Blitz Recap Week 12: Best games, performances in Greater Cincinnati

Blitz Recap Week 12: Best games, performances in Greater Cincinnati Advertisement Updated: 11:32 PM EST Nov 6, 2026 Editorial Standards ⓘ TriState Football Blitz Recap Week 12: Best games, performances in Greater Cincinnati Updated: 11:32 PM EST Nov 6, 2026 Editorial Standards ⓘ TriState Football With the postseason in full swing across the tri-state, teams across all divisions and regions of play had big games on Friday night, including top-ranked Princeton taking on Middletown, Moeller and Winton Woods, and St. X vs. Lakota West. Meanwhile, Highlands, Covington Catholic, and Lloyd Memorial began their quest to reach the state finals in Kentucky. Advertisement THE HEADLINE On an evening headlined by major matchups between some of Cincinnati’s elite programs, the GCL South proved to be the conference to beat early this postseason, as Moeller defeated Winton Woods, 21-7, Elder defeated Springfield 37–20, and St. X utilized a ferocious offensive attack, spearheaded by junior tailback Aiden Graham, to upset the Lakota West Firebirds by a final score of 51-14. Graham has been one of the most underrated players in the tri-state all season, as the Bombers running back racked up 822 yards and four touchdowns throughout the regular season, before exploding in the playoffs. On Friday night, Graham had a dominant rushing effort and 5 touchdowns against the vaunted Firebirds defense. The number one seed in Division I, region IV, Princeton, survived a scare from the Middletown Middies that threatened their perfect season, before Key’Sean Torbert and the Vikings offense rattled off 22 unanswered points to score the 27-6 victory, setting up a rematch next week with Moeller. AROUND THE TRI-STATE CINCINNATI Moeller 21, Winton Woods 7 After starting the season sluggishly on offense, Crusaders head coach Bert Bethiany has found the correct formula to take Moeller back to the state finals in Canton this December, and it starts with the arm of breakout sophomore quarterback Hunter McLaughlin. McLaughlin in his very first postseason start, was flawless for the Crusaders, as he connected with fellow sophomore wideout Jayden Davis for two touchdowns on the Warriors defense, including one for 16-yards in the first half and another for six-yards in the second half. Additionally, the impressive Moeller defense seized the momentum throughout the night, forcing multiple turnovers and also stopping the Warriors offense on the goal-line to close out the first half of play, and keep the lead at 10 heading into the locker rooms. Junior tailback Juice Glover-Brown continues to impress for the Crusaders, as he added another touchdown onto his season total of 11. With the win, the Crusaders will move on to face the top-seeded Princeton Vikings next Friday night. McNick 10, Alter 0 Coming off of the first round bye, the McNicholas Rockets defeated fellow GCL co-ed rival Alter by a final score of 10-0. The win is the eighth-straight victory for the Rockets following a slow 1-2 start. Throughout the winning streak, Rockets head coach Mike Orlando has relied heavily on his stout defense, and the contest against the visiting Knights of Alter was no different, as the McNick defense stuffed the physical Alter rushing attack at every opportunity. After their win over the Indian Hill Braves last week, the Alter Knights came into tonight's contest looking for a get-right game against the Rockets following their first meeting resulting in a loss. Senior linebacker Jake Botti and the Knights defense did everything they could to halt McNicholas senior quarterback Evan Sandfoss, but they were unable to extend their season, as the Rockets physical offense and suffocating defense proved to be more than enough. NORTHERN KENTUCKY Covington Catholic 35, Johnson Central 7 Following a turbulent regular season that saw big wins and tough losses, the Covington Catholic Colonels opened their 2026 postseason with a nice win over Johnson Central by a final score of 35-7 on Friday night. Junior quarterback Dylan Courtney opened the scoring for the Colonels with a 43-yard rushing touchdown early in the contest, setting up what would be a great night for their offense. Senior tailback Cash Meyers also tallied a one-yard rushing touchdown for CovCath. From there, the Colonels leaned heavily on their standout sophomore tailback Kiyan Miller, who didn’t miss a beat following his impressive regular season, rushing for well over 100 yards while also tacking on three rushing touchdowns. Courtney also added 103 passing yards on seven attempts, as Covington Catholic made their possessions count in a game in which their opponent, Johnson Central, had more than twice the amount of total plays from scrimmage during the contest. INDIANA East Central 63, Columbus East 30 In another convincing win on Friday night, the East Central Trojans won their sixth straight sectional title in the IHSAA playoffs. Led by standout senior tailback Ryan Minges, the Trojans made easy work of the visiting Olympians, 63-30. By just the end of the third quarter, Minges had already racked up 201 yards rushing on 17 carries, and also tacked on three touchdowns to add to his dominant season for the Trojans. Additionally, junior tailback Jake Marsh added a career high 166 rushing yards on 13 carries and three touchdowns of his own, further solidifying the Trojans backfield as one of the best in the tri-state. With the sectional title, the Trojans will move onto the IHSAA regionals next weekend, which is just one step away from the state finals in Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium. FRIDAY NIGHT STARS Aiden Graham, RB, St. Xavier - 30 attempts, 252 yards rushing, 5 touchdowns vs. Lakota West Owen Scalf, QB, Anderson - 30/36, 425 passing yards, 5 touchdowns, 1 interception vs. Withrow Jordan Hall, RB, Princeton - 16 attempts, 156 yards rushing, 2 touchdowns vs. Middletown Antoine Higgins, DB, Anderson - 3 tackles total, 3 solo tackles, 1 20-yard interception touchdown Sa’Vion Davis, QB, Withrow - 10/16, 113 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception, 16 rushing attempts, 188 yards rushing, 2 touchdowns vs. Anderson. BLITZ 5 GAME OF THE WEEK ANDERSON 58, WITHROW 28 The Anderson Raptors offense continued its offensive dominance Friday night, blowing out the visiting Withrow Tigers by a score of 58-28. Senior quarterback Owen Scalf used his band of weapon senior wideouts Tristan Jallick, Cooper Kathman, and Tysin Weaver to another 50+ point offensive showcase, including 5 touchdowns to the three receivers combined. Read the complete Blitz 5 Game of the Week recap. SCOREBOARD SNAPSHOT Elder 37, Springboro 20 CHCA 38, Wilmington 20 Deer Park 44, Covington (OH) 10 Kenton Ridge 28, Wyoming 21 Harrison 22, Talawanda 21 Urbana 45, North College Hill 38 Versailles 35, CCP 10 Newport Central Catholic 35, Trimble County 0 Bishop Brossart 35, Dayton 14 Lloyd Memorial 35, East Carter 6 Newport 44, Ludlow 22 Holy Cross 41, Bellevue 7 Highlands 50, Boyd County 0 Ryle 39, Fern Creek 0 Make WLWT a preferred source on Google Add Preferred Source Share Infinite Scroll Enabled Top Picks High school band member stunned as 'Thunderstruck' performance goes viral Defense attorney for man convicted in Tupac murder trial found dead in Las Vegas Watch: Giant pandas make much-anticipated debut at Zoo Atlanta 19-year-old to become one of Massachusetts' youngest representatives in state history