BELLBROOK — Week 8 seems to be an appropriate time to begin talking about playoff chances.

The weekly computer rankings released by the OHSAA show some teams on the brink of locking in their berth to the postseason with others knowing they have some work left to do over the final three weeks.

Xenia is currently No. 2 in Division II, Region 8, and the Buccaneers are on the brink of qualifying. It will wrap up its spot in the postseason with a win this week. The same goes for Greeneview in D-V, R20. The Rams are ranked first and have a good chance to finish there should the team win out, but are not guaranteed to finish there even with a 10-0 record. Bellbrook, ranked fourth in D-III, R12, has a chance to lock in its berth this week but would need additional results out of its control to also happen.

Beavercreek is ranked 12th in D-I, R2, and appears to be safely in as of today. But the Beavers know too well how only one team misses the postseason in the current format for Region 2 and the rankings are tightly packed enough things could change any week.

Carroll is fading in D-III, R12, down to 14th. Cedarville is back up to 15th in D-VII, R28. Both know there’s work to do to stay in the race. Fairborn is currently the only team on the outside looking in. The Skyhawks are not out of the race, sitting 22nd in D-II, R8, but they may need at least two wins in the final three weeks to have a realistic chance.

Springfield (4-3) at Beavercreek (3-4)

Springfield’s offense has struggled most weeks, scoring near 40 percent of it total points in one game and averaging only 11 points per game in the other six. The defense ran into its first rough patch a week ago against Wayne in a 36-6 loss. The Wildcats hadn’t allowed any team to score more than 16 before that game.

Kyron Dolby is making a case as the defender of the year in the league and figures to be front and center in stopping Beavercreek’s run game. He has produced 14.5 tackles for loss and three sacks to go with a team leading 63 tackles for Springfield.

Bellbrook (6-1) at Monroe (4-3)

The touchdown-less streak for Bellbrook opponents is up to five games. Bellbrook has allowed fewer total points (24) during its six-game win streak than it did in the season opener. The Golden Eagles could challenge the school record for fewest points allowed during the regular season, which was set in 2019 at 77 points.

The Hornets had a good start to the season but now have lost two in a row. Monroe did give Eaton one of the closest games a week ago and another one of Monroe’s other defeats is against unbeaten Cincinnati Wyoming, so it is not a team to be overlooked.

Carroll (4-3) at Chaminade Julienne (4-3)

The Patriots in its first four wins allowed a total of 48 points, but now on a three-game losing streak the defense has averaged close to 45 points being scored against them.

Chaminade Julienne has a dominant rushing attack. CJ has four players all averaging better than seven yards per carry, with Aiden Lowery, Nydrell Wright, Malachi Maddox-Ringer and Ethan Stacey all keeping the pressure on opposing front lines to try and stop them.

The Eagles have only attempted 23 passes all season.

Cedarville (3-4) at Southeastern (2-5)

Colt Coffey got back to rolling over the position to get Cedarville a win over a nearby playoff rival last week. In all three wins, Coffey has multiple touchdown runs and at least 130 yards rushing in each one. The losses have seen him shut down.

Southeastern knows the game plan, but can they stop him? The Trojans have been shutout in three of its last four games and allowed more than 400 yards of offense in those contests.

Hayden Davis has not produced as strong of efforts this season, but now has Eli Goodbar as a running mate to take the load off him and give opponents two runners to focus on at all times.

Greenville (0-7) at Fairborn (2-5)

Fairborn seems to be establishing its roles better, but needs better execution in order to put it all together. The Skyhawks have to be more up and down then it would like. Inconsistency would be the best way to describe the season’s flow.

Zyaire Cavitt is one of only six players to have already reached double-digit touchdown scores this season. He alone has outscored Greenville’s team, which has again struggled all year.

Greenville opponents have scored at least 40 points in the last six contests. The team is currently on a 19-game losing streak spanning three seasons.

Greeneview (7-0) at Madison Plains (4-3)

Greeneview’s win streak against the OHC South currently sits at 17 games. The Rams have not allowed a point against a division team yet this season, yet its average margin of victory during that week streak has actually decreased slightly so far after its two wins this year. By a whole .1 points.

Madison Plains may be the surprise team of the OHC this year and figures to be one of the toughest challenges remaining in the regular season for the Rams. MP has already doubled its win total from the previous three years combined.

Maverick Webb has regularly entering opposing backfields with 7.5 sacks to his credit. Colby Stoughton is the primary ball carrier and has four 100-plus yard rushing efforts, three coming in wins.

