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In a special National Signing Day ceremony, Feb. 6, 2013, Lakota West honored 17 seniors who will be continuing their athletic careers in college. In picture from left-to-right – back row – Bryan McNamara, Ben Pendery, Mike Kelly, Kyle Meadows, Drew Garbenis, Nick Bengal, Drew Ostendorf, Marshall Stretch and Andres Martinez; in front row – Nicole Soutar, Tori Turner, Annie Bierman, Audrey Jennings, Elle Nguyen, Mandy Stanislovaitis and Maggie Hare. Not pictured Jeff Wray.

To let West Chester and Liberty Township residents catch up with the news that they need to know, WestChesterBuzz.com will list and link to all of last week’s top local stories every Monday.

Lakota West has 17 seniors sign to play sports in college – In a special National Signing Day ceremony, last Wednesday, Lakota West High School honored 17 seniors who will be continuing their athletic careers in college. The day marked the start of the NCAA signing period for football, field hockey, soccer, track and field, cross country and men’s water polo.

In a special post Signing Day ceremony, Feb. 7, 2013, Lakota East honored 17 seniors who will be continuing their athletic careers in college. Photo by Barb Trimble of TrimPhotoAndVideo.com. For more photos from this event, visit http://proofs.trimphotoandvideo.com/g/020713east

Lakota East celebrates 17 future collegiate athletes – In connection with National Signing Day, Lakota East High School last Thursday morning honored 17 seniors who will be continuing their athletic careers in college. Ashley Evans, who was ranked No. 21 in her class nationally by prepvolleyball.com, is the third Lakota volleyball player (Liz McMahon – signed with Illinois in ’11 and Lexi Dannemiller signed with Michigan in ’11) in three years to sign with a Big Ten school.

After the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, Scott Miller, a former Mason Police officer forced to retire after being struck twice on duty by cars, approached Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones with a novel idea: Put armed, retired police officers in Butler County schools as substitute teachers to boost security. Photo by Tony Jones.

Ex-cop ready to serve in schools -There has been plenty of talk but little else since Butler County’s sheriff publicly floated the idea of retired cops working as armed substitute teachers, Michael D. Clark of The Cincinnati Enquirer reported last week. Still, the man behind the idea remains optimistic. Scott Miller’s positive attitude is borne from painful adversity.

Police: West Chester man attempts to stab another during bar brawl – A Warren County grand jury has indicted a West Chester man who police say attempted to stab another man in a Mason bar brawl, Rachel Richardson of MasonBuzz.com reported last week. Joshua Donahue, 35, has been charged with two counts of second-degree felonious assault, three counts carrying a concealed weapon and two counts improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle, fourth-degree felonies, and tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony.

Police: Possible abduction attempt in Liberty Township – Butler County deputies were called to a Liberty Township home last Monday night, after a stranger in his 20s tried to lure a 9-year-old boy into his car with a comic book. According to a release from the Butler County Sheriff’s Office, the boy said he was walking to his home on Grey Elk Court from a friend’s house on nearby Long Drive shortly after 6 p.m. when a black car pulled up next to him and a male driver exited the vehicle holding a comic book.

Jorge Gurgel owns his own MMA training school in West Chester, Ohio. He has more than 600 students and 25 professional fighters, which includes former UFC champion Rich Franklin, under his wing. Photo taken by Adam Kiefaber of WestChesterBuzz.com.

Video: Gurgel, Franklin headline fighting school in West Chester -Last week, WestChesterBuzz.com did a feature on a local business, Jorge Gurgel Mixed Martial Arts Academy. For the story, the Buzz featured a written article, photos and a video about the MMA school.

Lakota West celebrates its brightest star – Amber Gray’s story is as inspirational as they come and, deservingly so, Lakota West bestowed an honor that it has never done before – by retiring her No. 10 jersey just prior to the Lakota East at Lakota West varsity basketball game last Wednesday night. In honor of Gray, Lakota West donned its away red jerseys to match Gray’s replica jersey in Lakota West’s gym and defeated school-district rival Lakota East 49-39. Lakota West’s next potential star, sophomore Lauren Cannatelli, led all scorers with 21 points.

