Greater Cincinnati high school football: Games to watch for Week 1
Friday Night Lights (and some Thursday and Saturday) returns to Greater Cincinnati in full force this week, with dozens of games kicking off all around the area.
While the first kickoffs of the year are special everywhere, here are a few games to keep an eye on this weekend.
Submitting picks are writers Brendan Connelly, Alex Harrison and James Weber, in addition to digital content coach, Melanie Laughman.
Schedule: 2023 Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky high school football week 1 schedule
More: Catch up on the Enquirer's 2023 high school fall sports coverage
Colerain at La Salle
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday at La Salle
What to watch: Two of Cincinnati’s blueblood programs fell on hard times last season, with the Cardinals finishing 4-7 and the Lancers 2-9. The nearby rivals, who are four miles apart, will look to start the bounce back against each other. The series has been competitive in the past decade, with La Salle winning 17-13 last year after posting a 20-14 win in 2021. The teams did not play in 2019-20.
Colerain was a dominant running team last year, running for 275 yards per game, but lost its top two rushers including quarterback Zaccaeus “Zae” Jennings, who transferred to Winton Woods. La Salle struggled on offense last year, scoring under 17 points per game, but returns junior quarterback Pat McLaughlin, who threw for 811 yards and five TDs in part-time duty, completing 62 percent of his passes.
Koy Beasley, a Purdue commit, leads the secondary for La Salle as the fourth-ranked senior in Ohio and he is also a key receiver for the Lancers (23 catches, 407 yards, 3 TDs). Junior Naim Jackson, a three-star recruit, anchors the defensive line.
Picks: La Salle (Connelly, Weber, Laughman, Harrison).
ICYMI: Huddle up for city's top high school football players by position heading into 2023
Pickerington North at Elder
When: 7 p.m. Friday at Elder
What to watch: It’s a battle of Panthers at the Pit as these two programs are meeting for the first time in their histories. Pick North was 7-5 last year while Elder was 10-3. The big draw for the visitors is senior Sam Williams-Dixon, who recently committed to Ohio State. Williams-Dixon transferred to Pick North after being first-team all-state in Division IV last season as a junior at Millersburg West Holmes. He rushed for 316 yards and five touchdowns in one playoff win and scored seven total touchdowns in another playoff win. Elder finished 10-3 last season, losing 30-10 to Lakota West in the Division I playoffs and allowing 141 yards per game on the ground, plus 17 points per game overall.
Picks: Elder (Connelly, Weber, Laughman, Harrison)
Badin at Hamilton
When: 7 p.m. Friday at Hamilton.
What to watch: This historic contest, this year part of the Skyline Chili Crosstown Showdown series, is only the fifth meeting all-time between the city rivals who are less than four miles apart, and the first meeting since 2000. Badin has won three of the previous four matchups. By kickoff time, it is likely to be the first sellout in the history of Hamilton’s Virgil M. Schwarm Stadium.
Badin went to the Division III state championship game in 2021 and the regional finals last year, going 13-1 overall. The Rams return veteran quarterback Alex Ritzie, a third-team all-Ohio selection as part of a deep veteran team with a large senior class. Carson Cheek, a two-way threat at receiver and defensive back, was productive on both sides of the ball and second-team all-Ohio.
Hamilton, 3-8 last year, had trouble scoring in 2022, averaging 11 points per game. The Big Blue were strong on defense last season, allowing 22 points per game, but they graduated their top four tacklers.
Picks: Badin (Connelly, Weber, Laughman, Harrison)
2023 high school football preview: A look at local teams in the SWBL,GCL-Coed
Lakota West at St. Xavier
When: at St. Xavier, 7 p.m. Friday
What to watch: Despite the difference in records, this will be a marquee matchup of two of the most talented teams in Ohio. St. Xavier was 5-7 last year against a brutal schedule of regional powers. The Bombers are led by new quarterback Chase Herbstreit and Ted Hammond, a defensive lineman committed to Michigan.
Lakota West, 13-1 last year, returns a lot of star power on defense, including Notre Dame commit Taebron Bennie-Powell in the secondary, Navy commit Jacob Asbeck and Akron commit Elijah Davis on the line. The Firebirds will have a new quarterback under center, likely freshman Jackson Smith, after four-year starter Mitch Bolden graduated.
Lakota West won 16-13 last season. St. X won 31-14 in 2021 and eliminated the Firebirds in the 2020 playoffs, 10-7.
Picks: Lakota West (Weber); St. Xavier (Connelly, Laughman, Harrison).
More: 'A lot to prove': St. Xavier football hungry for success in new season
More: 'We push each other every single day': Lakota West hopes for title run with new QB
Roger Bacon at Indian Hill
When: 7 p.m. Friday at Indian Hill.
What to watch: The teams haven’t played since 2017, when Indian Hill beat the Spartans 45-19 after claiming a 48-10 win the year before.
