Ohio football playoff pairings are set

All across Cincinnati, neighborhoods participated in Halloween festivities on Sunday night. The day also brought the much-anticipated football playoff pairings earlier that afternoon.

And while November is here, southwest Ohio football teams won't know until this weekend whether Halloween brought a trick or treat for them.

Among the intriguing first-round matchups is a Greater Catholic League South division showdown with St. Xavier (Cincinnati) at La Salle (Cincinnati) at 7 p.m. Saturday. The two teams played Oct. 8 as the Lancers won 27-24. La Salle senior quarterback Andrew Kummer was 16 of 24 passing for 273 yards and two touchdowns in that game.

It is La Salle's first postseason appearance since 2004, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. La Salle (9-1) was the GCL-South co-champion this season.

"It's been a while around here for us to be in this position," La Salle coach Tom Grippa told the newspaper.

Another interesting matchup is down the street on the west side of Cincinnati. Colerain (Cincinnati) (10-0) plays host to league opponent Hamilton (7-3) at 7 p.m. The Cardinals scored at least 34 points during the regular season in all but one game – a 17-14 win over Hamilton on Oct. 8. That was the closest margin of victory for Colerain this season.

The Cardinals are led by senior quarterback Tyler Williams (1,354 rushing yards), senior fullback Trayion Durham (Wisconsin commit), senior linebacker Jarrett Grace (Notre Dame commit) and senior linebacker Andrew Smith, who leads the Greater Miami Conference with 10 sacks.

Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati) (7-3) plays host to Centerville (8-2) Saturday night, while No. 8-seed Wayne (Huber Heights) (7-3) and standout quarterback Braxton Miller (Ohio State commit) visis top seed Middletown (10-0).

The postseason officially begins Friday with several Division II and IV games.

2. Hayes, Duggan make college commitments: Archbishop Moeller senior defensive lineman Jesse Hayes and St. Xavier senior linebacker Sean Duggan made verbal commitments this past weekend to play college football. Hayes, who is 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, selected Wisconsin. He also considered Cincinnati, Florida State, Oregon and Nebraska. Hayes is second in the GCL with 9 ½ sacks. Duggan, who is 6-4 and 220 pounds, verbally committed to Boston College. He also considered Michigan, Duke and Wisconsin among his other finalists. Duggan has two interceptions and two fumble recoveries for the Bombers this season.

3. Malott makes commitment: Madison Senior (Middletown) senior forward Ally Malott – considered to be one of the nation's top girls' basketball players in the 2011 class – verbally committed to the University of Dayton on Oct. 28.

Malott, who is 6-foot-3, also considered the likes of Notre Dame, Northwestern, Purdue and Miami University. She averaged 17.7 points, eight rebounds and more than four assists last season. She helped lead Madison (27-1) to a state runner-up finish in Division III last winter.

"I think she is excited for our season," Madison coach John Rossi said. Rossi said Malott can help put the team on her back this season with her skill and leadership. Malott was part of the gold-medal winning USA Women's U19 National team this past summer.

4. Wills commits to Oklahoma State: Mason cross country and track standout Zach Wills verbally committed to Oklahoma State last week. One of the most prolific runners in Ohio High School Athletic Association history, Wills also considered Stanford, Oregon, Colorado and Georgetown. "The people, coaching staff and team at Oklahoma State really impressed me," Wills said in a school statement. "They've had great success and will continue to be a rising program in the coming years. They are loaded with talent." Oklahoma State is the defending 2009 NCAA Division I cross country champion. Wills has won two state titles in cross country and two in track (3,200 meters).

5. Harlan to coach Withrow: Dante Harlan, who led Mount Notre Dame to three consecutive Division I state girls' basketball titles last decade, has been named the new Withrow (Cincinnati) girls' basketball head coach. Harlan, one of Ohio's most successful coaches, said last week he really enjoys everything at Withrow including the team, parents and school administration. Harlan, who has an 89-17 record, was at MND for nine years, including four years as head coach. He stepped down last July.

