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Lakota West senior Tyler Cross loses his helmet as he makes a tackle in game against La Salle Aug. 25, 2012. Cross intercepted a pass and returned 17 yards for a touchdown in that game and, later on in the year, he intercepted two passes in a win against Mason. Photo taken by Joseph Fuqua II.

Lakota West (4-0 overall, 1-0 in GMC), which is ranked No. 5 in The Cincinnati Enquirer Division I coaches’ poll, will visit Fairfield (2-2 overall, 0-1 in GMC) this Friday at 7:30 p.m. The Firebirds are coming off a convincing 30-13 win against rival Mason, while Fairfield lost last week to Middletown by the score of 41-26.

Lakota West: The Firebirds are off to their best start since 2006. If they can defeat Fairfield this Friday, the Firebirds will be 5-0 for the first time since 2004. Due to that start, Lakota West opened this Tuesday No. 3 in Region 4 of the OHSAA computer rankings (top eight teams qualify for postseason). In the win against Mason, Lakota West was leading 30-0 in the fourth quarter. So far this year, Lakota West has outscored its opponents 145-54. Helping the offense has been the play of juniors Mikel Horton, Malik Grove and Tyler Jones. Horton has 541 yards and seven touchdowns on 106 carries, while Jones has 10 receptions for 119 yards. Grove has completed 33-of-68 passes for 466 yards and four touchdowns and has only one interception. Junior kicker Justin Martin has also been a bright spot – converting four of his five field goal attempts and making 13 of 15 extra points. Defensively, Lakota West has nine sacks, two forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and five interceptions. Leading the secondary, senior Tyler Cross has three interceptions including two last week and one in Week 1 against La Salle that went for a 17-yard score. As a team, Lakota West is averaging around 341 yards of total offense and giving up approximately 256 yards on defense.

Fairfield: After starting the year 2-0, the Indians have lost back-to-back games. The latest loss, 41-26, to Middletown, Fairfield trailed 34-0 at halftime. The Indians were able to add six points in the third quarter and 20 in the fourth. Offensively, Fairfield likes to spread the ball around. Overall, a total of eight Indians have at least one carry. Senior running back Todd Hoard leads the team with 189 yards and three touchdowns on 43 carries. As a team, Fairfield has rushed for 637 yards and eight touchdowns on 151 carries. A total of six players have rushed for more than 60 yards. The team also uses two quarterbacks. Junior Ryan Nuss has completed 17-of-35 passes for 195 yards and a touchdown, but he has thrown three interceptions. Senior Miles Harris has completed 19-of-33 passes for 217 yards and three touchdowns. Defensively, Fairfield has recorded 10 sacks, forced two fumbles, recovered four fumbles and has three interceptions. Statistically, senior Mike Williams leads the Indians’ defense with three sacks, a fumble recovery and two interceptions.

Bottom line: After finishing 1-9 in 2011 and 2-8 in 2010, Fairfield appeared to be on the mend when it won its first two games this season. Similarly, Lakota West, which has had back-to-back 3-7 seasons, got off to a 2-0 start this year with a 46-34 win against La Salle and a 34-0 win at Glen Este in Week 2. Unlike Fairfield, Lakota West has appeared to get stronger – defeating Anderson 35-7 and rival Mason 30-13 in last two weeks. With the Firebirds playing so well, they have to be considered the favorite. However, they can’t overlook any team in the GMC.

Posted in: Fall sports, Sports |

Tags: Tags: Lakota West, Lakota West football, Lakota West sports, Malik Grove, Malik Grove football recruiting, Malik Grove Lakota West, Mike Williams, Mikel Horton, Mikel Horton football recruiting, Mikel Horton Lakota West, Miles Harris, Ryan Nuss, Todd Hoard, Tyler Cross, Tyler Jones, Tyler Jones football recruiting, Tyler Jones 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 first quarter. Photo taken by Joseph Fuqua II.

