CINCINNATI — The regional final locations are set for six Greater Cincinnati high school football teams still competing in the postseason.
In Division I, Region 4, Lakota West (11-2) plays Moeller (9-4) at Mason. This is the third consecutive season these two teams have played in the regional final.
Lakota West, winners of 11 consecutive games, has made four consecutive regional final appearances overall.
The Firebirds defeated Princeton 19-7 Friday night in a regional semifinal. Lakota West coach Tom Bolden earned his 50th win since arriving in West Chester Township for the start of the 2019 season.
Friday was the second meeting between Princeton and Lakota West this season. Princeton won the Week 2 matchup in West Chester Township.
This time, it was the Firebirds who were victorious.
"I told them redemption is a sweet thing," Bolden said. "In life you don't always get opportunities to get a chance to redeem yourself and things like that. That was a big theme for us this week. Hats to (Princeton), hats off to (Princeton) coach (Andre) Parker. This is going to be cool for some years in the league. I'm excited for it."
Moeller, a state semifinalist the past two seasons, is trying to win its third consecutive regional title.
Moeller defeated Mason 38-3 Friday night in the regional semifinal. Sophomore quarterback Matt Ponatoski became Moeller's single-season passing leader in program history during that game.
In Division II, Region 8, Anderson (12-1) plays Withrow (12-1) at Princeton. This will be the first meeting between the programs since Oct. 9, 2020.
Anderson, which defeated Harrison 50-36 Friday night, is in the regional final for a second straight season.
Withrow, which defeated Troy 42-14, is making its first regional final appearance in the 104-year history of the school.
Withrow coach Kali Jones said it's a significant moment for the program and representative of the culture of hard work within the team.
Withrow led Troy 28-0 at Welcome Stadium on Friday. Withrow senior quarterback Luke Dunn was 16 of 22 passing for 269 yards and four touchdowns.
Senior running back Demetrius Howard had 13 carries for 121 yards and a touchdown. Junior wide receiver Quintin Simmons had four receptions for 82 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore wide receiver Chris Henry Jr. (Ohio State verbal commit) had eight receptions for 134 yards and a touchdown. It was his second week of 100-plus yards receiving.
In Division III, Region 12, Badin (13-0) plays Celina (11-2) at Trotwood-Madison. Badin is the only remaining undefeated Greater Cincinnati team left in the OHSAA postseason.
Badin, making its third consecutive regional final appearance, defeated Wapakoneta 14-10 Friday night in a regional semifinal.
Badin rallied from a 7-0 halftime deficit and converted when an opportunity presented itself in the fourth quarter.
The Rams recovered a fumble with three minutes left in the fourth and just one timeout. The Rams went 70 yards in just over a minute remaining. Senior Carson Cheek hauled in a 20-yard reception that took the ball down to the 5-yard line with six seconds left.
Senior quarterback Alex Ritzie found Cheek for a touchdown with two seconds left to lift the Rams to their 13th consecutive win.
Badin coach Nick Yordy said there wasn't a second thought about going for the touchdown. The Rams had missed three field goals prior to that scoring opportunity.
"We didn't want to go to OT," Yordy said. "We went for the win. It was obviously pretty exciting."
Yordy said the players remained calmed and composed during the final winning drive and that speaks volumes to the team's character.
Senior linebacker Nate Ostendorf played well in the game. He forced a fumble and recovered it which led to Badin's first touchdown.
"He's been a leader all year long for us," Yordy said.
Yordy said it's significant for the Rams to reach their third consecutive regional final. With a large senior class (25 players), the team wants to continue a winning tradition after Badin was a state runner-up in 2021.
In Division IV, Region 16, Wyoming (12-1) plays Alter (10-3) at Monroe. Wyoming has an opportunity to earn its ninth regional title in its storied program history.
Wyoming, making its second straight regional final appearance, defeated Springfield Shawnee 21-20 in the regional semifinal Friday night. The Cowboys rallied from a 20-7 deficit in the fourth quarter.
"I'm proud of the way the team fought and competed last night," Wyoming coach Aaron Hancock said. "This team has learned to stick together through adversity and just keep moving forward. I'm proud of the way they finished as a team last night."
The Ohio High School Athletic Association will officially announce the statewide regional final pairings on Sunday afternoon.
The OHSAA is also expected to announce the bracket pairings next week for the state semifinals Nov. 24. The first four rounds of the playoffs follow the regional brackets, while the OHSAA then determines the state semifinal brackets.
The state finals are Nov. 30 to Dec. 2 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton.
High school football schedule for Nov. 17
Ohio high school football
Regional finals
Division I, Region 4
Lakota West (11-2) vs. Moeller (9-4) at Mason
Division II, Region 8
Anderson (12-1) vs. Withrow (12-1) at Princeton
Division III, Region 12
Badin (13-0) vs. Celina (11-2) at Trotwood-Madison
Division IV, Region 16
Alter (10-3) vs. Wyoming (12-1) at Monroe
Division V, Region 20
Germantown Valley View (12-1) vs. Waynesville (11-2) at Springboro
Indiana
Class 4A semi-state
New Palestine (11-2) at East Central (13-0)
Kentucky
Third round of playoffs
Class 1A
NewCath (8-4) at Campbellsville (10-1)
Ludlow (8-4) at Kentucky Country Day (10-2)
Class 2A
Martin County (7-5) at Beechwood (11-1)
Class 4A
Johnson Central (9-3) at Covington Catholic (12-0)
Class 5A
North Laurel (8-4) at Highlands (11-1)
Cooper (10-2) at Southwestern (9-3)
Class 6A
Ryle (8-4) at Bryan Station (9-3)
