VERSAILLES — After squeezing into the postseason, Versailles has an opportunity to turn a narrow (and depends who you ask, somewhat controversial) playoff qualification into a fresh start.
The Tigers will travel to fifth-seeded Portsmouth West on Friday, Oct. 30, for a 7 p.m. kickoff in the opening round of the Division VI, Region 24 playoffs. Versailles enters as the No. 12 seed at 6-4, while the Senators bring an 8-2 record into the matchup. The winner advances to face fourth-seeded Cincinnati College Prep on Nov. 6.
For Versailles, the assignment will require a quick response to last Friday’s 29-22 loss to Anna.
“Friday’s game was extremely emotional with it being Senior Night and knowing what was at stake. There was a lot of pressure to get the win, but our kids continued to fight until the very end. I’m proud of how they responded to the challenge,” Versailles coach Scott Broerman said. “Now, our focus shifts [to Portsmouth West]. We know we have a big challenge ahead of us, but I’m confident our team will put in the work this week and be ready to compete.”
Across the field will be another team looking to rebound. Portsmouth West dropped its regular-season finale to Wheelersburg, 31-13, in a game that decided the Southern Ohio Conference Division II championship.
The Senators, coached by Todd Gilliland, opened with three consecutive victories before falling to Williamsburg, 28-12. They responded with five straight wins before the Wheelersburg loss. Their regular season included four shutouts, with Portsmouth, Waverly, Minford and Northwest all held scoreless.
Versailles’ path included its own tests. The Tigers opened with victories over Harvest Prep and Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, which finished 9-1. All four Versailles losses came against Midwest Athletic Conference opponents — St. Henry, Marion Local, Coldwater and Anna — who combined for a 30-10 regular-season record. That experience gives the Tigers reason to believe they can compete beyond what their seed might suggest.
“Playing a tough schedule throughout the season has prepared us for this moment. We’ve been battle-tested, faced adversity, and continued to fight regardless of the circumstances,” Broerman said.
Friday’s matchup figures to begin with the running game.
Portsmouth West operates an offense that emphasizes taking snaps under center and establishing control at the line of scrimmage. In a preseason interview with Tri-State Sports Page, Gilliland made that identity clear.
“There’s no secret that we’re going to run the football,” he said….Sound familiar, Tigerball fans?
Senior running back Anthony Bishop is the first player Versailles must account for. Against Waverly this season, Bishop rushed for 212 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries as the Senators piled up 368 rushing yards in a 28-0 victory. Sophomore Westyn Ratcliff added 122 yards and a touchdown in that game, demonstrating that stopping West requires more than following one ball carrier.
Senior quarterback Carter Keyser directs the offense, while Braden Adkins provides versatility as a runner and receiving option. Gunnar Shonkwiler is another experienced playmaker whose impact extends to special teams.
Defensively, linebacker Tilton Rapp is another Senator to watch. He entered this season after recording 115 tackles, including 13 for loss, in 2025. Fellow returning defender Zane Pitts had 81 tackles and eight for loss last season. Their experience presents a challenge for a Versailles offense that also relies heavily on its ground attack.
The Tigers have totaled 2,106 rushing yards and 22 rushing touchdowns, compared with 949 yards and 10 touchdowns through the air.
Quarterback Blake Monnin gives Versailles production in both areas, with 890 passing yards and 10 touchdown passes to go with 401 rushing yards and four rushing scores. Although the running back room has traded a few injuries back-and-forth, the depth gives Versailles several options to sustain drives and keep the Senators from concentrating on a single runner. This year, Oliver Brunswick has 389 yards, followed by Cole Brewer with 317, Nick Meyer with 259, Landyn Knapke with 242 and Damien Barga with 212.
The Tigers have demonstrated an ability to move the chains, converting 57 of 109 third-down opportunities this season, a 52 percent success rate. Turning those possessions into points will be essential against a defense that has repeatedly kept opponents off the scoreboard.
On the other side, Versailles must finish defensive possessions. Opponents have converted 10 of 16 fourth-down attempts against the Tigers… Against a team like West, who is built to run the ball, allowing another set of downs can turn a manageable possession into a lengthy scoring drive.
The gameplan is simple for the Tigers, contain West’s running game in Bishop and Ratcliff. Get off the field on 3rd and 4th downs. And give the TIger offense the best chance possible against a stingy Senator defense.
A new season starts Friday. Throw out the records. Wheelersburg’s victory over West showed that the Senators’ defense can be challenged. Versailles will look to build on the offensive production it found against Anna while delivering the defensive stops needed to keep its postseason going.
