NORWOOD, Ohio — The Moeller High School football team scored 28 unanswered points Friday night en route to a 35-7 win over Fairfield in a Division I, Region quarterfinal.

"Just proud of the guys," Moeller coach Mark Elder said. "We came into this season internally we had a lot of high expectations. We knew that we were capable of being a good team. We've done a good job. We just got to keep it rolling."

Moeller (9-3) advances to play Princeton (11-1) in a regional semifinal at a neutral site Nov. 12. It is the first meeting between Moeller and Princeton since Week 1 of 2008.

Princeton (11-1) defeated visiting Sycamore 37-35 Friday night. Princeton senior quarterback Mekhi Lynn threw for 208 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 107 yards and three touchdowns.

Sophomore TJ Engleman had four receptions for 112 yards and a touchdown. Senior linebacker AJ Nunley and senior defensive back Maceo Powell had nine tackles each for the Vikings, who have won eight consecutive games.

Princeton led by 16 with 5:12 left (37-21) but the Aviators mounted a furious comeback and closed the gap to two points with 35 seconds left before Princeton sealed the win.

There was far less drama at Shea Stadium Friday night.

Moeller led 21-0 at halftime Friday night and went up 28-0 after sophomore running back Jordan Marshall scored on a 36-yard touchdown run on the third play of the third quarter.

Marshall had three touchdowns and rushed for 135 yards Friday night.

"He's been phenomenal," Elder said. "He's a really talented young man and he's the best kid in the world."

His 42-yard touchdown from senior quarterback Noah Geselbracht's screen pass helped to give the Crusaders a 21-0 lead at halftime.

"That was a huge play for us obviously because that was right before half to make that a three-score ballgame," Elder said.

Geselbracht was 12-of-18 passing for 168 yards and two touchdowns.

Junior wide receiver Tennel Bryant had four receptions for 56 yards and a touchdown. Geselbracht had 168 passing yards and two touchdowns.

Defensively, junior defensive back Matthew Seliga had a team-high six tackles. Junior linebacker Joseph Ginnetti had 5.5 tackles. Senior defensive back Colin Berry and sophomore linebacker Alex French had interceptions.

Friday's Division I regional quarterfinal game between Fairfield and Moeller was be the fourth meeting between the schools and the first game in the series since 2001.

Fairfield had won four consecutive games entering Friday night. Fairfield completed the season with a 6-5 record.

ST. BERNARD, Ohio — Roger Bacon High School boys basketball coach Brian Neal will step down at the conclusion of the coming 2021-2022 season, the school announced on Tuesday.

Neal has a 236-161 career record at Roger Bacon entering his 17th season as head coach. He has the most coaching wins in program history.

Roger Bacon opens its inaugural season as a member of the Miami Valley Conference with a non-conference game at Hughes on Nov. 26 (7:30 p.m. tipoff).

Neal was an assistant coach under the late Bill Brewer for the 2002 state title team. This season will also mark the 20th anniversary of the 2002 state championship victory over LeBron James and St. Vincent – St. Mary. Commemorations are planned at Roger Bacon during the 2021-22 season.

This season will also be particularly special for Neal and his wife, Dr. Amy Neal, as their son, Andrew, is a senior guard for the Spartans. Their daughter, Libby, is a freshman at Roger Bacon.

“I have been a part of the Roger Bacon high school basketball program every day since I was 14," Brian Neal said in a release.

"I am now almost 50. In that time I have grown from being a student, to an alum, to a coach and a teacher. The sideline at Fogarty Center has been my home away from home since 1991. It is where I have been able to watch hundreds of young student-athletes mature into leaders, forge friendship bonds that will last a lifetime, and learn the sacrifices it takes to fulfill their potential. They have my unending respect for pouring themselves out for their teammates and their school, and my eternal gratitude for giving me the ride of my life, and while I have been incredibly blessed to be the head coach of a successful program, any success attached to my name is only possible because of the dedication of the players and coaches I have been blessed to work with."

Neal plans to continue his roles as chair of the mathematics department and teacher at Roger Bacon.

"He enjoys his teaching job," Rossi said. "He is a great math teacher. So I think when you're in a situation like that and you have a coaching responsibility to go along with that - I think that just helps."

Neal became the boys basketball program's all-time coaching wins leader in January 2016 when he earned his 171st career win and surpassed the late Bill Brewer (170 wins).

Neal, who started as the Roger Bacon head coach in the 2005-06 season, has earned numerous awards including the Associated Press Division III coach of the year honor in 2013. He was named a Greater Catholic League coach of the year eight times.

The Spartans won eight league titles, 10 sectional titles, seven district titles and three regional championships under Neal. Roger Bacon was the Division III state runner-up in 2017.

Roger Bacon athletic director Steve Rossi said Neal is very organized during the season and has been able to adapt as a head coach over the years with the personnel in his program.

"His ability to remain focused during the season and he's just put together a process for himself and the program that has created success," Rossi said. "...He has an ability to welcome in new groups of athletes and students."

Neal was an assistant coach on Roger Bacon's 2002 state championship team that famously defeated LeBron James and Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary 71-63 in the Division II state final at Value City Arena in Columbus.

The son of Roger Bacon’s iconic marching band and music director Wesley Neal, Brian Neal grew up in the hallways of the school and graduated in 1990.

As a student, Neal met his wife, Dr. Amy Neal ('93), and played basketball for Spartans legend Jim Rice.

After beginning his post-college career in corporate America, Neal decided he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps, becoming a math teacher, and returning to his alma mater to teach and coach.

Neal's first stint as an assistant was with his former coach, Jim Rice. He worked for Rice for one year before Rice retired from coaching. He was then hired to work with the Roger Bacon girls basketball program and head coach Tom Singleton.

During the 1994 season the team finished as the Division II state runner-up, and in 1995 earned a 28-0 record, claiming the Division II state championship.

Neal moved back over to the boys side with Brewer, and was an assistant coach when the Spartans made history in 2002 with a state title for the ages.

"The one thing about Brian is that since 1994 he's been part of every significant basketball victory boys and girls at Bacon," Rossi said.

SYCAMORE TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Moeller 2022 tight end Josh Kattus announced that he's given a verbal commitment to the University of Kentucky.

Kattus is ranked Ohio's No. 30 player overall in the 2022 class by the 247 Sports Composite. He is also ranked the nation's No. 51 tight end.

Kattus told Moeller High School Director of Alumni Barrett Cohen that UK was one of a handful of finalists during his recruiting journey. He said he enjoyed the Lexington campus and the connections with the coaching staff.

"They have some real die-hard fans, and I'm looking forward to putting that jersey on in front of thousands of fans," Kattus told Cohen.

His scholarship offers also included Michigan, Kansas, Illinois, Georgia Tech and Mid-American Conference programs, according to WCPO and 247 Sports.

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Kattus is the son of former Bengals tight end Eric Kattus (1986-1991). Eric Kattus also played with the New York Jets in 1992.

Moeller opens the 2021 season at Lakota East on Aug. 20.