Badin Braces For Showdown With McNicholas, Eyes GCL Coed Title And Momentum For Playoffs

By Rick Cassano

HAMILTON – There will be a Week 11 for Badin High School’s football team, but that’s not the mind-set right now.

The Rams will be looking to get a piece of their ninth straight Greater Catholic League Coed Division championship when McNicholas, which has already clinched a share of the title, comes to the Matandy SportsPlex to close the regular season Friday night.

Perhaps the biggest thing for Badin is simply getting some payback. The Rockets ended the Rams’ 31-game league winning streak last season in Hamilton.

“It is a little bit of a pride thing,” Rams coach Nick Yordy said. “Anytime you lose a game in our league, it leaves a bad taste in your mouth. When I got here, it had been a long time since we had beaten McNick, a long time since we had beaten Alter, a long time since we had beaten Fenwick. We take pride in winning those games.”

Hamilton Catholic/Badin has a 41-18-1 advantage in the series with McNick, which halted a seven-game losing streak against the Rams with last season’s 17-10 verdict.

Badin is 7-2 overall and 3-1 in GCL Coed play – the Rockets are 7-2, 4-0. Their last three meetings have been decided by a total of 14 points.

“The last three came down to the last possession. I wouldn’t be surprised if it happens that way again,” McNick coach Mike Orlando said. “It’s cool to have a big game in Week 10. It’s why people come to McNick, it’s why people come to Badin, to have a chance to be a champion.

“If you tell me we’re going to be 7-2 going into Week 10 and have a chance for an outright title, absolutely I’d sign up for that. It’s good when you have a piece of it, but you want it all. You want to go into the playoffs with some momentum.”

According to the unofficial playoff-status report from joeeitel.com …

The Rockets have clinched a Division III, Region 12 playoff spot. They’re in a strong position to host their next game and could get a first-round bye.

The Rams have clinched a Division II, Region 8 playoff spot. A win over McNick would allow Badin to host its postseason opener and maybe even secure a first-round bye.

“You can look at all the different scenarios, but we don’t have time to do that right now,” Yordy said. “We can’t control who beats who. We’ve got to focus on McNick. We kind of try to emulate them the way they look on film. They are really good on special teams. They’re really good on offense. They’re really good on defense. That’s what we try to do as well.”

“We’ve got to get our get-back this year,” BHS junior cornerback Cooper Clay said. “I think it’s going to be a four-quarter game, but our guys are ready for it. Beating Alter (20-14 in overtime) last week boosted our confidence even more.”

Friday will be Senior Night for the Rams. McNick has won six straight games after starting the season 1-2 with losses to Harrison (28-0) and Ironton (17-10).

Orlando said the early part of the year was a tough stretch for his crew.

“You probably learn more about yourself in losses than you do in wins,” he said. “We didn’t play very well against Harrison. The trip to Ironton, I thought defensively we played much, much better, but offensively we were still missing on some things. Since then we got our footing and learned what we can do well. I’m proud of the guys for their resiliency.”

McNick has allowed 21 total points over the last four weeks with its 3-4 defense. That’s even with the loss of senior middle linebacker Sam Whitcomb to a season-ending foot injury in Week 4.

Seniors Max Hamilton (6-0, 215) and Josh Charron (5-10, 180) are havoc-causing edge rushers. That’s particularly true of Hamilton, who has 19.5 tackles for loss.

Junior Matthew Powderly (5-10, 214) and seniors Zack Burkhardt (5-11, 175) and Emmet Froman (5-11, 187) are linebackers, and they lead the Rockets in tackles. Junior safety Max Orlando (5-11, 180) has three interceptions and two fumble recoveries.

“We play complementary defense,” Mike Orlando said. “We’re a bend-don’t-break kind of squad. We don’t have great size, so responsibilities are important. Leverage and fits are things that mean something to us. Our guys do those things pretty well.”

“They fly around and bring pressure,” Yordy said. “They always seem to be bringing one or two linebackers with two safeties. They’re not going to give up a big play.”

