Colerain’s run of 20 straight GMC titles already has been assured to end, as only Mason and Princeton remain in the mix with fewer than two conference losses.
“There’s no other way around it, it’s huge,” West coach Tom Bolden said. “The kids are fired up. They understand the challenge and path ahead with a really good Mason team, but we are fired up for a chance to play for a league title Friday night.”
Badin (5-0, 4-0 Greater Catholic League Co-Ed) also has a chance to win an outright title Saturday afternoon against McNicholas (4-1, GCLC 3-1). The Rams shared the title last year with Chaminade Julienne but now can clinch their second outright championship in three years.
McNicholas is coming off a 28-7 loss to Alter last week, but the Rockets allow just 12.4 points per game and have three players with 200 yards rushing or more, including senior quarterback Clay Badylak, who also has thrown for 606 yards. Badin quarterback Landyn Vidourek has 705 yards passing and eight touchdowns, while Dallas Rawlings and Jack Walsh both have 200-plus yards rushing.
“McNick is a very good team,” Badin coach Nick Yordy said. “They have tough, hard-nosed kids. There’s a lot on the line for both teams, and there’s a lot to play for. With everyone going to the playoffs, it’s exciting in Week 6, the last one of the regular-season, to have a meaningful game like this.”
By the time Badin plays Saturday, most teams already will be moving on to playoff preparations. Yordy said he tried to get the game moved to Thursday so that wouldn’t be the case but it didn’t work out.
Meanwhile, West has been waiting an extra week to get on the field and now faces a Mason team that is coming off its first defeat, a 12-7 decision at Hamilton. The Firebirds were disappointed to lose a game off the already-shortened schedule because of COVID-19 concerns, especially with the playoffs set to begin next week and all teams advancing.
“It’s really weird thinking of the playoffs in the middle of the season, and the last game just past the midway point and the playoffs starting with the weather nice,” Bolden said. “It’s weird just like the whole thing has been. Not playing last week at first was so disappointing and still sucks but it is what it is. Like I told the kids, we control what we can control. We took those extra days to prepare and rest up and be ready to roll.”
Bolden said the Comets are a typical Mason squad – well-coached and always in the right spots defensively. Offensively, they aren’t flashy but take care of the ball and are fundamentally sound. Nolan McCormick has 479 yards rushing and five touchdowns, and quarterback Michael Molnar has completed 36 of 54 passes for 307 yards and three touchdowns with one interception.
West has allowed 20 total points in five games with two shutouts but is still finding its way offensively behind sophomore quarterback Mitch Bolden and a trio of running backs that share the bulk of the carries – Joshua Brogden, Cameron Good and Aden Miller. Bolden said the Firebirds just need to avoid turnovers and know their assignments on defense and let their athleticism take over.
Although the Firebirds had one less game and teams didn’t get a normal ramp-up to the conference schedule, Bolden said the title would be even more special this season considering all the adversity players faced without the usual offseason or preseason. He doesn’t think anyone will doubt it was earned.
The same goes for Badin, as the Rams are showing “their ability to stay locked in and focused,” according to Yordy.
“Everyone thought it would be a two-week quarantine (in March), but that turned into months, and kids had to train on their own,” Bolden said. “We did everything they needed to do to stay healthy, and I’m just really proud of the kids, how they’ve handled everything from the beginning with the craziness, and I told them Friday is a chance to celebrate their hard work.”
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