The fact that it's already the final few weeks of the high school football regular season is hitting like a ton of bricks. To quote the now-viral Dr. Dog song, "Where'd all the time go?"
In Ohio, the battle for playoff spots and seeds is reaching do-or-die time. There are also league races in the balance, which is reflected in some of our top 10 games to watch this week.
Predicting games this year are writers Brendan Connelly, Shelby Dermer, Alex Harrison, Chase Souder and James Weber, as well as assistant sports editor, Melanie Laughman.
In addition, we are now giving fans a voice in the process. Be sure to cast your vote ‒ one vote per reader ‒ on Cincinnati.com until 4 p.m. Friday for readers' choice game predictions.
Harrison (7-1) at La Salle (3-5)
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday,
Oct. 16
What to watch: La Salle is 5-0 against Harrison in the playoffs in the last 12 years, but this is their first regular-season matchup since at least 2004. It’s a big game for Division II playoff implications. Harrison has the top spot but is in a tight race for that. The Lancers are in 12th place on the playoff bubble and a win over the 7-1 Wildcats would give a huge lift to their chances. On the field, Harrison has signature wins over Withrow, McNicholas and Talawanda, and a three-point loss to Indiana 4A contender East Central. The Wildcats' pass defense has been strong all year, but the rushing defense has struggled. La Salle rushes for 110 yards per game, but against a brutal Greater Catholic League-South schedule. La Salle lost 33-18 to Withrow in Week 7.
Predictions: Harrison (Connelly, Dermer, Harrison, Laughman, Souder, Weber)
St. Edward (7-1) at Moeller (6-2)
Kickoff: 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17 at West Clermont
What to watch: St. Edward travels south to meet the Crusaders in what could be a state finals preview. Like Moeller, they play a national schedule. St. Edward is 7-1, with the only loss by two points to Division II power Massillon Washington. They also have big wins over Wayne, Hoban, Canton McKinley and Olentangy Liberty. They beat St. Ignatius 31-14, one week before Moeller traveled north and won 43-21. Last week, the Eagles had a wild 63-46 decision against a team from Ontario, Canada. Senior quarterback Langston Lucas threw four TD passes and rushed for three more scores.
Moeller continued to roll last week, rushing for 269 yards against Ignatius, and Juice Glover-Brown had another huge game. They have averaged 39 points per game in their current five-game winning streak. They lost 35-10 at St. Edward last season. The Eagles rush for 182 yards per game. They have three top Division I prospects in the secondary that should challenge Hunter McLaughlin and the Moeller passing attack, putting more pressure on the running game.
Predictions: Moeller (Connelly, Laughman, Souder), St. Edward (Dermer, Harrison, Weber)
Lakota East (4-4) at Colerain (4-4)
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16
What to watch: This is a vitally important game for both teams. The winner will have a good chance of qualifying for the Division I playoffs, while the loser will likely be eliminated.
Lakota East has won three straight over the Cardinals. The Thunderhawks are struggling through a three-game losing streak, losing to Princeton, Fairfield and Middletown. Colerain has also lost to Princeton and Middletown but beat Fairfield in overtime while East lost by four points. Colerain is coming off a 48-0 loss to Lakota West last week.
Both teams have struggled running the ball in recent weeks, but they have two of the best quarterbacks in the Greater Miami Conference. So it will come down to which defense can step up and shut down the other.
Predictions: Lakota East (Connelly, Dermer, Harrison, Weber); Colerain (Laughman, Souder)
Winton Woods (7-1) at Anderson (7-1)
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16
What to watch: It’s another heavyweight bout between these two Eastern Cincinnati Conference powers. Both teams are 7-0 in league play, and the winner will be assured of at least a share of the league title with the loser. They are also jockeying for playoff position. Anderson is comfortably in bye position in Division II, Region 8 but can virtually clinch a first-round bye with a win. Winton Woods is fighting for a bye in Division I, Region 4 and can massively help its cause by beating the Raptors.
Anderson has won 34 straight against ECC foes in three years, including the postseason. The Warriors have lost twice by seven points and once by 14 in that span, including a 37-30 Raptors win last year. It will be another epic clash between Anderson’s fast-paced offense that averages 55 points per game against the Warrior’s fierce and athletic defense that allows only seven points per contest.
Winton Woods has been hard to stop on offense in ECC play. Josiiah Jones has had an effective season at QB with 1,054 passing yards and 13 TDs. Zeek Garrett leads a potent rushing attack that averages 210 yards per game. He has 737 on the ground with 12 TDs. Their defense averages 2.3 sacks per game and has nine interceptions and will try to pressure Owen Scalf into bad throws.
Predictions: Anderson (Connelly, Dermer, Harrison, Laughman, Souder, Weber)
Deer Park (8-0) at Indian Hill (6-2)
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16
What to watch: It’s no hyperbole to say this is the biggest game for the Wildcats game in recent memory. Deer Park has not won the Cincinnati Hills League in at least 40 years. At 5-0 in the league, the Wildcats can do that by beating Indian Hill and Wyoming to end the season. Deer Park has only beaten IH once since 2006, that was a 38-37 win in 2022.
Deer Park has had a fierce defense, allowing only six points per game. The Wildcats have outscored their five league foes, 174-35. Morgan Brown leads a rushing attack that averages more than 200 yards per game. He has 978 on the ground with 10 TDs. Indian Hill scores 40 points per game. Since an instant classic 48-47 loss to Wyoming in Week 4, IH has won its last four league games by a total of 186-7. Devlan Daniel and Jacob Alexander lead a rushing attack that averages 235 yards per game.