He said the McNick offense is a base spread, “but they will come out in a lot of different formations. They’ve got variations of every offense known to man.”

Senior quarterback Evan Sandfoss (6-1, 180) leads the GCLC in passing with 1,480 yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions. Former Badin head coach Dave Wirth has been on the Rockets’ staff for several years and has moved into the offensive coordinator position this season.

McNick has had success with three running backs – junior Joseph Reuss (5-11, 192) and sophomores Josiah Davis (5-7, 154) and Tyler Richardson (6-0, 230) – who have combined for 17 TDs. Davis had no carries in the first three games before getting a varsity shot.

“All three running backs have their own significant trait,” Orlando said. “Reuss has been a steady guy, kind of a glider. Josiah’s the guy that has a little bit more bounce to him, a little more wiggle, a little more twitch. Tyler is our heavier back who gets down there in short yardage.”

Orlando said turnovers and penalties have become decreasing issues over the course of the season. He said the Rockets rarely have a ton of size, and this year is no different.

“We lose the eye test every week,” said Orlando, in his 16th year as McNick’s head coach. “When we walk off the bus, we are not going to intimidate anybody. But much like Badin, when the ball’s put down on the ground and the whistle blows, I like to think we play really hard and play for one another. There’s something to be said for that. Would I like our guys to have a little bit more size and speed? Sure, but I love guys. I’ll take our guys over anybody else.”

Orlando said Badin is impressive, even with two losses (to La Salle and Fenwick).

“You watch film and they look like every other Badin team,” Orlando said. “Downhill, aggressive, not too many flaws in the units. Just good football players across the board.”

Rams junior Chase Even tops the GCL Coed in rushing with 1,153 yards and 16 touchdowns on 157 carries. Badin’s passing game has been inconsistent, and Yordy said junior Davis Martin and sophomore Jimmy Gajewski are competing each week in practice to see who gets the starting nod.

An area that’s been strong for the Rams has been kickoff returns. Clay took back two kickoffs for touchdowns in Week 4 against Columbus Hartley and began the Alter game by grabbing a kickoff and going 79 yards for a TD.

That return against Alter started near the Badin sideline and shifted to the other side of the field. In that instance, it was clear the return was set up to the right.

“I honestly thought I was going to get hawked from the back,” Clay said. “I didn’t see anything until I looked up a little bit and then the hole was just wide open. It was like (special teams coordinator Jeff Smith Jr.) talks about all the time. Just trust in it and go with it.”

Clay has been on the kickoff-return unit throughout the season, but he didn’t get moved back into a deep spot until the Hartley game.

He’s returned seven kickoffs for a whopping 56.4-yard average in 2026. Senior Preston Davenport is in the back with Clay and has returned a pair of kickoffs for touchdowns in his last 14 games.

With the now-graduated James Brink ripping off four kickoff-return TDs last year, Badin has returned nine kickoffs for touchdowns in the last two seasons.

“That’s definitely got to say something about our kickoff-return team,” Clay said. “We’ve got guys who are great blockers. I couldn’t do it without them.”

Yordy said special-teams success is no mystery. It’s a matter of putting in the work.

“We put a lot of emphasis on special teams,” Yordy said. “We practice it a while. Sometimes I wonder if we practice it more times than we should, but then you see those results. If we can steal a touchdown in any type of special-teams situation, we’re going to take it. Over the years, we’ve had a lot of really good guys back there on kickoffs. I think Cooper Clay has cemented himself as one of those guys.”

Clay said it wasn’t his decision to become a deep guy on kickoff returns this year. The coaching staff made the call for him, and he was happy to give it a try.

“I was like, ‘Let’s do it.’ I thought I could do it and proved to them that I could,” Clay said. “I think it’s fun because I already know where I’m going beforehand, so I don’t really have to think too much. I just trust my guys to block for me and go where the holes are at. The key is trusting what we talk about in practice all week and sticking with it and not second-guessing it.”

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