Indiana out to prove last year wasn't a fluke
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2 hours ago
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Here are Cincinnati's 10 best linebackers in high school football ahead of the 2025 season
With the start of another high school football season around the corner, The Enquirer is ranking the best players in Southwest Ohio, Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana. Linebackers are typically the leaders of the defense while calling out signals and showcasing their versatility by covering against the pass and crashing the gaps near the line of scrimmage to defend the run. Here are the best 10 linebackers to watch across the Cincinnati gridiron this fall, listed alphabetically. At the end of this story, remember to vote for the top linebacker in the city. Jakobe Clapper, St. Xavier A first-team All-Ohio selection and the Greater Catholic League-South's Co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2024, Clapper helped anchor a St. Xavier defense that led the league in scoring, yielding just 14.6 points per game. He finished second in the GCL-South in tackles (105), reaching double figures five times to go with 4.5 sacks, 11.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and two recoveries. A three-star recruit and a top 20 player in Ohio for the Class of 2026, Clapper's offer sheet included nearly two dozen programs before committing to Notre Dame in May. Elijah Depperschmidt, Campbell County Depperschmidt is coming off a junior campaign where he led the Camels in tackles (78) along with a pair of sacks. He had 11 tackles for loss, which ranked 11th in all of Class 6A. He was an All-Northern Kentucky second-team selection by the Northern Kentucky Football Coaches Association. Antwoine Higgins, Anderson More: Meet Anderson football's Ace Alston and Antwoine Higgins, with nearly 70 college offers As a sophomore last season, Higgins tallied 55 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, a pair of sacks and an interception on a defense that helped lead Anderson to the Division II state championship game. He was a second-team All-Ohio selection in Division II and first-team all-district. Higgins is the top-ranked linebacker in Ohio for the Class of 2027. A four-star recruit, he holds over 30 offers, including from Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Indiana, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Oregon. Adam Kirtley, Taft Kirtley ranked second in the Cincinnati Metro Athletic Conference in tackles last season with 140 in helping Taft become the first Cincinnati Public School to win a regional title since 1992. He also had 18 tackles for loss and five sacks en route to all-district and first-team all-league honors. A three-star recruit and the No. 92 player in Ohio for the Class of 2026, Kirtley committed to the UC Bearcats last month. Andre Parker Jr., Princeton Parker finished fifth in the Greater Miami Conference in tackles (107) last season, tallying 19 tackles for a loss. He also ranked fifth in sacks (7) to go with a force fumbled, two interceptions and a pick-six in a win over Fairfield. Parker was a third-team All-Ohio selection in Division I and second-team all-district in helping lead Princeton to the regional semifinals. He is tabbed as a three-star recruit and the No. 59 player in Ohio for the Class of 2026, according to 247Sports' Composite Rankings. Parker held nearly 20 offers before committing to Marshall in June. Aden Reeder, St. Xavier An all-district and first-team all-league selection, Reeder was tied for sixth in the GCL-South in tackles (74) last season and fifth in tackles for loss (13.5). Reeder also knocked away three passes, forced a fumble and tallied a trio of sacks for the Bombers. He had back-to-back 10-tackle performances in wins over La Salle and Cleveland St. Ignatius. A three-star prospect, Reeder is tabbed by 247Sports' Composite Rankings as the No. 24 player in Ohio in the Class of 2026. He committed to Luke Fickell's Wisconsin Badgers in May. Brayden Reilly, St. Xavier Another stout linebacker on St. Xavier's defense, Reilly was tied for sixth in tackles (74) last season alongside Reeder. He had four tackles for loss along with two forced fumbles and a pair of recoveries. Reilly also had two interceptions against Louisville Trinity. Another three-star recruit and a top 20 player in Ohio for the Class of 2026, Reilly committed to Northwestern in May. Jacob Savage, Ryle Savage was a two-way standout during Ryle's run to the state championship game in 2024. Offensively, he was second in Class 6A in rushing touchdowns (22) and sixth in yards (1,085). Savage was also one of the most feared linebackers in Northern Kentucky as he ranked fourth in Class 6A in total tackles (141), including 9.5 for a loss and three sacks. An All-Northern Kentucky first-team selection and a three-star prospect, Savage is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 2 linebacker in Kentucky for the Class of 2026. He committed to Indiana in April. Cam Thomas, Lakota West Thomas was a third-team All-Ohio and second-team all-district selection in Division I last season on a Lakota West defense that led the GMC in scoring, yielding just 8.4 points per game. Thomas finished with 84 tackles, including 14.5 for a loss and four sacks. He also helped the Firebirds' defense take the ball away with three forced fumbles, one recovery and an interception. According to 247Sports' Composite Rankings, Thomas is the No. 16 player in Ohio for the Class of 2026 and a three-star prospect. He committed to Illinois in February. Derek Uran, Elder A three-star recruit and a top 60 player in