"I was very impressed with Dante during the hiring process and feel he is exactly the fit we were looking for to move the program as a whole in the right direction," Withrow athletic director Darren Braddix said. "He understands what it takes to build a championship program, and he brings tremendous enthusiasm and a strong desire to succeed."

TOP STANDOUTS
* Jamire Westbrook, Kings (Kings Mill): The junior running back had 27 carries for 231 yards and four touchdowns as the visiting Knights defeated Turpin 35-10. Kings (9-1) captured the Fort Ancient Valley Conference Cardinal Division title with the win. Westbrook, one of the state's top players in the 2012 class, has a scholarship offer from the University of Cincinnati.

* Nick Lawley, Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy: The senior quarterback threw for 174 yards and three touchdowns to help lift the host Eagles past Cincinnati Country Day 35-6.

* Matt Cohen, Seven Hills (Cincinnati): The junior midfielder scored three goals in a 4-0 win over Reading in a Division III sectional final soccer game at Norwood on Monday.

* Liz Slattery, Indian Hill (Cincinnati): The sophomore midfielder had two goals as the Braves defeated Finneytown 5-0 in a Division II girls' soccer sectional final. That kept Indian Hill undefeated on the season with a 15-0-3 record.

THIS WEEK
* Wayne at Middletown football, 7 p.m. Saturday: Two explosive offenses take the field at historic Barnitz Stadium. Look for Wayne senior quarterback Braxton Miller (Ohio State commit) and Middletown sophomore quarterback Jalin Marshall in this game. Marshall just picked up a scholarship from Cincinnati on Friday. He has more than 1,400 rushing yards this season. Miller has thrown for 1,370 yards.

* Hamilton at Colerain, football, 7 p.m. Saturday: Colerain had to rally in the second half to defeat the Big Blue 17-14 on Oct. 8. Coach Tom Bolden said at the time that Hamilton is a very dangerous team. It will be interesting to see what adjustments the Cardinals make in this game. Hamilton has nothing to lose in this game but has all the tools to give Colerain a significant challenge. Watch for Hamilton senior running back Devin Jarrett, who leads the GMC with 1,472 yards rushing.

* Centerville vs. Archbishop Moeller at Lockland, football, 7 p.m. Saturday: This should be a tough, physical game. Moeller senior running back Tucker Skove leads the GCL with 1,184 yards rushing. Wide receiver Monty Madaris has 674 yards receiving. Centerville won its final two regular-season games by a 65-7 margin. Senior quarterback Jon Overstreet had more than 900 yards rushing for the Elks.

MORE RECRUITING NEWS
Loveland senior defensive end David Moran (6-5, 240) has visited Akron and Ohio University this fall. He has also received interest from other Mid-American Conference schools. … Wayne senior cornerback Michael Bonner (5-11, 175) and senior safety Trey Thomas (6 foot, 195) have both visited Buffalo for college games, according to Wayne coach Jay Minton. Both have been offered by the Bulls. … Fairfield senior defensive end Robert Mincey (6-5, 275) told the Pulse Journal he plans to take official visits to Illinois, Kansas and Marshall.

RANDOM THOUGHTS
Wyoming (Cincinnati) football coach Bernie Barre recently won his 310th career game as the Cowboys defeated Taylor 42-13 on Oct. 22. It was Barre's 175th win at the school. … Ursuline Academy (Cincinnati) senior Komal Safdar won her 100th career tennis match in a district doubles final on Oct. 16. Safdar and her sister, Ursuline freshman Mehvish Safdar, won the Division I state doubles title Oct. 23. Komal Safdar is committed to play college tennis at Syracuse. … Seton volleyball coach Sara Redman has stepped down to spend more time with her family. Redman coached the Saints for the past two seasons with a 7-15 record.

(Information obtained from the Cincinnati Enquirer unless otherwise noted)