La Salle prepares for St. X showdown

The Reds aren't the only team to have a celebration this past week in Cincinnati. The La Salle (Cincinnati) football team had plenty of reasons to be joyous.

The Lancers defeated Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit 33-7 Friday night to remain undefeated going into the Greater Catholic League South division schedule next week. It is the first time La Salle has been 6-0 in school history.

"We worked for this," La Salle coach Tom Grippa told the Cincinnati Enquirer. "They're high school kids and they need to celebrate. We need to have fun. That's what high school is all about."

The Lancers have proven they belong with the elite in southwest Ohio this year. La Salle senior quarterback Andrew Kummer, a Miami University commit, has been among the area's top passing quarterbacks this fall. He has thrown for 1,028 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Senior wide receiver Rodriguez Coleman has 19 receptions for 406 yards to lead the GCL in receiving yards.

The La Salle offense has been efficient, averaging 38.3 points and 433.5 yards. But, it's been the defense – allowing just 7.8 points – which has also been equally impressive. Junior linebacker Joe Burger leads the La Salle defense with three sacks.

La Salle must continue to prove it belongs this season when it faces St. Xavier (Cincinnati) at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The Bombers defeated host Elder 35-10 this week.

"We’re confident, but we're not overconfident," Kummer told the Enquirer. "We've still got a lot of work to do. We've got four hard weeks and we're going to have to play hard every single week."

2. Moeller upset by Cathedral: Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati), which had been one of just a handful of teams in Cincinnati with an undefeated record going into Week 6, lost to host Indianapolis Cathedral (Indianapolis) 35-10 Friday night. The Crusaders were held to just 48 yards rushing. Junior wide receiver Michael Means was a bright spot for Moeller – he had four receptions for 103 yards and a touchdown. Moeller plays host to Elder on Friday night at the University of Cincinnati. Moeller leads the all-time series between the two schools 30-21.

3. Middletown remains undefeated: Middletown defeated Sycamore to remain undefeated at 6-0 this season. The duo of junior Geovanne McKnight and sophomore Jalin Marshall proved consistent again for the Middies. Both threw for touchdowns and McKnight threw for 114 yards, while Marshall rushed for 72 yards. Middletown, which is 3-0 in the Greater Miami Conference, plays host to Mason (4-2, 3-0) on Friday. Middletown has scored a conference-leading 225 points this season.

4. Springfield moves to 5-1: Springfield defeated host Huber Heights Wayne (Huber Heights) 28-21 Friday in a matchup of some of the premier teams in the Greater Western Ohio Conference. Wayne outgained Springfield 314 to 243 in total yards, but Springfield won its fifth consecutive game. Wayne quarterback Braxton Miller threw for 156 yards for the Warriors.

5. St. Xavier wins: St. Xavier junior running back Conor Hundley rushed 17 times for 143 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Bombers past Elder (Cincinnati) 35-10. Elder had a 7-0 first-quarter advantage, but St. X led 14-10 at halftime. Senior linebacker Steven Daniels recorded three sacks for St. X. Daniels leads the GCL with 10 sacks. Elder senior running back Ben Coffaro had 24 carries for 126 yards.

TOP STANDOUTS
* Lindsey Dinkelacker, Mother of Mercy (Cincinnati) volleyball: The junior outside hitter had 25 digs in the Bobcats' upset win over Mount Notre Dame on Tuesday night, according to the Enquirer. Mercy is ranked No. 20 in the Division I state coaches' poll, while MND is ranked No. 5.

* Kori Moster, Ursuline Academy (Cincinnati) volleyball: The senior libero had 25 digs to help lead Ursuline past Mount Notre Dame 25-17, 25-21, 25-18, according to the Enquirer. Moster is verbally committed to play at Michigan State. Ursuline is ranked No. 6 nationally by the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 presented by the Army National Guard.
 
* Sydney Loesing, Anderson (Cincinnati) girls’ soccer: The junior striker had two goals to lead Anderson past Milford 3-1 on Thursday night, according to the Enquirer. Anderson (11-1) leads the Fort Ancient Valley Conference Buckeye division this season. The Redskins next play host to Glen Este at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

THIS WEEK
* Ursuline at St. Ursula Academy (Cincinnati) volleyball, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday: These two Girls Greater Cincinnati League rivals meet for the second time this season. Ursuline defeated St. Ursula 25-17, 25-14, 25-16 during the first meeting Sept. 16. The Lions have just three more matches before the end of the regular season.

* Roger Bacon (Cincinnati) vs. Archbishop McNicholas (Cincinnati) football, 7 p.m. Thursday: These two Greater Catholic League programs meet at Turpin in a game that will be televised live on a regional cable network. Roger Bacon is off to its best start since 1997. However, the Spartans haven't defeated McNicholas since 2008.

* Elder vs. Archbishop Moeller football, 7:30 p.m. Friday: This marquee game will take place at the University of Cincinnati's Nippert Stadium. Moeller wants to return to its winning ways and a win over Elder would go a long way. The Crusaders play at La Salle in the season's final Greater Catholic League South division game on Oct. 15.

RECRUITING NEWS
Pickerington Central junior offensive lineman/defensive end Jacoby Boren (6-1, 250) has been offered a scholarship by Ohio State, according to Pickerington Central athletic director Pete Laihr. … St. Xavier senior linebacker Sean Duggan has narrowed his list to Boston College, Duke, Michigan, Wisconsin and Virginia, according to the Enquirer. … St. Xavier senior linebacker Steven Daniels could visit Kentucky this weekend, according to the Enquirer. He has scheduled an official visit to Boston College and is considering visits to Louisville and Texas A&M. … Moeller senior linebacker Kendall Walker could receive another Mid-American Conference scholarship offer soon, reports the Enquirer. Walker, who is the son of former Bengals player Kevin Walker, has offers from Indiana and Buffalo. … Withrow (Cincinnati) senior power forward Carl Porter has received an offer from Longwood University. He also has an offer from Binghamton. St. Bonaventure is showing interest in Porter, according to the Enquirer. … Pickerington North tight end/defensive end Darien Bryant (6-4, 220) has reportedly added an offer from Kansas, according to ScoutingOhio.com. Bryant also reportedly has offers from Maryland, Duke, Ohio, Toledo, Kent State, Miami University, Air Force, Marshall and Bowling Green.

RANDOM THOUGHTS
Mason girls' volleyball coach Tiann Keesling recently reached the 100-win milestone at the school. The Comets defeated Fairfield on Tuesday night. Keesling has been at Mason for five years. … St. Ursula Academy (Cincinnati) sophomore Kaitlyn Ferrara has been named a swimming All-American by the National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association (NISCA). … The La Salle (Cincinnati) boys’ cross country team recently won the team title at the Midwest Catholic Cross Country Championships. Senior Travis Hawes finished fith for the Lancers.