Ohio for the Class of 2026, Uran committed to Virginia in June, picking the Cavaliers over a list of suitors that included Cincinnati, Ohio University, Western Michigan and Bowling Green, among others. The second-team All-Ohio and first-team all-district selection led the GCL-South in sacks (9.5) last season and finished fifth in the league in tackles. He also forced three fumbles and intercepted a pair of passes, including a 31-yard pick-six against Lakewood St. Edward. On the radar Alex Albrinck, Badin; Brody Ayler, Beechwood; Zac Belmont, McNicholas; Alex Brown, Mason; Landon Brown, Simon Kenton; C.J. Bryant, Hamilton; Vontay Calloway, Badin; Conner Cuozzo, Moeller; Hunter Davis, Lebanon; Brycen Deller, Harrison; Alex Dugan, Elder; D.J. Edwards, Lakota West; Travis Hodges, Boone County; Patrick Keefer, Fenwick; Jesse Keith, Wilmington; Brody Nickerson, Turpin; Trent Owens, Badin; Sam Reder, Summit Country Day; Max Rhodes, Oak Hills; Marlan Robertson, Cincinnati College Prep Academy; Bubba Smart, Roger Bacon; Tye Spaulding, Western Brown; Quinten Tischner, Bishop Brossart; Elias Lopez Torres, Dayton; Kevonte Whitaker, North College Hill; Kai Workman, Ryle Vote: Who is the top linebacker in Greater Cincinnati in 2025? This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati high school football: Best 10 linebackers ahead of 2025
Yahoo
2 hours ago
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Denny Hamlin Had Epic Reaction To Bubba Wallace's Brickyard 400 Win
Denny Hamlin Had Epic Reaction To Bubba Wallace's Brickyard 400 Win originally appeared on The Spun. What a moment for Bubba Wallace at this year's Brickyard 400. Not only did the 31-year-old driver outlast the competition in double OT to take the checkered flag at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but he also became the first Black driver in history to walk with a trophy on the course's oval track. Among those to celebrate the hard-fought win was 23XI co-owner Denny Hamlin, who joined Bubba in kissing the famed bricks as the two enjoyed the sweet, sweet taste of victory. Fans were loving Denny's support on X: "Denny's great!!" a user replied. "Damn I wish Jordan had attended the race also. Would have been cool to have both owners kissing the bricks," another said. "My two favorite drivers," a fan commented. "Absolute f—ing cinema," another person shared. "Awwwwwww s—t 🥲" another user teared up. "You know Denny Hamlin is thinking about grabbing that trophy and trying to run off with it lol," another fan laughed. "I can't wait for Actions Detrimental! Whoo hooo!!! 😄" "So awesome for them!!" another account exclaimed. Wallace's massive win is his third since joining the Cup Series and moves him up into a playoff spot at 11th in the points standings. It's also his first win in one of the sport's four crown jewel races which include the Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600, Southern 500 and the Brickyard. Bubba took a big risk and it ultimately paid off. He and 23XI will look to keep this momentum going into their next race at Iowa next Hamlin Had Epic Reaction To Bubba Wallace's Brickyard 400 Win first appeared on The Spun on Jul 27, 2025 This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jul 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
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Video Of NASCAR Drivers Reacting To Bubba Wallace's Win Says Everything
Video Of NASCAR Drivers Reacting To Bubba Wallace's Win Says Everything originally appeared on The Spun. Video of NASCAR drivers reacting to Bubba Wallace's win is saying everything on Sunday night. Wallace, driving the No. 23 Toyota for 23XI Racing, took home the checkered flag at the Brickyard 400 on Sunday afternoon. Wallace won the Cup Series race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It was his first win in a long time. The veteran NASCAR Cup Series driver last won in September of 2022. He won at the Kansas Speedway, then driving the No. 45 for 23XI Racing. Wallace had a streak of roughly 100 straight races without a win, however, he stopped that on Sunday evening in a major way. Video of NASCAR drivers reacting to Bubba Wallace's win on Sunday night said it all, too. One by one, following his win on Sunday evening, several prominent NASCAR drivers made their way up to Wallace to congratulate the 23XI Racing driver on his victory. It was a classy move by the NASCAR field, as they clearly have a lot of respect - and admiration - for Wallace as both a driver and a man. "Bro hugs all around for Bubba Wallace," NASCAR on FOX shared on X. As ESPN noted, too, Wallace made history. "Bubba Wallace became the first Black driver to win a major race on Indianapolis Motor Speedway's 2.5-mile oval," ESPN wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, following the race. "Wallace overcame a late rain delay, two overtimes and a hard-charging Kyle Larson to take the Brickyard 400." With the victory, Wallace will get a chance to compete among the sport's best, as he clinched a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. Here's a full look at the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Point Totals after Sunday's race: Denny Hamlin Kyle Larson Shane Van Gisbergen Christopher Bell William Byron Ryan Blaney Austin Cindric Bubba Wallace Joey Logano Chase Briscoe The NASCAR world will get a chance to see Bubba Wallace competing among the sport's best in the postseason later this fall. Video Of NASCAR Drivers Reacting To Bubba Wallace's Win Says Everything first appeared on The Spun on Jul 28, 2025 This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jul 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
