CINCINNATI -- Jonathan Malek could feel the energy from the Sycamore Stadium crowd Friday night.
Everything seemed to click well for the Sycamore offense and defense. It was one of those special nights for the Aviators against rival Mason at Coach Bud Acus Alumni Field.
“It felt amazing,” the Sycamore senior wide receiver/quarterback said.
Malek assumed quarterback duties after sophomore starter Drew Altemuehle went down with an injury in the first half. Altemuehle did not suffer a serious injury, coach Scott Dattilo said, and his status for next Friday will be determined next week.
Malek threw for two touchdown passes to senior Myron Williams en route to a 21-7 win over the Comets. Malek also rushed for 60 yards.
“It was a shot in the arm for our offense,” Dattilo said. “(Malek) did a great job (at quarterback) and we decided to roll with it the rest of the game.”
The Aviators led Mason 21-0 until 1:09 left in the fourth quarter, when Mason scored a touchdown.
Sycamore maintained the annual “Battle of the Skies” trophy for the eighth time.
“Coach Dattilo comes up with a whole bunch of stuff in practice,” Malek said. “He puts some stuff on the whiteboard, and then we go out there and try it. It ends up working. He’s a great guy and a great mind.”
Sycamore (3-0, 1-0 GMC) plays at Colerain (1-2, 1-0 GMC) Sept. 15. Colerain defeated Sycamore 52-7 last season.
“I can’t wait to go there,” Malek said. “Last year we did some things that we’re not proud of. This year we are going to come and redeem ourselves.”
Here are some other takeaways from Friday night:
Putting on a clinic
Moeller junior quarterback Miles McBride was 14 of 18 passing for 240 yards and four touchdowns, and carried the ball 11 times for 118 yards in a 38-28 win over Scott County in a game played at Georgetown College.
McBride, who is also a Moeller basketball standout, has thrown for 718 yards, 11 touchdowns and has a 75.4 percent completion percentage this season, according to Moeller statistician Steve Albrinck.
Scott County (3-1) is ranked the No. 2 team in Kentucky by MaxPreps. Moeller (2-1) plays host to Lafayette (1-3) Sept. 15 at Lockland. It is the third consecutive Kentucky opponent for the Crusaders.
Intriguing matchup
Wyoming (2-0) plays at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy (1-1) at 7 p.m. Saturday in a televised game on WSTR (Channel 64). Wyoming, a Division IV program, has scored 113 points the first two weeks. Sophomore quarterback Evan Prater threw for 141 yards and a touchdown in a 37-6 win over Taft.
CHCA defeated Indian Hill 21-14 last week. Junior running back Jackson Myers had 136 yards rushing and a touchdown in that game.
“We need to control their running game and make the quarterback make plays,” CHCA coach Mark Mueller said about Saturday night’s game. “On defense, we need to be able to control the line of scrimmage and of course eliminate turnovers and penalties.”
CovCath keeps rolling
Covington Catholic, ranked the No. 1 Northern Kentucky team by TriStateFootball.com, defeated Kings 35-14. The Colonels had 428 yards of total offense. Senior quarterback AJ Mayer (Miami University commit) was 20 of 32 passing for three touchdowns.
“What I liked the most is that we played with passion all four quarters,” CovCath coach Eddie Eviston said. “I told the team that I was very pleased with how they accepted the challenges that they faced this week.”
CovCath (4-0) plays at Beechwood (3-0) Sept. 15.
Beechwood defeats Corbin
Beechwood, ranked No. 4 in the TriStateFootball.com Northern Kentucky rankings, rallied to defeat Corbin 36-29. Quarterback Brayden Burch threw for 231 yards and three touchdowns for the Tigers.
No stopping Jake Chisholm
Ryle senior running back Jake Chisholm continues to fill the stat sheet this season. He rushed for 265 yards and five touchdowns for the Raiders in a 49-27 win over host Highlands. Chisholm, who is 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds, has 756 rushing yards and 15 total touchdowns this season. The Northern Kentucky player of the year candidate has received interest from schools that include Navy and Wofford.
“A coach asked me last night if he had butter on his jersey,” Ryle coach Mike Engler joked. “(Chisholm) sees things before they happen.”
It is the third consecutive season that the Raiders have defeated Highlands, according to Engler. “Anytime you can beat a program like Highlands, it’s a big deal,” Engler said.
Ryle (3-1) plays host to Campbell County (3-1) Sept. 15.
Solid start for Winton Woods
Winton Woods had 435 yards of offense in a 29-17 win over visiting Springboro. Senior quarterback Kenny Mayberry was 12 of 19 passing for 317 yards and two touchdowns for the Warriors (3-0). Junior Rae’Quan Prince had five receptions for 128 yards and two touchdowns. Cornell Beachem had four receptions for 132 yards.
The Winton Woods defense continues its impressive season. Senior Evan Blackwell-Stephens (eight tackles, one sack), senior cornerback Gianni Gamble (eight tackles), senior Jayden Myles (eight tackles) and senior linebacker Christopher Oats (seven tackles) were among the leaders.
Elder rallies for third win
Senior Danny Faillace caught a 38-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Danny Nieman with 2:07 left as visiting Elder rallied to defeat Gahanna Lincoln 27-23. That was the only reception of the night for Faillace, but it came at the best time for the Panthers (3-0). Nieman threw for 204 yards and two touchdowns. Junior Luke Massminster rushed 18 times for 100 yards.
“We didn’t play our best early in the game against a good team,” Elder coach Doug Ramsey said. “But we hung in, kept fighting and kept believing. We found a way to win.”
Elder plays at Lakewood St. Edward at 7 p.m. Sept. 16 at Bedford High School.
Extra points:
The season’s first Ohio Associated Press statewide media poll is scheduled to be released Tuesday. …The season’s first Ohio High School Athletic Association playoff computer points will be released Sept. 19. …Iowa State offered Elder junior defensive end Spencer Bono this week, according to Elder coach Doug Ramsey. Bono has multiple other offers, including UC, Iowa, Boston College and Toledo. …St. Xavier’s 50-7 win over Walnut Hills Friday night was the most the Bombers scored in a game since a 57-7 win over Covington Catholic Aug. 28, 2015 at Nippert Stadium. ….Taylor junior Delaney Day converted a PAT Friday night to become the first female to score points in program history, according to athletic director Larry Herges. Norwood defeated visiting Taylor 44-7. ….Anderson senior quarterback Jay Volpenhein has thrown for 1,049 yards and 10 touchdowns this season. He’s rushed for 349 yards and five touchdowns. …According to 247Sports, Fairfield senior offensive lineman Jack Carman is expected to visit Ohio State for its game against Oklahoma Saturday night in Columbus (7:30 p.m. kickoff, WCPO).
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