Week 9 Takeaways: Playoff madness in Ohio; NKY crowns district winners
With over 50 games across Greater Cincinnati Friday night, the playoff picture cleared up with multiple teams clinching a postseason berth while others fell out of contention. Here's a divisional look at the how the postseason race is shaping up after Week 9 along with other key story-lines.
All rankings/projections are via JoeEitel.com.
More:Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky high school football scores: Week 9
COLERAIN OUTLASTS FAIRFIELD: Colerain clinched a share of the Greater Miami Conference title for the 19th consecutive year Friday night. The Cardinals sprinted past Fairfield, 55-27, behind a rushing attack that totaled 539 yards on the ground and seven touchdowns.
More:Colerain beats Fairfield 55-27, clinches at least share of GMC football title
Deante Smith-Moore (208 yards, touchdown), Ivan Pace Jr. (180 yards, four touchdowns) and JJ Davis (109 yards, touchdown) steered Colerain to its 74th consecutive GMC win as the Cardinals scored 28 of the game's final 34 points.
Fairfield's JuTahn McClain once again turned in a big night, running for 275 yards and three scores on 29 carries in a loss that snapped the Indians' seven-game conference winning streak.
Despite the setback, Fairfield still clinched a playoff spot for the fifth time in six years while Colerain secured the top seed in Division I, Region 4.
DIVISION I: At 7-2, Mason currently sits at No. 3 in Region 4 and controls its own destiny after edging Princeton, 16-13. Charlie Sipe hit three field goals for the Comets and Colin Brown ran for a touchdown. Mason visits Fairfield in the regular-season finale.
Milford, Sycamore, Elder and Lakota East are all in the region's top eight after picking up wins in Week 9. Milford held a 16-point second-half lead and held on to defeat ECC-rival West Clermont, 23-21. The Eagles stopped a Hunter Eads' game-tying, two-point conversion attempt with 3:15 remaining. Senior Cameron Kells ran for 194 yards and three touchdowns and has now ran for 922 yards and 17 scores over the last five games.
Sycamore dominated Oak Hills, 35-7, and Lakota East dismantled Hamilton, 47-12, behind a trio of touchdown runs from Jack Dobrozsi.
Luke Masminster ran for 142 yards and five touchdowns as Elder snapped a two-game losing streak with a 48-7 drubbing of St. John Vianney (Missouri).
KNIGHTS CLINCH ECC SHARE: Kings secured at least a split of the Eastern Cincinnati Conference title and clinched a home playoff game with a 38-14 handling of Loveland. Nak'emon Williams surpassed the 1,000-yard mark with 148 yards and four touchdowns as the Knights extended their winning streak to six. Kings clinches the ECC outright with a win over West Clermont next Friday.
ECC UPSET: Arguably the biggest upset of the preps football season went down in Forest Hills Friday when Walnut Hills knocked off Anderson for the first time this century, 25-22. Tyrese Dorn had his first career 100-yard game and had a second-quarter touchdown run that lifted the Eagles to a double-digit lead at the intermission.
Dating back to 2003, Anderson had won its previous nine meetings with Walnut Hills by an average score of 43-11.
The Redskins (6-3) sit at No. 6 in Region 8 and will battle Loveland next week.
DIVISION II: Three of Winton Woods' quarterback MiChale Wingfield seven pass attempts went for touchdowns as the Warriors clinched a home playoff game with a 28-14 win over St. Francis DeSales.
Miyan Williams found the end zone just once, but the junior still ran for 291 yards on 25 carries.
With Troy clinching a playoff spot Friday, there are five postseason spots still up for grabs in Region 8 with six Cincinnati squads - Edgewood, Harrison, Anderson, Little Miami, La Salle and Turpin - in the running.
More:Cincinnati high school football: Edgewood shuts out Little Miami, 20-0
FENWICK HEADS FOR NOVEMBER: Jack Fessler ran for 209 yards and three touchdowns in Fenwick's playoff-clinching, 37-7 road win over Roger Bacon. The Falcons are headed to the postseason for the first time since 2015, when they lost in the state semifinal to Bishop Hartley.
DIVISION III: Elsewhere in Region 12, Badin got a big win over Chaminade Julienne, 38-21. The Rams are sixth in the region and will face McNicholas next week hoping to return to the playoffs for the first time since '15.
Looking to make up ground in the SWOC, Mount Healthy had its four-game win streak snapped by Harrison, 38-14. The Owls, who started the year 1-3, need a win at Edgewood and some help in Week 10.
DIVISION IV: Only two playoff spots remain in Region 16 with four locals - Wyoming, Clinton-Massie, Indian Hill and Taft - having already punched their tickets.
More:Cincinnati high school football: Clinton-Massie beats New Richmond for SBAAC title, 21-7
WATCH:Clinton-Massie's Brendan Lamb talks win over New Richmond
Wyoming won its 30th consecutive regular-season game Friday, defeating Mariemont, 49-7, behind Evan Prater's four touchdowns. The Cowboys will face Indian Hill (8-1, 6-0) for the CHL title in Week 10.
Batavia (No. 8) fell to Goshen, 21-20 and Aiken (No. 12) hosts Hughes on Saturday.
