The Middies host the Big Blue on Friday in the annual Greater Miami Conference rivalry game at Barnitz Stadium.
“No matter what, the time is now,” Crouch said. “We’re going to bang heads on a Friday night. It’s going to be a show.”
The Big Blue (4-2, 4-1 GMC) are off to their best start since the 2010 season and have won six straight against the Middies (3-3, 2-3).
Middletown has lost three out of its last four and hasn’t beaten Hamilton since Sept. 26, 2014, in a 24-3 contest. Last year, the Big Blue blanked the Middies 17-0 at Barnitz.
“This is it right here. This game is the kind of game that will decide which team wants to take the next step,” Middletown coach Don Simpson said. “What’s good about this game is that everyone says, ‘Throw the records out.’ I don’t care what their record is.
“Arvie’s done a great job over there with getting the ball rolling. They’re going to be playing with the same intensity and the same passion. It’s going to be a fun night of football.”
Crouch also knows where the Middies stand right now.
“Middletown has athletes, and they’re always going to have athletes,” Crouch said. “They’re playing some disciplined football. It looks like they’re playing some good football — bottom line. I don’t know how many years Don has been there, but they’re starting to do all the right things. It’s all starting to pay off for them.”
Hamilton’s defense sits third in the GMC with 13.5 points given up a game. Leading that charge are junior Gracen Goldsmith and sophomore CJ Bryant, both linebackers who are tied for second in the conference with 62 tackles apiece.
Crouch said junior Antonio Mathis has settled in during his first season at quarterback. He’s thrown for 858 yards and seven touchdowns, while senior running back Cournell Bennett-McCoy is coming off a career-best 139-yard performance in Big Blue’s 31-28 overtime win against Fairfield last week.
“We’ve been able to establish a little bit of a run,” Crouch said. “That’s because Antonio Mathis has been playing well and making good decisions in the pass game. That’s really helped us open things up.”
Junior quarterback Jerimiah Landers threw two first-half touchdowns against Mason in Week 5 to lead Middletown into the half 14-3. But the Comets scored two touchdowns in the final six minutes for the comeback victory.
“For us, we want it to be the norm with playing 48-minute games,” Simpson said. “We found out within that Mason game, it was down to the tail end. The bottom fell out. We pretty much controlled that entire game.
“This is a team that’s still trying learn and trying to turn the corner,” Simpson added. “We’re taking those lumps and learning from them. You don’t want to continue to keep making the same mistakes, but in our three losses, the mistakes that were made to lose those games weren’t the same mistakes.
“In the process, we’re not going back to practice saying, ‘We’ve got to play good football.’ No, we know how to play good football. We know that the margin of error in the GMC is so slim that you can’t come out and assume anything. This is a perfect example of that coming up Friday night.”
LAKOTA EAST AT SYCAMORE
The Thunderhawks (1-5, 1-4 GMC) snapped an eight-game losing streak dating back to last season with their win over Colerain in Week 6. The Aviators (3-3, 3-2) have lost two in a row. Sycamore senior running back Eugene Harney has nine rushing scores and leads the conference with 762 yards on the ground. Lakota East sophomore Ryder Hooks has 721 yards rushing and three touchdowns.
OAK HILLS AT LAKOTA WEST
The Firebirds (4-2, 4-1 GMC) are on a four-game winning streak and have beaten the Highlanders (2-4, 2-3) nine times in a row. Oak Hills junior Max Supe has five touchdown receptions and leads the conference with 487 yards receiving. Highlander’s sophomore linebacker Max Rhodes leads the GMC with 70 tackles.
PRINCETON AT FAIRFIELD
The Vikings (6-0, 5-0 GMC) are ranked third in the state in Division I and have a three-game winning streak against the Indians (1-5, 1-4). Princeton junior linebacker PJ Nelson is tied for first in the conference with six sacks.
BADIN AT CARROLL
The Rams (6-0, 1-0 GCLC) have a 34-game regular-season win streak and won six in a row against the Patriots (2-4, 0-1). Badin’s defense has only allowed 6.1 points a game.
ROSS AT EDGEWOOD
The Cougars (1-5, 0-1 SWBL) have won two in a row against the Rams (1-5, 0-0), who are on a three-game losing streak. Ross senior Riley Caldwell leads the conference with 793 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns.
EATON AT MONROE
The Hornets (2-4, 0-1 SWBL) have split the last six meetings against the Eagles (5-1, 2-1). Eaton senior quarterback Chris Atkins has thrown for 1,037 yards and nine touchdowns. Monroe senior linebacker Caden Vance has 66 total tackles, which is third in the conference.
MADISON AT VALLEY VIEW
The Spartans (6-0, 3-0 SWBL) are ranked fourth in the state in Division V and have won 14 straight regular season games. The Mohawks (4-2, 0-2), losers of two straight, haven’t beaten Valley View since Sept. 7, 2018, in a 24-16 contest.
CARLISLE AT WAYNESVILLE
The Indians (2-4, 0-2 SWBL) have lost four in a row, while the Spartans 5-1, 2-0) have won five straight. Waynesville, which is ranked 10th in the state in Division V, has won the last two meetings against Carlisle.
BELLBROOK AT FRANKLIN
The Wildcats (2-4, 1-0 SWBL) have won two in a row after losing their first four games of the season. The Eagles (3-3, 1-0) have won three in a row against Franklin. Wildcats sophomore linebacker Jack Berry is tied for first in the conference with 68 tackles.
NORTHWEST AT TALAWANDA
The Brave (1-5, 0-0 SWOC) open conference play against the Knights (0-6, 0-1). The two teams have split the last four contests with Northwest beating Talawanda 53-49 in Week 10 last season.
LOCKLAND AT NEW MIAMI
The Vikings (1-5, 0-1 MVC) have been outscored 181-14 in their last four losses. The Panthers (2-4, 0-1) have beaten New Miami the last two meetings.
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