Friday, October 30, marks the start of the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division I, Region 4 playoffs. The opening game will be played at Charles Fredrick Stadium on the Winton Woods High School campus in Forest Park, Ohio, with kickoff set for 7:00 p.m.

Team Overview

Lakota East Thunderhawks (6‑4) enter the postseason as the 12th seed in the region. The Thunderhawks rely heavily on a high‑powered passing attack led by junior quarterback Nile Knutson, who completed 68 % of his throws for 2,554 yards and 23 touchdowns while limiting interceptions to eight, earning a passer rating of 154.1. His top targets are senior wide receivers Carter Jones, who hauled in a conference‑leading 72 catches for 947 yards and 10 scores, and senior Braxton Thurman with 62 receptions for 786 yards and six touchdowns. Jones also contributed on the ground with 313 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

Defensively, senior linebacker Tra’vion Bailey anchored the unit with 80 tackles and 7.5 sacks, ranking fourth and third respectively in the Greater Miami Conference. Senior defensive back Simeon Raye led the secondary with three interceptions.

Winton Woods Warriors (8‑2) come into the game as the fifth seed and are ranked #6 in the state. Their offense is anchored by senior running back Isaiah “Zeke” Garrett, who rushed 129 times for 1,176 yards (9.1 yards per carry) and 16 touchdowns. Offensive line senior Lual Aleu, a 6‑5, 295‑pound lineman, helped open lanes for Garrett and has attracted offers from several Division I programs.

The Warriors’ aerial attack is directed by junior quarterback Josiiah “JoJo” Jones, who posted a 64.4 % completion rate for 1,295 yards, 15 touchdowns and only five interceptions, resulting in a passer rating of 165.9. His primary receiver is senior wideout Quinton Simms, who recorded 34 catches for 595 yards and seven touchdowns.

On defense, senior defensive back Christian Coston led the Eastern Cincinnati Conference with six interceptions and added 42 tackles. Junior linebacker Terence Moore contributed 44 tackles and 3.5 sacks.

Season Trends and History

Lakota East’s season has been streaky: after splitting the first two games, the Thunderhawks posted a three‑game winning streak, followed by a three‑game losing streak, and then a two‑game surge that secured the final playoff berth. The team ranks second in the GMC for offense, averaging 371.6 yards and 30.1 points per game, while allowing 310.4 yards and 26.4 points on defense.

All four of Lakota East’s losses came against Blitz 5 Top 25 opponents – #1 Princeton, #2 Lakota West, #12 Middletown and #16 Fairfield – and the Thunderhawks have yet to defeat a team with a winning record this season.

Under third‑year head coach Jon Kitna, a former Cincinnati Bengal quarterback, Lakota East has made three consecutive playoff appearances. The program fell 42‑7 to eventual state runner‑up St. Xavier in the first round of the 2025 playoffs and reached the second round in 2024.

Winton Woods enters its seventh straight playoff run. The Warriors boast one of the region’s most potent offenses, averaging 534.3 yards and 38 points per game, and a stingy defense that allowed just 9.1 points per contest in the regular season, including four shutouts. Head coach Chad Murphy has guided the team to an 11‑4 playoff record since taking the helm in 2021, highlighted by a Division II state championship that year.

At home, the Warriors are unbeaten this season (5‑0) at Charles Fredrick Stadium, while Lakota East holds a 3‑2 record on the road.

Key Factors for Victory

Lakota East must get Knutson and his receiving corps moving early. The Thunderhawks averaged 42.3 points and 223.5 passing yards in their six wins, but five of the eight interceptions thrown this season occurred in losses. Limiting turnovers and containing the Warriors’ rushing attack will be essential.

Winton Woods should lean on its ground game. Lakota East allowed 146.4 rushing yards per game, a figure the Warriors can exploit to control time of possession. Scoring early and maintaining a strong running rhythm could force the Thunderhawks into a catch‑up scenario that leads to additional turnovers – the Thunderhawks recorded 19 turnovers (almost two per game) this season.

Prediction

Given the Warriors’ home advantage, dominant rushing attack, and superior defensive numbers, the forecast favors Winton Woods winning 42‑24.

Original reporting: WLWT Cincinnati — read the source article.