CINCINNATI —
Just like that, we are midway through the 2025 High School football season, and Week 5 did not disappoint. Let’s take a look at some of the notable games from around the Cincinnati area, which included multiple top-25 matchups.
It was all Princeton on Friday night, as they continued their dominant play in GMC contests, blowing out Lakota East by a score of 42-7.
Despite the Thunderhawks boasting a formidable rushing attack, led by senior tailback Ryder Hooks, the Vikings defense was as impressive as ever, holding East to minimal gains on the ground all evening.
Princeton’s rushing attack was once again able to control the game, however, as their two-headed senior backfield monster: David Hambrick and Zion Neal, displayed another dominant performance in their second-straight GMC win.
While it was not the evening that Lakota West had envisioned, they can look to bounce back at home against fellow GMC rival Fairfield, while Princeton looks to continue their undefeated GMC play as they travel to face Mason.
In a battle of top-25 squads from Cincinnati, it was the LaSalle Lancers who got back on track following a loss to rival Elder the week prior, as they defeated Withrow 35-26 in an offensive shootout.
Lancer Stadium was host to some serious offensive fireworks on Friday night, as star senior quarterback Avier Carter was slinging the rock all over the field all night for LaSalle, highlighted by two touchdown passes of more than 15 yards.
It was two-way senior Colin Woodridge who stole the show for LaSalle, however, as he scored three different times: one on a blocked punt and touchdown return, the other two were impressive rushing and receiving scores.
On the rushing end, Wooldridge broke around the outside and cruised home for a 69-yard touchdown. On the receiving end, Carter found Woolridge out of the backfield for a 33-yard pitch-and-score. Both of Woolridge’s touchdowns were able to extend the lead for the Lancers over the tigers, and the aforementioned rushing score essentially put the game on ice.
The Tigers have no reason to be disappointed in such a valiant effort, and they will look to regroup next week. LaSalle will travel to Mount Saint Joseph University to take on Moeller.
In a battle between two GMC stalwarts, it was the Mason Comets who used defense to power themselves to an impressive come-from-behind victory over Hamilton, 28-21 on Friday night.
Both squads were looking to build off of impressive starts to their young season, including impressive conference wins last week. It was the Comets who were up to the task, discarding the Big Blue with defensive turnovers and strong offensive play.
The Comets defense held strong against the quietly solid Big Blue offensive attack, a performance which featured a scoop-and-score touchdown by Mason’s standout defensive lineman Jon Hendrix, who picked up a botched snap by the Hamilton quarterback and strolled into the endzone to tie the game at 21.
After that, Mason’s defense went right back to work, picking off Hamilton’s pass play and turning it into yet another points swing, this time giving the Comets the lead, a lead of which they would not relinquish for the rest of the contest, cementing their impressive comeback victory.
Here are some other scores from key Cincinnati games this week:
No. 1 St. Xavier 13, No. 2 Moeller 30
No. 13 Anderson 49, No. 7 Kings 24
No. 4 Elder 26, Louisville St. Xavier 24
No. 6 Lakota West 7, Fairfield 10
No. 10 Winton Woods 48, Walnut Hills 7
No. 17 Badin 42, Bishop Hartley 24
No. 18 Middletown 62, Sycamore 0
No. 20 Lebanon 49, Little Miami 32
No. 23 Harrison 33, Ross 7
No. 25 Indian Hills 36, Mariemont 0
Thurgood Marshall at No. 11 Taft (Sat - 3:30 PM)