Kevin Goheen reports:

It’s been six years since Lakota West has started a football season 4-0 but the Firebirds reached that mark Friday night behind a dominating defensive performance to beat Mason 30-13 Friday night at Lakota West.

Senior defensive back Tyler Cross had two interceptions and the Lakota West defense held Mason to just four first downs through the first three quarters in the Greater Miami Conference opener for both teams.

Lakota West, which went 3-7 each of the last two seasons, is ranked No. 5 in the Enquirer Division I coaches’ poll, while Mason, ranked No. 10, falls to 2-2.

“Our defense played great,” said Lakota West coach Larry Cox. “I felt like we were prepared at the Thursday practice walk-through and I felt that at walk-through for pregame. The kids executed the game plan and the coaches did a good job of calling it.”

Mason committed three turnovers plus had one punt blocked and a bad snap on another punt that led directly to 23 points for Lakota West.

Lakota West quarterback Malik Grove looks to throw during the first quarter. Photo taken by Joseph Fuqua II.

Lakota West led just 10-0 at halftime despite its decided advantages in turnovers and field position. The Firebirds’ defense held Mason to 26 net yards offense and two first downs in the first two quarters.

Mason ended the game with 190 yards offense and nine first downs. Lakota West finished with 356 yards offense and 21 first downs.

Mason forced Lakota West to punt on the opening possession of the third quarter but went three-and-out and punted the ball back to the Firebirds.

Junior quarterback Malik Grove hit senior wide receiver Grant Pence for a 37-yard touchdown pass on a third-and-15 play that gave the Firebirds some breathing room, 16-0.

Lakota West junior running back Mikel Horton carried the ball 24 times for 105 yards and scored three touchdowns, all following a Mason turnover or mistake in the punt game that gave the Firebirds short fields.

Darryl Johnson was leading the GMC with 543 yards rushing coming into the game but was held to 98 yards on 24 carries, most of which came in the fourth quarter after Lakota West had taken a 30-0 lead. Johnson scored a pair of touchdowns, including a 32-yard run around the right side that gave Mason its first points.

Mason started sophomore Rodney Hutchinson at quarterback. Lakota West focused its defensive efforts on stopping Johnson and making Hutchinson beat them.

Cross’ first interception set up Horton’s opening touchdown of the game. His second pick stopped a Mason possession after the Comets had recovered a muffed punt in Lakota West territory.

“He was turning his shoulder and I was just reading him. He’s inexperienced,” said Cross. “This is great. I don’t know what it feels like (being 4-0). It’s good. We’ve just got to keep working.”

LW – Horton 1 run (Martin kick)
LW – Martin 30 FG
LW – Grove 37 pass to Pence (kick blocked)
LW – Horton 1 run (Martin kick)
LW – Horton 13 run (Martin kick)
M – Johnson 32 run (Patterson kick)
M – Johnson 1 run (run failed)

Records: Mason 2-2 (0-1 GMC), Lakota West 4-0 (1-0).

Posted in: Fall sports, Sports |

Tags: Tags: Grant Pence, Lakota West, Lakota West football, Lakota West sports, Larry Cox, Malik Grove, Malik Grove football recruiting, Malik Grove Lakota West, Mikel Horton, Mikel Horton football recruiting, Mikel Horton Lakota West, Rodney Hutchinson, Tyler Cross, Tyler Jones, Tyler Jones football recruiting, Tyler Jones Lakota West

Lakota West junior quarterback Malik Grove has helped Lakota West get off to 3-0 start this fall, which is its best start since 2006. Photo taken during game between La Salle and Lakota West Aug. 25, 2012 by Joseph Fuqua II.

