It’s the final weekend of the regular season in Ohio, and the GCL South and SWOC races will be settled.
La Salle aims to win the outright GCL title by beating Elder, but the Panthers will share the crown in a three-way tie with LaSalle and St. Xavier if they win.
Mount Healthy faces Edgewood trailing by a game as the Owls try to earn a tie for the top spot.
Seven teams in the GMC are still alive in the race for the Division II postseason, plus Princeton in Division III, and several will play each other with major playoff implications.
Here are the Best Bets for Week 10 of prep football in Cincinnati:
La Salle (7-2) at Elder (6-3), 7 p.m. – La Salle has clinched a Division III playoff spot but with a three seed, it likely needs a win to earn home-field advantage. Elder is fourth in Region 4 and would likely host with a win. The top two passers in the league will battle in this game, with the Lancers’ Griffin Merritt throwing for 1,406 yards and Danny Nieman pacing the Panthers will 1,350.
Mason (6-3) at Sycamore (5-4), 7 p.m. – Along with Fairfield, these teams comprise a three-way tie for second place in the GMC with a 4-2 record, so the winner will either end up in a two-way tie for that spot or earn it outright. More importantly, Mason is third in Region 4 and Sycamore is No. 6, although neither have clinched a postseason berth. Both teams feature ample rushing attacks. The Comets have rushed for 1,934 yards, led by Matt Sora’s 834 and eight touchdowns, and Sycamore’s RaVon Bonner leads the GMC in ground yards with 1,530
Hamilton (5-4) at Fairfield (6-3), 7 p.m. – Hamilton has a 2-4 GMC record and lost three straight at one point but is still alive in the Region 4 race at No. 10 (Eight teams make the playoffs). Eric Jackson has had a phenomenal year with 1,323 passing yards and 1,170 rushing yards, the second-highest total in the league. Fairfield is tied for second in the league with a 4-2 record and is fifth in Region 4. The Indians also have a solid passing QB in Aaron Carmack, who is third in the GMC with 1,538 passing yards.
Mount Healthy (8-1) at Edgewood (7-2), 7 p.m. – Mount Healthy suffered a one-point loss to Harrison last week. The Owls hold the sixth spot in Region 12, so they need a win not only to earn a share of the SWOC title but to hold onto a playoff spot. They are 4-1 in the conference, and Edgewood is 5-0. Both teams boast quality QBs – Mount Healthy’s Michael Crawford has thrown for 891 yards and rushed for 541, the third-highest total in the SWOC, and Drew Reckart leads Edgewood with 1,063 yards in the air.