Fricker’s in West Chester officially opened Wednesday – Fricker’s, a Dayton-based wing joint, officially opens its West Chester location last Wednesday. It is located at 7844 Kingland Drive off Tylersville Road. Fricker’s menu features 13 different types of sauces for its chicken wings, chicken chunks and shrimp. The restaurant also features appetizers, salads, ribs, steak, burgers, sandwiches, pizza, quesadillas and wraps, as well as a kids’ menu and desserts.

Police: Possible abduction attempt in Liberty Township – Butler County deputies were called to a Liberty Township home last Monday night, after a stranger in his 20s tried to lure a 9-year-old boy into his car with a comic book. According to a release from the Butler County Sheriff’s Office, the boy said he was walking to his home on Grey Elk Court from a friend’s house on nearby Long Drive shortly after 6 p.m. when a black car pulled up next to him and a male driver exited the vehicle holding a comic book.

UK coach John Schlarman talks about OT Kyle Meadows – On National Signing Day, Kyle Meadows made it official – he is going to play football for the University of Kentucky. Per NCAA rules, Division I coaches are not allowed to talk about recruits until they receive a signed letter of intent. Newly hired University of Kentucky offensive line coach John Schlarman received the fax this morning with Meadows’ signature and took the time to speak about his new recruit.

Video (see below): GMC seniors sign on to play college football – A total of 36 high school seniors from the Greater Miami Conference were recognized last Wednesday at the annual conference football Signing Day press conference at the Ronald Reagan Lodge at Voice of America Park in West Chester. Among those honored include Jalin Marshall (Middletown – Ohio State), offensive lineman Dylan Wiesman (Colerain – Tennessee) offensive tackle Kyle Meadows (Lakota West – Kentucky), linebacker Mike Kelly (Lakota West – Navy), offensive tackle Ben Flick (Hamilton – Cincinnati) and linebacker Marcus Oliver (Hamilton – Indiana).

Posted in: Crime, Fall sports, News, Schools, Sports, Spring sports, Winter Sports |

Tags: Tags: Ashley Evans, Ashley Evans Purdue volleyball, Ben Flick, Ben Flick Cincinnati football, Dylan Wiesman, Dylan Wiesman Tennessee football, Jalin Marshall, Jalin Marshall Ohio State, Jalin Marshall Ohio State football, Kentucky football recruiting, Kyle Meadows, Kyle Meadows football recruiting, Kyle Meadows Kentucky, Kyle Meadows Kentucky football, Kyle Meadows Lakota West, Kyle Meadows UK, Kyle Meadows UK football, Lakota East, Lakota East Sports, Lakota West, Lakota West football, Lakota West sports, Marcus Oliver, Marcus Oliver Indiana football, Mike Kelly, Mike Kelly Navy football, Ohio football recruiting, Ohio High School sports recruiting, Ohio preps recruiting, Ohio sports recruiting

A total of 36 high school seniors from the Greater Miami Conference were recognized Wednesday at the annual conference football Signing Day press conference at the Ronald Reagan Lodge at Voice of America Park in West Chester.

Among those honored include Jalin Marshall (Middletown – Ohio State), offensive lineman Dylan Wiesman (Colerain – Tennessee) offensive tackle Kyle Meadows (Lakota West – Kentucky), linebacker Mike Kelly (Lakota West – Navy), offensive tackle Ben Flick (Hamilton – Cincinnati) and linebacker Marcus Oliver (Hamilton – Indiana).

Complete 2013 class of GMC football players playing in college

In an interview after the event, Marshall said he would be playing slot wide receiver at Ohio State. For the past three falls, Marshall has been the starting quarterback at Middletown. In his career, he has rushed for 200 yards or more in a game seven times – including a 308-yard rushing performance as a sophomore against Lakota East and a 312-yard rushing performance as a senior against St. Xavier.

