Thursday / October 24

D1

Oak Hills/Sycamore
Regular season game was 1-0 Oak Hills and Pennekamp was held scoreless (or didn't play). Win or go home will teams go all in to stop other teams leading scorer from determining the game? If so this one could go to OT.

Seton/Fairfield
Seton handled Fairfield easily during the season. Won't be as simple this time around but Seton prevails in the end setting up a classic rematch. Not sure Oak Hills cares which one they get as they destroyed both of them in season.

West Clermont / Springboro
Springboro will only go as far as Blain takes them. They will get past West Clermont but then it gets tricky for them.

Lebanon / Centerville
Lebanon's schedule does them no favors. They struggle to score against tougher teams. Can they contain Conner?

Mason / Beavercreek
Mason will have to rely on defense in the tourney as they struggle to score. Good news for them is that Creek has Brown and that's it.

D2

Mount Notre Dame / Troy
MND is not going to score in bunches but their GK Weiland will keep them in most matches.

Loveland / Northmont
Loveland is another team built on defense with no real dominant scorers this year. They only have to shutdown Bazile.

Harrison / St Ursula
St Ursula will have to find a goal with no real power threat, but multiple players who can sneak one in. Again do they sell out to stop Smith from Harrison?
I'm 50/50 on this one but this might be the year Harrison advances.

Anderson / Miamisburg
Not much to add here

D3

Ross / Carroll
Crappy location for a game for both teams who tied during regular season 2-2. I'll give the edge to the Patriots based on overall schedule, but would not be surprised to see Ross pull it out.

Badin / CJ

CHCA / Bellbrook
CHCA is not going to stop Donnerberg

Batavia / Butler
Flipping a coin on this one

D4

McNicholas / Waynesville
Waynesville might be "down" this year but Dunford is a force.

Summit / Miami East
Don't know what to make of the first round Summit score, probably nothing. But the Silver Knights did not finish the season strong score wise against some marginal teams? Something bigger or just resting up? I'll go with B

Mariemont / Eaton
Been there done that to many weapons for Mariemont.

Alter / Oakwood
These two played some classic backyard battles over the years which stopped not long ago. Pretty much a push for me but SOS favors Alter.

D5

Fayettsville Perry / Legacy
Going with Legacy on record alone but overall their schedule is weak so who knows on this one.

Clermont NE / Greeneview
Season abruptly ends for Clermont NE

Madeira / Lehman Catholic
Another one of those one and done games. Does Lehman bet the farm and focus solely on Cornejo and hope that works? It might, but doubtful.
 
 
Ill play...
D1
OH 2-0 over Sycamore.
Seton 3-2 over Fairfield.
Springboro 5-0 over WC
Centerville 2-1 over Lebanon.
Mason 2-0 over Creek.

D2:
MND 4-0 over Troy.
Loveland 1-0 over Northmont
Harrison 1-0 over SUA
Anderson 5-0 over Miamisburg

D3:
Ross 2-1 over Carroll.
Bellbrook 4-0 over CHCA
Butler 3-2 over Batavia.

D4:
Waynesville
Summit
Mariemont
Alter
All Advance.

D5:
Legacy 4-0
Clermont NE 2-1
Madeira 4-0
 
Great night for soccer. Missed on 4 of the 21.

Congrats Lebanon quality win and performance.

Ross and Oakwood were push for me. No surprise in the outcome and both continue solid season runs.

CHCA was a swing and a miss for me. Will be interested in hearing the recipe to take down Bellbrook.

Next round not so easy to be sure. Some old rivalries and some new matchups.
 
I’m mad I wasn’t there, but in CHCA’s game against Western Brown they controlled the possession the whole game. I’m positive that didn’t happen in the Bellbrook game. I’m still so confused about how we won
 
Watched the Rockets take down the Hill Monday and with the game just up the road at Loveland I figured I’d see how they did vs Waynesville. McNick is a very physical team this year and I know from last year Waynesville can be too. Waynesville looks nothing like the past but they have more talent then their offensive output would lead you to believe. Dunford is as deft on the ball as anyone I’ve seen this year but I really think their 2 D1 commits were the best players on the field either side. The lady Spartans forward Williams was everywhere and outhustled any rocket on the field. She was fun to watch, size and aggression like CCD’s Morman or Ferris but faster and a drive directly to goal that is unusual in High School. Her and Dunford are a lot to deal with. On the defensive side the younger Erbach was a true shut down defender taking the ball repeatedly from the rockets best skilled players. And with the biggest leg I’ve seen in years and speed to track down anyone from almost anywhere I see why they don’t give up many goals. The rockets lone goal came down the middle as it was disorganized and slow. I was very surprised to see how they handled McNick.

That said I don’t think they have anything for summit. A 1-3 loss earlier this year and summit has stayed healthy. If they can even get by Mariemont, I missed the pre season game between the two but I heard Waynesville handled the warriors pretty easily. Perhaps a Waynesville vs. Summit regional final rematch is just what we need. I’d prefer a Mariemont vs Summit game but I’m not nearly as convinced as I was before yesterday.

I wish I had seen the CHCA vs Bellbrook match but that was even on my mind. Guess I was right about that Bellbrook loss to East. Maybe it wasn’t an anomaly after all.

Oak Hills is straight rolling, and the Lebanon over Centerville game was I think the biggest local playoff upset since Indian Hill broke summits heart.

Next week should be fun.
 
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