Lakota West (3-0) will enter conference play with a perfect 3-0 record for the first time since 2006 when it hosts Greater Miami Conference rival Mason (2-1) at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Mason: After losing its season opener, 10-7, against Springboro, Mason has won back-to-back football games at Lancaster (20-6) and vs. Glen Este (27-3). In the latest victory, Mason senior Darryl Johnson rushed for 228 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries. It was his second straight game where he rushed for more than 200 yards and had three touchdowns. In three games this season, Johnson has rushed for 543 yards and six touchdowns on 79 carries. Overall, largely led by Johnson, Mason is averaging 296 yards of total offense and 18 points per game. Defensively, however, appears to be the strength of the Comets – limiting opponents to an average of 215 yards and only 6.3 points per game. One of the leaders of the defense is senior safety Corey Quallen, who has offers from Mid-American Conference programs. Another standout on that side of the ball is senior linebacker Andrew Hauser, who recorded two sacks in last week’s win against Glen Este.

Lakota West: The Firebirds have outscored their opponents 115-to-41 in three games this season. The offense, led by junior running back Mikel Horton, is averaging roughly 328 yards and 38 points per game. Horton, who is averaging around 145 rushing yards per contest, has 436 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 82 carries. Meanwhile, junior quarterback Malik Grove has completed 21-of-46 passes for 303 yards and has three touchdown passes and one interception in three games. Grove has completed passes to six different receivers and his top target has been junior Tyler Jones, who has six receptions for 76 yards this season. Defensively, the Firebirds have six sacks, recovered three fumbles and have three interceptions. As a team, they are giving up roughly 278 yards and 14 points per game.

Bottom line: These two programs didn’t play each other last season. But, they have both played a common opponent in 2012 – Glen Este. Mason defeated the Trojans 27-3 at home last Friday, while West blanked the Trojans 34-0 on the road the week before. With both wins being so similar, one would think that this should be a even matchup. If it doesn’t turn out to be a close game, then there will be a lot learned about each program.

Posted in: Fall sports, Sports |

Tags: Tags: Lakota West, Lakota West football, Lakota West sports, Malik Grove, Malik Grove football recruiting, Malik Grove Lakota West, Mikel Horton, Mikel Horton football recruiting, Mikel Horton Lakota West, Tyler Jones, Tyler Jones football recruiting, Tyler Jones Lakota West

Lakota West hosted Anderson Friday, Sept. 7, 2012. The game lasted for one offensive play before a lightning delay went into effect. The game picked up Saturday and Lakota West won the contest 35-7. Photo taken by Mark Ferland of ferlandfotos.smugmug.com.

Lakota West continued its strong start this season with a 35-7 win against Anderson Saturday. The win gives the Firebirds their first 3-0 start since the 2006 season.

Lakota West scored first with a 6-yard touchdown run by junior running back Mikel Horton in the 2nd quarter. Horton added another touchdown run in the 3rd quarter and finished the contest with 109 rushing yards on 23 carries.

Also getting in the end zone twice, fellow junior Malik Grove scored on runs of 8 and 10 yards in the 4th quarter. The quarterback completed 11-of-17 passes for 104 yards and threw an interception, as well as rushing for 37 yards on 9 carries.

Grove’s top two targets, senior tight end Dustin Parker (53 receiving yards) and junior Tyler Jones (29 receiving yards), each finished with 4 receptions. Ironically, Jones and Parker competed with Grove for the starting quarterback duties in the summer of 2011. Jones, who has received interest from Cincinnati, also battled for the starting QB job this past summer.

On special teams, Jones provided a spark by returning 4 punts for a total of 80 yards – his longest was a 40-yard return. Senior teammate Romelo White provided the game’s second touchdown when he ran back the opening kickoff of the second half, 77 yards for the score.

Defensively, senior linebacker Mike Kelly, senior defensive lineman Ryan Martin and senior defensive tackle Adam Miller each recorded a sack for Lakota West.

The game was originally scheduled to take place on Friday, but storms in the area caused it to be postponed to Saturday.

