Game Preview: St. Xavier Versus Elder

Jared Luginbill November 20, 2025 @ 08:05 AM

It was announced on Sunday that Saint X versus Elder game would take place at Mason High School. Mason's Atrium Stadium has a seating capacity of around 7,000. On Monday tickets for the game went on sale and sold out in 3 per the OHSAA. From there the move was on to get the game moved to a larger venue. On Tuesday the powers that be of the Cincinnati Bengals and Hamilton County granted that wish by making Paycor Stadium available for Friday night's regional final matchup. These two schools are GCLS opponents, and this will be a rematch of a week 6 game that was won by Elder 23-13. Let's take a look at some of my keys to the game.   Elder on Offense- [player_tooltip player_id='1687186' first='Kaden' last='Estep'] is the engine that makes the Panther offense go. He does it by using both his arm (2,169 passing yards) and his legs (879 rushing yards). Estep is a gritty quarterback who makes play after play to keep the chains moving. His favorite target is wide receiver Jackson Ruth who is a big play threat anytime he touches the ball. Running back Tommy Becker really came on at the end of the season stringing 100-yard games weeks 8-11. The consistent yards are going to be harder to come by against a strong Bomber defense. Elder's offense needs to show the ability to be explosive and make a few big plays. In what I believe will be a lower scoring game that could be all the difference.   Elder on Defense- When you watch the Panther defense you see a sound defense that runs and rallies to the ball. They make things hard on opposing offense. [player_tooltip player_id='1179208' first='Derek' last='Uran'], the Cincinnati Bearcat commit, has played like a man on fire all season long. The off-ball linebacker specializes in making plays behind the line of scrimmage as evidenced by his 8.5 sacks and 21.5 tackles for a loss. The Panthers defense is also led bty two sophomore linebackers in [player_tooltip player_id='1974117' first='Pete' last='Fortkamp'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1987668' first='Brody' last='Turner'] who are rangy playmakers who stand 2nd and 3rd on the team in tackles. Jared Lammers leads the secondary with 4 interceptions on the season. The key for the Panthers defense is clear, keep the Saint X offense behind the chains. They need make negative plays and keep the Bomber offense in long down and distance situations.   Saint X on Offense- The Bomber offense is led by Jackson Frey. Frey has had a strong senior season throwing for over 2,000 yards on the season. Saint X's passing game is a balanced one with a receiver unit led by seniors Alex McClatchey and Cam Taylor. Running back and Vanderbilt commit [player_tooltip player_id='1163352' first='Daniel' last='Vollmer'] is a threat both to run the ball or catch the ball out of the backfield. Tight End Aiden Newdigate is a versatile player they move around the formation who is a strong blocker and a good route runner. My key for the Bomber offense is to stay ahead of the chains and produce some long scoring drives that will keep a more explosive Eder offense off the field. They don't need to be flashy, they need to be efficient and wear down the Panther defense.   Saint X on defense- The Bomber defense is a star studded one lead by their senior trio of linebackers: Clemson commit [player_tooltip player_id='1171271' first='Brayden' last='Reilly'], Notre Dame commit [player_tooltip player_id='1163066' first='Jakobe' last='Clapper'], and Michigan commit [player_tooltip player_id='1892847' first='Aden' last='Reeder']. This group loves to fly around and is heavy on play making both in the run and pass games. On the defensive line [player_tooltip player_id='1637941' first='Griffin' last='Lyons'] has been a playmaker in the backfield of opposing offenses all season long. The sophomore leads the team in tackles for loss and is second in sacks. [player_tooltip player_id='1622941' first='Josh' last='Fasbender'] who Power 4 offers is a space eating defensive lineman who needs to be accounted for in the pass game. In the secondary 2026 DB [player_tooltip player_id='1178335' first='Jake' last='Britt'] and 2027 DB [player_tooltip player_id='1210892' first='Alex' last='Walker'] lead the way. The keys for the Bomber defense are to limit the explosives and try and create a turnover or two. The X defense has created 12 forced fumbles and 11 interceptions on the season. I think for the Bombers to win it's crucial that they win the turnover game.   Other Key Players Elder- 2026 DB Mason Chumbley 2026 LB Alex Dugan 2026 OL Seb Hignite 2026 OL Tyrell Scott 2027 DL Jayven Hutchinson 2027 DL Max Doogan 2027 LB Andrew Paff 2027 OL Nick Cassaro 2027 WR Chase Walpole   Other Key Players St. Xavier- 2026 LB [player_tooltip player_id='2042255' first='Connor' last='Bareswilt'] 2026 OL [player_tooltip player_id='2042290' first='William' last='Sweeney'] 2026 OL [player_tooltip player_id='1314559' first='Grant' last='Hester'] 2026 DB Jax Hendon

It was announced on Sunday that Saint X versus Elder game would take place at Mason High School. Mason's Atrium Stadium has a seating capacity of around 7,000. On Monday tickets for the game went on sale and sold out in 3 per the OHSAA. From there the move was on to get the game moved to a larger venue. On Tuesday the powers that be of the Cincinnati Bengals and Hamilton County granted that wish by making Paycor Stadium available for Friday night's regional final matchup. These two schools are GCLS opponents, and this will be a rematch of a week 6 game that was won by Elder 23-13. Let's take a look at some of my keys to the game.