Tipp would seem to have all it takes to get past 10-1 Talawanda this week, including Xavier Melton (above). (Press Pros Feature Photos)
Week 2 of the playoffs will include the top four seeds from each region, and not without risk. Lowers seed proved in the opening round that they’re out to upset the pecking order.
Without a doubt, the most consequential missed pick from last week was the Minster-Lehman game in Division VII…a game that we picked Minster for the fact of a 6-4 record while playing in the state’s most competitive conference, and frankly, a step up in competition for the 9-1 Cavaliers playing out of the Three Rivers Conference.
And just as frank, we probably would have made the same pick again.
But if you don’t think sports is about irony, consider that Minster scored 48 points in that game with Lehman…and lost! The very scenario that prompted legendary Green Bay coach Vince Lombardi to scream at his Packers defense during a game with the Chicago Bears: “What the h—‘s going on out here?” A moment that was captured and played forever after, courtesy of NFL films.
But credit Lehman for scoring 50, in a game that’s been talked about all week, and one that we’ve heard about from points throughout for picking Minster,
A lot of “What the h—‘s going on at Press Pros?”
And if you don’t think about ironies in sports, that win propelled Lehman into round two this week and squarely into the sights of 15-time, and defending state champion Marion Local. And no doubt, Lehman and quarterback Turner Lachey (373 yards passing and three touchdowns against Minster) will come out and try to reprise that Lombardi moment, only with a helluva’ lot more people watching this time than watched against Minster.
And that’s the just the beginning of Week 2 and top four seeds at risk with this week’s Friday Night Picks. Locally, we’re talking about Marion Local, St. Henry, Tri-Village, Mechanicsburg, Miami East, Graham, Xenia, Troy and Tipp City…they’re all at risk. And I’ll share the same logic as to how they manage that risk that I shared about Lehman and Minster.
Orthopedic Associates of Southwest Ohio sponsor your favorite sports on Press Pros Magazine.com.
The Friday Night Picks, as always, is sponsored exclusively by the professionals at Orthopedic Associates of Southwest Ohio, whose nine convenient locations and reputation for care and compassion is always top-ranked. If and when you need orthopedic care, you’ll appreciate the confidence of your outcome, before, during, and after. Trust the best…the professionals at the Orthopedic Associates of Southwest Ohio. One of their offices is sure to be near you.
Despite Minster and Lehman, we got 7 of the 8 picks right in Week 1, and that’s a pretty high bar to match. But we’ll try, starting with………
Cincinnati LaSalle @ Xenia (Division II)…OK, strength of schedule here is very compelling. LaSalle is 8-3, playing out of the GCL, and if you look at their resume’, compared to Xenia playing in the MVL, it’s hard not to respect their record – losses to Moeller and St. X, and wins against Withrow and Kettering Fairmont and Turpin. The Lancers have the seen the elephant more often, and bigger elephants, at that. I’m picking LaSalle, by a pair of scores. There’s no irony about their size and skill position play.
Carlisle @ Graham (Division V)…Both of these teams have feasted on teams with losing records this year, and are almost a mirror image of each other. But credit Graham, because their recent turnaround is hard to overlook, and not appreciate. That said, at home I’m not afraid to be a Falcon fan this week with their run game, because I think that’s the only real difference in the two teams. Home field advantage to the Falcons, who’ve eked out a couple of close ones this year, just like this one. I’ll take the birds by a score.
Mariemont @ Miami East (Division V)…Again, two mirror images of each other with winning records against suspect competition, especially with Mariemont (7-4) who beat North College Hill last week to advance. If you look for yourself, you’ll find that most of the 6 through 12 seeds playing this weeks have winning records against teams with just the opposite, to put it nicely. East, on the other hand, has beaten Lehman, and had to dig deep to do it. The Vikings can play with some balance, they’re physical, and their quarterback is a playmaker in the manner of some of the best we’ve seen this year. At home, just like Graham, I have no reason not to pick Miami East to win over Mariemont…by a score, maybe two.
Deer Park and Bill Cunningham couldn’t stop this guy last week…and I don’t think Mechanicsburg will, either.
Anna @ Mechanicsburg (Division VI)…A wonderful game, in fact, because in Division VI I’ve been extolling the virtues of the Anna Rockets for a couple of years now, and against out-of-conference teams that are unsuspecting they’ve seldom let me down. Mechanicsburg, however, will not be unsuspecting. Their coach, Kurt Forrest, and Anna coach Nick Marino go back a ways and know exactly what they’re going to see, respectively, come Friday. But again, when you compare who Anna has played in the MAC, and who Mechanicsburg has played in the Heritage Conference, you have to appreciate Anna’s 8-3 record over the Mechanicsburg’s 8-2…simply too many Madison Plains and Triads in 2025. Their best win came over 9-1 West Jefferson, but there hasn’t been a steady diet of West Jeffersons. What Anna did to Deer Park last week is hard to overlook, and someone must have believed that Deer Park should be there. I’ll take the Rockets to win again, by a score.
