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Lakota East junior Nate Mays reaches for the touchdown in a 56-0 win against Hamilton Sept. 28, 2012. In the past three weeks, Mays has four receiving touchdowns. Photo taken by Barb Trimble of TrimPhotoAndVideo.com.

GMC showdown set between 5-1 teams Friday night

Kevin Goheen reports:

Here’s a bold prediction for Friday night: the football will not be in the air much when Lakota East hosts Sycamore.

“I wouldn’t think this will be a pass-fest,” said Lakota East head coach Rick Haynes.

The top two rushing teams in the Greater Miami Conference meet Friday night at Lakota East in a game that will not only have league ramifications but will have a significant bearing on the Division I, Region 4 postseason field as well.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Sycamore is ranked No. 5 in this week’s Enquirer area coaches’ poll, with Lakota East next at No. 6. Lakota East is sixth in this week’s Harbin computer ratings, with Sycamore right behind the Thunderhawks at No. 7.

Both teams are 5-1 overall. Sycamore is 2-1 in the GMC with its loss coming against No. 1 Colerain two weeks ago. Lakota East is one of three unbeatens in the league along with Colerain and No. 3 Lakota West. Due to the rotation of schedules inside the GMC, Lakota East and Colerain do not play this season but the two Lakotas will end the regular season at Lakota West on Oct. 26.

(more…)

Posted in: Fall sports, Sports |

Tags: Tags: aviators, Eric Eichler, football, GMC, Greg Simpson, Lakota East, Nate Mays, Rick Haynes, sports, Sycamore, Thunderhawks, Will Mahone

Mike Dyer reports:

Akron offered Lakota East junior offensive lineman Jarrett LaRubbio last week, according to Lakota East football coach Rick Haynes.

It is the second offer for LaRubbio, who was offered by Pittsburgh earlier this season.

LaRubbio is listed at 6 feet 4 and 250 pounds.

Posted in: Fall sports, Sports |

Tags: Tags: akron, football, harrett larubbio, Lakota East, offer, Rick Haynes

Lakota West quarterback Malik Grove, seen here earlier this season, threw two touchdown passes in a 32-8 win against Fairfield Friday. The Enquirer/Joseph Fuqua II.

Lakota West is ranked in the top five in this week’s Enquirer Division I area coaches’ poll.

The Firebirds (5-0) are ranked No. 4 in the poll, released Monday afternoon.  Colerain (5-0) took the top spot, followed by St. Xavier (3-2) and Moeller (4-1).  Sycamore (4-1) rounds out the top five.

Lakota West improved to 5-0 following its win over Fairfield Friday.  The win improves the Firebirds’ record to 2-0 in the Greater Miami Conference. The last time Lakota West won its first five games of the season was in 2004.

The Firebirds will next host Princeton (0-5) at 7:30 Friday.

DIVISION I

Posted in: Fall sports, Sports |

Tags: Tags: Colerain, enquirer coaches poll, Fairfield, Firebirds, football, GMC, Lakota West, Princeton

For the 16th year the Lakota West athletic boosters will host a pig roast this September directly preceding a high school football game. This year’s roast will take place at Lakota West High School in the auxiliary gym between 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Friday.

The event will feature pork, “cool” drinks, desserts and raffles.

Presale tickets are $10 and are available at the Lakota West athletic office or at any Lakota West feeder school. Limited tickets, which will be $12, will be available on the night of the event.

For more information, call Kris Addington at 513-309-5988.

After the pig roast, the Lakota West Firebirds football team will face the Anderson Redskins at 7:30 p.m. It is Lakota West’s first home football game of the 2012 season.

Posted in: Events, Fall sports, School events, Sports |

Tags: Tags: athletics, boosters, Firebirds, football, fundraiser, Lakota West, Lakota West football, Lakota West pig roast, Lakota West sports, pig roast

Colerain High School celebrated the class of 2012 before and after the game, as senior linebacker Joe Bolden rushed for a touchdown and caught another in the fourth quarter to give the Cardinals a 28-7 win against Lakota East on senior night at Cardinal Stadium Friday.

With a 14-7 lead in the fourth quarter, Bolden scored on a one-yard touchdown run and later on a six-yard pass from senior quarterback Dustin Smith. His touchdowns were his first ever on the varsity level.

“All I know is that we practice, practice and the line got a great push and I wasn’t stopping until I got in the red,” Bolden said of his first touchdown. “It was a unique feeling.”