Posted in: Fall sports, Sports |

Tags: Tags: Ben Flick, Ben Flick Cincinnati football, Dylan Wiesman, Dylan Wiesman Tennessee football, Jalin Marshall, Jalin Marshall Ohio State, Jalin Marshall Ohio State football, Lakota West, Lakota West football, Lakota West sports, Marcus Oliver, Marcus Oliver Indiana football, Mike Kelly, Mike Kelly Navy football, Ohio football recruiting, Ohio High School sports recruiting, Ohio preps recruiting, Ohio sports recruiting

After defeating Greater Miami Conference opponent Middletown Friday night, the 2012 Lakota West football team became the first in school history to begin a season with an 8-0 record.

In the latest win, the Firebirds took a 27-0 lead late into the third quarter before holding onto to a 27-14 win at home.

Lakota West junior quarterback Malik Grove has been one of the many reasons that the Firebirds are off to their best start in school history. Photo taken by Joseph Fuqua II in a 30-13 win against Mason Sept. 14.

6-foot-3 junior kicker Justin Martin caught his second touchdown pass of the season when junior quarterback Malik Grove connected with him from 10 yards out midway through the first quarter.

Running backs, junior Mikel Horton and sophomore Kole Gentry, each added touchdowns in the second quarter, as Lakota West took a 20-0 halftime lead. Horton would finish the game with 103 yards on 24 carries, while Gentry added 24 yards on six carries.

In the second half, the scoring started when senior Michael Carter incepted a pass from Middletown senior Jalin Marshall and returned it 57 yards for a touchdown. The interception was one of three thrown by Marshall, who will play college football at Ohio State. The other two INTs came at the hands of Lakota West senior Tyler Cross, who had two interceptions in a single game for the second time this season.

Before the game ended, Marshall would add a pair of touchdowns for the Middies – scoring on a run of 53 yards and throwing a 15-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver Jordann Thomas. For the game, Marshall finished with 165 rushing yards on 24 carries and was 4-of-18 passing for 39 yards.

Next week, the Firebirds, ranked No. 3 in The Enquirer Division I area coaches’ poll, plays at No. 1-ranked Colerain (8-0). Entering this Friday, Lakota West and Colerain were also No. 2 and No. 1 in the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s region 4 computer rankings.

LW – Martin 10-yard pass from Grove (Martin kick)
LW – Horton 4-yard run (kick failed)
LW – Gentry 4-yard run (Martin kick)
LW – Mitchell 57-yard INT return (Martin kick)
M – Marshall 53-yard run (kick failed)
M – Thomas 15-yard pass from Marshall (A’Keeno King recp)

Posted in: Fall sports, Sports |

Tags: Tags: football preview, game preview, Jalin Marshall, Jalin Marshall Ohio State, Kyle Meadows, Kyle Meadows Lakota West, Lakota West, Lakota West football, Lakota West High School, Lakota West sports, Malik Grove, Malik Grove Lakota West, Mikel Horton, Mikel Horton Lakota West

Lakota West running back Mikel Horton runs for a touchdown as he’s wrapped up by Mason defensive back Gus Thieken in the Firebirds’ 30-13 win against Mason earlier this season. Overall, Lakota West is 7-0 and is only one of two unbeaten teams in the Greater Miami Conference. Photo taken by Joseph Fuqua II.

Lakota West (7-0 overall, 4-0 in the Greater Miami Conference), who is ranked No. 3 in The Cincinnati Enquirer coaches’ poll, will host Middletown (2-5 overall, 1-3 in the GMC) this Friday at 7:30 p.m. The Firebirds are coming off a 37-10 win against Oak Hills, while Middletown enters the game after losing 41-14 last week to Colerain.

Middletown: After making the postseason and winning at least 10 games in the each of the past three seasons, expectations were high in 2012 for the Middletown Middies. This team, surprisingly, has struggled – especially lately – losing its last three games, which included losses against Lakota East, Oak Hills and Colerain. Despite their struggles, the Middies are a dangerous team that is led by one of the state’s top players in senior quarterback Jalin Marshall, who is committed to continue his football career at Ohio State. Last season, in a 47-7 Middletown victory against Lakota West, Marshall rushed for 226 yards and four touchdowns on 11 carries. So far this season, Marshall has rushed for 953 yards and nine touchdowns and has thrown for 559 yards and seven touchdowns.