L – Horton 6-yard run (Martin kick)
L – White 77-yard kickoff return (Martin kick)
L – Horton 2-yard run (Pence run)
A – Bradley 28-yard run (Penley kick)
L – Grove 8-yard run (Martin Kick)
L – Grove 10-yard run (kick failed)

Posted in: Fall sports, Sports |

Tags: Tags: Dustin Parker, Lakota West, Lakota West football, Lakota West sports, Malik Grove, Malik Grove football recruiting, Malik Grove Lakota West, Mikel Horton, Mikel Horton football recruiting, Mikel Horton Lakota West, Tyler Jones, Tyler Jones football recruiting, Tyler Jones Lakota West

Lakota West quarterback Malik Grove started the season opener against La Salle last Saturday, a game the Firebirds won 46-34. Grove ended up throwing for 103 yards and a touchdown in the win. Photo taken Aug. 25, 2012 by Joseph Fuqua II.

Lakota West (1-0), fresh off a season-opening win against La Salle, will visit Glen Este (1-0) this Friday night at 7:30 p.m.

Lakota West: Offensively, led by junior running back Mikel Horton, the Firebirds were able to hang on to a 46-34 win against La Salle last Saturday. In the win, Horton rushed for 239 and two fourth quarter touchdowns on 43 carries. Fellow junior Malik Grove started the game at quarterback, completing 4 of his 18 attempts for 103 yards and a score. Grove competed for the job this summer with junior Tyler Jones, who started the first seven games of the 2011 season. In 2012, instead of lining up under center, Jones lined up at wide receiver. During the game, Grove was able to connect with Jones on a 49-yard pass play. As the season goes on, the two should improve on their timing. Also, in the win, junior kicker Justin Martin made all three of his field goal attempts and Lakota West didn’t commit a single turnover, while La Salle committed five.

Glen Este: Last week, the Trojans took care of business against Amelia with a 42-7 season-opening win. In the victory, junior running back Jordan Harris scored touchdowns on runs of 55, 4 and 8. Overall, the 5-foot-5 back finished with 101 rushing yards on 13 carries. On defense, senior lineman Victor Cave, who has signed on to play football at the University of Toledo, recorded two sacks in the win. His teammate, sophomore Peyton Burdick also had two interceptions. Overall, Glen Este outgained its opponent 323-to-123 and didn’t commit a single turnover, while their opponent committed four.

Bottom line: Lakota West defeated a good team last weekend and moved up to No. 7 in The Cincinnati Enquirer Division I coaches’ poll this week. Meanwhile, Glen Este defeated a Amelia program that it defeated by the score of 35-0 in 2011. After last year’s season-opening victory, the Trojans went 3-6 the rest of the way, which included a 42-7 loss handed down by its only GMC opponent, Mason. With that in mind, Lakota West appears to be the favorite.

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Tags: Tags: Jordan Harris, Lakota West, Lakota West football, Lakota West sports, Malik Grove, Malik Grove football recruiting, Malik Grove Lakota West, Mikel Horton, Mikel Horton football recruiting, Mikel Horton Lakota West, Ohio football recruiting, Ohio High School sports recruiting, Ohio preps recruiting, Ohio sports recruiting, Peyton Burdick, Tyler Jones, Tyler Jones football recruiting, Tyler Jones Lakota West, Victor Cave, Victor Cave Toledo

Photos taken by Joseph Fuqua II:

Lakota West earned its first season-opening win since 2006 when it defeated La Salle, by the score of 46-34, late Saturday night in the Skyline Chili Crosstown Showdown.

Lakota West junior Mikel Horton played a big role in the win, gaining 239 yards and rushing for two touchdowns on 43 carries. To read more about Horton’s performance and how the scoring took place, checkout WestChesterBuzz.com’s game story.

“I told him to keep running hard, keep running hard and the coach is going to feed you,” junior quarterback Malik Grove said. “His goal was to run for 200 yards. I told him that he would get there, if he just ran hard every play and that is what he did. He got the job done for us.”

