La Salle clinches share of GCL-South title

What is it about this year that reminds so many Cincinnati sports fans of 1995?

Of course, the Reds clinched a postseason berth for the first time 1995. But, more recently, it is the La Salle (Cincinnati) football team.

The Lancers clinched at least a share of the Greater Catholic League South division - the first time since 1995 – as host La Salle defeated Archbishop Moeller 31-21 Friday night.

La Salle coach Tom Grippa said before the game he wasn’t worried about any sort of letdown from the Lancers’ win over St. Xavier the week before. His team continued to prove why it should be reckoned with as one of the elite teams in southwest Ohio this season.

La Salle plays at St. Francis de Sales (Columbus) this week, and ironically plays at Elder in the regular-season finale on Oct. 29. La Salle shared its GCL South with Elder in 1995. This year, the Lancers would win it outright with a win over the Panthers.

"That would be the greatest thing in La Salle history," La Salle senior Matt Farrell told the Cincinnati Enquirer.

While the focus is on De Sales this week, the Lancers are fully aware of what is at stake at Elder the following week.

"We're not finished," La Salle senior quarterback Andrew Kummer told the newspaper. "We want to be the champions."

Kummer, who leads the GCL with 1,557 passing yards, continued his fantastic season. He threw for 256 yards and two touchdown passes to lead the Lancers against Moeller. La Salle led 17-14 at halftime and continued the strong offense in the second half.

Farrell and Kummer, a Miami University commit, both rushed for 70 yards. Senior wide receiver Rodriguez Coleman, a University of Cincinnati commit, had five receptions for 104 yards and two touchdowns.

2. Wayne upsets Centerville: Braxton Miller didn't disappoint in front of a national cable TV audience on Thursday night. Miller, a senior quarterback, threw for 225 yards and two touchdowns as Wayne (Huber Heights) defeated host Centerville 34-10 on Thursday, according to the Dayton Daily News. Miller, who is verbally committed to Ohio State, is rated the nation's top quarterback in the 2011 class. Wayne (5-3, 2-1 GWOC Central) also had a strong contribution from senior running back Anthone Taylor, who rushed for 64 yards and a touchdown. It was the second consecutive loss for Centerville (6-2, 1-2).

3. Colerain keeps rolling along: Colerain (Cincinnati), ranked No. 11 in the Xcellent 25 presented by the Army National Guard, continued to be dominant on both sides of the ball Thursday night in a 56-7 win over Princeton. The Cardinals were led by senior fullback Trayion Durham, who had 21 carries for 122 yards. The defense was led by senior linebackers Jarrett Grace (Notre Dame commit) and Andrew Smith. Coach Tom Bolden said it was business as usual for the Cardinals last week and the extra day of rest will be significant for Colerain (8-0) as it prepares for Week 9.

4. Ursuline volleyball gets ready: Ursuline Academy (Cincinnati) prepares for the Division I sectional tournament on Thursday night with an incredible record in the regular season. The Lions, who won the Division I state title in 2009, are 66-0 in regular-season matches from 2008-10. Ursuline (22-0), ranked No. 4 in the Xcellent 25 rankings, won its third consecutive Girls’ Greater Cincinnati League Scarlet Division title this season. Senior middle block Christina Beer is among the Ursuline leaders with 164 kills.

5. Moeller to host St. Edward: St. Edward (Lakewood) has already defeated two GCL-South opponents this season (Elder and St. Xavier) and the Eagles make another trip the Queen City this weekend for the second time this season. St. Edward (8-0) defeated St. Xavier last week behind a strong performance from Reggie Terrell, who scored two touchdowns, according to the Enquirer. Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati) (6-2) lost to La Salle last week but is still one of the premier teams in southwest Ohio this season. The Crusaders are led by senior Tucker Skove with 1,004 rushing yards and junior receiver Monty Madaris with 614 receiving yards and senior defensive end Jesse Hayes with 8 ½ sacks. The game is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Lockland Stadium. St. Edward is ranked No. 4 in the AP state poll, while Moeller is No. 10.

TOP STANDOUTS
* Armani Miller, Wayne football: The junior split end had seven receptions for 123 yards and a touchdown in the Warriors’ 34-10 at Centerville last week.

* Chris Benton, Lebanon football: The senior linebacker leads the Greater Western Ohio Conference with 125 tackles. He had 21 tackles (11 solo), a fumble recovery and an interception in the Warriors' 28-24 win over visiting Vandalia Butler.

* Chris Davis, Colerain football: The sophomore running back scored three touchdowns, including a 39-yard touchdown reception, as the Cardinals defeated host Princeton 56-7 on Thursday night.

THIS WEEK
* State girls’ tennis tournament, Friday and Saturday: The annual state tournament will be held this weekend (Oct. 22-23) in the Columbus area. The first two rounds on Friday will be played at Ohio State University's Stickney Tennis Center. The semifinals and finals will be held on Saturday at a location to be determined.

* Division I state boys’ and girls’ golf tournaments, Friday and Saturday: History could be made in the boys’ and girls’ state golf tournaments in Columbus this weekend. Lakota West (West Chester) senior Korey Ward will attempt to become just the third golfer ever to win three state golf titles in Ohio history. Ward, who has verbally committed to Xavier University, won the district tournament last week in Middletown. Ward could become just the 34th three-time state champion nationally if he wins, according to the Ohio High School Athletic Association. The Mason girls’ golf team is going for a third consecutive title – no girls’ golf team has ever done that in Ohio.

* Sycamore at Colerain football, Friday: Colerain (8-0) could take one step closer to another Greater Miami Conference title with a win on Friday. It's homecoming at Colerain and the Cardinals are virtually unbeatable at "The Cage." Colerain has won 56 consecutive home games since Week 10 of the 1999 season.

RECRUITING NEWS
Colerain senior fullback Trayion Durham was scheduled to take an official visit to Wisconsin for the Badgers-Ohio State game this past weekend. Durham has offers that include Kentucky, Wisconsin, Colorado and several others. … Aiken (Cincinnati) junior guard William Moore was offered by the University of Akron last week. Moore is one of the state’s top basketball players in the 2012 class. He also has offers from Ohio, Miami University, Kent State and James Madison. … Winton Woods (Cincinnati) senior linebacker Antonio Poole was scheduled to take an official visit to Purdue this past weekend. He also has offers from Cincinnati, Wake Forest, Kentucky and Michigan State.

RANDOM THOUGHTS
The La Salle (Cincinnati) boys’ cross country team won the Les Eisenhart Invitational at Thomas Worthington High School. The Lancers defeated runner-up Westerville North by 22 points. … Indian Hill (Cincinnati) senior Robby Pickett finished in 10th place at the Division II state golf tournament in Columbus this past weekend. It was his first state appearance. … Kings (Kings Mill) won the boys’ and girls’ Fort Ancient Valley Conference East Division cross country championships this past weekend.