Piqua (3-4) at Xenia (7-0)

This is the toughest spot remaining for Xenia where getting caught looking ahead could bring bad news. Piqua has given some of the other top teams in the MVL a tough game into the second half of those contests with a defense that ranks in the top half of the league.

Deaunte White is close to breaking the single season school record for touchdowns scored. He has six consecutive multi-touchdown performances, and another on Friday would break the record set by Trei’Shaun Sanders in 2022.

Piqua’s Jericho Burns doesn’t have the same stats as White, but is having a solid season running the ball. Caiden Thomas has taken care of the ball at quarterback, with no turnovers committed in six of the team’s seven performances.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Our top performer from Greene County for Week 7 of the season is Cedarville junior Isaiah Christian. On defense he made 10 tackles, six of which were solo, to go with one sack, one tackles for loss, and one forced fumble. On offense he also carried the ball five times for 52 yards in a 44-22 win at home against Catholic Central.

2024 STATISTICAL LEADERS

(Through Week 7)

OFFENSE

Passing

Name (School), Comp-Yds-TD-INT

Will Mossing (CED), 69-120-994-11-5

Josh Holzinger (CAR), 72/127-872-5-6

Gavin McManus (XEN), 70/94-827-9-1

Alex Horney (GVW), 21-45-459-6-1

Aiden Caswell (BEL), 24/44-317-3-2

Calvin Svoboda (BVC), 8/9-228-2-0

Wesley Rohler (FBN), 9/26-126-1-2

Rushing

Name (School), Att-Yds-TD

Deaunte White (XEN), 160-1368-23

Colt Coffey (CED), 133-800-10

Alex Horney (GVW), 75-772-11

Zane Piatt (BVC), 110-626-5

Cooper Payton (GVW), 90-549-5

Vincent Epifano (BEL), 102-523-4

Zyaire Cavitt (FBN), 111-512-10

Chase Walker (GVW), 56-507-8

Tanner Stewart (BEL), 81-450-5

Cameron Faircloth (FBN), 84-317-3

Jayden Crawford (CAR), 58-286-4

Isaiah Christian (CED), 27-262-2

Tayshawn Brown (CAR), 44-248-5

Isaiah Creditt (XEN), 44-248-0

Dana Johnson-Dennis (BVC), 40-240-5

Josh Holzinger (CAR), 49-200-3

Receiving

Name (School), Rec-Yds-TD

Trimonde Henry (XEN), 31-446-3

Derek Orr (CED), 18-345-2

Jack McGeady (CAR), 21-322-4

Joey Giannobile (GVW), 13-309-4

Jayden Crawford (CAR), 23-294-2

Laken Pierce (BVC), 4-199-2

Ben Austria (CAR), 17-196-0

Mac Rader (CED), 15-169-0

Shawn Fishwick (XEN), 17-160-3

Scoring

Name (School), Pts (TD-2pt-FG-PAT)

Deaunte White (XEN), 146 (24-1-0-0)

Colt Coffey (CED), 80 (13-1-0-0)

Chase Walker (GVW), 71 (8-0-0-23)

Alex Horney (GVW), 66 (11-0-0-0)

Zyaire Cavitt (GVW), 60 (10-0-0-0)

Riley Ferrin (BEL), 44 (0-0-7-23)

Tayshawn Brown (CAR), 40 (5-5-0-0)

Vincent Epifano (BEL), 42 (7-0-0-0)

Sean Leonard (XEN), 39 (0-0-3-30)

Jayden Crawford (CAR), 38 (6-1-0-0)

Cooper Payton (GVW), 36 (6-0-0-0)

Dana Johnson-Dennis (BVC), 36 (6-0-0-0)

Wesley Rohler (FBN), 34 (3-0-0-16)

Joey Giannobile (GVW), 30 (5-0-0-0)

Zane Piatt (BVC), 30 (5-0-0-0)

Tanner Stewart (BEL), 30 (5-0-0-0)

DEFENSE

Tackles

Name (School), Tkls (Solo)

Ronnie Butler (XEN), 84 (47)

Preston Pettit (BEL), 71 (50)

Isaiah Christian (CED), 70 (22)

Cooper Payton (GVW), 70 (30)

Gavin Thobe (BEL), 63 (32)

Colt Coffey (CED), 54 (23)

Blake Midlam (GVW), 53 (24)

Jacob Daugherty (GVW), 51 (15)

Nathan Terrell (CED), 50 (12)

Almary Byrd (FBN), 49 (27)

Cecil Piner (XEN), 48 (24)

Preston Valente (BEL) 46, (27)

Kale Webb (XEN), 46 (17)

Logan Johnston (BVC), 45 (11)

Eli Walker (BVC), 45 (11)

Carson Pund (BEL), 44 (28)

