Can Tipp top Badin in Division III? We’ll all see on Friday when they meet in the regional semi-final at Tipp. (Press Pros Feature Photos)
Regional semi-final week, and maybe the best games of the playoffs so far, which doesn’t say much about the format, does it? But, we finally have some doozies this week, and regardless of who wins…at this point it’s hard to make everybody happy.
First, what a weekend last week for high school sports…the volleyball state finals and high school football on Friday night. A lot of work and a couple of sleepless nights, but that’s what we do.
Finally, some compelling results last week, on two games in particular.
We correctly picked Troy over Hilliard Bradley in more of a thriller than I expected.
And while we picked Anna to beat Mechanicsburg, a lot of people did not believe. And again I say…that the Anna Rockets are an armed and dangerous team in Division VI. Can they do it again this week? Read on.
The top four seeds all joined the party last week, and locally there were just two sad stories, as Tipp, Troy, Tri-Village, Marion Local, and St. Henry all won…the two exceptions being Miami East and Xenia. The Xenia game we got right against LaSalle, and the Miami East game with Mariemont was not as competitive as I expected. We hadn’t seen Mariemont in person, but numbers wise, and in regards to strength of schedule, I thought differently regarding the Vikings.
Orthopedic Associates of Southwest Ohio sponsor your favorite sports on Press Pros Magazine.com.
But this is a new week, sponsored as always by the Orthopedic Associates of Southwest Ohio, with nine convenient locations and the skill and reputation to make you feel assured from your very first visit. Call them, if and when…the Orthopedic Associates of Southwest Ohio, proud sponsor the Friday Night Picks on Press Pros.
Here we go for Week 13, starting with…….
Cedarville @ St. Henry (Div. VII)…At 10-1 St. Henry survived a tough challenge from the New Bremen team that I thought would show up last week. The Redskins were picked to win by two scores, they won by one score, but exhibited some of the playoff moxie necessary to get to the regional final, and beyond. And this word about Bremen and their future. With their returning upperclassmen next year they’re going to make another run the likes of their two recent title years. Mark my word. A very talented team. But so is St. Henry, and this week they’ll turn that talent loose on a Cedarville team that some see as a five-score underdog. The reason? At 7-4 the ‘Ville has too many wins against teams like Southeastern and East Clinton, and have not faced the kind of physical play on the line of scrimmage that they’re going to see on Friday. Simply put, I have St. Henry by four, maybe five scores.
The opponent tendency is to try and limit QB Logan Ziegenbusch…but Anna’s run game (Riley Brewer, above) is more than capable, as well.
Anna @ Northeastern (Div. VI)…(Ed. Note: Posting error with the original upload, and our apologies for the confusion) Of the seven picks this week, this is the one game that looms as the biggest unknown. As a football member of the MAC Conference there’s no shortage of information about the Anna Rockets, who at 9-3 are some people’s cloistered pick to play in that final Division VI game of the year in Canton. On the other hand, Northeastern, out of the Ohio Heritage Conference and Clark County has had the kind of season that suddenly has them in the spoiler spotlight, even though the Jets have had a fine season (10-1), and the #2 seed in Region 24. They have both a passing attack with quarterback Diezel Taylor, and a strong ground game with 1,400-yard rusher Cody Houseman. And, they have the respect of the rest of the OHC Conference. Their lone loss was to West Jefferson in mid-year, by 42-36. They (the Jets) are hosting this game, and for the first time all year there will be attention paid to what amounts to be a different level in competition with Anna, who finished 7-3 in the MAC. I’ve yet to see Northeastern play in person, but I have a very good idea of Anna. The Rockets have improved more since the beginning of the season than any other area team that I have seen, particularly on defense, and the Rockets have those quality wins over Coldwater, Versailles, and came within a finger tip of ending Marion Local’s unbeaten string. It’s true that their losses to Minster and St. Henry were off course, but again I add…that Anna has improved more of the past seven weeks than anyone I can name. They believe in themselves on offense with quarterback Logan Ziegenbusch, and they really believe in their defense that swallowed up Mechanicsburg last week. With due respect to the Jets, I would pick Anna to win this…by a score, or more.
