The second half of the high school football regular season featured several thrilling finishes in Week 6.
Whilenine of the top 10 teams in the area won in Week 6, there's a major shakeup at the top with a new No. 1 squad following Elder's conference loss to St. Xavier at The Pit.
Following each week of the regular season, The Enquirer will provide is top 10 high school football power rankings, regardless of division, class or state.
Here are the top 10 teams heading into Week 7.
10. Moeller
Previous ranking: No. 10
Week 6: Win over La Salle (45-0)
After a 1-2 start, Moeller has outscored opponents, 117-19, over its three-game winning streak. The Crusaders are 2-0 in GCL-South play with back-to-back road wins after shutting out La Salle in Week 6. Moeller outgained La Salle, 458-74, behind another three-touchdown performance from quarterback Hunter McLaughlin. The sophomore went 14 of 18 for 239 yards with touchdown tosses to David Boehm, Jayden Davis and Jaylen Brown. Moeller also ran for 179 yards with three different players running for a touchdown. Moeller is suddenly one win away from its fourth outright GCL-South title over the last five seasons if they can beat Elder in Week 7 at Welcome Stadium
Week 7: Elder (5-1) vs. Moeller (4-2)
9. Wyoming
Previous ranking: No. 9
Week 6: Win over Mariemont (45-10)
In its first home game in nearly a month, Wyoming cruised to a lopsided CHL win over visiting Mariemont. The Cowboys outgained Mariemont by over 300 yards (439-126). Wyoming's defense got 26 combined tackles, a forced fumble, a half-sack and 1.5 tackle for loss from the duo of Tyler Johnson-Huff and Charlie Walker. Offensively, quarterback David Dupee threw for 315 yards and four touchdowns. Brylan Miltenberger had 10 receptions for 210 yards and two scores while the other two touchdowns through the air went to Donovan Brown. Wyoming and Deer Park are the only undefeated teams remaining in the CHL. They will meet in the regular-season finale in Week 10.
Week 7: Wyoming (6-0) at Madeira (4-2)
8. Badin
Previous ranking: No. 8
Week 6: Win over Chaminade Julienne (34-7)
Badin is back on schedule after bouncing back from a non-conference loss with a solid GCL-Coed opener against Chaminade Julienne. Chase Even continues to churn out big numbers on the ground for the Rams. The junior needed just 12 carries to run for 129 yards and a trio of touchdowns in Week 6. Defensively, junior Balin Wong had 1.5 sacks for the Rams. Badin visits Fenwick in Week 7, a team they haven't lost to since 2018.
Week 7: Badin (5-1) at Fenwick (3-3)
7. Winton Woods
Previous ranking: No. 7
Week 6: Win over Little Miami (14-7)
Winton Woods avoided disaster by pulling out a 14-7 road win over Little Miami in Week 6. The Warriors' defense permitted just 202 yards and held Little Miami to just 1 of 9 on third down. Winton Woods' offense had a few drives stall due to missed field goals, but got enough production on the ground from Isaiah Garrett, who returned to the backfield and ran for 109 yards and a touchdown. Garrett's 63-yard touchdown run in the third quarter was Winton Woods' lone second-half score. Quarterback Josiiah Jones threw for 150 yards and a touchdown to Carleon Thomas. Winton Woods remains undefeated in ECC play heading into a road tilt against Loveland.
Week 7: Winton Woods (5-1) at Loveland (2-4)
6. Lakota West
Previous ranking: No. 6
Week 6: Win over Fairfield (38-7)
This was a strong result for Lakota West after losing a GMC thriller to Princeton the week prior. The Firebirds had no problem handling Fairfield at home, racing out to a 31-0 lead before Fairfield avoided a shutout with a fourth-quarter touchdown. Kenyon Norman is already over 1,000 rushing yards for the year after a 108-yard, two-touchdown performance against Fairfield. Quarterback Jackson Smith was efficient, finishing with 139 yards and a touchdown to Karmelo Jordan. Lakota West now visits a Middletown squad that has won four straight following an 0-2 start.
