This didn’t look like a great matchup on paper and still may not be, but nobody is quite sure what to expect from Princeton after the Vikings forfeited three wins this week because of an ineligible player. Could Princeton still be in the Division I playoff mix at 5-5 or 6-4? It’s certainly a possibility. The Middies, meanwhile, are trying to end a three-game losing streak. And Middletown head coach Don Simpson was the Vikings’ defensive coordinator last year.
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2. Edgewood (4-0) at Harrison (2-2)
Don’t be surprised if the point total is quite high in this one. With both teams’ offenses capable of producing some fireworks, the key should be who’s going to step up and make a few stops. Connor Kinnett is another special Harrison quarterback, while Edgewood’s Wing-T ground attack is running in high gear. This was expected to be the Southwest Ohio Conference championship game in the preseason, but Little Miami (4-0) has emerged as a title contender.
3. Badin (2-2) at Roger Bacon (2-2)
It’s hard to pick a front-runner right now in the final year of the Greater Catholic League Coed Central Division, and the Badin Rams and Bacon Spartans are taking a “Why not us?” approach to the whole thing. The North Division swept the Central in the first week of league play, and McNicholas — winner of six straight Central titles — is off to a 1-3 start. Badin and Bacon are both riding two-game losing streaks. The Rams have won 11 of their last 12 meetings, but the Spartans have Corey Kiner, the GCLC’s leading rusher.
4. Franklin (1-3) at Bellbrook (4-0)
Franklin would love to step forward and make a statement that it’s better than a 1-3 team, but the Golden Eagles are a strong bunch. Bellbrook has rushed for 898 yards and has a quarterback (Brendan Labensky) that’s thrown for 10 touchdowns and no interceptions. The Wildcats finished in a first-place tie with Valley View in the Southwestern Buckeye League Southwestern Division preseason coaches poll, while the Eagles were a close third.
5. Fenwick (3-1) vs. Alter (3-1) at Centerville
The GCL Coed’s North Division is looking very strong at the moment as Fenwick, Alter, Carroll and Chaminade Julienne are a combined 14-2. Fenwick-Alter has the makings of a bruising affair between two highly regarded teams that like to hit, and maybe it’s just Round 1 this year. They’re both in Division III, Region 12.
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