Speaking of jobs, Grove got the nod as the starting quarterback in Week 1. During the summer, Grove was competing with junior classmate Tyler Jones, who started at quarterback for the first seven games last season.

Jones ended up starting against La Salle as well, but at wide receiver. The two friends connected on a 49-yard pass play, and nearly connected on several other passes that would have resulted in big plays for the Firebirds.

Jones was also involved in the return game, returning one punt for 10 yards and two kickoffs for 37 yards.

After the game, Grove said that he and Jones have been staying after practice to work on their timing. Overall, Grove completed 4-of-18 pass attempts for 103 yards and a touchdown. He, and no any other Lakota West player, committed a single turnover in the win.

Meanwhile, the Lakota West defense and special teams caused La Salle to turn it over five times. Senior defensive tackle Adam Miller forced and recovered a fumble, while senior Luke Scott and senior Tyler Cross each had interceptions in the first quarter. Cross’ interception went for a touchdown after a 17-yard return.

“I said if we don’t commit any turnovers we will win this game,” Lakota West head coach Larry Cox said. “I told our offense that at the beginning of the game and we didn’t turn it over once.”

On defense, senior linebacker Mike Kelly and Scott led the Firebirds with eight tackles each. La Salle’s Nathan Sparks led all players with 15 total tackles.

The Lancers’ future looks bright with freshman quarterback Nick Watson, who came in the game late in the first quarter after starter junior Jake Meyer threw two interceptions.

Overall, Watson completed 22 of his 50 pass attempts for 325 yards and a touchdown. He also become the second freshman quarterback to ever suit up in a varsity game for La Salle.

His top target, 6-foot-5 Derek Kief was also impressive, catching nine passes for 116 yards. Kief, who is a junior, already has offers from Cincinnati, Illinois and Toledo, according to Rivals.com.

Posted in: Fall sports, Sports |

Tags: Tags: Lakota West, Lakota West football, Lakota West sports, Malik Grove, Malik Grove football recruiting, Malik Grove Lakota West, Mikel Horton, Mikel Horton football recruiting, Mikel Horton Lakota West, Ohio football recruiting, Ohio High School sports recruiting, Ohio preps recruiting, Ohio sports recruiting, Tyler Jones, Tyler Jones football recruiting, Tyler Jones Lakota West

After the game, Lakota West junior running back Mikel Horton said he wasn’t tired and was ready to go another quarter.

A bold statement for the 6-1, 225-pound Lakota East transfer, who just rushed for 239 yards and two touchdowns on 43 carries in the 46-34 Lakota West win against La Salle late Saturday night in the Skyline Chili Crosstown Showdown.

Lakota West junior Mikel Horton rushed for 239 yards and two touchdowns on 43 carries in the 46-34 Lakota West win against La Salle late Saturday night in the Skyline Chili Crosstown Showdown. Photo taken Aug. 25, 2012 by Joseph Fuqua II.

Horton, who was the game’s MVP, said he now hopes colleges will come calling in the next few weeks after he found out that scouts from Ohio State, Cincinnati, Wisconsin and Michigan State were in attendance.

“He (Horton) showed up,” Lakota West head coach Larry Cox said. “And he showed that he had endurance. That is what I love more than anything.”

Cox also has to love that, thanks to Horton and his offensive line, Lakota West was able to grab its first season-opening victory since 2006.

“Mikel did what I want our great tailbacks to do,” Cox continued. “He came up with a big play down the stretch … but our offensive line must have done something right as well.”

Horton saved his best for the fourth quarter, scoring on runs of 62 and 15 yards. The 15-yarder with less than 3 minutes to play iced the win for the Firebirds.

The running back wasn’t the only star of this game, however, as Nick Watson, who became the second freshman ever to play quarterback at La Salle, threw for 325 yards and a touchdown in the loss.

With senior Brad Burkhart out with an undisclosed injury, La Salle head coach Tom Grippa started junior Jake Meyer at quarterback. The junior backup struggled, tossing two interceptions that led 10 points for the Firebirds in the 1st quarter.