Bacon has dominated its division in the Miami Valley Conference since joining the league and went 6-5 last year. The Spartans have several dynamic playmakers including quarterback Landen Murphy and running backs Jayson Stewart and Jahmir Hutsell. The Braves went 3-7 last year but only graduated one starter and brings back dynamic senior speedster John Podojil, who was a state track qualifier in the 100 meters but missed last football season to injury.
Picks: Indian Hill (Connelly, Weber, Laughman); Roger Bacon (Harrison).
CHL: 2023 high school football preview: A look at teams in the Cincinnati Hills League
MVC: 2023 high school football preview: A look at the Miami Valley Conference
Withrow at Walnut Hills
When: 7 p.m. Thursday at Walnut Hills
What to watch: Currently in different leagues, these two rivals are only two miles apart as they open the season with a Thursday night special for the second-straight year. Withrow won 45-7 last year and has won the last two games in the series, while Walnut Hills won the previous four.
Walnut struggled against everyone last year, going 0-10 and only scoring 10 points per game. The Eagles had a large roster last year and only graduated seven seniors.
Withrow was 8-4 last year and will be led on offense by two key transfers: Quarterback Luke Dunn (Moeller) and receiver Chris Henry, Jr. (West Clermont). Dunn led the GCL-South with 1,856 passing yards and 18 touchdowns. Henry, the son of former Bengals receiver Chris Henry, committed to Ohio State in July. Last season, he had 29 catches for five touchdowns last year and was second-team all-district in the secondary. University of Kentucky commit Terhyon Nichols leads the Withrow secondary.
Pick: Withrow (Connelly, Weber, Laughman, Harrison)
East Central at Lawrenceburg
When: 7 p.m. Friday at Lawrenceburg.
What to watch: The Dearborn County rivals both advanced to the state championship game in their class last season. East Central won the 4A state championship while Lawrenceburg fell to Bishop Chatard in the 3A championship game. This is one of the marquee matchups in the Hoosier State this weekend as it is the only one which pairs two state finalists from last season.
Heading into this season, East Central is picked to repeat in 4A in a statewide poll by Indiana Preps, and Lawrenceburg is picked to finish second again in 3A behind Chatard.
East Central senior running back Josh Ringer returns as one of the leading contenders for Indiana Mr. Football after rushing for over 2,300 yards and 39 TDs last season. Senior Cole Burton returns at quarterback and will be chasing several school passing records. Junior running back Teagan Bennett leads Lawrenceburg, which suffered heavy graduation losses from a dominant defense last season but returns one of the state’s top players in Noah Knigga.
The Tigers haven’t beaten the Trojans since 1992.
Picks: East Central (Connelly, Weber, Laughman, Harrison).
More: How do Lawrenceburg, East Central and South Dearborn football look for 2023?
Ryle at Covington Catholic
When: 7 p.m. Friday at CovCath
What to watch: These are two teams looking to make noise after a disappointing end to 2022. Ryle went 6-6 and lost in the second round of the Class 6A playoffs. Covington Catholic went 9-3 but bowed out to eventual state champion Frederick Douglass in the second round of the Class 5A state playoffs. A reclassification to Class 4A means the Colonels should be contenders for the crown once again.
Both sides have a main attraction on offense. Ryle quarterback Logan Verax threw for 2,018 yards and 17 touchdowns last year, while Covington Catholic tight end Willie Rodriguez racked up 295 receiving yards and five touchdowns before breaking his elbow. Rodriguez is committed to playing at the University of Kentucky.
The Raiders and Colonels have met 16 times since 1998. The Colonels hold a 9-7 edge in the series thanks in part to a current five-game winning streak that extends back to 2017. This matchup produced a total of 68 points last year; expect another high-scoring affair this Friday.
Picks: Ryle (Weber); CovCath (Connelly, Laughman, Harrison)
Newport Central Catholic at Lloyd Memorial
When: 7 p.m. Thursday at Lloyd
What to watch: What a way to kick off the football season in Kentucky! The lone Thursday game in the Bluegrass, part of the Skyline Chili Crosstown Showdown series, is ripe with storylines.
Both teams are coming off state semifinal appearances, NCC in Class 1A and Lloyd in Class 2A. The Juggernauts made the offseason switch to Class 3A and replaced their turf field.
Behind quarterback Kolton Smith and running back Demetrick Welch, the Thoroughbreds are looking for their sixth state championship. Avander Abrams, Yurii Collins Comer and Elijah Westwood anchor a Juggernauts defense that allowed 17.4 points in the regular season.
The Thoroughbreds and Juggernauts have met 21 times since 2001, with NCC winning 20 of the contests. Lloyd’s win came in a 46-14 victory in 2017.
Picks: NewCath (Connelly, Weber, Laughman, Harrison).
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Greater Cincinnati high school football: Games to watch for Week 1
