Preview Lakota West - St. Rita

The final game of the Cincinnati version of the Herbstreit Football Series has Lakota West (OH) against St. Rita (ILL).

In the final contest Larry Cox will look to have his Lakota West team rebound from their hard fought loss to Wayne by battling St. Rita out of Chicago, Illinois.

West is young but has a solid offensive line and a big-time playmaker in Alex Smith at tight-end. The junior is already holding one offer with many more expected before he finishes this season.

On the defensive side West will look towards another junior prospect getting lots of attention. Many feel Jordan Hicks is one of the top 10 players in Ohio for the Class of 2010 and his play in week one proved many right. A strong physical player, Hicks also brings speed to the table being able to go from sideline-to-sideline and make plays.

St. Rita's is considered one of the top programs and is ranked fourth in the most recent Chicago Sun Times preseason poll. The Mustangs come from the Chicago Catholic League and look to be another tough test from Lakota West.

Linebacker Marty Hopkins is betting the bulk of the attention and holds offers from several MAC programs. He's joined by running back Dan Dispensa and the duo have seen success since arriving at the school their freshmen year.

Other players to watch include Ryan Demming, Ryan Bischoff, Matt Munizzi and Larry Garrett. Sophomore running back Jahwon Akui will be looked upon to step up and make a major contribution to the offense if the team is to have success.

This is the first game of the season for head coach Todd Kuska's team and they know coming to Ohio is a major test.