• Photos and additional notes from La Salle vs. Lakota West

After the second interception, Watson came in and eventually led the Lancers’ on a 12-play, 79-yard touchdown drive that cut Lakota West’s lead to 18-7 with 8:49 left in the second quarter.

Before halftime, junior kicker Justin Martin added his second field goal of the half and Lakota West led 21-7 at the break. Overall, Martin made all three of his field-goal attempts.

On the first possession in the second half, Watson fired a 50-yard bomb to senior Jason Bell – cutting the lead to 21-14. West would respond, with a 20-yard touchdown run by sophomore Kole Gentry two possessions later.

The second half scoring then continued, Martin added his third field goal of the game, and on the kickoff, La Salle freshman Jeremy Larkin took it 92 yards for the score, making it 31-21.

With a 31-28 lead with 9 minutes left in the fourth quarter, Horton rumbled 62 yards for a touchdown and junior quarterback Malik Grove converted the 2-point try.

La Salle responded with a quick touchdown by junior Morgan Wilcox, who led the Lancers with 96 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries. Watson couldn’t find a receiver on the two-point conversion and West led 39-34 with 8 minutes left.

On its next possession, La Salle went for it on a 4th-and-6 from its own 39. An incomplete pass from Watson gave West the football and Horton did the rest, scoring on a 15-yard run to give the Firebirds a 46-34 win.

LW – Martin 27-yard FG
LW – Cross 17-yard INT return off Meyer (Martin kick)
LW – Pence 45-catch from Grove (Grove run)
LS – Bell 1-yard run (Rumke kick)
LW – Martin 24-yard FG
LS – Bell 50-yard pass from Watson – (Rumke kick)
LW – Gentry 20-yard run – (Martin kick)
LW – Martin 28-yard FG
LS – Jer. Larkin 92 kickoff return (Rumke kick)
LS – Wilcox 4-yard run (Rumke kick)
LW – Horton 62-yard run (Grove pass)
LS – Wilcox 1-yard run (pass failed)
LW – Horton 15-yard run (Martin kick)

Posted in: Fall sports, Sports |

Tags: Tags: Lakota West, Lakota West football, Lakota West sports, Malik Grove, Malik Grove football recruiting, Malik Grove Lakota West, Mikel Horton, Mikel Horton football recruiting, Mikel Horton Lakota West, Ohio football recruiting, Ohio High School sports recruiting, Ohio preps recruiting, Ohio sports recruiting, Tyler Jones, Tyler Jones football recruiting, Tyler Jones Lakota West

Lakota West junior Tyler Jones catches a pass from junior Malik Grove during summer practice July 30, 2012. Jones is competing with Grove for the starting quarterback job this summer. Whoever doesn’t end up at quarterback could see time at wide receiver. Photo taken by Adam Kiefaber.

Lakota West (3-7 overall, 2-5 in the Greater Miami Conference in 2011) kicks off its season against La Salle (7-3 overall, 1-2 in Greater Catholic League in ’11) as a part of the Skyline Chili Crosstown Showdown at Nippert Stadium at 8 p.m. this Saturday. In its history, Lakota West has played La Salle once – losing by the score of 28-6 in 2010.

La Salle: University of Dayton baseball recruit Brad Burkhart is expected to take over the starting quarterback duties this fall for the Lancers. However, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Mike Dyer, Burkhart is questionable and there is 50 percent chance he will play in this game. If he plays, his top target would likely be 6-foot-5 junior Derek Kief, who caught 44 passes for 612 yards and 7 touchdowns last season. On defense, La Salle features highly touted defensive back Jaleel Hytchye, who has narrowed his college choices to Arizona State, Northwestern, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Kentucky. Other talented players to watch include senior offensive lineman Dave Baumer and sophomore defensive lineman Jordan Thompson.