Predictions: Indian Hill (Connelly, Dermer, Harrison, Laughman, Souder, Weber)
Miami Valley Christian Academy (5-3) at St. Bernard-Elmwood Place (7-1)
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16
What to watch: After a 2-0 start to the season, the Lions have alternated wins and losses. They are coming off an emotional comeback against Summit Country Day in which Hans Erickson (not related to Leif) gave them the lead with a 33-yard field goal before Jeremiah DesJardins's second interception of the year sealed the win. Currently the 14-seed in Division VI, Region 24, a win would go a long way toward MVCA's playoff hopes.
The Titans, meanwhile, have stuck to their bread and butter of beating teams on the ground. Yes, Lucas Cannady is a dual-threat quarterback with 1,481 passing yards and 20 touchdowns, but he and Dameko Taylor have combined for 1,140 rushing yards and 11 scores. Brothers Keon and Deon Campbell have combined for 1,199 receiving yards as well. Keon is also tied for the citywide lead with six interceptions.
Predictions: SBEP (Connelly, Dermer, Harrison, Laughman, Souder, Weber)
Cincinnati Country Day (4-4) at North College Hill (7-0)
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16
What to watch: The Trojans are in the midst of one of the most dominant defensive stretches in Southwest Ohio history. They have outscored their opponents 362-3, bookended by games where it allowed one touchdown apiece. It isn’t a far cry from Tyler Williams’s 2025 Taft team that pitched seven straight shutouts. However, NCH has only played two opponents that are .500 or better.
Torii Lipscomb and Chris Bradley Jr. have combined for 1,000 passing yards, splitting it nearly in half. Bradley Jr., Ezra White and Marlee Godfrey have all rushed for 200 yards or more. Jeveon Cooper leads the defense with 14.5 sacks while Zaevion Evans has five total turnovers to his name.
Under first-year head coach Jim Collins, the Nighthawks have been a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde team, but they are on a three-game winning streak. Thomas Huckleby has been the crux of the offense, finally achieving his first 100-yard rushing game of the season in Week 8. Max Cicchinelli is routinely completing a higher percentage of his passes after stepping in for Levi Guttman. The defense stepped up in a big way in an overtime win over MVCA, foiling an extra point for the win.
Predictions: NCH (Connelly, Dermer, Harrison, Laughman, Souder, Weber)
Cincinnati College Preparatory Academy (7-1) at Gamble Montessori (6-2)
Kickoff: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15
What to watch: Jeff Cargile and his Lions have already secured a fourth straight season with at least seven wins. Now they face an upstart Gamble squad that is experiencing one of the best turnarounds in the city behind coach Will Davis.
Ramik Bell has done it all for CCPA with 380 rushing yards, 298 receiving yards, seven total touchdowns, 34 tackles and six forced turnovers. Sir Michael Miller also leads the defense with 14 total tackles for loss, including 10 sacks.
Q'Moni Bankhead has been the key to the Gators' success, throwing for 896 yards, running for 850 yards and accounting for 20 total scores. Mohammed Mangure and Aboubacar Diagouraga have six and seven touchdown catches, respectively. Three different players have returned interceptions for touchdowns.
Predictions: CCPA (Connelly, Dermer, Harrison, Laughman, Souder, Weber)
Hughes (8-0) at Withrow (5-3)
Kickoff: 6:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16
What to watch: Already with their most wins since 1988, the Big Red are off to their best start since they went 7-1 in 1924, and are looking for the second undefeated season in school history (1914). They've found success with three different quarterbacks at various points of the season and can put up a boatload of points any week. In their most recent win, Nehemiah Engleman posted 150 rushing yards and a touchdown.
The Tigers have had an up-and-down season, winning their first two games, losing three in a row, then winning three more. They've averaged 42.6 points in their wins, but just 15.7 in their losses. They only gave up 23 points per game in their three setbacks. Charles Alexander has also caught a touchdown pass in each of Withrow's five wins and recorded three interceptions in its most recent win over Aiken.
Predictions: Hughes (Connelly, Laughman), Withrow (Dermer, Harrison, Souder, Weber)
Newport Central Catholic (2-5) at Dayton (7-0)
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16
What to watch: The Greendevils own one of the most prolific offenses in the Bluegrass, putting up 44.3 points per game behind Malachi Kennedy, Kaden Anderson and Mykah Foster. The defense has been no slouch, either, forcing 14 turnovers, led by Kevin Vazquez Wilson's four interceptions. Six different players have also recorded a sack. A win this week puts Dayton in firm control of Class 1A, District 3.
An interesting trend to watch is that NewCath has returned a fumble for a touchdown in each of its two wins. One was during a win over Boone County that was already in hand, but the other kickstarted a fourth-quarter comeback to beat Newport. The Thoroughbreds have a knack for capitalizing on turnovers but are also prone to giving up points in bunches.
Predictions: Dayton (Connelly, Dermer, Harrison, Laughman, Souder, Weber)
2026 season records
Chase Souder 66-14 (9-1 last week)
Brendan Connelly 64-16 (8-2)
Alex Harrison 64-16 (10-0)
Melanie Laughman 64-16 (9-1)
James Weber 64-16 (9-1)
Shelby Dermer 60-20 (8-2)
Readers 52-18 (9-1)
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Previews, fan votes for top high school football games in Week 9
