yards to go along with 2 touchdown receptions.

The new speedy agile wingbacks are important in the triple option attack. It allows the Cardinals to spread out the defense, while giving defensive coordinators headaches as they attempt to develop schemes to stop it.

Elder travels to take on Indianapolis Bishop Chatard

This week Elder travels up I-74 into Indianapolis to take on Bishop Chatard High School. Chatard, who is 7-1 this season, look to end their season on the right note by defeating the Panthers. Chatard has not won in the four meetings between the schools. In 2000 Elder won 40-16, in 2003 Elder won 17-16, in 2004 Elder won 21-15, and last season the Panthers defeated the Trojans 35-13.

Elder comes off of a tough week, and an even tougher game against Moeller. On the opening kickoff senior co-captain Casey Lysaght (OL) went down with a knee injury, and later on in the game fellow senior Troy Skeens (OL) had to be removed because of a concussion. both will be on the sidelines this week, leaving an already shaky offensive line with some huge gaps.

Overall, the Panthers need to come out and make a statement with this game. If Elder loses, there won't be a week 11 game for the second straight year in a row at Elder. The playoffs start on Friday night, at Broad Ripple High School, where the game will take place for Elder. Every week from here on in is a playoff game. Hopefully, the Panthers can corral Chatard senior RB joe Holland, who last season rushed 27 times for 246 yards on the Panther's defense. Elder will once again rely on the legs of senior RB Patrick Williams, and look to spread the ball around to its talented WR corps. This game has been close in prior years, and Elder will need to bring their intensity, and best game to beat the Trojans.

**The link above should contain a good breakdown of Chatard's game by game stats provided by an unconfirmed source. These stats, to my knowledge, aren't official, but I believe the information is close to correct.

Greater Miami Conference Rundown

This weekend will offer some great games in GMC play. These are my predictions of which teams will prevail on the gridiron.

Oak Hills over Fairfield
The Highlanders improved their conference record to 2-1 with a win over Milford last Friday. They will need a big game from RB Joe Rosenberger. Oak Hills should leave Fairfield with the 'W'.

Middletown over Milford
Middletown quarterback Skylar Jones has already commited to play his college ball at Wake Forest next year. Along with a great arm, he's also got a great set of wheels to go with. Look for him to dominate the dismal Milford defense.

Lakota East over Princeton
Lakota East is much better than their 3-3 record suggests. They have lost to very tough teams, including the Colerain Cardinals. As long as QB Colt Cattani can avoid throwing interceptions, East should win at home.

Colerain over Hamilton
This Cardinal team is stacked. So far, they have simply crushed opponents on both sides of the ball. They have shutout four of the six teams they have played. Expect Colerain to win in a rout as their march to the playoffs continues.

Sycamore over Lakota West
This should be the premier matchup in GMC play thus far. This is one of the two main games that Aviator fans have been looking forward to, with the other being Colerain on October 20th. Lakota West's lone loss came against Colerain, and they would love to climb into second place in the conference. Sycamore gets the edge at home, in a very close game.

Some GCL-S scenarios

Well, today I had some time, make that a lot of time, and I thought about giving you folks a little insight into how the GCL-S will play out. Three games left in the schedule, including this week's two games, and the final week's St. X vs Moeller matchup should decide the league crown. To the best of my abilities I came up with this:

****(Under the paragraph explaining the scenario there are records if that scenario would play out. The first set of records listed would be if St. X won, and the second set of records listed would be if Moeller won their October 27th meeting.)

IF St. X beats LaSalle & Elder beats Moeller: Then, the final game would decide the champion. if St. X won the final game, they would take the title outright with a 3-0 record. However, if Moeller were to beat St. X, then there would be a three way tie with St. X, Elder, and Moeller since they all would have defeated another. I think this is the most likely scenario.

If X wins last game 1st, and if Moeller wins last game second:

St. X 3-0 Elder 2-1

Elder 2-1 Moeller 2-1

Moeller 1-2 St. X 2-1

LaSalle 0-3 LaSalle 0-3

IF St. X beats LaSalle & Moeller beats Elder: The final game between Moeller and St. X would decide the league champion, because both teams would come into the game with identical 2-0 records.