Portsmouth West @ Tri-Village (Division VI)…The closest thing Portsmouth West has seen compared to Tri-Village was their game with Wheelersburg, because the ‘Burg has some running backs and skill positions that can make the scoreboard explode. And Portsmouth lost that game by five scores. And the degree of difficulty – riding on a school bus for four hours – to get to Darke County is going to make the Senators (great nickname) task even harder this week when they play Tri-Village….Trey Sagester, Noah Finkbine, Colt Camacho, and Dominic Black – a team that at least looks a lot like Wheelersburg. Portsmouth’s best win came against Fairland in Week 1, a team I know pretty well, and I don’t think Fairland would beat Tri-Village. I’m taking the Patriots to win this week…by three scores.
Lehman will throw the ball, and Marion Local will counter with this…lots and lots of this. And it’s hard to pass the ball when you don’t have it.
Lehman @ Marion Local (Division VII)…There’s no question – none at all, – that Lehman quarterback Turner Lachey’s 4,800 passing yards and 52 touchdowns are real, and will be for a long time legendary in Lehman football. And there’s no question that Marion Local coach Tim Goodwin and his staff respects those numbers. But there’s also a question of how you go into Booster Stadium against a team that’s won 74 games in a row – the longest streak in America – and not expect to see some sophistication of defense the likes of which you haven’t seen previously against the Cavaliers’ schedule. But Lehman’s connection between Lachey and wide receiver Evan O’Leary…it’s legit, alright. Make no mistake. And Lachey’s ability to scramble, make tacklers miss, and extend plays is for real, too. But Marion simply has more tools in the box, along with experience in playing with their backs to the wall, and that’s not even the case here. This will be fun, and I expect there to be some moments. But I also expect Marion to win this game in a manner like they’ve won so many others. Lehman has had trouble stopping a strong ground game in the past, and they’re going to see another one. I like Marion to win, by two or three scores…and I won’t be alone.
Hilliard Bradley @ Troy (Division I)…I’m not sure that either one of these teams have gotten as much respect as they deserve. I like Troy for the fact that as a young team I know they’ve made great strides under Troy Everhart. And Hilliard Bradley gets no weeks off playing in the ultra-competitive Ohio Capital Conference against Hilliard Davidson, Upper Arlington, and Olentangy Liberty. Troy finished 8-2 to get the #2 seed in Region 2, and Bradley beat Dublin Jerome last week as the #7 seed in the region…and there’s no question that’s Bradley’s had the tougher road. Our staff in Columbus is respectful of Bradley, a team that I have not personally seen, but has a habit of winning close games. But I’m respectful of Troy, although I had some concerns over the manner in which they didn’t play against Tipp. Sometimes you act on a hunch, and kudos to the Trojans for the season they’ve had. Bradley is banged up and will start a freshman quarterback, as they did last week. Troy needs to win this to add polish to 8-2, regardless of next week. If this is this week’s Minster-Lehman I’m good with that, too. But I’m picking Troy to win in a year where nothing’s been predictable…by a score.
The difference, bottom line, with any game involving St. Henry…is Charlie Werling.
New Bremen @ St. Henry (Division VII)…It’s been a long time since the St. Henry Redskins were a team of expectation in the post-season. And if you’re anywhere in Mercer County you’ve heard the whispers about St. Henry and Marion Local meeting for a second time. You’ve read where Marion Local coach Tim Goodwin respectfully calls St. Henry’s offensive line and run game “a load”. But in Auglaize County the New Bremen Cardinals have quietly grown up around junior quarterback Gavin Dicke and proving that they can do more than hit the occasional pass downfield that makes a big splash. The run game, with Jacob Kelly, put another committed team behind them last week with a more-than-convincing 36-8 win over Ansonia. So you cannot take 7-4 New Bremen lightly, and yes, I can see St. Henry being at risk in this game. What makes me comfortable about St. Henry, however, was that point in the Versailles game where they just decided the run the football, and it was the turning point. No more misfires, no more turnovers, no more uncertainty about what to call or what to run…just give it to Drew Langenkamp, Charlie Werling and Will Speck and knock people out of the way with that big offensive line. If they do that, and they will, they’re more than favorites to win this game. That said, New Bremen is a threat because they have athletes and Chris Schmidt is a superb coach. But St. Henry is one of the best teams we’ve seen this year, and it just might be their year. And the story only gets better with a win on Friday. I think they will…by a score or more over New Bremen.
Talawanda @ Tipp…If there’s any question about how good the Tipp Red Devils are, they even have the attention of the volleyball program, who’s also playing this weekend in the state volleyball tournament. These are good days for Tipp sports, and the headliner is Matt Burgbacher and the undefeated football team. Talawanda is a better team than a year ago, but on the road, and against a team with a four-year body of work like Tipp’s it’s going to be tough for Talawanda (10-1) to come to Tipp and do what they’ve done against teams like Eaton, Franklin, and Ross. The one team I can think of with a winning record that the Braves have beaten this year is Goshen, last week, by four scores. They haven’t played a Xenia, a Troy, Piqua, or even Bellbrook. I’m picking Tipp to win…by two scores. Good days, indeed.
Orthopedic Associates of Southwest Ohio proudly sponsors the Friday Night ‘Picks’ on Press Pros.