Week 7: Lakota West (5-1) at Middletown (4-2)
5. Beechwood
Previous ranking: No. 5
Week 6: Win over Owen County (63-0)
Beechwood is back to total domination after surviving a thriller against Covington Catholic in Week 6. Outside of that 42-35 win, Beechwood has outscored its four opponents, 187-3, after recording its third shutout of the season. The Tigers got another big night from Nathan Pabst with three touchdowns while the defense scored twice on interception returns. Beechwood, the top-ranked team in Class 2A, hosts Walton-Verona in Week 7.
Week 7: Walton-Verona (4-1) at Beechwood (5-0)
4. Highlands
Previous ranking: No. 4
Week 6: Win over Harrison County (78-6)
Highlands, the top-ranked team in Class 4A, met little resistance in its blowout win over Harrison County. The Bluebirds racked up 57 first-half points as the running clock started early in Fort Thomas. Quinton Simmons had a pair of pick-sixes and a rushing touchdown. Quarterback Bryce Armstrong completed just five passes, but four of them went for touchdowns. Highlands has won five straight (by an average of 40 points per game) since a season-opening loss heading into a big-time road matchup against Covington Catholic.
Week 7: Highlands (5-1) at Covington Catholic (4-2)
3. Elder
Previous ranking: No. 1
Week 6: Loss to St. Xavier (31-29)
In a matchup clouded by the OHSAA's decision to rule star receiver Andrew Lyman ineligible, Elder had a 15-game regular season winning streak snapped by St. Xavier. Lyman's family was granted a temporary restraining order prior to the game, allowing Lyman to play against the Bombers. He had four catches for a game-high 84 yards and a touchdown, but an Elder defense that had allowed just 30 total points in five games couldn't contain a St. Xavier offense that racked up 353 yards, 7 third-down conversions and nearly five yards per carry. The Bombers drove down the field in the final minute for a game-winning field goal as time expired. Elder now heads to the University of Dayton to face Moeller at Welcome Stadium.
Week 7: Elder (5-1) vs. Moeller (4-2)
2. Anderson
Previous ranking: No. 3
Week 6: Win over Milford (58-14)
Anderson continues to roll after a lopsided Week 1 loss to Kentucky powerhouse Louisville Trinity. Anderson is 5-0 in ECC play with those wins coming by an average of 37.4 points after blitzing Milford on the road in Week 6. The Raptors dropped 30 first-quarter points behind an offense that racked up 552 total yards. Quarterback Owen Scalf went 26 of 30 passes for 435 yards and five touchdowns. Leading receiver Jordan Davis had eight grabs for 177 yards and a touchdown, while adding two scores on the ground. The Raptors look the part of a Division II state title contender once again. They'll look to stay perfect in league competition in Week 7 when they host a Turpin team that went 3-1 in September.
Week 7: Turpin (3-3) at Anderson (5-1)
1. Princeton
Previous ranking: No. 2
Week 6: Win over Lakota East (44-28)
Princeton is the new No. 1 in Greater Cincinnati. After a giant win over Lakota West in Week 5, the Vikings went on the road and handled business against a Lakota East squad that had won three in a row. Princeton opened up a 28-14 lead at the half, then pulled away with a pair of third-quarter scores. After turning it over six times against Lakota West, Princeton played a clean game offensively with nearly 600 total yards behind Key'Sean Torbert's first start at quarterback. Torbert threw for 233 yards and a touchdown and ran for 130 and a score. Leading running back Jordan Hall ran 15 times for 140 yards and four touchdowns. Princeton has beaten the three other GMC teams with a winning record. The Vikings host Mason in Week 7.
Week 7: Mason (2-4) at Princeton (6-0)
Missed the cut: East Central (5-1), Covington Catholic (4-2), St. Xavier (3-3), Indian Hill (4-2), North College Hill (5-0), Lloyd (6-0), Deer Park (6-0), Hughes (6-0), Lawrenceburg (5-1), Harrison (5-1), St. Bernard (5-1), Holy Cross (4-1)
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: There's a new No. 1 in Week 7 Cincinnati football power rankings