Lakota West: The Firebirds are off to their best start since 2004, are ranked No. 3 in The Enquirer’s coaches’ poll and are now No. 2 in the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s region 4 computer rankings. Unlike Middletown, Lakota West struggled the past two seasons and has been one of the area’s top teams in 2012. Overall, the offense has played well – scoring 30 or more points in all seven games this season. As a team, the Firebirds have outscored their opponents 256-90. Their offense is led by junior quarterback Malik Grove, junior running back Mikel Horton and senior offensive tackle Kyle Meadows.

Bottom line: Lakota West appears to be the favorite, but Middletown has to be considered a dangerous opponent. Just last year, the Middies blew out Lakota West, 47-7. Also making this matchup possibly dangerous for the Firebirds is the thought of the team’s next opponent – Colerain, who is ranked No. 11 nationally by USA Today and is the only other unbeaten team in the GMC this season. By comparing common opponents, Middletown has defeated Fairfield, 41-26, and lost to Oak Hills, 27-26, while Lakota West defeated Fairfield, 32-8, and Oak Hills, 37-10.

Posted in: Fall sports, Sports |

Tags: Tags: football preview, game preview, Jalin Marshall, Jalin Marshall Ohio State, Kyle Meadows, Kyle Meadows Lakota West, Lakota West, Lakota West football, Lakota West High School, Lakota West sports, Malik Grove, Malik Grove Lakota West, Mikel Horton, Mikel Horton Lakota West

Lakota East junior Nate Mays scores a touchdown on a 27-yard pass from junior quarterback Eric Eichler to make the score 20-7 in the second quarter. Lakota East went on to defeat Middletown by the score of 34-20. Photo taken Sept. 21, 2012 by Barb Trimble of TrimPhotoAndVideo.com. For more photos of this game, visit http://proofs.trimphotoandvideo.com/g/092112mid_east.

After Middletown senior quarterback Jalin Marshall scored on an 81-yard touchdown run early in the first quarter, Lakota East scored 20 straight points en route to a 34-20 win at the Hawks Nest Friday night.

Marshall, who has committed to play football at Ohio State, rushed for 155 yards and two touchdowns, and completed 7-of-17 passes for 80 yards and another score.

It wasn’t enough, however, as the Thunderhawks rushed for 348 yards and four touchdowns on 48 carries as a team.

Leading the Lakota East rushing attack were seniors Will Mahone, who rushed for 113 yards and a score on 14 carries, and Chamada Palmore, who rushed for 135 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. Junior quarterback Eric Eichler added 83 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries. Eichler also threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to junior Nate Mays.

The win was Lakota East’s first against Middletown since 2005. Prior to the win, the Middies had beaten the Thunderhawks four straight times.

With the win, Lakota East improves to 4-1 overall and 2-0 in the Greater Miami Conference, while Middletown falls to 2-3 overall and 1-1 in the GMC.

The Thunderhawks will likely be moving up in The Cincinnati Enquirer Division coaches’ poll after this win. Heading into the game, Lakota East was ranked No. 10 and Middletown was No. 6.

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

M – Marshall 81-yard un (Henry kick)
LE – Palmore 38-yard run (kick failed)
LE – Mahone 3-yard run (Smith kick)
LE – Mays 27-yard pass from Eichler (Smith kick)
M – Hasan 12-yard pass from Marshall (Henry kick)
LE – Eichler 5-yard run (run failed)
LE – Eichler 8-yard run (Eichler run)
M – Marshall 2-yard run (kick failed)

Posted in: Fall sports, Sports |

Tags: Tags: Chamada Palmore, Eric Eichler, Eric Eichler Lakota East, Jalin Marshall, Jalin Marshall Ohio State, Lakota East, Lakota East football, Lakota East High School, Lakota East Sports, Middletown football, Nate Mays, Will Mahone, Will Mahone Lakota East

