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Watch highlights from the 2025 Enquirer High School Sports Awards
Take a look at highlights from the 2025 Enquirer High School Sports Awards, presented by Beacon Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, June 18 at Princeton.
Now that we’re about a month away from the start of the high school football season, Cincinnati teams are starting summer conditioning. In a few weeks, Aug. 1 will mark the first official day of practice and the regular season will be here before we know it.
Once again, The Enquirer is previewing the Queen City’s best players by position group. Each week, one offensive position and one defensive position will be highlighted.
Let’s start in the trenches! Former Cincinnati Bengals offensive lineman Dave Lapham will tell you that’s where the game is won and lost. Here are the top run-stoppers and pass rushers in Greater Cincinnati. Scroll to the end to vote on which of these defensive linemen is your favorite. Voting ends at 4 p.m. Thursday, July 17.
Juan Bates, Mason
After recording 19 tackles as a sophomore, Bates was poised for a big junior year. That never quite materialized as he finished the season with just eight tackles and a fumble recovery. On tape, Bates has shown an ability to disrupt the line of scrimmage, often going up against multiple guards. He also displays a relentless pursuit of the ball-carrier, even as far as 15 yards past the line of scrimmage. Bates has performed well at several team camps this summer and has a DI offer from Yale.
Mike Branch, Taylor
Last fall was a momentous season for the Yellowjackets and for Branch. He was the second-leading tackler, posting 79 tackles, 18 for loss, and seven sacks as Taylor won multiple postseason games for the first time in school history. He showed up in crucial moments, too, recording eight tackles and two sacks in a Week 10 win over Indian Hill that clinched a second-place finish in the Cincinnati Hills League for the Yellowjackets. Branch’s lone Division I offer is from Miami (Ohio), but he is receiving interest from Cincinnati, Kentucky, Louisville, Pittsburgh and West Virginia.
Bo Gay, Ryle
The stat that everyone will remember from Ryle’s run to the Class 6A state championship game is that the Raiders induced eight straight running clocks in the second half of the season. The other significant stat is that they only allowed 106 rushing yards per game. While run-heavy teams may have inflated that number, it’s a number the Raiders will surely like to improve upon.
As a junior, Gay logged 42 tackles, 15 for loss, and was second on the team with nine sacks. He recently received first Division I offer from The Citadel.
Christian Harris, Moeller
While scoring averages may be on the rise in the Greater Catholic League-South, Moeller still reigned supreme by allowing just 12.8 points and 93.7 rushing yards per game in league play. Harris was a big part of those numbers. He had 45 tackles, 15.5 for loss, and his 8.5 sacks were good for second in the GCL, only behind Elder’s Derek Uran. The Wake Forest commit forced a fumble in the season opener and recovered a fumble in the Crusaders’ state semifinal win over Centerville.
Antwoine Higgins, Anderson
Higgins originally wanted to be a quarterback when he entered high school. Head coach Evan Dreyer converted him to an edge rusher, which has paid dividends for the Raptors. He has placed an emphasis on speed and strength as his career has progressed. That work ethic led to 55 tackles, 6.5 for loss, and two sacks as a sophomore. He also had an interception and five pass deflections. With 31 DI offers, 247Sports rates him as the No. 4 prospect in the state in the Class of 2027.
Calvin Lorek, Loveland
The Lorek family has had a pair of talented big men walk the halls at Loveland. David, who just graduated, is coming off a track and field season that saw him take fourth place at state in the shot put. Calvin is committed to Northwest after logging 26 tackles and leading the Tigers with three sacks in 2024. He had multiple tackles in every game he played in as a junior.
Jaylen Mercer, Winton Woods
Winton Woods has had one of the most consistent defenses in the city over the last few years. And the thing about the Warriors is, there’s never just one defensive star. However, Mercer will be a name to watch for the next two years. He made 17 tackles and had two sacks in just five games as a sophomore. He already boasts 27 DI offers.
Caillou Robinson, West Clermont
West Clermont was one of the better turnaround stories of the 2024 season. After going 4-7 in 2023, Ben Moorman led the team to a 7-4 record and the ninth seed in the DI, Region 4 playoffs. Robinson was the most consistent presence on defense. He was second on the team with 55 tackles and led the Wolves with 11.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks. He posted 2.5 sacks in back-to-back games against Turpin and Walnut Hills. Robinson currently has offers from Eastern Michigan, Southern Illinois and Kent State.
Derrick Singletary, Middletown
When Kali Jones was named the head coach at Middletown, he vowed to return the program to winning ways. It got off to a good start as the Middies started last season 4-0 before falling in the first round of the playoffs to end the season at 5-6. Singletary, an edge rusher committed to Rice, contributed to the turnaround with 53 tackles, 14 for loss, and 10.5 sacks. Look for him to wreak havoc on the rest of the Greater Miami Conference this season. He was listed at 185 pounds on the 2024 roster, but 247Sports now has him at 220 pounds.
Logan White, Harrison
This fall, Harrison has a chance to become the first school to win three straight outright conference titles since Mt. Healthy ruled the Southwest Ohio Conference from 2012 to 2015. White will play a significant role for the Wildcats. He tied for fourth in the SWOC with 83 tackles in 2024, 70 of which were solo efforts. After posting 4.5 sacks as a sophomore, he led the conference with 15.5 sacks last fall. He had four multi-sack games last year, including five wrap-ups in a win over Mt. Healthy.
Additional defensive linemen to watch in Greater Cincinnati in 2025
Henry Alo, Simon Kenton; Cooper Benke, Highlands; Griffin Benke, Highlands; Cole Canter, CHCA; Josh Charron, McNicholas; Chase Crittenden, Wyoming; Carson Eshelman, Beechwood; Josh Fasbender, St. Xavier; Jaxson Frye, Indian Hill; Jonny Lind, Covington Catholic; Ty Martin, Clinton-Massie; Donald Robinson II, Mt. Healthy; Will Robinson, Cincinnati Country Day; Jack Simpson, Mariemont; Tyler Watkins, Clermont Northeastern; Mitchell Woolf, Covington Catholic
Vote: Who is the top defensive lineman in Greater Cincinnati this fall?
Readers can vote once per hour per device. This poll will close at 4 p.m. on Thursday, July 17.
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