On Saturday, September 27th, the University of Cincinnati will be hosting the Clifton Heights Classic IV. The six teams that will be in attendance will be Bowling Green State University (BGSU), Miami University (Miami), Northern Kentucky University (NKU), Ohio University (Ohio), THE Ohio State University (OSU), and the hosts, the University of Cincinnati (UC). With over half of the Ohio teams in attendance plus the Southern Dodgeball Cup Champs, we should be in for a fantastic weekend of matchups to see where these teams stand in the early stages of the 2025/2026 season.
BGSU
Bowling Green is making their first appearance at the Clifton Heights Classic, only having a week of rest from the Buckeye Opener. While their first weekend of tournaments didn’t go the way they wanted, they gained valuable experience for their matchups in Clifton. Gavin Gillard, the Bowling Green Head Captain, mentioned they are “most looking forward to the matchup against Ohio.” He noted that after a rough weekend and losing some key players, that BG is looking to continue to improve on their gameplay and grow on what they did well towards the end of the day at the Buckeye Opener. Gavin noted that they have some rookies stepping up to fill holes. Some names to keep in mind are Travis Demuth and Philip Myrice. Keep a lookout as Bowling Green tries to bounce back from their opening weekend and get their first win on the season.
Miami
Miami is looking to start their 2025-2026 season off on the right notes. As defending champions, everyone in the league is eyeing to take them down. With the transferring of President and Captain, Max Edling, to Ohio State, Miami looks to fill the shoes of their on-court leader. When asked who they were most excited to play, Head Captain Philip Hampton said, “We are looking forward to playing against the classic rival UC. A repeat of the finals match from last year will be very interesting to see which rookies and returners step up to fill in the spots of the missing seniors from last year.” Hampton also stated that, “Anything short of 3-0 would be a disappointing day for us” and they look to start off the season as hot as they finished. To do that, they’re hoping for returners Dylan Corson, Owen Gaeckle, Collin Stringer, and Joey Dranzik to help set the tone and start strong. But keep your eyes peeled for rookies Issac Herlihy and Sam Webster who “have been picking up the game quick.” Look out for the Redhawks as they start their campaign to go back to back.
NKU
Northern Kentucky University is making their 2025-2026 season debut at the Clifton Heights Classic this Saturday. The Champs of the South have a tough schedule ahead of them, and with them being a young team, it’s good for them to play experienced teams early so they can learn from the best to develop quickly. When asked about their matchups, Braylon Patton said while they are excited for all their games they are “especially looking forward to playing the defending national champions, Miami.” The NKU Head Captain also mentioned that playing the previous champs would be a great test for their team. “Our goals for the day are to develop our young team, strengthen team chemistry, and build trust among the players.” Patton also mentioned that they’re focused on beating Bowling Green as they believe they match up well with them and can capitalize on opportunities they present. With a good chunk of their roster being rookies, keep your eyes on KeAndre Durret, Cohen Bronke, and JJ Foltz as they skills are going to be valuable to their team this upcoming season.
Ohio
After a disappointing exit against James Madison in the sweet sixteen, Ohio looks to bounce back and start the season strong. Ohio on their best day can go toe to toe with anyone as shown in previous seasons. While they did lose two Second Team All-Americans in Logan Jeff and Emanuel Miller, Ohio retains most of their roster and looks to prove that they have what it takes to win. After looking at their matchups for the Clifton Heights Classic, Head Captain, Andrew Krankowski said, “Miami is the matchup we’re looking forward to the most” and that dethroning the National Champs would be a great motivator to the team. Andrew went on to say, “We have a clear expectation that we can play and beat every team we play. With our low expectations across the rankings to start the year, we hope to turn some heads and prove those wrong quickly.” With the rookie that they’ve obtained this new season, be on the lookout for Alex Krouse and Sullivan Keane to help make an impact in the debuts.
OSU
Ohio State, like Bowling Green, is only coming off a week’s rest for the Clifton Heights Classic. After a strong showing in their home tournament and outscoring their opponents 19-8, Ohio State is coming to Clifton hot. Jackson Bolognia said Ohio State is “looking forward to playing UC” to reclaim the rivalry belt between the two schools. Ohio State will be down a couple of starters but Jackson is confident if their young guys can step up, and they should leave Cincinnati 3-0. Jackson stated that rookie, Sam Shefsky, “has a solid arm and has only been improving week by week.” With them retaining nearly all of their roster from the previous season, does anyone have what it takes to cool off Ohio State?
UC
After a heartbreak in the National Championship game, Cincinnati looks to rebound and show they have what it takes to win it all this season. With the loss of two captains in Sterling Gauche and Isaiah Montgomery, and two very experienced players in Ryan Engelman and Matthew Rosinski, Cincinnati looks to recruit some rookies to fill some big shoes entering the 2025-2026 season. Coming into the weekend, Head Captain Will Hyatt mentioned that he’s “looking forward to the matchup between Miami” and that “the national championship rematch will be awesome.” His expectations for the team are to get their rookies some valuable experience and to defend their home territory by going 3-0. While the graduating class left some gaps in the roster, don’t overlook the new rookies taking those places. Mike Obert, Hayden Hollen, and Ben Eberhardt are only a few of the rookies mentioned on who to keep an eye out for.
Cory’s Clifton Heights Classic IV Predictions
BGSU: 0-3
Losses against NKU, Ohio, UC
Miami: 1-2
Win against NKU
Losses against Ohio, UC
NKU: 1-2
Win against BGSU
Losses against Miami, OSU
Ohio: 2-1
Wins against BGSU, Miami
Lose against OSU
OSU: 2-1
Wins against NKU, Ohio
Lose against UC
UC: 3-0
Wins against BGSU, OSU, Miami
Biased? Potentially. Do I care? Not even a little bit. #GoBearcats