If X wins last game 1st, and if Moeller wins last game second:

St. X 3-0 Moeller 3-0

Moeller 2-1 St. X 2-1

Elder 1-2 Elder 1-2

LaSalle 0-3 LaSalle 0-3

IF LaSalle beats St. X and Elder beats Moeller: The final game would again decide the league champion. If in the last game Moeller beat St. X, then Elder, that's right Elder, would win the GCL-S crown. If St. X were to beat Moeller, then St. X would take home the trophy. This would ideal for Elder since they would receive points for the playoffs if LaSalle wins having already defeated the Lancers.

If X wins last game 1st, and if Moeller wins last game second:

St. X 2-1 Elder 2-1

Elder 2-1 Moeller 2-1

Moeller 1-2 LaSalle 1-2

LaSalle 1-2 St. X 1-2

IF LaSalle beats St. X and Moeller beats Elder: The final game would again decide the outcome of the league. If moeller won the final game, they, with an undefeated league record would win the league title, and if St. X were to beat Moeller, they would take home the crown, owning the tiebreaker over the Crusaders because of the victory head-to-head.

If X wins last game first, and if Moeller wins last game second:

St. X 2-1 Moeller 3-0

Moeller 2-1 St. X 1-2

Elder 1-2 Elder 1-2

LaSalle 1-2 LaSalle 1-2

4-2 Elder looks to close out GCL play with win

After Elder' 30-15 loss to St. Xavier, the focus immediately went to Moeller. The Crusaders, who are 3-2 this season, come into the matchup with Elder after beating LaSalle last week 31-17.

In that game, senior WR/PR Chedrick Cherry had five returns for 112 yards. Cherry, the Crusaders' leading receiver, has amassed 294 yards on nineteen receptions and three touchdowns. Senior Ross Oltorik is 58 for 97 for 807 yards through the air, and has added to the Crusader rushing attack with 48 rushes for 264 yards. Leading runner Tim Uecker has 70 rushes for 424 yards on this season.

In the loss to St. X, junior quarterback John Groene completed ten of his seventeen passes for 140 yards. The St. X defense stifled the Panther rushing attack holding the offense to a total of 179 yards, with 39 on the ground added to the 140 through the air. The leading receiver for the Panthers was senior Andrew Mellott, who had three catches for 80 yards.

Moeller looks to improve their record in the league to 2-0, and Elder will close league play this week. Look for the Panthers to continue to rely on senior Pat Williams, and stretch the defense out before going to the air. Moeller should try to look to Cherry, who has had a very standout career as a Crusader, for a majority of their pass plays. Uecker should add another element to the Moeller attack on the ground.

Also, this game, which was originally scheduled for Moeller's "home" field of Lockland stadium, was moved on Friday of last week to UC's Nippert Stadium. For Elder, this will be their third game at UC's home stadium, and the Panthers have a 1-1 record there this season. Moeller lost to Byrnes (SC) in the Herbstreit Challenge in their only game at UC this year. The game will kickoff at 7:30, and should have a great atmosphere. This game used to be one of the best rivalries, and this game has serious playoff implications. Many playoff predictions have the loser of this game missing the playoffs, or just barely sneaking in the last spot in Region IV. It should be another great Elder/Moeller matchup. Tickets are $5 for students pre-sale, and $6 for adults pre-sale. Tickets are $7 at the gate Saturday night.

Aviators head into homecoming undefeated

It was another Friday night, and another win for the Sycamore varsity football team. With the 26-14 win over Middletown, the team improved its record to 6-0.
For the most part, Sycamore was able to contain Middletown QB Skylar Jones. Jones will be going to Wake Forest next season to play football. He had 164 yards through the air, including a TD pass to WR Brandon Ramsey. He was intercepted once by Sycamore's Steve Hull. Skylar also had a rushing touchdown.
The Aviators are tied atop the Greater Miami Conference standings as they head into Friday’s showdown with the Lakota West Firebirds. West is currently 5-1.
Many expect a close game. That’s why the team is hoping that everyone will be decked out in green and gold for the game.
Mike Latessa, 12, had a huge game on Friday against the Middies. He picked up 155 rushing yards on 25 attempts. He also scored three touchdowns.
Sycamore is expecting a big crowd in what will be the second game at their new stadium.