Football Recap: Robert Lathon and Oden Mertz Pace Bishop Hartley Defense

Bishop Hartley's game last Friday was a loss, but they didn't let that memory haunt them on Friday. Their defense stepped up to hand the Walnut Ridge Scots a 6-0 shutout. Given the Hawks' advantage in MaxPreps' Ohio football rankings (they are ranked 106th, while the Scots are ranked 406th) , the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Robert Lathon

Rushing Yards

09/05/25 vs Walnut Ridge	101
11/01/24 @ Bloom-Carroll	236
10/25/24 @ St. Charles	200
10/18/24 vs KIPP Columbus	117
10/11/24 vs Bloom-Carroll	278
10/04/24 @ St. Francis DeSales	196

Bishop Hartley didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Robert Lathon and Oden Mertz. Lathon's rushing production has been exceptional as that marked his sixth straight game with at least 101 rushing yards dating back to last season. Jay Zang was another major factor on D, making 16 total tackles (2.0 for loss).

Bishop Hartley now has a winning record of 2-1. As for Walnut Ridge, their loss dropped their record down to 0-2.

Looking ahead, Bishop Hartley will look to defend their home field on Friday against Watkins Memorial at 7:00 p.m. As for Walnut Ridge, they will head out on the road to face off against South at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. This will be the Scots' first chance to prove their worth in the conference.