Fort Recovery @ Marion Local (Div. VII)…I saw the most complete Marion effort last week that I had seen since their game with New Bremen in Week 5. The defense bottled up Lehman and allowed negative rush yards, and against the best Div. VII pass game in Ohio they held Turner Lachey and Lehman to just 248 total yards. This is a repeat game from week six when Marion Local beat Recovery by 41-7, but I think that Fort is a better football team now than they were then. Since Marion they’re 3-2, with losses to Anna (really good) and Minster (28-21). I don’t expect 41-7, but I expect another solid effort from a rested and ready Marion Local. Final outcome…I’m picking the Flyers by three scores.
In Division VI, Tri-Village has its offensive weapons, including Colt Camacho (above). They meet Coldwater in Friday’s semi-final in New Madison.
Coldwater @ Tri-Village (Div. VI)…This is a marquee game, and regardless of what I write about it it’s bound to create some angst and bulletin board motivation. And I understand there was angst last week over the lack of a Coldwater pick on the page. Our apologies, of course, because we actually did predict Coldwater to win, only to have AI proofreading software delete it from the page, unbeknownst. So this is another week, and when I saw Tri-Village play Preble Shawnee three weeks ago I was more than impressed. The Patriots have a strong front line and a trio of skill position players that can score points on anyone. But again, what I question is their experience against a savvy defending state champion. And Chip Otten always plays with a deck of 53, figuratively speaking, of course. By far, this will be the best defense that Tri-Village has seen, and one that held Marion Local to 7 points. My hunch…you’ll see glimpses of Coldwater teams past, and some things that only teams like Coldwater do. This is a win-win pick. If Tri-Village wins, credit to the #1 seed. If Coldwater wins hats off to a legacy defending champion. It would be exciting to pick 11-0 Tri-Village, but my gut says go with 8-4 Coldwater. I think the Cavaliers…by a score.
Jackson @ London (Div. III)…This is as evenly a matched contest as you’ll find in a regional semi-final, and the fact that London is unbeaten is no clear-cut advantage. Jackson’s two losses came at the hands of Ironton and Wheelersburg, two of the five best teams in Division V, and the Ironmen are as stout as their name indicates. Numerically, these two are very similar, with a passing advantage possibly going to Jackson. But London’s run game is so well executed as to force teams to defend on a swivel. We’ve seen London. We haven’t seen Jackson. The Red Raiders offense is their best defense, because last week’s win over McNicholas broke their string of six shutouts in a row. I have family and friends in Jackson, and this will not make them happy…but I’m picking London to win this by two scores.
Troy coach Troy Everhart faces the most explosive offense the Trojans have seen all season when they play Wayne on Friday night.
Wayne @ Troy (Div. I)…It was as good a win as Troy has had in a few seasons last week when they came back from behind in the fourth quarter to beat Hilliard Bradley by a point. And what they got for their effort was a Wayne team this week whose record is pedestrian compared to past Wayne teams, but just as electric in terms of athletes. At 8-4 three of Wayne’s losses were highly predictable – St Edwards, Pickerington Central, and Springfield, and the common thread in those games was all speed. Wayne’s Jamier Brown heads the list of athletes, and the question becomes who do you leave alone to negate Brown? Nonetheless, the Trojans will compete, and I expect their run game to challenge Wayne and kill clock. But offensively, the outcome of this game depends on whether they make the most of the time they have the ball. There might be a couple of big plays here, and if there are I give that advantage to Wayne. Troy will need a perfect effort, cliche’, but true. And speed kills, they say…and Wayne has more of it. Picking the Warriors by a score.
Hamilton Badin @ Tipp…In a game that comes down to who plays London next week, I go back to the Tipp-Badin game of three years (2022, Tipp 20-17) and marvel at the similarities, and they’re right there in black and white. And if anything Tipp lacks only one weapon from that 2022 game and that’s the kicking game of a specialist like Jackson Kleather. But the biggest differencc currently is Tipp’s confidence in its offensive line and once again, its skill position players. Seriously, this is by far the best game in area football this week, at least on paper, and expect the cliches’ to impact the outcome – team that makes the fewest mistakes…a turnover…got to play 48 minutes…and yes, the kicking game. The only close game that Badin has had this year they lost to McNicholas, 17-10. So they’re unaccustomed to games like the one Tipp won the last time they met. In a weird sort of way, I think Tipp’s title win in volleyball last week kinda’ supports their confidence. And they’ve certainly earned ours. Picking Tipp to win this, by once again…a score.
Orthopedic Associates of Southwest Ohio proudly sponsors the Friday Night ‘Picks’ on Press Pros.