Bolden, who is committed to the University of Michigan, also led Colerain in tackles with 7.5 and recorded a sack.

“It was a big night for Joe. What a great way for him to go out in his last guaranteed home game,” Colerain head coach Tom Bolden said of his nephew. “It was a special night for him, but it was a special night for all these seniors and not just Joe.”

Bolden’s second touchdown was set up when sophomore running back Detuan Smith reeled off a 72-yard run. Smith finished with a career-high 113 rushing yards on 12 carries.

Senior fullback Jackson Sorn rushed for more than a 100 yards for the third straight game, finishing with 109 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries.

Lakota East head coach Rick Haynes is now 0-2 against Colerain, a team he was assistant coach and offensive coordinator from 1991 to 2006. As a program, Lakota East has lost nine straight to the Cardinals dating back to 1999. Colerain leads the all-time series 11-1.

“They just wore us down in the second half and our defense couldn’t get off the field,” Haynes said. “The fact we couldn’t get off the field doesn’t worry me, what does is that we couldn’t generate any offense.”

It was Lakota East, however, who scored first. The Thunderhawks’ sophomore quarterback, Eric Eichler, set up the game’s first touchdown with a 42-yard scramble. Two plays later, sophomore fullback Mikel Horton punched it in the endzone with a two-yard run.

Colerain didn’t answer until late in the second quarter. After the Cardinals’ defense set up great field position, Sorn was able to cap off a five-play 35-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run.

To close the half, Eichler launched his first pass of the ballgame from mid-field and was intercepted by Colerain senior cornerback Andre Jones. Jones, who is committed to the University of Cincinnati, gave Lakota East a scare – returning the ball 55 yards until junior offensive lineman Zach Daniel made a touchdown-saving tackle.

With the win, Colerain improves to 7-1 on the season and 5-0 in the Greater Miami Conference. Lakota East, meanwhile, falls to 4-4 overall and 2-3 in the GMC.

L– Horton 2-yard run (Martin kick) – 4:55 left in 1^st quarter
C– Sorn 1-yard run (Kevin Walker kick) – 1:04 left in 2^nd quarter
C– Sorn 3-yard run (Walker kick) – 7:20 left in 3^rd quarter
C– Bolden 1-yard run (Walker kick) – 11:56 left in 4^th quarter
C– Bolden 6-yard pass from Smith (Walker kick) – 8:41 left in 4^th quarter

Posted in: Fall sports, Sports |

Tags: Tags: Andre Jones, Cincinnati football recruiting, Colerain football, Eric Eichler, football, Jackson Sorn, Joe Bolden, Lakota East, Lakota East football, Lakota East Sports, Lakota West football, Mikel Horton, Ohio football recruiting, Ohio High School sports recruiting, Ohio preps recruiting, Ohio sports recruiting

Lakota East head coach Rick Haynes, who was the offensive coordinator and an assistant coach at Colerain from 1991 to 2006, will take on his former team this Friday at 7:30 p.m. on the road. It is a big game for both teams, as a win for Lakota East (4-3 overall, 2-2 in the Greater Miami Conference) could put the Thunderhawks back in playoff contention and a win by Colerain could help the Cardinals win or share the conference title for the 12th straight season.

Lakota East: Haynes knows Colerain’s triple-option attack so well that he uses now at Lakota East. While the coach might be experienced in the offensive attack, his players are only in their second year of learning the system. Offensively, the Thunderhawks have struggled and are ranked seventh (out of 10 teams) in the GMC in yards per game with 286. Haynes’ offense, however, had a good showing in last week’s 44-13 win against Fairfield – rushing for 352 yards as a team. The rushing attack is led by sophomore fullback Mikel Horton (514 yards and seven touchdowns on 99 carries), junior running back Will Mahone (475 yards and three touchdowns on 68 carries) and sophomore quarterback Eric Eichler (240 yards and eight touchdowns on 82 carries). The passing attack has been almost non-existent – averaging 48 yards per game as a team. Defensively, Lakota East has been solid this season and is currently ranked third in the GMC in yards allowed per game with 271. The defense has also forced 17 turnovers (nine interceptions, eight fumble recoveries) in seven games this season.

