It’s hard to believe we’re already through Week 4 of the high school football season.
There were a number of exhilarating games on both sides of the river, both in league play and in non-conference games. Several teams also made statements in their respective league races.
Here are the biggest storylines and performers from Sept. 12.
Greater Miami Conference as competitive as ever
Princeton and Middletown are tied atop the standings with a 3-0 conference record. Lakota East, Lakota West, Fairfield and Mason are right behind them at 2-1. Week 5 will provide a little more clarity to the standings as Lakota West travels to Fairfield and Lakota East heads to Princeton. Mason also faces a gritty Hamilton team on the road.
The GMC has been won by Princeton or Lakota West every year since 2019. The Vikings made a statement with a 27-10 win over the Firebirds, but with so many teams experiencing newfound success, the next six weeks are sure to provide a non-insignificant amount of theater.
Steve Specht becomes St. Xavier’s all-time winningest football coach
The Bombers are 4-0 following a 28-0 win over Westerville North, but that wasn’t the only achievement worth celebrating.
Head coach Steve Specht, a 1987 St. X graduate, is now the program’s all-time winningest coach. Over 22 seasons, his record stands at 190-77. Specht surpasses his former coach and predecessor Steve Rasso, who had a record of 189-89-2 from 1978 to 2003.
Over the course of his career at St. X, Specht has won nine outright Greater Catholic League-South titles and four state championships (2005, 2007, 2016, 2020). He’ll hope to add another impressive win to his resume on Sept. 19, as the Bombers square off against a team they have not beaten since 2021: the Moeller Crusaders.
Highlands, Ryle fumble chances against state’s top teams
The Raiders were hosting defending Class 3A state champion Christian Academy-Louisville while the Bluebirds were on the road against perennial 4A power Boyle County.
Ryle got off to a slow start, trailing 17-7 at halftime and 27-14 in the fourth quarter before mounting a comeback. The Raiders got to within 34-27 on a touchdown pass from Nathan Verax to Jacob Savage, but couldn’t recover the ensuing onside kick that would have given them a chance to tie or take the lead.
In a back-and-forth game, Highlands took a 20-14 lead in the third quarter on a pass from Rio Litmer to Ian Garrahan. Boyle County answered to take a 21-20 lead with about four minutes left in the game, then used a trick play to convert a fake punt with two minutes left and seal the victory.
Ryle is now 2-2 and Highlands is 3-1. Coincidentally, they play each other next week at David Cecil Memorial Stadium in Fort Thomas. By no means is the season over for the loser of that game, but there will be an increased sense of urgency heading into the second half of the regular season.
Indian Hill Braves make statement beating Wyoming in CHL opener
Indian Hill set the tone for the rest of the Cincinnati Hills League with a dominant 28-7 victory over Wyoming on the road. The Braves’ defense wreaked havoc all night, allowing an unofficial 200 total yards while shutting out the Cowboys for more than 41 minutes.
Offensively, quarterback Devlan Daniel was 6-of-9 for 155 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran 10 times for 61 yards and a score to lead Indian Hill to its first 4-0 start since 2020. The Braves also snapped Wyoming’s 17-game regular-season winning streak.
Daniel, who made the switch to quarterback this summer, has now thrown eight touchdowns and zero interceptions in four games this season. On the ground, he’s run for nearly 300 yards and five scores behind a formidable duo of Jacob Alexander and Evan Riggs.
Indian Hill has outscored its four opponents, 146-35, and looks primed to capture the CHL crown for the second time in three seasons.
Deer Park moves to 4-0 for the first time since 2018
Speaking of the CHL, Deer Park is 4-0 for the first time in seven years with four dominating victories. The Wildcats opened up conference play with a 26-6 victory over Reading and have now outscored its four opponents 149-64.
Quarterback Tink Sellers, a junior, had 16 total touchdowns (10 passing, 6 rushing) and Morgan Brown is the CHL’s leading receiver (he also ranks fifth in rushing).
Is Deer Park legit in Division VI under second-year head coach Tucker Berger? The Wildcats’ four wins come against teams with a combined record of 2-13, but they’ve handled business, especially over the last three weeks. Deer Park hosts 1-3 Finneytown in Week 5.
Holy Cross is 4-0 for the first time ever
Another 4-0 team making waves is Holy Cross, undefeated through four games for the first time in school history following its 48-0 victory over Holmes. The Indians cracked the KHSAA media poll top 10 for class 1A last week, and a dominant showing against Holmes should have them moving up the list. Their defense has shut out two of their four opponents, and the offense has scored over 40 in three of their contests.
Against Holmes tonight, the Holy Cross defense forced four turnovers and scored a touchdown. Return man Thomas Maddox found the end zone again with his second return touchdown of the year. The Indians ground attack led the way offensively as it has all season, this time racking up 247 yards and four touchdowns.
A favorable schedule has certainly helped Holy Cross – their opponents have combined for only three wins so far – but they have looked like world beaters against that schedule. Keep an eye on the Indians as they look to keep rewriting the record books.
Moeller and Christ Presbyterian showed unity
Following Moeller’s 49-28 win over Christ Presbyterian Academy, players and coaches from both teams joined together in prayer. After recent tragic national headlines, many saw the act as an encouraging symbol of unity.
Which high school football players had the best performances in Week 4?
Corrious Booker, Fairfield: The freshman ran for 174 yards and a touchdown in Fairfield’s 34-9 win over Sycamore.
Morgan Brown, Deer Park: The sophomore totaled 172 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns on 15 touches in Deer Park’s 26-6 win over Reading. Brown ran for 135 yards and led the Wildcats through the air with three catches for 37 yards.
AJ Kaylor, Mason: The sophomore had six tackles, three sacks and forced a pair of fumbles in Mason’s 24-14 win over Oak Hills.
Jared Lammers, Elder: Lammers had eight tackles against La Salle and made the game-clinching interception with 49 seconds left to seal Elder’s 16-8 win.
Brady Schmidt, Clermont Northeastern: Schmidt led Clermont Northeastern to a 40-6 win over Lockland, totaling five touchdowns. He ran for two scores and threw for three more, including one to leading receiver Jaxon Vining (6 receptions, 118 yards)
Joseph Reuss, McNicholas: Reuss ran for 115 yards and a touchdown on 19 attempts in McNicholas’ 26-0 win over Roger Bacon.
Aden Reeder, St. Xavier: The senior had 1.5 sacks and 1.5 tackles for loss for a Bombers’ defense that allowed just 87 total yards in a 28-0 win over Westerville North.
Owen Scalf, Anderson: The junior quarterback passed 50 times in a 36-10 win over Lebanon, amassing 399 yards and three touchdowns. Scalf was thrown for 333 yards or more three times this season.
Windon Lowe, Talawanda: Lowe had 11 total tackles, including 3.5 for a loss, and a pair of sacks in Talawanda’s 35-10 win over Franklin.
Colton Rehage, Harrison: Rehage was one of two 100-yard rushers (Preston Flick) in Harrison’s 48-8 win over Western Hills. The sophomore ran 11 times for 102 yards and three touchdowns.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Top takeaways and performances from Week 4 of Greater Cincinnati high school football
Reporting by Brendan Connelly, Shelby Dermer, Alex Harrison and Chase Souder, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
