There is no shortage of great games on the docket for this season in the Miami Valley, but some stand above the rest.
Here are some we’re already looking forward to:
Week 1
Alter vs. Fairmont (Thursday)
Butler at Northmont
Xenia at Beavercreek
Miamisburg at Chaminade-Julienne
Bellbrook at Tippecanoe
Bellefontaine at Sidney
Valley View at Coldwater
One night after the Firebirds and Knights battle for Kettering on opening night, Xenia and Beavercreek will renew their backyard brawl.
Miamisburg and Chaminade Julienne both enter the season with high expectations, while Bellbrook-Tippecanoe pits defending conference division champs from the SWBL and MVL against each other.
Ohio State verbal commit QB Tavien St. Clair kicks off his senior season with Bellefontaine at Sidney while Valley View heads north to try to prove the mettle of the SWBL against perennial Midwest Athletic League powerhouse Coldwater.
Week 2
Waynesville at Greeneview (Thursday)
Fairmont at Trotwood-Madison
Cincinnati St. Xavier at Centerville
Pickerington Central at Wayne
Bellbrook at Bellefontaine
The Spartans and Rams renew an old Kenton Trace Conference rivalry as defending champions of their current leagues (SWBL Buckeye and OHC South, respectively) before a Friday night including multiple intriguing intersectional matchups.
St. Xavier comes north from Cincinnati with quarterback Chase Herbstreit set to lead the Bombers against the alma mater of his famous father, Kirk, while Pickerington Central and Wayne are two of the most talented teams in Ohio on an annual basis.
Week 3
Trotwood-Madison at Springfield
Sidney at Stebbins
Greeneview at West Liberty-Salem
Valley View at Bellbrook
Valley View-Bellbrook is one of the area’s best rivalries while Trotwood-Madison and Springfield are becoming one.
The Rams and Wildcats enter every season with an eye on a earning a trip to Canton and boast some of the most college-caliber talent annually. A one-point win over Springfield and their former head coach Maurice Douglass helped springboard TMHS to a bounce-back season last year, and this season Jeff Graham’s team is hoping to take another step back to being the powerhouse it was prior to 2020.
Week 4
Stebbins at Xenia
Alter at Trotwood-Madison
West Jefferson at Greeneview
Brookville at Waynesville
Another edition of pupil vs. teacher as Graham’s Rams play host to his alma mater, still coached by Ed Domsitz.
Stebbins and Xenia both want to jump up to the top line MVL teams while Waynesville and Brookville figure to be contenders in the SWBL Buckeye.
Week 5
Springfield at Centerville
Tippecanoe at Troy
Xenia at Butler
Alter at Bellbrook
The Wildcats and Elks played twice last season with Centerville winning the first meeting and going on to claim the GWOC championship. But Maurice Douglass’ Wildcats struck back in the playoffs with a 17-10 triumph.
Troy and Tipp both won a share of the MVL Miami division last season along with Butler.
Week 6
Butler at Tippecanoe (Thursday)
Thurgood Marshall at Dunbar (Thursday, 6 p.m.)
Wayne at Northmont
Troy at Piqua
Tipp will be looking to avenge its only league loss of ‘23 when the Aviators come to town, and Thurgood Marshall-Dunbar makes for a pair of intriguing games before everyone else takes the field on on Friday.
Wayne and Northmont are both rivals and rosters full of potential major college players, so this is a game to circle on the calendar every year.
No list like this would be completed without mentioning Piqua-Troy, which the Trojans won 14-0 last season to snap a three-game losing streak in the series and take a 67-66-6 lead in Ohio’s most-contested rivalry.
Week 7
Centerville at Miamisburg
Wayne at Springfield
Tipp at Sidney
Xenia at Troy
Springfield and Wayne also played twice last season with the Wildcats avenging a regular season loss in the playoffs, and there should be FBS prospects all over the field when these teams meet — as usual. Miamisburg won a playoff game last season after finishing third in the rugged GWOC and hopes to continue its ascent this season — something that will require topping teams like the defending conference champion Elks.
Week 8
Troy at Stebbins
Bellefontaine at Urbana
Brookville at Eaton
Badin at Alter
Dunbar at Trotwood-Madison
Reigning DPS champ Dunbar figures to be the biggest test of the second half of the season for Trotwood-Madison, which provides a measuring stick for the Wolverines.
Alter fell 29-24 at Badin in Week 8 last season, but the Knights did not lose again until meeting Cleveland Glenville in the Division IV State Championship Game.
Week 9
Northmont at Miamisburg
Stebbins at Tippecanoe
Valley View at Brookville
The Yellow Jackets and Indians have their own storied rivalry, and Northmont and Miamisburg are both looking to hold their own in the powerful GWOC.
Week 10
Wayne at Centerville
Bellefontaine at Kenton Ridge
Northeastern at West Jefferson
Waynesville at Valley View
Chaminade Julienne at Alter
Thurgood Marshall at Trotwood-Madison
The regular season always ends with a bang, and few games can top Wayne-Centerville when it comes to competitive, long-time rivalries. A GWOC title could be on the line along with playoff seedings, and the same could be true in the GCL-CoEd when CJ clashes with Alter.
Waynesville and Valley View shared the SWBL Buckeye Division title last season, but Waynesville denied VVHS a perfect regular season with a 49-40 Week 10 decision. The View got its revenge in the playoffs with a 42-24 regional final win.
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