Elder hosting Winton Woods crucial to Panther post-season

CINCINNATI - RYLE (3-4, 1-1) @ CAMPBELL COUNTY (4-3, 2-0)

Campbell County is looking for their second straight District title and the Camels had never won a title before last season. Ryle uncharacteristically hasn’t won back-to-back games over their last 12 outings dating back to 2011 and during that span their offense has scored seven points or less four times. The Camels had gone 14 games without scoring more than 27 points until Week 2 of 2012. Since then they have topped 28 five times in their last six contests. Campbell County broke a seven game losing streak to Ryle in 2011 so they are looking for their second straight win over the Raiders, something they haven’t done this century.

WINTON WOODS (5-2) @ ELDER (4-3, 1-1)

In Division I Region 4, there are eight teams between the sixth and eleventh position with 5-2 records and the Elder Panthers are sitting at nine with four wins and three losses. Winton Woods is third in Region 8 and Loveland catapulted into Region 4’s top eight of the Harbin’s after beating the Warriors last week. It just comes down to mental toughness. Winton Woods will be as aggressive a team on defense that Elder has faced this year.

MIDDLETOWN (2-5, 1-3) @ LAKOTA WEST (7-0, 4-0)

This game is a major disappointment versus a major surprise. Lakota West has been a model of consistency on both sides of the ball. The defense has given up 18 points or less in each of their last six games and their offense has yet to score less than 30 this season. The Firebirds have to win this one before finishing out at unbeaten Colerain and then hosting rival Lakota East (5-2) to finish the year. The Middies have lost three in a row and has not been the same since getting waxed by Winton Woods in a Saturday rescheduled game due to lightning the night before. Middletown isn’t going to lie down as hard nosed head coach Troy Everhart has had winning seasons every year since 2004.

NORWOOD (6-1, 3-0) @ BLANCHESTER (4-3)

This is a matchup of two Region 16 teams with winning seasons thus far. Norwood currently sits seventh in the Harbin’s and Blanchester is sixteenth. The Indians are flourishing in their first season of SBAAC play after being beat on as the smallest school in the FAVC for years. Norwood junior quarterback Andrew Conover has thrown for 1,450 yards and has had at least two TD passes in five games. Receivers Jared Peters and Robert Boston are averaging over 20 yards per reception with 12 TD catches between them. Blanchester has struggled with their top peers in Region 16 losing to #2 Clinton-Massie and #11Waynesville by a combined 99-0.

WESTERN HILLS (4-3, 3-1) @ WITHROW (5-2, 4-0)

This is the battle for the CMAC Championship. The Withrow Tigers have won the last four meetings but none of them had this much on the line. Their only two losses are to Turpin by three and at Centerville by six. Western Hills has won three straight games by scoring 42 PPG in that span. These teams go as their quarterbacks go. Withrow’s Malik Bland has 1,195 yards with 14 touchdown passes and just six interceptions while the Mustangs Cameron Washington is a dual threat by land and air. He has games of 195 and 201 yards on the ground this season.