Lakota West: Senior left tackle Kyle Meadows, who has offers from many of college football’s top programs, believes this could be the year that Lakota West returns to the postseason after it has suffered back-to-back losing seasons. If the Firebirds make that leap, junior quarterbacks Malik Grove and Tyler Jones could help. Lakota West head coach Larry Cox didn’t name a starter this summer, but both players have been practicing at QB and at WR – meaning they could be on the field at the same time. Another player, who hopes to help the team, is incoming junior Mikel Horton. The running back, who is listed at 6-foot-1 230 pounds by Rivals.com, has transferred in from Lakota East where he led the team in rushing with 662 yards and nine touchdowns as a sophomore in 2011. Defensively, Lakota West is led by senior linebacker Mike Kelly, who has attracted the attention of college programs in the Ivy League and in the Mid-American Conference.

Bottom line: La Salle enters the game No. 6 in The Cincinnati Enquirer coaches poll, while Lakota West is ranked No. 10. Both teams appear to have talent, but with La Salle’s previous success in the Crosstown Showdown (10-3) and its overall better season last fall – the Lancers appear to be the favorite in this season opener for both teams.

Posted in: Fall sports, Sports |

Tags: Tags: Kyle Meadows, Kyle Meadows football recruiting, Kyle Meadows Lakota West, Lakota West, Lakota West football, Lakota West sports, Malik Grove, Malik Grove football recruiting, Malik Grove Lakota West, Mikel Horton, Mikel Horton football recruiting, Mikel Horton Lakota West, Ohio football recruiting, Ohio High School sports recruiting, Ohio preps recruiting, Ohio sports recruiting, Tyler Jones, Tyler Jones football recruiting, Tyler Jones Lakota West

Lakota West junior Tyler Jones catches a pass from junior Malik Grove during summer practice July 30, 2012. Jones is competing with Grove for the starting quarterback job this summer. Whoever doesn’t end up at quarterback could see time at wide receiver. Photo taken by Adam Kiefaber.

Senior left tackle Kyle Meadows believes this could be the year that Lakota West returns to the postseason after it has suffered back-to-back losing seasons.

“Right now, we are at the bottom of the totem pole and we want to go to the playoffs. Ever since Jordan Hicks signed (with Texas after 2009 season), we wanted to get back there,” Meadows said recently after a summer practice session.

“Expectations are very high. We are going to work more than 100 percent … we will not stop at all. It is unbelievable the talent we have. We just have to put it to good use.”

As evident by the numerous college scholarship offers, Meadows is among the most talented players on the roster. The senior anchors an offensive line, which still doesn’t know who will be under center to start the season.

• 2012 Lakota West football schedule
• 2012 Lakota West summer practice photos

“The best thing I got right now is that I got two real good quarterbacks,” Lakota West head coach Larry Cox said of his two junior QBs Malik Grove and Tyler Jones. “I have a luxury and I am going to use that luxury.

“To be honest that is something that won’t play out until the end.”

Last summer, Cox made the decision just days from the season opener to start Jones over Grove and then junior Dustin Parker.

Despite losing six of his seven starts, Jones finished fifth in passing yards in the Greater Miami Conference, threw nine touchdowns and rushed for three more in 2011.

In Week 7, Grove replaced Jones and nearly led the Firebirds to an upset victory over Colerain. In that game, Grove completed 14-of-23 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns.

After the heartbreaking defeat, Grove would start the remaining three games for Lakota West and helped lead the team to wins against Hamilton and Lakota East.

