Lakota West's football team hosts four-time state champion St. Xavier at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21, and head coach Tom Bolden believes the Firebirds have the talent and togetherness to erase last season's 7-5 finish.

Bolden told The Report Ohio he's confident the Firebirds have all the pieces on both sides of the ball. The question is execution.

The Firebirds slipped to 7-5 overall and 6-3 in the Greater Miami Conference in 2025 after back-to-back 11-win seasons. A 42-28 loss to rival Lakota East and a second-round playoff exit against Moeller left the program searching for answers.

Senior center Carter Brueshaber said the answer starts with chemistry. Last year's team was divided by position groups and individual stats, he said. This year, the focus is collective.

The returning talent backs up the ambition. Senior quarterback Jackson Smith threw for 1,959 yards, 20 touchdowns and five interceptions on 137-of-225 passing last season, ranking third on the program's single-season list. Senior running back Kenyon Norman earned first-team All-GMC honors, giving Lakota West one of the conference's most proven backfields.

Two Power 5 commits anchor both sides of the ball: tight end Xavier Ratica (Louisville) and defensive lineman Reilly Newman (Iowa). Senior linebacker Andrew Fryer piled up 107 tackles in 2025, including 21 in the Moeller playoff loss, and junior Judah Blair earned first-team All-GMC honors as a sophomore.

Bolden enters his 20th season as a head coach. He won the 2024 Paul Brown Excellence in Coaching Award from the Cincinnati Bengals and has surpassed 200 career wins, according to the program. He scheduled preseason scrimmages against Elder and Winton Woods to stress-test the roster early.

"You better find out earlier than later what your weaknesses are," Bolden said. "The good teams, the good coaches, they'll expose your weaknesses."

The defense returns most of its front seven after losing standout linebacker Cam Thomas to Illinois. Newman and Eli Hodge anchor the line, sophomores Amir and Ramir Allen add depth, and Roman Combs shifts to safety to stabilize a secondary replacing several starters.

On offense, Brueshaber and Lawson Robinson lead the line, with junior Marvelous Elendu expected to contribute immediately.

St. Xavier brings serious credentials to Friday's opener. The Bombers reached the Division I state final in 2025, falling 28-14 to Olentangy Orange to finish 11-3, and own state titles in 2005, 2007, 2016 and 2020.

Lakota West hosts rival Lakota East on Friday, Aug. 28.