BEST OF THE REST: State-hopeful Middletown Madison clinched a home playoff game with a 38-7 win over Monroe. The Mohawks are 9-0, winning by an average of 37.8 points per game.
Also in Division V, Madeira and CHCA are in the playoffs as of now but do not control their own destiny despite lopsided wins on Friday.
Deer Park was Cincinnati's pleasant surprise after a 5-0 start, but the Wildcats have dropped three of their last four after being blown out by Indian Hill, 55-21. Sitting at No. 11 in Division VI, Deer Park is a long-shot to get back to the postseason for the first time since 2007.
MVCA has not beaten a team with a winning record all season, but Robert Vilardo's club still clinched a playoff spot in Division VII with a 57-0 win over North College Hill Friday - the Lions' fifth shutout victory of the year.
More:Your Enquirer football team of the week: MVCA football has big plans with a little roster
STATE CHAMPS: Covington Catholic rolled over Dixie Heights 50-8 to win the Class 5A, District 5 championship. Casey McGinness rushed for 119 yards and four touchdowns on just nine carries. Caleb Jacob threw for 166 yards and two touchdowns on just nine attempts. One of those TDs was an 89-yard strike to Michael Mayer. CovCath rolled to 9-0 and won its 24th straight game.
Beechwood improved to 7-2 by beating Dayton 62-6 to complete its Class 1A, District 4 championship.
1A DISTRICTS: Ludlow rolled over Bellevue 36-13 to improve to 6-3 and clinch second place in District 4. Ian Vallandingham threw for two touchdowns and ran one in from 90 yards. Ludlow clinched the NKAC title as well. Bellevue is the third seed in the district and Dayton fourth.
In District 5, Brossart rolled over Berea 47-12 to improve to 5-4 and clinch a playoff berth. Brossart will have the three seed after Nicholas County rallied to beat Bracken County 26-20 Friday to cost the Mustangs a chance to get the two seed.
2A DISTRICTS: Newport Central Catholic (4-5) beat Newport 40-12 to win District 6. Paul Kremer continued his strong season with 244 passing yards and three touchdowns. Newport finishes as the three seed.
More:WATCH: Hezekiah Miller's 3-yard TD puts NCC up 14-0
Lloyd took the two seed with a 51-19 win over Holy Cross. Lloyd senior RB Travon Mason rushed for 246 yards and four touchdowns in the win. Holy Cross is the four seed.
Walton-Verona won District 5 for the fifth straight year with a 63-0 win over Gallatin County. The Bearcats are 7-2 overall.
4A DISTRICT: Scott rolled over Holmes 40-6 to improve to 5-4 and force a three-way tie atop District 7 after Harrison County routed Bourbon County Friday. The tie will be settled by the KHSAA strength-of-victory formula and all three teams can help their cause with wins on Oct. 26.
5A DISTRICT: CovCath has the top seed in District 5. Highlands is two and Dixie Heights three. Highlands beat Greenwood 42-7 Friday.
6A DISTRICTS: Conner won its first district title since 2004 by edging Cooper 19-14. Ryle is the two seed and Cooper third. Cooper narrowly missed making a three-way tie in which the tiebreaker would have gone down to the final week.
More:Conner football rallies to beat rival Cooper for district title
WATCH:Jared Hicks 14-yd TD run for Conner
Campbell County beat Boone County 35-7 to take second place in District 6. Simon Kenton is district champs and beat Ryle 28-7 Friday.
KHSAA PLAYOFFS: Here are the projected playoff pairings for Northern Kentucky teams based on final district standings. The official brackets will be released next week.
1A Region 2
Beechwood bye
Bellevue at Kentucky Country Day
Louisville Holy Cross at Ludlow
Dayton at Frankfort
1A Region 3
Paris bye
Bishop Brossart at Raceland
Bracken County at Paintsville
Fairview at Nicholas County
2A Region 2
Metcalfe County at Walton-Verona
Gallatin County at Monroe County
Owen County at Glasgow
Green County at Carroll County
2A Region 3
Shawnee at Newport Central Catholic
Newport at DeSales
Washington County at Lloyd Memorial
Holy Cross at Christian Academy-Louisville
4A Region 4
Bourbon County at Johnson Central
Greenup County at Scott/Holmes
Scott/Holmes at Ashland Blazer
East Carter at Harrison County
Holmes, Harrison County and Scott are tied for first, and the tie will be decided by the KHSAA strength-of-victory formula. Harrison County has cliched the top seed in any scenario.
Scott plays Lloyd Oct. 26 and Holmes plays Newport. Scott clinches the two seed with a win. If Holmes wins and Scott loses, Holmes gets the two seed. If they both lose, they are tied in the formula unless Dixie Heights defeats Ryle Oct. 26, which would give Scott the two seed. If Ryle wins instead, the KHSAA will break the tie, with Scott likely to get the nod due to beating Holmes Friday night..
5A Region 3
Anderson County bye
Madison Southern at Highlands
Dixie Heights at Montgomery County
Woodford County at Covington Catholic
6A Region 3
Seneca at Madison Central
Tates Creek at Ryle
Cooper at George Rogers Clark
Lafayette at Conner
6A Region 4
Bryan Station at Simon Kenton
Boone County at Henry Clay
Pleasure Ridge Park at Frederick Douglass
Scott County at Campbell County