It was another great week of high school football in the tri-state. The Elder Panthers continue to prove why they are the best team in the area. This week, they hosted traditional Indiana power East Central. The Pit was too much for the Trojans as Elder dominated the game and came away with a 42-7 victory. The Panthers have won all three of their games by over 30 points each. Victory margins of 32, 36 and 35 points respectively, have catapulted Elder to the top of the state rankings as well. The Panthers certainly look the part and hope to continue that momentum as GCL play begins, as they host #9 LaSalle at the Pit. The top teams in the GMC and the ECC asserted their dominance in the second week of conference play. The Anderson Raptors took on an undefeated Little Miami Panthers and promptly handled business. The Raptors continue to rebound after their season opening loss to Trinity. Last week, they scored 70 on West Clermont and this past week they knocked off Little Miami 51-14. Up next for the Raptors is an intriguing road matchup at Lebanon.

Staying in the ECC, the Winton Woods Warriors look to once again, be the biggest test for Anderson this season. The Warriors, who were in the same boat as Anderson after losing their opening game, have come out and taken care of business these last two weeks. A shutout win over Kings in week 2 was a solid rebound for Winton Woods. They followed it up this past week with a 50-28 win over Milford. Watching Anderson and Winton Woods each week is must see as these two teams will battle all the way up until the very end for ECC supremacy.

In the GMC, the Princeton Vikings continue to show why they are one of the top teams in the city, knocking off Colerain, 49-6, at home. A team that is loaded with Division 1 recruits, the Vikings are making a case each week that they are a must see team. The other team in the GMC that is looking to capture the GMC championship is the Lakota West Firebirds. It seems like every season it comes down to these two teams and this year should be no different. The Firebirds traveled east to face the Mason Comets, coming away with a 35-10 victory, in the Comets 2026 home opener. In what might have been the most intriguing week 3 matchup in the GMC saw Oak Hills host Lakota East. These two solid teams squared off with the Lakota East Thunderbirds come away with a huge 31-28 road victory. Lakota East and Oak Hills are tied for second in the GMC and both teams are hoping to play a big part in the outcome of the conference.

New to the rankings is the Harrison Wildcats. Harrison has started off the season hot, with shutout victories over Milford and McNicholas in weeks 1 and 2, but a tough road matchup at Beavercreek is what Harrison faced this past week. The Wildcats came away with a huge 33-28 victory on the road, keeping that momentum. They look to stay hot as they host the Withrow Tigers. Withrow dropped out of the rankings this week, fresh off a loss at home to Springboro. The Springboro Panthers made the trip down to Cincinnati and left with an impressive 23-13 victory. Things don’t get easier for the Panthers as they begin GWOC play as they host Wayne.

As the season continues to play out, there are more games with a lot of importance. With that being the case, there are some intriguing matchups to continue to keep an watch for on the Friday night high school slate. Here are seven of the top games to keep an eye on this week in Cincinnati.

Without further ado, here are the ISC High School Football Top 10 rankings for week 4.

1. Elder (3-0) (Last Week rank: #1)

Last Game: Win vs. East Central (IN), 42-7
Next Game: Friday vs. #9 LaSalle, 7 p.m.

2. Lakota West (3-0) (Last Week rank: #2)

Last Game: Win at Mason, 35-10
Next Game: Friday vs. Hamilton, 7 p.m.

3. Princeton (3-0) (Last Week rank: #3)

Last Game: Win vs. Colerain, 49-6
Next Game: Friday vs. Sycamore, 7 p.m.

4. Badin (3-0) (Last Week rank: #4)

Last Game: Win at Edgewood, 31-7
Next Game: Friday at Bishop Hartley, 7 p.m.

5. Anderson (2-1) (Last Week rank: #8)

Last Game: Win vs. Little Miami, 51-14
Next Game: Friday at Lebanon, 7 p.m.

6. Winton Woods (2-1) (Last Week rank: #9)

Last Game: Win vs. Milford, 50-28
Next Game: Friday vs. Turpin, 7 p.m.

7. Harrison (3-0) (Last Week rank: #NR)

Last Game: Win at Beavercreek, 33-28
Next Game: Friday vs. Withrow, 7 p.m.

8. Lakota East (2-1) (Last Week rank: N/R)

Last Game: Win at Oak Hills, 31-28
Next Game: Friday vs. Mason, 7 p.m.

9. LaSalle (2-1) (Last Week rank: #5)

Last Game: Loss at Fairmont, 24-21
Next Game: Friday at #1 Elder, 7 p.m.

10. Springboro (2-1) (Last Week rank: N/R)

Last Week: Win at Withrow, 23-13
Next Game: Friday vs. Wayne, 7 p.m.

Dropped Out: St. Xavier, Withrow, Moeller

On the outside looking in: Lebanon, Oak Hills, Little Miami, Withrow, St. Xavier, Moeller

Chris Asbrock is the owner, writer and analyst for Impact Sports Cincinnati and can be followed on Twitter  Follow @iamchrisasbrock and Follow @ISCincy

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