Colerain: Many loyal fans were shocked to find their Cardinals pinned against their own endzone and in a situation that could end in a loss to Lakota West in the closing seconds last Friday. In that game, Lakota West rallied from a 24-6 deficit to cut the lead to 24-19 with a minute to play. The Firebirds recovered the onside kick and drove the ball to the 2-yard-line, before turning it over on a fumble. Going into the game, Colerain appeared to be the heavy favorite after defeating Middletown on the road by the score of 21-13. Meanwhile, Lakota West entered the game tied for last place in the GMC and fresh off a 47-7 loss at Middletown. Offensively, Colerain has been hit hard by injuries and is sixth in total offense with 320 yards per game. Defense remains the Cardinals’ strength this season. Going into this week, Colerain is giving up an average of 220 yards and 10 points per game on that side of the ball. The stout defense also features seniors defensive back Andre Jones (Cincinnati commit), linebacker Joe Bolden (Michigan commit) and defensive tackle Trae Clark (many Division I offers).

Bottom line: Statistically, Colerain has to like how it is matched up with the Thunderhawks – having a defense that is only allowing 10 points per game and facing an offense that struggles to score. That being said, Lakota East’s offense is young and dangerous. The talent could be there to pull off the upset. However, to pull off the upset, Lakota East’s defense must stop the Cardinals’ rushing attack of senior quarterback Dustin Smith and senior running back Jackson Sorn. Currently, Colerain is tied for first in the GMC standings and is third in the Region 4 computer rankings. Lakota East is currently ranked 13th in the regional rankings. The top eight teams in the regional computer rankings will advance to the postseason.

(WestChesterBuzz.com will provide a recap of this matchup shortly after the game is over)

Posted in: Fall sports, Sports |

Tags: Tags: Andre Jones, Cincinnati football recruiting, Colerain football, Eric Eichler, football, game preview, Jackson Sorn, Joe Bolden, Joe Postlewait, Lakota East, Lakota East football, Lakota East Sports, Lakota West football, Mikel Horton, Ohio football recruiting, Ohio High School sports recruiting, Ohio preps recruiting, Ohio sports recruiting, Trae Clark, Will Mahone

Lakota West scored two touchdowns in the final three minutes, but came up short of upsetting Greater Miami Conference power Colerain Friday – losing by the score of 24-19.

The Firebirds scored on a 25-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Malik Grove to senior Kayaune Ross with a minute left in the game.

Trailing 24-19, Lakota West recovered the onside kick and advanced the ball to the two-yard line after Grove connected with Ross on a 47-yard pass play. Two plays later, the Firebirds fumbled the football. Colerain recovered and ran out the clock.

Grove (photo), who began the season as Lakota West’s third-string quarterback, put up some solid numbers – completing 14-of-23 passes for 250 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Meanwhile, junior Jackson Sorn, who rushed for 101 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries, led Colerain.

By escaping with the win, Colerain improves to 6-1 overall and 4-0 in the GMC. Lakota West falls to 1-6 overall and 0-4 in the GMC.

Next Friday, Colerain will host Lakota East (4-3 overall, 2-2 in the GMC) at 7:30 p.m. and Lakota West will host Hamilton (3-4 overall, 1-3 in the GMC) at the same time.

C – Sorn 2-yard run (Kevin Walker kick) – 8:15 in 1^st quarter
C – Walker 32-yard FG – 3:45 in 2^nd quarter
C – Ben Scherrer 37-yard pass from Dustin Smith (Walker kick) – 0:53 in 2^nd quarter
L – Derwin Jamison 1-yard run (Justin Martin kick) – 4:09 in 3^rd quarter
C – Sorn 20-yard run (Walker kick) – 6:31 in 4^th quarter
L – Jamison 5-yard pass from Grove – 2:54 in 4^th quarter
L – Ross 25-yard pass from Grove – 1:00 in 4^th quarter

Posted in: Fall sports, Sports |

Tags: Tags: Colerain football, Dustin Smith, football, Jackson Sorn, Kayaune Ross, Lakota West, Lakota West football, Lakota West sports, Malik Grove

Lakota West (1-5 overall, 0-3 in the Greater Miami Conference) will be seeking its first conference win of the season when it hosts Colerain (5-1 overall, 3-0 in the GMC) Friday at 7:30 p.m. Meanwhile, the Cardinals haven’t lost to a GMC opponent in the regular season since 2008. During that span, Colerain has won 20 straight regular season conference games.