Winton Woods defeated Lakota East, 25-20, and Middletown, 50-13, this fall. Photo taken Aug. 31, 2012 by Barb Trimble of TrimPhotoAndVideo.com. For more photos of this game, Winton Woods at Lakota East visit http://proofs.trimphotoandvideo.com/g/083112ww_east

Lakota East (3-1 overall, 1-0 in GMC), which is No. 10 in The Cincinnati Enquirer Division I coaches’ poll, will host No. 6 Middletown (2-2 overall, 1-0 in GMC) Friday at 7:30 p.m. The Thunderhawks are coming off a 40-20 win at Oak Hills, while Middletown is fresh off a 41-26 win against Fairfield.

Middletown: Entering the season, considered to be one of the best teams in the region and possibly in the state, Middletown has had a disappointing start losing a heartbreaker to St. Xavier, 43-39, in its opener and suffering an uncharacteristic blowout loss at Winton Woods, 51-13, in Week 3. While the 2-2 record is surprising, the play of senior quarterback Jalin Marshall is not. The Ohio State commit currently leads the Middies with 551 yards on 66 carries and five touchdowns, and has completed 22 of his 48 pass attempts for 311 yards and six touchdowns with only one interception. Marshall and the Middies didn’t play Lakota East in 2011, but they did defeat the Thunderhawks, 49-35, in 2010. In that game, Marshall, as a sophomore, rushed for 308 and three touchdowns on 20 carries and threw for another score. Offensively this fall, sophomore running back Yvonte Glover has 281 yards on 63 carries and two touchdowns and senior running back William Peters has added 229 yards on 41 carries and three touchdowns. Peters is also Middletown’s leading receiver with six receptions for 102 yards and four touchdowns. Furthermore, Peters has returned five kickoffs for 189 yards (37.8 yards per return) and has a 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Defensively, senior Skyler Watkins has 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. As a team, Middletown is averaging around 360 yards of total offense and is giving up an average of around 295 yards per game on defense.

Lakota East: Last fall, the Thunderhawks were in a similar position – starting the year with a 3-1 overall record and winning their first conference game. After that point, Lakota East lost five of its last six games and finished the year with a losing record for the sixth straight season. Back to 2012, the Thunderhawks made the top ten in the coaches’ poll for the first time this fall and came in seventh in the Region 4 OHSAA computer rankings this week (top eight qualify for the postseason). Leading the Thunderhawks is senior running back Will Mahone, who has 394 yards and eight touchdowns on 71 carries this season. Also leading the offense is junior quarterback Eric Eichler, who has rushed for 228 yards and three touchdowns on 51 carries, and has 203 passing yards and three touchdown passes with only one interception. Emerging in the 40-20 win at Oak Hills last Friday was senior running back Chamada Palmore, who rushed for 128 yards on 13 carries. Junior running back Nate Mays also had a strong game – catching three passes for 82 yards and two touchdowns in the win. As a team, Lakota East is averaging around 321 yards of total offense and is giving up an average of about 263 yards per game on defense.

Bottom line: Middletown and Lakota East have a common opponent this year in Winton Woods. The Middies lost their matchup 51-13, while Lakota East lost its by the score of 25-20. Judging on that alone and adding the fact that Lakota East is at home, one would think that the Thunderhawks are the favorite in this game. However, things are not always that simple. Middletown has one of the best high school athletes in the nation (Rivals.com ranks Marshall No. 2 in Ohio and No. 53 in the nation in the class of 2013), who as a sophomore rushed for more than 300 yards and scored four touchdowns in a single game against East. That being said, Middletown will likely be considered the favorite in this game. If Lakota East could get the upset it would be a big boost to the program.

