Hilliard Davidson surprised several observers with its 24-20 win over Cincinnati Elder last weekend in Dayton. Hilliard Davidson rallied when it drove 80 yards late in the fourth quarter to defeat the highly-rated Panthers. Elder was once ranked No. 3 in the country according to a national poll.
Hilliard Davidson quarterback Jake Trubiano connected with Tyler Talbott for two significant plays down the stretch Saturday night to help the Wildcats. Spencer Delande scored on a two-yard run with 33.7 seconds left to lift Hilliard Davidson.
"Our coaches were really playing up the fact that people around the state think Cincinnati is so much better in football than Columbus," Trubiano told the Columbus Dispatch. "We set out to prove to central Ohio that we can do it."
Hilliard Davidson (12-1) plays Cleveland Glenville (13-1) in a Division I state final at 7 p.m. Saturday at Canton’s Fawcett Stadium. Glenville, which has several Division I college prospects, is rated No. 8 in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 national rankings.
Elder (10-3), which was the 2008 Division I state runner-up, will lose several key seniors from this year’s squad. Quarterback Mark Miller, tight end Alex Welch (a Notre Dame commit) and wide receiver Tim O’Conner (Indiana) are among the standouts from this season.
"What a great group of kids," Elder coach Doug Ramsey told the Cincinnati Enquirer.
2. Winton Woods advances to state: Winton Woods advanced to the Division II state football final for the first time as the Warriors defeated Columbus-Marion Franklin 69-35 in the state semifinals last week. The combination of senior running back Jeremiah Goins and senior quarterback Dominique Brown accounted for nine touchdowns last week. Goins rushed for 263 yards and two touchdowns. Brown rushed for seven touchdowns. "Those two are pretty special together," Winton Woods coach Troy Everhart said. Winton Woods (12-2) plays Maple Heights (12-2) in the state final at 7 p.m. Friday at Massillon’s Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.
3. DeSales returns to state: Columbus St. Francis DeSales makes its first state final appearance this week since 1998. DeSales (11-3) plays Youngstown Cardinal Mooney (14-0) at 11 a.m. Friday in a Division III state final in Massillon. Last week, DeSales defeated Cincinnati Wyoming 24-7 in a regional final. DeSales quarterback Nick Gentile ran 21 times for 133 yards and two touchdowns in the win.
4. James schedules official visits: Cincinnati St. Xavier senior offensive lineman Matt James has scheduled official visits to schools that include Notre Dame, Ohio State, Florida and Cincinnati. James, who is 6-foot-7 and 290 pounds, is one of the nation’s top recruits in the 2010 class. He is one of Ohio’s top uncommitted college prospects. He is scheduled to visit Notre Dame on Dec. 5, Ohio State on Dec. 12 and Florida on Dec. 19. James will visit Cincinnati in January.
5. Mason hires Castner: Mason hired Brian Castner as its new head football coach last week. Castner, a Mason High School strength training and health teacher, has been at the school since 2001. He has led the softball team to two state final four appearances in the past three years and was assistant varsity football coach from 2001-06. He was most recently the quarterbacks coach at St. Xavier, where he served in that position since 2007. Mason, which competes in the Greater Miami Conference, is one of the largest schools in the state of Ohio and is a northern suburb of Cincinnati.
Among the outstanding efforts this week
Chris Rock, Columbus St. Francis DeSales: The junior defensive lineman had three sacks and a broken-up pass in a 24-7 win over Cincinnati Wyoming in a Division III state semifinal last weekend. Rock is one of the state’s top players in the 2011 class and will garner plenty of major college interest going into next season.
Dominique Brown, Winton Woods: The senior quarterback rushed for a season-high 251 yards and seven touchdowns in the Warriors 69-35 win over Columbus-Marion Franklin in a Division II state semifinal. Brown is orally committed to Cincinnati.
Cody Taulbee, Archbishop Alter: The running back rushed for 140 yards and two touchdowns as the Knights defeated Coshocton 31-6 in a Division IV state semifinal. Alter (14-0), which is the reigning state champion, plays Chagrin Falls (14-0) in the Division IV state final at 11 a.m. Saturday in Canton.
Looking ahead
Mount Notre Dame at West Chester Lakota West girls basketball, Tuesday: The two rivals meet in the Cougars’ season opener at 7:30 p.m. in West Chester. The Cougars, which have won have four consecutive Division I state titles, are led by junior guard Kathryn Reynolds and sophomore guard Raeshaun Gaffney. Lakota West was a state semifinalist last season and returns one starter in senior guard Kindsay Brandt.
Beavercreek at Miamisburg, girls basketball, Wednesday: The two Greater Western Ohio Conference teams open the season at 7:30 p.m. Beavercreek, which has won two consecutive GWOC-Central division titles, plays host Springboro at 1 p.m. Saturday. Miamisburg plays at Centerville at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
Archbishop Moeller at Clayton Northmont, boys basketball, Saturday: Moeller opens its season several miles north of Cincinnati against the GWOC opponent. Moeller is led by senior forward Griffin McKenzie, who is a Xavier commit. Northmont was 12-10 last season and averaged 54.9 points.
Recruiting news
West Chester Lakota West senior tight end Alex Smith (6-5, 250) announced last week that he has orally committed to North Carolina. …Smith had 23 receptions for 411 yards and four touchdowns in 2009. …Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller junior defensive lineman Jesse Hayes (6-4, 230) has been offered a scholarship from Wisconsin. Hayes also has offers from Kentucky, North Carolina State, Cincinnati and Indiana. …Finneytown junior offensive lineman Donavon Clark (6-4, 290) has been offered by Duke.
Random thoughts
Milford football coach Patrick Fagan has resigned to spend more time with his family. Milford’s record was 12-18 in the past three seasons. Milford was 3-7 in 2007 but improved to 5-5 in 2009. …Cincinnati Aiken football coach Troy Green resigned recently. He coached four seasons at the school and had a 5-35 record. …West Chester Lakota West senior linebacker Jordan Hicks could visit USC this weekend. He had scheduled the official visit for Nov. 27, but the trip was canceled.