Here are five things to know heading into Week 9:
Conference clashes
The schedule is loaded with seven games between conference leaders throughout the Miami Valley:
- Alter (6-2, 3-0) travels to Badin (7-0, 3-0) in a game that will likely decide the Greater Catholic League Co-Ed Division title. The Knights will look to knock off the Rams, who have won 30 straight conference games dating back to the 2019 season. Alter’s last league title came in 2018 - before the departure of Roger Bacon and Purcell Marian - when they won the GCL North.
- Springfield (5-3, 5-0) can clinch at least a share of the Greater Western Ohio Conference with a victory at Fairmont (3-5, 3-2). The Wildcats have won five straight, outscoring their opponents 159-21 with three shutouts. The Firebirds have won three straight against Springfield, winning all three by a combined total of 10 points. Wayne is second in the conference at 4-1, followed by the Firebirds, Springboro (5-3, 3-2) and Centerville (3-5, 3-2).
- Troy (7-1, 7-0) travels to unbeaten Tippecanoe (8-0, 7-0) for a Miami Valley League battle of unbeatens. The winner will claim the MVL Buckeye Division title and the overall MVL title.
- Unbeaten Brookville (8-0, 5-0) travels to rival Valley View (7-1, 4-0) in a key Southwestern Buckeye League Buckeye Division game. The Blue Devils are seeking their first division title since 2015. The Spartans beat Brookville 27-21 in overtime last season.
- Greenon (5-3, 3-0) travels to Greeneview (5-3, 3-0) looking to snap the Rams 23-game Ohio Heritage Conference South Division winning streak.
- Northeastern (7-1, 2-1) travels to Mechanicsburg (7-1, 3-0) for an OHC North showdown. With a victory, the Indians would clinch at least a share of their first league title since 2022.
Six unbeatens
Through eight weeks, six teams remain unbeaten in the Miami Valley.
Tippecanoe, Badin, Brookville, Preble Shawnee, Tri-Village and Marion Local are all 7-0.
One team will drop from that list this week.
Preble Shawnee hosts Tri-Village in a Western Ohio Athletic Conference battle of unbeatens. The Patriots and the Arrows have been dominant this season, outscoring their opponents by 405 points and 275 points, respectively.
They’re both led by senior signal-callers. Tri-Village quarterback Trey Sagester leads the WOAC with 1,678 passing yards and Preble Shawnee quarterback Brody Morton ranks second in passing yards (1,048) and rushing yards (967).
The winner will earn at least a share of the league title. Tri-Village hosts second place Arcanum (7-1, 6-1) in Week 10, while the Arrows travel to National Trail (3-5, 3-4).
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
Tickets punched
Several area teams have clinched playoff berths or control their own destiny, according to JoeEitel.com, including:
Division I: Middletown (7-1), Troy (7-1) and Springfield (5-3) have all clinched playoff spots in Region 2. Wayne (5-3) controls its own destiny with games against Beavercreek and Centerville, both 3-5.
Lakota East (5-3) and Lakota West (5-3) both secured berths in Region 4. Fairfield (4-4) controls its own destiny with two games to play against Princeton (8-0) and Oak Hills (4-4).
D-II: Trotwood-Madison (6-2) has clinched a playoff spot. Xenia (6-2) controls their own destiny. They travel to Greenville (3-5) and host Stebbins (4-4) in weeks 9 and 10.
D-III: Tippecanoe (8-0) and Badin (8-0) both clinched berths in Region 12, while Alter controls its own destiny. The Knights travel to Badin and Chaminade-Julienne in the final two weeks of the season.
D-IV: Valley View (7-1) and Brookville (8-0) are both headed to the postseason. The two schools face off in a key Southwestern Buckeye League game this week. Kenton Ridge (5-3) controls its own destiny with remaining games against Jonathan Alder (7-1) and London (8-0).
D-V: Miami East is the lone area team to have clinched a spot in Region 20. Carlisle (6-2), Graham (7-1), Preble Shawnee (8-0), Indian Lake (6-2), Arcanum (7-1) and defending regional champion West Liberty-Salem (5-3) all control their own destiny.
D-VI: No local teams have clinched playoff berths in Region 24. Four teams control their own destiny including Mechanicsburg (7-1) and Northeastern (7-1) who face off this week in Ohio Heritage Conference North Division play. Coldwater (5-3) and Tri-Village (8-0) also control their playoff fate.
D-VII: Four-time defending state champion Marion Local and St. Henry are both locked into playoff berths. Minster controls its own destiny.
The streak continues
Marion Local survived another scare to improve its winning streak - the longest in the nation - to 72 games.
The Flyers needed a goal-line stand on a potential game-winning two-point conversion in double overtime to beat Anna 28-27, the second one-point victory for Marion Local in the past three weeks.
Marion Local senior Kamden Eifert rushed for 155 yards and four touchdowns, including a 3-yard run in double overtime to give his team a 28-21 lead. On Anna’s possession in double overtime, Rockets sophomore Logan Ziegenbusch hit sophomore Brody Murray on a 14-yard TD pass to pull within one point. The Rockets opted to attempt a game-winning two-point conversion, but Ziegenbusch’s pass was deflected by the Flyers to end the game.
The Flyers travel to Minster (5-3) this week. Marion Local has won seven straight games against the Wildcats, including a 21-7 victory in last year’s Division VII, Region 28 final. It was the closest game the Flyers played the entire season.
Record breaker
Lehman Catholic senior wide receiver Evan O’Leary had a game for the ages last week in the Cavaliers 48-27 victory over Bethel.
O’Leary caught 18 passes for 393 yards and four TDs, setting a state record for receiving yards in a game, according to the OHSAA’s unofficial record book. The previous record was set by Urbana’s Barry Quinn, who had 382 yards receiving against Shawnee in 2002.
The 18 receptions also placed him in the state record book. Mogadore’s Larry Bennett set the state record for receptions in a game with 32 against Hudson in 1942.
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