Lakota West: For the most part this season, the Firebirds had played close games this season – winning or losing four contests by six or fewer points. Last week was not one of those close games, as they lost by the score of 47-7 at Middletown. In that game, Lakota West allowed 398 rushing yards to the Middletown offense. Offensively, the Firebirds totaled 69 rushing yards. Despite the poor performance, the Lakota West offense does have some firepower. Sophomore quarterback Tyler Jones is an exciting player, who has thrown for 711 yards (third most in the GMC) and nine touchdowns this season. One of his biggest targets is 6-foot-3 senior wide receiver Kayaune Ross, who has eight receptions for 193 yards (24.1 yards per catch) and four touchdowns. The Firebirds’ offensive MVP this season, so far, is senior running back Marcus Davis. Of the team’s 720 total rushing yards, Davis has 712 and two touchdowns on 148 carries. As a team, Lakota West is averaging 243 yards of offense per game and is allowing 365 yards per game on defense.

Colerain: The Cardinals are coming off a 56-0 win against Fairfield, where they rushed for 417 yards as team and allowed only 27 rushing yards. Leading Colerain was junior Jackson Sorn, who rushed for 142 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. So far this season, Sorn has rushed for 628 yards and eight touchdowns. Senior quarterback Dustin Smith has rushed for 243 yards and two touchdowns on 33 carries this season. Smith had to take over the starting quarterback duties when junior Alfred Ramsby suffered a knee injury, ending his season in September. Last year, Ramsby was a backup running back at Lakota West. Defensively, Colerain is led seniors defensive back Andre Jones (Cincinnati commit), linebacker Joe Bolden (Michigan commit) and defensive tackle Trae Clark (many Division I offers). Jones, who has four interceptions for 102 yards and a touchdown, is also a dangerous kick and punt returner. Currently, Jones is averaging 9.8 yards per punt return and 30.4 yards per kickoff return. As a team, Colerain is averaging 329 yards of offense per game and is allowing 199 yards per game on defense.

Bottom line: Colerain has been dominating the GMC, either sharing or winning the conference title outright for the last 11 years. This season, Colerain appears to be on track to make it 12 straight years after wins against Mason, Middletown and Fairfield. Meanwhile, Lakota West didn’t get any breaks with its schedule this season and could have a difficult time winning a conference game in 2011. Both teams share one common opponent this fall. Colerain defeated Middletown 21-13 and Lakota West fell to the Middies by the score of 47-7. Colerain, as usual, is the heavy favorite.

Posted in: Fall sports, Sports |

Tags: Tags: Alfred Ramsby, Andre Jones, Cincinnati football recruiting, Colerain football, Dustin Smith, football, game preview, Jackson Sorn, Joe Bolden, Kayaune Ross, Lakota West, Lakota West football, Lakota West sports, Marcus Davis, Ohio football recruiting, Ohio High School sports recruiting, Ohio preps recruiting, Ohio sports recruiting, Trae Clark, Tyler Jones

Middletown junior Jalin Marshall is one of the area’s most highly recruited athletes and he showed why in a 47-7 victory against Lakota West Friday.

Marshall, who has offers from Cincinnati, Illinois, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Pittsburgh, Tennessee and UCLA, rushed for four first-half touchdowns against the Firebirds, scoring on runs of 7, 45, 59 and 72 yards.

The Middies’ quarterback finished with 226 yards on 11 carries (20.5 yards per carry).

Marshall’s senior teammate, running back E.J. Junior (offer from Cincinnati), rushed for 90 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries in the win.

As a team, Lakota West managed only 120 yards of offense, 58 of which came on the ground from senior running back Marcus Jones. On defense, the Firebirds gave up 440 yards.

With the win, Middletown improves to 5-1 overall and 2-1 in the Greater Miami Conference. Meanwhile, Lakota West falls to 1-5 overall and 0-3 in the GMC.

Next Friday, Middletown will be at Hamilton (3-3 overall, 1-2 in GMC) at 7:30 p.m. and Lakota West will host Colerain (5-1 overall, 3-0 in GMC) at 7:30 p.m.

