Princeton running back Jordan Hall ran for 140 yards and four touchdowns Friday, Sept. 25. The top-ranked Vikings beat No. 7 Lakota East 48-22 at the Thunderhawks' home field.
The loss drops Lakota East to 4-2 overall and 3-2 in the Greater Miami Conference. Princeton improved to 6-0 and 5-0 in the GMC, holding a one-game lead over No. 3 Lakota West and No. 9 Middletown, according to WLWT.
Hall wasn't alone. Princeton quarterback Key'Sean Torbert went 15-of-24 for 227 passing yards and a touchdown while adding 130 yards and another score on the ground. The Vikings piled up 591 total yards, including 341 on the ground, the Journal-News reported.
Lakota East junior quarterback Nile Knutson went 18-of-27 for 247 yards and two touchdowns but threw a costly interception. His top target, Braxton Thurman, hauled in seven catches for 114 yards. Knutson connected with Thurman on a 1-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter to tie the game and added a 3-yard scoring run with about six minutes left.
Still, Lakota East managed just 312 total yards against Princeton's defense.
"We had opportunities early in the game to do some things and we played out of sorts and we gotta find out why we played out of sorts," head coach Jon Kitna said after the game.
Kitna, a former NFL quarterback in his fourth season leading the Thunderhawks, said the final score didn't reflect his team's ability. He told reporters the rest of the season is still in front of them and that the coaching staff and players need to be better going forward.
Lakota West rolls on homecoming
Across town at Firebird Stadium, No. 3 Lakota West beat Fairfield 38-7 in the Firebirds' homecoming game. The win moves Lakota West to 4-1 in GMC play, one game behind Princeton in the conference race.
The Firebirds bounced back after a tight 27-24 loss to Princeton in Week 5. After that Sept. 18 defeat, head coach Tom Bolden told The Report Ohio he believed the Firebirds would get another shot at Princeton and be better for the experience. A 31-point homecoming win over Fairfield backs up that confidence.
What's next
Lakota East (4-2, 3-2 GMC) travels to Fairfield in Week 7. Fairfield dropped to 2-4 overall and 1-4 in the GMC after the loss to Lakota West. The OHSAA playoffs begin Oct. 30.
