Excitement Fills the Air in Cincinnati High School Football Playoffs

This past Friday night, the high school football playoffs brought lots of thrills and surprises to Cincinnati as teams battled it out in the regional quarterfinals. Among the notable moments were upsets, unexpected scores, and even an overtime finish.

In Division I, Region 4, the top-seeded Moeller team continued to shine as they defeated No. 8 Lakota East with a score of 55-28 at Mount St. Joseph University. Junior quarterback Matt Ponatoski had an outstanding night, completing 16 of 21 passes for 313 yards and throwing five touchdowns. His performance this season has him on track to enter the state record books with a total of 44 passing touchdowns and 3,091 yards overall.

Moeller, now 11-1, will face No. 4 seed Princeton (10-2), who had a convincing victory over Hamilton, winning 37-7. This upcoming game will be a rematch from their season opener where Moeller secured a 38-21 win. The other semifinal match will see No. 2 Lakota West take on No. 6 St. Xavier as both teams advance after thrilling wins.

Shifting to Division II, Region 8, the top-seeded Anderson Raptors continued their strong run, defeating Vandalia Butler 49-14 and boosting their season total points to 615. They’ll take on No. 5 Mount Healthy, who upset Badin 30-14 thanks to standout performances from their senior players.

In Division IV, Region 16, the ninth-seeded Indian Hill stunned the top-seeded Clinton-Massie in an overtime game, coming out on top 16-13. Coach John Rodenberg expressed pride for his team, who will face Taft in the next round.

Other notable scores include Cincinnati Country Day defeating Rock Hill 56-20 in Division VI, and in Division VII Cincinnati College Preparatory earned a hard-fought 18-7 victory over Fort Loramie. All these teams are gearing up for exciting matches next week as they chase the state championships.

As the playoffs heat up, fans can look forward to more exciting action on November 15. Stay tuned as the competition intensifies and teams battle for a chance to advance deeper into the postseason!