M–Marshall 45 run (Till kick) – 7:08 in 1^st quarter
M–Marshall 72 run (Till kick) – 0:30 in 1^st quarter
M–Marshall 59 run (Till kick) – 10:46 in 2^nd quarter
M–Wright 7 run (Till kick) – 8:36 in 2^nd quarter
M–Marshall 7 run (kick failed) – 3:47 in 2^nd quarter
M–Junior 1 run (Till kick) – 2:02 in 3^rd quarter
M–Burton 18 run (kick failed) – 1:42 in 4^th quarter
L–Williams 25 pass from Jones (Martin kick) – 0:13 in 4^th quarter



Posted in: Fall sports, Sports |

Tags: Tags: Cincinnati football recruiting, E.J. Junior, football, game preview, Jalin Marshall, Lakota West, Lakota West football, Lakota West sports, Marcus Davis, Middletown football, Ohio football recruiting, Ohio High School sports recruiting, Ohio preps recruiting, Ohio sports recruiting

The Lakota West Firebirds (1-4 overall, 0-2 in the Greater Miami Conference) will be underdogs when they visit Middletown (4-1 overall, 1-1 in the GMC) this Friday at 7:30 p.m. Lakota West’s only win this fall came at Anderson (20-14). The Firebirds have losses vs. Winton Woods (27-21), vs. Elder (35-10), at Princeton (27-21) and vs. Oak Hills (25-21). Meanwhile, the Middies only loss came last Thursday night against Colerain (21-13). Middletown also has wins against Wayne (32-31), at Troy (29-21), vs. Winton Woods (21-14) and at Oak Hills (46-13).

Lakota West: The Firebirds have suffered back-to-back losses to conference opponents after having fourth quarter leads in each game. Offensively, led by senior running back Marcus Davis, Lakota West has some firepower. Davis has already rushed for 654 yards (second most in the GMC) and two touchdowns on 128 carries this fall. The senior is averaging more than 130 rushing yards per game. Meanwhile, sophomore quarterback Tyler Jones has thrown for 686 yards (second most in the GMC) and eight touchdowns (second most in the GMC). The first-year starter also leads the conference in interceptions with six. Jones’ top targets are seniors Bubba Williams (11 rec. 159 yards and 1 TD) and Kayaune Ross (8 rec. 193 yards and 4 TDs). Defensively, Lakota West has 10 sacks, six forced fumbles (recovering four) and has two interceptions this fall. As a team, Lakota West is averaging 267 yards of offense per game and is allowing 350 yards per game on defense.

Middletown: The Middies feature many big names; including one on the sidelines in head coach Troy Everhart. Middletown’s new coach previously led Winton Woods for 11 years and led the Warriors to a Division II state championship in 2009. He also served as the coordinator of recruiting services at the University of Cincinnati. On the field, Middletown features one of the region’s most-recruited players in junior quarterback Jalin Marshall. According to Yahoo! Sports, Marshall has offers from Cincinnati, Illinois, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Pittsburgh, Tennessee and UCLA. This season, Marshall has rushed for 625 yards (third most in the GMC), thrown for 385 yards and has nine total touchdowns. Marshall’s senior teammates running back E.J. Junior (offer from Cincinnati), defensive back Cody Quinn (Illinois commit) and wide receiver Zach Edwards (offers from Akron, Bowling Green, Cincinnati and Miami) have also garnered attention from Division I college programs. Defensively, senior linebacker Jaylen Herring leads Middletown with four sacks. As a team, Middletown is averaging 359 yards per game on offense and is allowing 246 yards per game on defense.

Bottom line: While Lakota West has played much better than its 1-4 record indicates, it should have trouble keeping up with all the talent on Middletown. To make matters worse, Middletown is coming off its first loss of the season. Both teams have their similarities on offense, featuring mobile quarterbacks, a workhorse running back and a pair of playmakers at wide receiver. That being said, Lakota West has the ability to pull off an upset. However, when comparing the two teams’ only common opponent, the chances appear to be slim for Lakota West. The Firebirds lost to Oak Hills last Friday at home by the score of 25-21, while Middletown defeated Oak Hills on the road two weeks ago by the score of 46-13.

Posted in: Fall sports, Sports |

Tags: Tags: Bubba Williams, Cincinnati football recruiting, Cody Quinn, E.J. Junior, football, game preview, Jalin Marshall, Kayaune Ross, Lakota West, Lakota West football, Lakota West sports, Marcus Davis, Middletown football, Ohio football recruiting, Ohio High School sports recruiting, Ohio preps recruiting, Ohio sports recruiting, Tyler Jones, Zach Edwards