Louis Freeman (XEN), 43 (15)

Chase Walker (GVW), 43 (15)

Gavin Henry (GVW), 42 (17)

Victor Smith (XEN), 41 (17)

Jude Omiatek (BEL), 40 (25)

James Holkema (CAR), 38 (14)

Rhett Lingerfelter (BVC), 38 (7)

David Svoboda (BVC), 38 (16)

Thomas Pierce (GVW), 37 (22)

Jamison Webster (BVC), 36 (12)

Chase Baker (BVC), 35 (10)

Kelvin Okechuwku-Ozor (BEL), 34 (18)

Derek Orr (CED), 33 (13)

Jack Kosins (BEL), 32 (22)

Lincoln Pyles (CED), 32 (15)

Johnny Brown (BEL), 30 (16)

Jase Hodges (GVW), 30 (8)

Micah Burr (CED), 29 (16)

Kelvin Keyes Jr. (BVC), 29 (20)

Jared Lauderman (FBN), 29 (14)

Logan Reynolds (CAR), 29 (20)

Samson Lingenfelter (BVC), 28 (4)

Joey Giannobile (GVW), 27 (14)

Trimonde Henry (XEN), 27 (18)

Caleb Lawson (GVW), 27 (14)

Keyshawn Carter (FBN), 26 (18)

Garon Draughn (CAR), 26 (11)

Laithan Partee (XEN), 26 (17)

Tayshawn Brown (CAR), 25 (18)

Jackson Fifield (FBN), 25 (19)

Thor Sitler (BVC), 25 (10)

Sacks

Name (School), Sacks

Blake Midlam (GVW), 5

Kelvin Okechukwu-Ozor (BEL), 4

Louis Freeman (XEN), 3.5

Kale Webb (XEN), 3.5

Johnny Brown (BEL), 3

Cohen Nelson (BVC), 3

Jude Omiatek (BEL), 3

Preston Pettit (BEL), 3

Cecil Piner (XEN), 3

Isaiah Christian (CED), 2

Gavin Henry (GVW), 5

Preston Valente (BEL), 2

Jordan Eckstein (CED), 1.5

Louis Freeman (XEN), 1.5

Torian Hill (XEN), 1.5

Wyatt Jolliffe (CED), 1.5

Jack Steward (CED), 1.5

Tackles for Loss

Name (School), TFL

Colt Coffey (CED), 10

Preston Pettit (BEL), 8

Almari Byrd (FBN), 7

Cecil Piner (XEN), 7

Keyshawn Carter (FBN), 6.5

Garon Draughn (CAR), 6.5

Isaiah Christian (CED), 6

Blae Midlam (GVW), 6

Jude Omiatek (BEL), 6

Kale Webb (XEN), 6

Jackson Fifield (FBN), 5

Kelvin Okechukwu-Ozor (BEL), 5

Victor Smith (XEN), 4.5

Jack Kosins (BEL), 4

Cohen Nelson (BVC), 4

Logan Reynolds (CAR), 4

Interceptions

Name (School), Int

Gavin Thobe (BEL), 3

Jamison Webster (BVC), 3

Noah Barrios (BEL), 2

Cristian Corbett (XEN), 2

Trimonde Henry (XEN), 2

Kelvin Keys Jr. (BVC) 2

Laithan Partee (XEN), 2

Jamarious Vinson (GVW), 2

KICKING

Field Goals

Name (School), FG (long)

Sean Leonard (XEN), 3/3 (32)

Riley Ferrin (BEL), 7/8 (45)

Conner Macek (BVC), 4/6 (37)

Cooper Husted (CAR), 2/4 (29)

Wesley Rohler (FBN), 0/2 (0)

Chase Walker (GVW), 0/1 (0)

Extra Points

Name (School), XP

Riley Ferrin (BEL), 23/23

Sean Leonard (XEN), 30/31

Nathan Van Loo (CED), 13/14

Wesley Rohler (FBN), 16/18

Conner Macek (BVC), 15/17

Chase Walker (GVW), 23/28

Cooper Husted (CAR), 1/4

Punting

Name (School), Avg (No.)

Riley Ferrin (BEL), 38.1 (23)

Sean Leonard (XEN), 38.1 (9)

Conner Macek (BVC), 33.6 (16)

Wesley Rohler (FBN), 32.3 (23)

Derek Orr (CED), 32.0 (9)

Colt Coffey (CED), 30.9 (8)

Chase Walker (GVW), 30.2 (12)

Matthew Tipps (CAR), 28.2 (20)

Contact Steven Wright at 937-502-4498 and follow on X (formerly Twitter) @Steven_Wright_.