Unbeaten Princeton takes its 5-0 record to Lakota East on Friday in a Greater Miami Conference matchup with playoff-seeding stakes.
The Vikings are No. 1 in the Blitz 5 Top 25 and No. 2 in the initial OHSAA Harbin computer ratings for Division I, Region 4, released by the Columbus Dispatch on Tuesday, Sept. 22. Lakota East (4-1, 3-1 GMC) is tied for sixth in the region with an 8.4 rating. A Princeton win would strengthen the Vikings' grip on a first-round bye. A Lakota East upset could reshape the conference's playoff picture. GMC teams hold four of the top seven spots in the region.
Kickoff is 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25, at Lakota East.
Princeton's ground game vs. its turnovers
The Vikings' rushing attack piled up 279 yards on 32 carries in the Friday, Sept. 18, win over Lakota West, a 27-24 thriller in which Princeton survived six turnovers. Senior quarterback Monsanna Torbert, a Michigan recruit, rushed for 188 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries, including a 51-yard scoring run. Junior running back Jordan Hall, who holds an Ohio State offer according to cleveland.com, scored the game-winner on a 3-yard run with 3:20 left.
Through five games, Torbert has thrown for 687 yards and seven touchdowns with five interceptions and rushed for 383 yards and four more scores. Hall has 356 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns.
The turnovers and penalties tell a different story. Princeton has been flagged 51 times for 478 yards and carries a minus-5 turnover ratio over the last four games, according to WLWT's Blitz 5 Top 25.
"We won ugly," head coach Andre Parker told TriStateFootball.com after the Friday, Sept. 18, win over Lakota West. "You don't have six turnovers and win a game. You have to be a special team to do that."
Lakota East's air attack
The Thunderhawks present a contrasting style. Lakota East throws the ball more than it runs, and quarterback Nile Knutson has been one of the GMC's most efficient passers. Through five games, Knutson has completed 95 of 139 attempts (68.3%) for 1,174 yards and 14 touchdowns against three interceptions, according to a cleveland.com Week 6 preview.
Seniors Braxton Thurman and Carter Jones have combined for 1,336 all-purpose yards. Lakota East's lone loss came in Week 2, a 48-18 defeat to Lakota West. The Thunderhawks have won three straight since, including a 37-13 win over Hamilton in Week 5.
Lakota East entered the season looking to make the playoffs for a third consecutive year for the first time in program history, according to TriStateFootball.com's preseason rankings.
Key matchup
Princeton's defense will need to contain Knutson and a Thunderhawks passing game that averages nearly 235 yards per game through the air. Senior linebacker Derrick Jeffries, an Austin Peay commit who recorded 100 tackles last season, anchors the Vikings' front seven. Senior defensive tackle Jaylen Mercer, a Kentucky commit, and junior receiver Lorenzo McMullen Jr., ranked the No. 1 player in Ohio's 2028 class by 247Sports Composite, give Princeton star power on both sides of the ball.
Head coach Andre Parker's teams have averaged 10 wins per season during his tenure, and the Vikings have won three straight GMC titles. As we reported Tuesday, Princeton also climbed to No. 2 in the state AP poll.
Princeton and Lakota East kick off at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25.