Posted in: Fall sports, Sports |

Tags: Tags: Chamada Palmore, Eric Eichler, Eric Eichler Lakota East, Jalin Marshall, Jalin Marshall Ohio State, Lakota East, Lakota East football, Lakota East High School, Lakota East Sports, Middletown football, Nate Mays, Skyler Watkins, Will Mahone, Will Mahone Lakota East, William Peters, Yvonte Glover

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

The Lakota East football team will be tested this Friday night when it hosts Middletown in a scrimmage at 7 p.m. Last year, the Middies were the co-champions of the Greater Miami Conference with a 10-1 overall record and a 7-0 mark within conference play.

Middletown features one of area’s top athletes in quarterback Jalin Marshall. As a sophomore in 2010, Marshall rushed for 1,426 yards on 173 carries (8.24 yards per carry) and scored a total of 29 touchdowns (12 passing, 17 rushing). Last season, Marshall rushed for 308 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries in a 49-35 win against Lakota East. Marshall also threw for one touchdown in that game.

>>>2011 LAKOTA EAST FOOTBALL SCHEDULE<<<

Marshall, according to Yahoo! Sports, already has accumulated scholarship offers from Cincinnati, Illinois, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Pittsburgh, Tennessee and UCLA.

Meanwhile, Lakota East also returns its young signal caller from a year ago in junior Rob Harpring. In 2010, Harpring threw for six touchdowns and ran for six more for the Thunderhawks.

“I think Rob has improved tremendously, not only in knowing what we want him to do, but he has gotten bigger, quicker and faster,” Lakota East second-year head coach Rick Haynes said. “He has done everything we have expected him to do this offseason, so I believe that Rob is going to have a good year.”

>>>PHOTOS OF FOOTBALL PRACTICE AT LAKOTA EAST<<<

The Thunderhawks hope to improve upon its 3-7 overall record and a 2-5 mark in the GMC from last year.

“The biggest advantage is that our kids know exactly what we are doing on both sides of the ball,” said Haynes, who implemented the triple-option attack on offense last fall. “Last year, it was all new for them in terms of offense, in terms of running the triple … now they are used to what is expected of them.” (more…)

Posted in: Fall sports, Sports |

Tags: Tags: Cody Quinn, football, football practice, Geovonie McKnight, Jalin Marshall, Lakota East, Lakota East football, Lakota East Sports, practice, Rick Haynes, Rob Harpring, Zach Edwards

Lakota East (3-5 overall, 2-3 in Greater Miami Conference) will visit Middletown (8-0 overall, 5-0 in GMC) tonight, Oct. 22, at 7:30 p.m. in hopes to upset the Middies.

Lakota East: The Thunderhawks appeared ready to challenge any GMC opponent after defeating Princeton (3-5 overall, 1-4 in GMC) 41-14 Oct. 8. However, the following week, Lakota East gave Oak Hills (3-5 overall, 1-4 in GMC) its first conference win of the season. To make matters worse, the Thunderhawks led the Highlanders 24-14 in the fourth quarter before losing 35-24. In the loss, Lakota East struggled offensively compiling a total of only 165 yards. Again, this was just one week after the Thunderhawks gained 483 yards of total offense against Princeton. As a team, Lakota East is averaging 240 yards of total offense per game and allowing 331 yards on defense per game.

Middletown: The Middies are currently the top-ranked team in Region 4, according to the computers. Middletown features two quarterbacks in sophomore Jalin Marshall and junior Geovanne McKnight. Marshall (photo) does a little bit of everything, he has 550 passing yards and nine TD passes (six INTs) this season. He has also four receptions for 107 yards and two TDs. Marshall, however, is at his best running the football. This season, Marshall has rushed for 971 yards on 121 carries for 12 touchdowns. McKnight appears to be the better passer, completing 21-of-35 passes for 377 yards and three TDs without an INT this season. Both Marshall and McKnight’s favorite target is junior wide receiver Zach Edwards, who has 28 receptions for 414 yards and four TDs. As a team, Middletown is averaging 369 yards of total offense per game and allowing only 219 yards on defense per game.

Posted in: Fall sports, Sports |

Tags: Tags: football, game preview, Geovanne McKnight, Jalin Marshall, Lakota East, Middletown, Zach Edwards