“It is kind of like the Tim Tebow and Mark Sanchez situation,” Grove joked about the current quarterback controversy at West. “We are both getting work at wide receiver too … it will be alright.” (more…)

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Tags: Tags: 2012 Lakota West football preview, Kyle Meadows, Kyle Meadows football recruiting, Kyle Meadows Lakota West, Lakota West, Lakota West football, Lakota West football preview, Lakota West sports, Malik Grove, Malik Grove football recruiting, Malik Grove Lakota West, Mikel Horton, Mikel Horton football recruiting, Mikel Horton Lakota West, Ohio football recruiting, Ohio High School sports recruiting, Ohio preps recruiting, Ohio sports recruiting, Tyler Jones, Tyler Jones football recruiting, Tyler Jones Lakota West

Mikel Horton, who starred for Lakota East last fall, will likely be given the opportunity to carry the football for Lakota West in 2012. Horton, who rushed for 662 yards last season, is making many preseason recruiting lists. Photo taken at Winton Woods in 2011 by Barb Trimble of Trimble Photography, www.trimphoto.com.

Cincinnati Enquirer recruiting reporter Mike Dyer mentioned four Lakota West football players among those to watch this season in the classes of 2013 and 2014.

The only Lakota West senior mentioned in Dyer’s list of “50 area football players to watch in the 2013 class” was offensive lineman Kyle Meadows. Meadows, however, was ranked No. 5 among the list of 50 athletes from throughout Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.

The 6-foot-5 lineman has had a busy summer making visits and attending camps. As of right now, he has offers from Louisville, Ohio, Youngstown State, Toledo, Pittsburgh, Akron, Illinois, Minnesota, Indiana, West Virginia, Northern Illinois, Florida State, Purdue, Kansas, North Carolina State and Kentucky. Furthermore, according to Lakota West head coach Larry Cox, Ohio State is “extremely interested in him.”

The other three Lakota West student athletes were mentioned in Dyer’s “40 area football players to watch in the 2014 class.” Making that list was running back Mikel Horton (No. 8), quarterback/athlete Tyler Jones (No. 16) and quarterback Malik Grove (No. 18).

• Cincinnati Enquirer’s recruiting blog with Mike Dyer
• Lakota West football news from WestChesterBuzz.com
• Lakota West OL Kyle Meadows video highlights
• Lakota West RB Mikel Horton video highlights
• Lakota West QB Malik Grove video highlights
• Lakota West ATH Tyler Jones video highlights

Last fall, Horton starred at Lakota East High School and predominantly lined up at fullback in the Thunderhawks’ triple-option offense. In the first two games of the season, Horton rushed for a combined 279 yards and five touchdowns in wins against Western Hills and at Winton Woods.

Lakota West QB Malik Grove runs a drill during summer practice in July of 2011. This summer, he will have a chance to earn the starting QB job. Photo by Adam Kiefaber.

Horton has also been mentioned by Rivals.com as the No. 6-rated prospect in Ohio’s class of 2014.

Meanwhile, the other two student athletes mentioned by Dyer will be competing for starting quarterback duties at Lakota West this season.

Last summer, Tyler Jones was named the starter for the season opener. He would eventually end the season ranked fifth in the Greater Miami Conference in passing yards. He also tossed nine touchdowns and ran for nine more. According to Cox, Cincinnati has shown interest in Jones.

Towards the end of the season, Malik Grove became the starter after almost leading the Firebirds to an upset win against Colerain. After that game, Grove won two of his three starts, including a last-minute touchdown pass that defeated rival Lakota East in the season finale. Grove also plays basketball and bowled a perfect game, earning GMC Bowler of the Year honors in 2010.

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Tags: Tags: Kyle Meadows, Kyle Meadows football recruiting, Kyle Meadows Lakota West, Kyle Meadows video highlights, Lakota West, Lakota West football, Lakota West sports, Malik Grove, Malik Grove football recruiting, Malik Grove Lakota West, Malik Grove video highlights, Mikel Horton, Mikel Horton football recruiting, Mikel Horton Lakota West, Mikel Horton video highlights, Ohio football recruiting, Ohio High School sports recruiting, Ohio preps recruiting, Ohio sports recruiting, Ohio State football, Tyler Jones, Tyler Jones football recruiting, Tyler Jones Lakota West, Tyler Jones video highlights