Versailles proved they belong in the playoffs, with a first round route on the road. However, keeping this playoff run alive will require slowing a pass heavy Cincinnati College Prep offense.
The Tigers travel to face the fourth-seeded Lions Friday, Nov. 6, at 7 p.m. in the Division VI, Region 24 quarterfinals. Versailles enters 7-4 following its 38-7 victory over Portsmouth West, while College Prep (8-2) opens postseason play after a first-round bye.
The seeds and records tell only part of the story. Drew Pasteur’s Fantastic 50 ratings, which provides predictive power ratings and future matchup rankings for all OHSAA high school football teams in Ohio, now ranks Versailles’ regular-season schedule third among Division VI teams and College Prep’s 84th. The same model ranks the Tigers eighth in Division VI and the Lions 42nd, providing an independent measure of the difference in their paths to November.
Versailles’ four losses came against St. Henry, Marion Local, Coldwater and Anna, teams that finished the regular season a combined 30-10. Beyond its eight-game Midwest Athletic Conference schedule, Versailles also defeated Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, which finished 9-1.
“It’s no secret, playing a tough schedule prepares you for these moments,” Versailles head coach Scott Broerman said. “Every week, you must be ready to play physical, disciplined football.”
College Prep’s schedule included schools from several larger divisions, with Division III opponents Eastmoor Academy, KIPP Columbus and Hughes, Division IV opponents Dunbar and Meadowdale, and Division V opponents Dayton Christian and Gamble Montessori. Enrollment classifications alone, however, do not measure the difficulty of those games. Cedarville, Eastmoor, Meadowdale and KIPP finished a combined 7-33.
The Lions also have results that demand respect. They defeated Dunbar 42-26, edged Dayton Christian 26-21 and handled Gamble Montessori 46-7. Their two losses were each decided by six points: 14-8 against Hughes and 42-36 against Wheeling Central Catholic in West Virginia.
For Versailles’ defense, the challenge begins with quarterback Kemmarion McCray. College Prep’s reported CMAC statistics credit him with 2,098 passing yards, 21 touchdowns and just two interceptions, completing 64 percent of his attempts.
Kendrick Napier led the conference’s receiving totals with 802 yards. His 47 catches include five touchdowns. Ramik Bell adds 29 catches for 502 yards and six scores, while Mar’Tavion Evans has 26 receptions for 467 yards and eight touchdowns. That distribution gives Versailles more to account for than one primary receiver.
Now hearing this could cause some Tiger fans to take pause, as Versailles allowed 685 passing yards through its first three games this season… But Coach Broerman sees a secondary that has grown considerably since the opening weeks. In the eight games since, including the playoff opener, the Tigers have only allowed 568 passing yard, which only averages out to be 71 yards per game.
“Our secondary has continued to improve and I think the experience and confidence they have gained throughout the season has really shown,” Broerman said. “CCPA presents a challenge with multiple talented receivers and a quarterback that can distribute the football.”
CCPA running back presents another challenge on the ground. Bell lead the Lions with 516 rushing yards while averaging 8.6 yards per carry. Carlito Houston adds 370 rushing yards, and McCray has rushed for 224 yards and four touchdowns.
Across nine games in the CMAC, College Prep averaged 402 yards of offense, including 236.2 passing and 165.8 rushing, and 32.8 points.
That makes the relationship between Versailles’ pass rush and secondary one of the game’s central matchups. Ben Kaiser leads the Tigers with seven sacks, but getting to McCray will require discipline as well as pressure.
“We will continue to focus on limiting the explosive plays, keeping everything in front of us, and tackling in open space,” Broerman said. “We need to contain the quarterback and apply pressure without allowing him to extend plays.”
Versailles comes off a defensive performance that limited Portsmouth West to 148 total yards and eight first downs. College Prep presents a different test, with enough receiving options to challenge the Tigers across the field.
On the other side of the ball, Versailles’ offensive line will have to account for Michael Miller, the CMAC sack leader with 17. Kenny Powe has 109 tackles, Miller has 78, and Bell has 75 tackles along with a conference-leading six INT. Miller’s pressure and Bell’s ability to take the ball away make obvious passing situations particularly dangerous.
The Tigers’ best answer may be the offensive balance they displayed at Portsmouth West. Versailles rushed for 200 yards, with Landyn Knapke gaining 91 and Nicholas Meyer adding 55. Blake Monnin completed eight of nine passes for 156 yards and a touchdown, and the Tigers finished without a turnover.
Looking back at the Tiger’s last four games, there seemed to be something that ‘clicked’ for this offense. Finally operating Broerman’s offense as it was designed. Coach said that progress has come from patience and a commitment to mastering the offense before expanding it.
“I think a big part of what has clicked for us offensively is the development of our system and our commitment to being really good at what we do before continuing to add more to the playbook.”
While adding new ways to attack a defense can be tempting, Broerman said establishing an identity and building confidence came first. As players have become more comfortable with their assignments, the Tigers have improved their execution and physicality while developing the passing game around available opportunities.
“Our goal from the beginning was to be able to run the football and control the line of scrimmage,” Broerman said. “We’ve really started to see the benefits of that process over the last 4 games. You want to be playing your best football at this point in the season.”
For the season, Monnin has thrown for 1,046 yards and 11 touchdowns while adding a team-leading 436 rushing yards and five scores. Kade Schwartz leads Versailles with 28 receptions for 456 yards and six touchdowns, followed by Alex Westgerdes with 21 catches for 278 yards and three scores.
Keeping the running game productive would give Monnin manageable passing situations and make it harder for College Prep to turn Miller loose. Schwartz and Westgerdes’ opportunities against a defense featuring Bell will also be worth watching.
College Prep’s reported defensive averages are impressive: 180.7 yards and 16 points allowed per game. Broerman said the Lions’ physical defenders make execution especially important.
“We need to focus on what we do well, taking care of the football, limiting penalties, winning the line of scrimmage, and execution,” he said.
The Lions are familiar with MAC opposition in November. Their last three seasons ended with playoff losses to New Bremen, 35-0 in 2023; Minster, 42-0 in 2024; and Fort Recovery, 34-8 in 2025.
Broerman believes Versailles’ two nonconference opponents, MAC schedule and experience traveling have helped prepare his players for playoff football. Still, he cautioned against putting too much weight on past results.
“At the same time, every year is different. Rosters and teams are different,” Broerman said. “Our focus is on this year’s team and what we do best. We need to focus on ourselves and play our best brand of football!”
A potential week 3 rematch could take place if Versailles and St. Henry take care of business Friday. A game which saw the Redskins win 34-21. But for now, the focus is on CCPA. The winner of this game will advance to the regional semifinals and face those Redskins or the top-seeded Tri-Village Patriots on Nov. 13.
