FORT LORAMIE — Fort Loramie has beaten its last three Cross County Conference opponents by three or more touchdowns and will try for a similar performance against Tri-Village at home on Friday.
The Redskins’ latest big win came last Friday against Missisinawa Valley. Loramie took a 46-0 lead by halftime and won 55-0 while racking up 322 yards on the ground.
Fourteen different players had carries against the Blackhawks, with senior Mike Hoying leading the way with 80 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Carter Mescher and Nate Meyer also added rushing touchdowns, while Cody Barhorst caught two passes for 56 yards with one touchdown and also ran for 56 yards.
The Redskins have averaged 48 points in their last three game and have shut out their last two opponents. Tri-Village (3-4) may be more of a challenge.
The Patriots’ victories have come against teams with a combined 1-19 record, but they’ve been competitive in other games, including a one-point loss to National Trail in Week 4 and a 48-34 to Twin Valley South last week.
Lehman Catholic at Upper Scioto Valley
The Cavaliers have been unstoppable in the first four weeks of Northwest Central Conference play with an average of over 60 points per game. Lehman scored its most points yet last week in a 77-14 win over Waynesfield-Goshen.
The last three weeks present the toughest NWCC opponents Lehman will face, beginning with Upper Scioto Valley (3-4) on Friday. Though the Rams got off to big NWCC wins in their first two games, they’ve struggled the last two weeks with a 41-6 loss to Lima Perry and a 32-0 loss to Riverside last Friday. Perry (4-3) and Riverside (4-2) are both undefeated in NWCC play and are Lehman’s last two opponents.
Junior quarterback Elliott Gilardi has guided Lehman’s offensive attack. Gilardi is second in the NWCC with 958 passing yards and is fifth with 511 rushing yards. Running back Owen Smith leads the league with 1,062 rushing yards and 15 total touchdowns, while receivers Kameron Lee and Brandon Barhorst are in the top three in the conference in receiving yards with 334 and 315, respectively.
New Bremen at Minster
The Wildcats nearly broke their losing streak last Friday, but a missed two-point conversion was costly in a 17-16 win over Coldwater. Minster (3-4), which has lost its last four games, is still in playoff contention but will need a good showing in the last three weeks.
New Bremen (3-4) has lost its last two games after beating Parkway in Week 5. The Cardinals lost 44-7 to Marion Local last Friday in a game when they managed one yard on the ground.
Despite the losing streak, Minster quarterback Jared Huelsman has consistently moved the ball. Huelsman, a senior, has thrown for 991 yards and four touchdowns and has rushed for 776 yards and nine touchdowns. New Bremen quarterback Nolan Bornhorst has also had a good season with 541 rushing yards and 594 passing yards.
Lima Perry at Riverside
Riverside’s NWCC hopes are on the line against Lima Perry. The Commodores (4-3) have won their first four NWCC games by an average score of 45.5-4.5, while Riverside has won its first four conference games by an average score of 46.7-10.
Gaven Anderson and Luke Roby have led the Pirates’ rushing attack, and freshman Kale Long has steadily progressed as the season has went on.
Roby, a junior, ran for a season-high 171 yards and one touchdown in last Friday’s 32-0 win over Upper Scioto Valley. Roby has run for 628 yards and eight touchdowns, while Anderson has rushed for 982 yards and 11 touchdowns. Anderson, a senior, has led the team at middle linebacker. He has 25 tackles to his credit and three sacks.
Long took over at quarterback in Week 3 and has thrown for 297 yards and four touchdowns. He threw for a season-high 121 yards against Upper Scioto Valley.
Coldwater at Versailles
Two of the MAC’s hottest teams will face off on Friday. Coldwater has won four-straight games since a 1-2 start, including last week’s close win over Minster. Versailles (3-4) lost four consecutive games but has won its last two, including a 35-14 win over Fort Recovery (4-3) two weeks ago.
Coldwater’s defense has been stout during the winning streak. The Cavaliers have allowed an average of 9.75 points in their last four games and have given up an average of 286 yards per game this season.
Versailles’ defense has also been strong lately. The Tigers, which give up an average of 251 yards per game, have allowed 22 points in their last two games.
Coldwater quarterback Sam Broering leads the MAC with 1,125 passing yards and is tied for second in the conference with 10 passing touchdowns. Jack Wenning (25 receptions, 423 yards) and Ben Wenning (27 receptions, 332 yards) have been Broering’s favorite targets.
Kurtis Rutschilling and George Grow have led Versailles’ offense. Rutschilling has rushed for 530 yards and eight touchdowns, while Grow has rushed for 311 yards and nine touchdowns.
