On Nov. 15, 2024, the Lloyd Memorial Juggernauts held a 20-0 lead over Russell in a Class 3A second-round playoff game.
But the Red Devils scored three unanswered touchdowns to stun the Juggernauts, winning 21-20. The difference in that game was a missed extra point by Lloyd in the first half.
On Nov. 21, 2025, Lloyd held a 14-13 lead over Russell after the Red Devils missed the extra point that would have tied the game. The Juggernauts wouldn’t be denied this time as a Colten Barger eight-yard run and an Izzy Turner 35-yard touchdown catch cemented a 28-13 victory.
“We’ve worked hard and have had that in the back of our mind. That’s been a motivation for us ever since,” senior quarterback Kaleb Evans said.
Now, the Juggernauts play Murray for the first time on Nov. 28. A win would send them to their first state championship game since 1976.
‘We’ve got good players and great coaches.’
In the regional final, Turner, just a sophomore, had the best game of his career so far, putting up 64 receiving yards and making four tackles.
Two of Turner’s classmates have been Lloyd’s key playmakers this year. Colten Barger leads the team with 950 receiving yards, 14 touchdowns and three interceptions. Lincoln Tomlinson has 132 tackles, two sacks and 698 rushing yards with 16 touchdowns.
The underclassmen have been a monumental part of Lloyd’s 13-0 record, which is a new school record for single-season wins.
“When you’ve got good players, you’ve got a good team. We’ve got good players and great coaches,” coach Kyle Niederman said.
Evans is one of the more notable seniors on the roster and isn’t taking a single game or snap for granted. He had to sit out his freshman and sophomore seasons with two separate collarbone fractures. While he could have been a four-year starter, he has led Lloyd to this point by completing 71.1 percent of his passes for 2,187 touchdowns.
He has never seen a season with more than three losses but still feels like the program is in a better place than when he was a freshman.
“Seeing the program flip and improve year after year, it’s a pretty cool thing to watch,” Evans said.
One of the keys to the program’s success under Niederman has been continuity. Ever since the administration moved the Tichenor Middle School Trojans’ locker room into the same building as the Juggernauts, there haven’t been any football players who have left for other schools. In four years, the roster has grown from 34 players to 74.
Niederman is in his seventh season at Lloyd. In his first three years, the Juggernauts went 13-16. An eight-man senior class in 2022 was really the catalyst for the turnaround, taking the team from a 1-2 start of the season to their first state semifinal since 2003. Lloyd has won eight playoff games and compiled a 42-9 record since the start of the 2022 season.
“That year set the tone for what leadership really looks like, in the weight room, in practice and on the film,” Niederman said. “Keep the faith; keep practicing hard. That group did that, and that’s become contagious in the program.”
Scouting the Murray Tigers
Murray, at 13-0 just like Lloyd, is in its first year in Class 3A after moving up from 2A. The Tigers are in the state semifinals for the first time since 2020.
Offensively, Wyatt Robbins has 3,130 passing yards, which ranks third in the entire state. Isaiah Martin is also third in the state with 1,221 receiving yards. Martin also has two interceptions this season. Simon Rickman and Gage Chapman have combined for 136 tackles, 11 sacks and five fumble recoveries.
“They’ve got size where they need size and speed where they need speed. I don’t want to say it’s a monumental task, but we’ve got a pretty large task in front of us,” Niederman said.
Friday night could be a high-scoring affair as the Tigers are averaging 46.7 points per game and the Juggernauts sit at 41.5.
They are also fairly similar on defense. Murray allows 179 yards and 16.2 points per game. Lloyd is giving up 197 yards and 13.2 points.
“They’re used to winning down there, and I will tell you, this is going to be a great opponent. We’ve got a lot of respect for them,” Niederman said.
There are two differences between this year’s state semifinal and the 2022 semifinal against Beechwood. First, and most obvious, the Juggernauts are at home, surrounded by their own fans. Second, the 19 seniors and 15 juniors on this year’s team have experienced this stage and atmosphere. They know what to expect.
“Hopefully the stands are packed, it’s really loud and it’ll be a great environment,” Evans said.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: ‘Pretty cool thing to watch.’ Lloyd Memorial ready for state semifinal
Reporting by Brendan Connelly, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
